Brief: Heaven and Earth (Tian Di) is Chapter 12 of the Outer Chapters of Zhuangzi. This wide‑ranging text discusses cosmic order, ideal governance, human nature, tools, desire and the danger of over‑civilization. It is full of memorable parables: the gardener who rejects labour‑saving machinery, the lost dark pearl of the Yellow Emperor, the utopian vision of the age of supreme virtue, and sharp critiques of how people lose their innate nature through sensory stimulation, moral dogma and clever calculation.
The Dao: The One Principle Behind All Diversity
Heaven and Earth are immense, yet all their transformations follow an even, balanced rhythm. The ten‑thousand things are countless, yet they are governed by one single underlying principle. Multitudes of people live on earth, and their unifying anchor is the ruler. A true ruler grows from inner Virtue and finds completion in Heaven.
In high antiquity, wise rulers practised non‑action (wu‑wei). They simply followed the Virtue of Heaven instead of forcing change. When you look at the world through the lens of the Dao, rulers become upright, the hierarchy of sovereign and minister becomes clear, officials serve well, and every creature responds according to its true nature.
To sum up the layers of reality: Virtue permeates heaven and earth; the Dao flows through all things; statecraft manages human communities; practical skill serves particular tasks. Skill is contained within statecraft; statecraft within righteousness; righteousness within Virtue; Virtue within the Dao; and the Dao itself answers to Heaven.
Ancient people who nurtured the world held no greedy desires, so the world had enough. They took no forced action, so all things transformed naturally. They stayed deep and still inside, so people settled into peace. Old records state: “Whoever penetrates the One principle finishes all undertakings; whoever achieves things without conscious will makes even ghosts and spirits submit.”
Ten Qualities of the Noble Person Aligned with the Dao
The Master says: The Dao covers and carries every single thing – how enormous it is! The noble person must empty their inner self to receive it.
- To act without contrivance is Heaven.
- To speak without contrivance is Virtue.
- To care for people and benefit creatures is Benevolence.
- To reconcile differences is Greatness.
- To act without going astray is Breadth.
- To hold manifold distinct qualities is Richness.
- To hold firmly onto Virtue is Discipline.
- To bring Virtue to full bloom is Establishment.
- To follow the Dao is Completeness.
- To refuse outer circumstances to bend your will is Perfection.
When a noble person understands these ten qualities, their mind opens wide, and they flow generously toward everything around them. Such a person leaves gold buried in mountains and pearls resting in deep abysses. They do not chase profit, fame or high rank. They feel no joy for long life and no grief for an early death; no pride in success and no shame in poverty. They do not hoard worldly advantages for themselves, nor do they treat ruling the world as a glorious personal prize. All things share one great dwelling‑place; life and death are different forms of the same reality.
The Power of the Dao: Silence That Brings Forth All Manifestation
The Dao in its stillness is deep; in its clarity it is pure. Metal and stone cannot make sound unless they are struck. They possess the capacity for sound, yet they stay silent without stimulus. Among all the myriad beings, who can dictate this process?
The person of kingly‑level Virtue returns to plain simplicity and feels ashamed of becoming tangled in petty practical affairs. Dwelling at the original source, their wisdom reaches into the spiritual realm, so their Virtue becomes broad and expansive. Their inner heart rises only in response to outer events.
No form can come‑into‑being without the Dao; no life can shine forth without Virtue. To protect your bodily form, live out your natural span, establish Virtue and illuminate the Dao – this is what it means to possess kingly Virtue. Vast and immense, they emerge and move, and all things follow. They see light within darkness, hear harmony within silence. Deep inside depth, things arise; mysterious within mystery, essence is refined. Engaging with the world, they remain empty yet supply every need; constantly in motion yet offer a place of rest – for the large and small, long and short, far and near alike.
The Yellow Emperor Loses His Dark Pearl
The Yellow Emperor travelled north past the Red Water, climbed the Kunlun mountains and looked southward. On his way home he lost his precious Dark Pearl.
He sent Wisdom to search for it – Wisdom could not find it. He sent sharp‑sighted Li Zhu – Li Zhu could not find it. He sent sharp‑witted Chi Gou – Chi Gou could not find it. Finally he sent Xiang Wang, who possesses neither calculating intellect, sharp sight nor acute hearing, to search, and the Dark Pearl was found. The Yellow Emperor marvelled: “Strange! It was Xiang Wang who recovered it?”
This famous short allegory teaches: deliberate intellect, sharp eyes and clever argument cannot grasp the Dao. Only the uncalculating, spontaneous mind can recover what belongs to our original nature.
Can Clever‑Witted People Match the Way of Heaven?
Yao’s teacher was Xu You; Xu You’s teacher was Nie Que; Nie Que’s teacher was Wang Ni; Wang Ni’s teacher was Pi Yi (Bei Yi). Yao asked Xu You: “Could Nie Que match the way of Heaven? I would like to invite him through Wang Ni.”
Xu You warned gravely: “That would be dangerous for the world. Nie Que is quick‑minded, agile and naturally gifted, yet he uses human cleverness to try to receive Heaven. He is careful to stop faults, but he does not understand where faults originate. He would ride upon human contrivance and abandon the heavenly source. He would take himself as the measuring‑stick to sort all forms, honour cleverness and blaze forward like fire. He would be driven by trivial details, trapped by outer objects, react constantly to shifting circumstance and never hold inner constancy. He could become a leader for a clan, but never the true ancestor‑spirit for all humanity. Governing through such a temperament will produce chaos. He brings disaster to his followers and acts like a thief over those he rules.”
The Blessings at Hua: Re‑thinking Longevity, Wealth and Many Children
When Yao inspected the border town of Hua, the local guardian greeted him: “O Sage, let me bless you: may you have long life!” Yao replied: “Decline it.” “May you have great wealth!” “Decline it.” “May you have many sons!” “Decline it.”
The guardian said: “Long life, wealth and many sons are what people desire. Why do you refuse all three?” Yao answered: “Many sons bring many fears; wealth brings many troubles; long life brings many humiliations. None of these nourish inner Virtue, so I refuse.”
The guardian replied: “At first I thought you were a great sage, now I see you are only a conventional noble. Heaven brings forth all people and assigns each their proper duty. Give your sons their duties, and where is the fear? Share your wealth with others, where is the trouble? The sage lives lightly like a quail, feeds like a fledgling bird, travels and leaves no trace. When the world follows the Dao, he flourishes alongside all things. When the world loses the Dao, he cultivates Virtue and rests in leisure. After a thousand years, growing weary of earth, he departs as an immortal riding white clouds to the heavenly realm. None of those three troubles touch him, no misfortune harms his body – where would humiliation come from?”
The guardian departed. Yao called after him wanting to ask more questions. The guardian said: “Go home.”
Bo Cheng Zi Gao: Why an Old Lord Abandoned Power to Farm
When Yao governed the world, Bo Cheng Zi Gao was enfeoffed as a feudal lord. Yao passed power to Shun; Shun passed it to Yu. Bo Cheng Zi Gao gave up his noble title and turned to farming the land.
Yu went out to visit and found him ploughing his fields. Yu hurried forward and stood respectfully: “In Yao’s time you were a feudal lord. Power passed to Shun, then to me. Why have you renounced lordship to plough soil?”
Bo Cheng Zi Gao answered: “Under Yao, people encouraged one another without needing rewards, and felt awe without needing punishments. Today you rely on reward and punishment, yet people still lack benevolence. Virtue declines, punishments multiply, and the chaos of later generations begins right here. Sir, please go away and do not interrupt my work.” He kept ploughing and paid Yu no further attention.
Cosmic Genesis: From Non‑Being to Human Nature
In the Great Beginning existed Non‑being. There was no existence, no names. Then the One arose: there was unity, but still no physical form. Things received the One in order to live – this we call Virtue. Before physical forms arose there was division; flowing without gaps we call Fate. Motion came to rest and produced individual things; things developed distinct patterns, which we call Form. Form houses spirit, each with its own inherent rule – that is Nature.
Cultivate your nature and you return to Virtue. When Virtue reaches back to the primordial Beginning you become empty; once empty you become vast. You join the wordless song of living beings. Once you join that song you unite with heaven and earth. This merging has no seams. It looks foolish, looks dim‑witted – this is Dark Virtue, complete compliance with the great source.
Lao Dan on Debaters and Forced Virtue
Confucius asked Lao Dan: “There are people who cultivate the Dao by imitating models, trying to make the unacceptable acceptable and the wrong seem right. Sophists argue: ‘Distinguishing hard and white is as plain‑to‑see as objects hanging in the sky.’ Can such people count as sages?”
Lao Dan replied: “These are people chained by paperwork and trapped by clever techniques. They wear‑out their bodies and torment their minds. Hunting‑dogs grow melancholy from training; agile monkeys get dragged down from mountain forests because of their quickness. I will tell you things you have never heard and cannot easily speak‑about: many creatures possess heads and feet yet lack true heart‑mind and inner awareness. Few beings with physical form can dwell together with the formless source. Motion can equal stillness; death can equal life; decline can equal rise. These shifts are not under human control. True governance comes from forgetting outer things and forgetting Heaven – we call this forgetting‑the‑self. Whoever forgets‑the‑self enters into union with Heaven.”
Mantis‑Arm Politics: The Danger of Well‑Meaning Moralism
Jiang Lü Mian visited Ji Che and said: “The ruler of Lu asked me for advice. I could not refuse. I told him: ‘Practice respect and frugality, promote public‑spirited loyal people, avoid favouritism. If you do this, who among the common folk would refuse to live in harmony?’”
Ji Che laughed loudly: “Your advice for kingship is like a mantis lifting its tiny arms trying to halt a carriage wheel – it cannot possibly succeed. Worse still, you yourself will be placed in danger; many people will come crowding‑in to leave their marks upon your government.”
Startled, Jiang Lü Mian begged: “I am confused, yet I wish to hear the core principle.” Ji Che explained: “The great sage governs by stirring people’s hearts inwardly. People complete their inner teaching, transform their customs, let‑go of thieving impulses and unfold their authentic will. It happens as if their own nature acts spontaneously; people cannot explain exactly why change comes. In this condition they would look upon Yao and Shun’s old teachings as elder brothers and follow from genuine inner Virtue.”
The Gardener Who Rejected Labour‑Saving Machinery
Zi Gong travelled south into Chu, and on returning toward Jin passed the southern bank of the Han River. He saw an old man preparing vegetable plots. The man dug a tunnel‑shaft down to a well, carried water out in earthen jars and watered his crops. He expended great physical effort for very little result.
Zi Gong said: “There is a mechanical device that can irrigate one‑hundred plots in a single day. It uses little effort yet achieves much. Would you not wish to use it, old sir?”
The gardener looked‑up and asked: “How does this work?” Zi Gong described the well‑sweep counter‑weight machine: carved‑wood, heavy rear‑end, light front‑end, drawing‑water quickly like boiling surging flow.
The gardener grew angry, changed countenance and laughed: “I have heard my teacher teach: Where there are machines, there are machine‑driven affairs. Where there are machine‑driven affairs, there grows a machine‑oriented heart‑mind. If a calculating machine‑mind lives inside your chest, pure unspoiled whiteness becomes incomplete. When pure whiteness is incomplete, spirit becomes restless. A spirit that cannot settle cannot carry the Dao. It is not that I do not know of this device. I feel ashamed to do such a thing.”
Zi Gong felt deep shame, bowed his head and offered no reply. After a pause the gardener challenged him: “Who are you?” “I am a disciple of Kong‑Qiu (Confucius).” The gardener retorted: “Are you not the man who parades broad learning to compete with sages, uses grand speeches to outshine crowds, chants mournful verses to sell‑your‑reputation across the world? Forget your spirit, cast‑aside your bodily form – then you might draw near to the Dao. If you cannot govern your own self, what time have you to govern the world? Go away and do not disturb my work.”
Zi Gong walked away pale and shaken, and only recovered his composure after travelling thirty‑li. His disciples asked what had happened. Zi Gong reflected: “I used to think only one kind of wise person existed in this world. I had no idea such men existed. My master taught: ‘In practical affairs seek workable solutions; seek success; achieve much with little effort – this is the sage’s path.’ But this man follows a different truth. Whoever holds the Dao possesses complete Virtue; complete Virtue brings complete bodily‑form; complete bodily‑form brings complete spirit. A complete‑spirit person walks among ordinary folk without fixed destination, vast and purely whole. Profit, success and clever stratagems vanish inside their heart. They go only where their inner will leads, act only what their heart desires. If all the world praises them they remain un‑swayed; if all the world criticises them they remain undisturbed. Worldly praise and blame add nothing and subtract nothing from them. That is what it means to be a person of complete Virtue. By comparison I am only someone tossed‑about by worldly waves.”
Back in Lu, Zi Gong reported this encounter to Confucius. Confucius commented: “He cultivates the primordial chaos‑like spirit. He understands the One source but not worldly secondary distinctions. He governs inner life but not outer social performance. His clarity returns to plain simplicity, non‑action returns to unadorned nature. He embodies original nature and holds fast to spirit while wandering among secular people – naturally you were shaken. As for the arts of primordial chaos‑spirit, you and I cannot fully grasp them.”
Three Levels of Human Realisation: Sage‑Governor, Virtuous‑Person, Spirit‑Person
Chun‑Mang planned to travel east toward the Great Gorge and met Yuan Feng by the Eastern‑Sea shore. Yuan Feng asked where he travelled. Chun‑Mang said he wished to visit the Great Gorge: pour water in and it never over‑fills; draw water out and it never runs dry.
Yuan Feng asked him to describe three types of realised human‑being.
Sage‑Governor: Officials match tasks to suitable people, promote genuine talent, see reality clearly and act accordingly. Words and deeds happen spontaneously and the world transforms. A gesture or glance draws people from four quarters – this is sage governance.
Virtuous‑Person: Dwells without deliberate thought, acts without anxious planning, holds‑no rigid right‑wrong or beauty‑ugly judgements. Shares abundance so all feel joy, shares provision so all know peace. Sorrowful as an infant separated‑from‑mother; aimless as a lost wanderer. Wealth and supplies surround them yet they do not know where it comes‑from; food and drink are plentiful yet they take no credit for it. That is the bearing of the Virtuous‑Person.
Spirit‑Person: The highest Spirit‑Person rides luminous energy and transcends physical form. Fulfils fate and exhausts emotional attachments. Heaven‑Earth rejoice, all dissolves, and the myriad beings return to their true original‑nature. This is Dark Unity with the source.
The Golden‑Age Vision: Rulers Like Tree‑Branches, People Like Wild Deer
Men Wu Gui and Chi Zhang Man Ji watched King Wu’s army march‑forth. Chi Zhang Man Ji sighed: “He cannot compare with Lord Yu. This is why we suffer such trouble.” Men Wu Gui asked whether Yu governed an already‑peaceful world or one already fallen‑into‑chaos.
Chi Zhang Man Ji replied: “Peace is what people desire, so why praise Yu? Yu was like medicine for a sore wound, a wig for a bald scalp, a doctor called‑in for sickness. A filial son carries medicine for his sick father with an anxious face – yet the sage feels ashamed of such reactive remedies.
In the age of supreme Virtue: they did not exalt the worthy, they did not employ the clever‑talented. The ruler stood like a high‑branch upon a tree; common‑people lived like wild deer. They acted upright yet knew nothing of ‘righteousness’. They loved‑one‑another yet knew nothing of ‘benevolence’. They were honest yet knew nothing of ‘loyalty’. They kept‑faith yet knew nothing of ‘trust’. They moved instinctively and helped‑one‑another without thinking‑of‑gifts. Their actions left‑no‑traces, their affairs left‑no‑written‑records.”
The Foolishness of Worldly Praise‑Chasing
A true filial son does not flatter his parents; a true loyal minister does not fawn on his ruler. These represent the peak of sonship and minister‑ship. Yet if you agree with everything the world calls “right” and approve everything the world calls “good”, are you not still flattering public opinion? People grow angry when you name‑them flatterers, yet they spend their whole‑lives currying favour with elaborate speeches and polished appearances, without seeing their own folly.
If one‑out‑of‑three travellers is confused they can still reach destination. If two‑out‑of‑three are confused they labour and cannot arrive. Today the whole world is confused. Even holding‑a correct direction‑sign, we cannot reach our goal. Forcing progress under such universal confusion creates only further confusion. Better to let‑go and stop pursuing. Who will share‑your‑sorrow then? An ugly woman giving‑birth at midnight hurries with fire‑light to inspect her newborn, anxiously afraid the infant may resemble herself.
Five Ways Human‑Beings Lose Their Innate Nature
Take a hundred‑year‑old tree. Men cut‑it‑apart to make sacrificial ritual vessels, painting them in blue‑and‑yellow ornament. The leftover wood‑chunks get thrown‑into‑ditches. The vessel and the ditch‑scraps differ in beauty‑ugly, yet they equally have lost their original tree‑nature.
Robber‑Zhi and the moral exemplars Zeng and Shi stand‑at‑opposite ends of conduct, yet in losing‑their‑innate‑nature they are identical. There are five major paths that damage human‑nature:
- The five colours confuse the eyes so sight grows dim.
- The five musical tones confuse the ears so hearing becomes dull.
- The five scents irritate the nose and congest‑the‑nasal passages.
- The five flavours muddy‑the‑palate and injure taste‑sensation.
- Likes‑and‑dislikes agitate‑the‑heart so our true‑nature scatters‑and‑flees.
These five categories all harm living‑beings. Yet thinkers such as Yang Zhu and Mo Zi strive hard thinking they have attained realisation. If real isation leaves you confined and trapped, can we truly name it realisation? Then doves and owls locked inside cages would also count as enlightened. Inside, likes dislikes and sense impressions pile up like firewood. Outside, official hats, feather crowns, tablets and sashes bind your body. Your inner heart is fenced off; outer body is roped and tethered. From inside those bonds some people imagine they have found fulfilment. This is no different from prisoners in fetters, or tigers leopards inside cages who mistakenly believe they have attained freedom.
Note
The chapter “Heaven and Earth” opens with the profound statement: “Though Heaven and Earth are vast, their transformations are even.” This sets the fundamental law of “Heaven’s Way of Non-Action” and deduces the political ideal of “governing by non-action.” Through a series of fables and arguments, the text critiques artificial cleverness and human fabrication, advocating for a state of life that is void, quiet, and returns to its original simplicity.
Non-Action:
Acting in accordance with nature without forced effort.
Machine Heart:
A calculating, scheming, or utilitarian mindset.
The Dark Pearl:
A metaphor for the Tao or the ultimate truth.
Instrumental Rationality:
The focus on efficiency and means rather than ends and values.
Return to Simplicity:
The philosophical goal of shedding artificiality to find one’s true nature.
The Non-Action of Heaven:
The operation of Heaven and Earth follows a natural law of equilibrium – without discrimination or bias. The human way should emulate the Heavenly way, advocating that “acting without intention is the Way of Heaven.” One should not intervene deliberately, allowing all things to develop naturally according to their inherent nature.
The Hierarchy of Values:
It constructs an ascending ladder: Skill > Affairs > Righteousness > Virtue > The Way > Heaven. Skills are subordinate to affairs, affairs to principles of righteousness, righteousness to virtue, virtue to the Great Way, and the Great Way to Nature.
The Unity of All Things:
“All things are one mansion; life and death share the same form.” There is no essential difference between life and death; both return to the primal Qi. This reflects Zhuangzi’s view on the equality of life and death.
The Yellow Emperor Loses the Dark Pearl:
The Yellow Emperor lost the Dark Pearl, which symbolizes the “Way.” He sent “Knowledge” (Wisdom), “Li Zhu” (Clairvoyance), and “Chi Gou” (Eloquence) to find it, but all failed. Only “Xiang Wang” (Formless and Mindless) succeeded. The moral is that attaining the Way requires abandoning the deliberate search through senses and logic, returning instead to a state of void and authenticity.
The Old Man Watering the Garden:
An old man from Hanyin refused to use a mechanical well-sweep (shadoof), arguing that “where there are machines, there are machine affairs; where there are machine affairs, there is a machine heart (calculating mind).” This calculating mind destroys the purity of the heart, leading to an unsettled spirit that cannot carry the Way. This is a profound warning against instrumental rationality.
Yao Declines the Three Blessings:
Emperor Yao, legendary sage-king, rejected the blessings of “longevity, wealth, and many sons” from the guardian of Hua, believing that these three “do not nourish virtue.” A true sage should “roost like a quail and eat like a fledgling, moving like a bird without leaving a trace,” finding peace wherever they are and not defining happiness by secular standards.
Xu You Discusses Nie Que:
Xu You pointed out that although Nie Que was intelligent and wise, if he used intellect to govern the state, he would “ride on men and lose Heaven.” This is described as “the leader of chaos and the enemy of the ruler.” It critiques the act of forcibly controlling the world through schemes and institutions.
Emptying the Mind and Forgetting the Self:
The practice of cultivation lies in “emptying the mind” (washing away greed and cunning) and “forgetting the self” (forgetting things, forgetting heaven, forgetting oneself), ultimately “entering into Heaven” and becoming one with the Great Way.
The Person of Kingly Virtue:
The ideal personality, the “Person of Kingly Virtue,” is plain and unadorned, standing on the origin with wisdom that communicates with the divine. Their virtue is broad; their heart is void and quiet, yet able to respond to the needs of all things – “seeing the light alone in the darkness, hearing the harmony alone in the silence.”
Anti-Involution and Anti-Alienation:
Zhuangzi warns us that the excessive pursuit of “usefulness” and efficiency may cause us to lose our original heart. True “non-action” is not inaction, but rather acting without being driven by utility or acting against one’s will.
Guarding the Usefulness of the “Useless”:
Quietness, purity, and the original heart – things that seem “useless” – are precisely the most fundamental supports of life. In today’s world where instrumental rationality prevails, Zhuangzi’s thought reminds us to be wary of being alienated by tools and to return to the authentic state of life.
外篇·天地第十二
天地虽大，其化均也；万物虽多，其治一也；人卒虽众，其主君也。君原于德而成于天。故曰：玄古之君天下，无为也，天德而已矣。以道观言而天下之君正；以道观分而君臣之义明；以道观能而天下之官治；以道泛观而万物之应备。故通于天地者，德也；行于万物者，道也；上治人者，事也；能有所艺者，技也。技兼于事，事兼于义，义兼于德，德兼于道，道兼于天。故曰：古之畜天下者，无欲而天下足，无为而万物化，渊静而百姓定。《记》曰：“通于一而万事毕，无心得而鬼神服。”
夫子曰：“夫道，覆载万物者也，洋洋乎大哉！君子不可以不刳心焉。无为为之之谓天，无为言之之谓德，爱人利物之谓仁，不同同之之谓大，行不崖异之谓宽，有万不同之谓富。故执德之谓纪，德成之谓立，循于道之谓备，不以物挫志之谓完。君子明于此十者，则韬乎其事心之大也，沛乎其为万物逝也。若然者，藏金于山，藏珠于渊；不利货财，不近贵富；不乐寿，不哀夭；不荣通，不丑穷。不拘一世之利以为己私分，不以王天下为己处显。显则明。万物一府，死生同状。”
夫子曰：“夫道，渊乎其居也，漻乎其清也。金石不得无以鸣。故金石有声，不考不鸣。万物孰能定之！夫王德之人，素逝而耻通于事，立之本原而知通于神，故其德广。其心之出，有物采之。故形非道不生，生非德不明。存形穷生，立德明道，非王德者邪！荡荡乎！忽然出，勃然动，而万物从之乎！此谓王德之人。视乎冥冥，听乎无声。冥冥之中，独见晓焉；无声之中，独闻和焉。故深之又深而能物焉；神之又神而能精焉。故其与万物接也，至无而供其求，时骋而要其宿，大小、长短、修远。”
黄帝游乎赤水之北，登乎昆仑之丘而南望。还归，遗其玄珠。使知索之而不得，使离朱索之而不得，使喫诟索之而不得也。乃使象罔，象罔得之。黄帝曰：“异哉，象罔乃可以得之乎？”
尧之师曰许由，许由之师曰啮缺，啮缺之师曰王倪，王倪之师曰被衣。尧问于许由曰：“啮缺可以配天乎？吾藉王倪以要之。”许由曰：“殆哉，圾乎天下！啮缺之为人也，聪明叡知，给数以敏，其性过人，而又乃以人受天。彼审乎禁过，而不知过之所由生。与之配天乎？彼且乘人而无天。方且本身而异形，方且尊知而火驰，方且为绪使，方且为物絯，方且四顾而物应，方且应众宜，方且与物化而未始有恒。夫何足以配天乎！虽然，有族有祖，可以为众父而不可以为众父父。治，乱之率也，北面之祸也，南面之贼也。”
尧观乎华，华封人曰：“嘻，圣人！请祝圣人，使圣人寿。”尧曰：“辞。”“使圣人富。”尧曰：“辞。”“使圣人多男子。”尧曰：“辞。”封人曰：“寿，富，多男子，人之所欲也。女独不欲，何邪？”尧曰：“多男子则多惧，富则多事，寿则多辱。是三者，非所以养德也，故辞。”封人曰：“始也我以女为圣人邪，今然君子也。天生万民，必授之职。多男子而授之职，则何惧之有？富而使人分之，则何事之有？夫圣人，鹑居而鷇食，鸟行而无彰。天下有道，则与物皆昌；天下无道，则修德就闲。千岁厌世，去而上仙，乘彼白云，至于帝乡。三患莫至，身常无殃，则何辱之有？”封人去之，尧随之曰：“请问。”封人曰：“退已！”
尧治天下，伯成子高立为诸侯。尧授舜，舜授禹，伯成子高辞为诸侯而耕。禹往见之，则耕在野。禹趋就下风，立而问焉，曰：“昔尧治天下，吾子立为诸侯。尧授舜，舜授禹，而吾子辞为诸侯而耕。敢问其故何也？”子高曰：“昔者尧治天下，不赏而民劝，不罚而民畏。今子赏罚而民且不仁，德自此衰，刑自此立，后世之乱自此始矣！夫子阖行邪？无落吾事！”俋俋乎耕而不顾。
泰初有无，无有无名。一之所起，有一而未形。物得以生谓之德；未形者有分，且然无间谓之命；留动而生物，物成生理谓之形；形体保神，各有仪则谓之性；性修反德，德至同于初。同乃虚，虚乃大。合喙鸣。喙鸣合，与天地为合。其合缗缗，若愚若昏，是谓玄德，同乎大顺。
夫子问于老聃曰：“有人治道若相放，可不可，然不然。辩者有言曰：‘离坚白，若县寓。’若是则可谓圣人乎？”老聃曰：“是胥易技系，劳形怵心者也。执留之狗成思，猿狙之便自山林来。丘，予告若，而所不能闻与而所不能言：凡有首有趾、无心无耳者众；有形者与无形无状而皆存者尽无。其动止也，其死生也，其废起也，此又非其所以也。有治在人。忘乎物，忘乎天，其名为忘己。忘己之人，是之谓入于天。”
将闾葂见季彻曰：“鲁君谓葂也曰：‘请受教。’辞不获命。既已告矣，未知中否。请尝荐之。吾谓鲁君曰：‘必服恭俭，拔出公忠之属而无阿私，民孰敢不辑！’”季彻局局然笑曰：“若夫子之言，于帝王之德，犹螳螂之怒臂以当车轶，则必不胜任矣！且若是，则其自为处危，其观台多物，将往投迹者众。”将闾葂覤覤然惊曰：“葂也汒若于夫子之所言矣！虽然，愿先生之言其风也。”季彻曰：“大圣之治天下也，摇荡民心，使之成教易俗，举灭其贼心而皆进其独志。若性之自为，而民不知其所由然。若然者，岂兄尧、舜之教民溟涬然弟之哉？欲同乎德而心居矣！”
子贡南游于楚，反于晋，过汉阴，见一丈人方将为圃畦，凿隧而入井，抱瓮而出灌，搰然用力甚多而见功寡。子贡曰：“有械于此，一日浸百畦，用力甚寡而见功多，夫子不欲乎？”为圃者仰而视之曰：“奈何？”曰：“凿木为机，后重前轻，挈水若抽，数如泆汤，其名为槔。”为圃者忿然作色而笑曰：“吾闻之吾师，有机械者必有机事，有机事者必有机心。机心存于胸中则纯白不备。纯白不备则神生不定，神生不定者，道之所不载也。吾非不知，羞而不为也。”子贡瞒然惭，俯而不对。有间，为圃者曰：“子奚为者邪？曰：“孔丘之徒也。”为圃者曰：“子非夫博学以拟圣，於于以盖众，独弦哀歌以卖名声于天下者乎？汝方将忘汝神气，堕汝形骸，而庶几乎！而身之不能治，而何暇治天下乎！子往矣，无乏吾事。”
子贡卑陬失色，顼顼然不自得，行三十里而后愈。其弟子曰：“向之人何为者邪？夫子何故见之变容失色，终日不自反邪？”曰：“始吾以为天下一人耳，不知复有夫人也。吾闻之夫子：事求可，功求成，用力少，见功多者，圣人之道。今徒不然。执道者德全，德全者形全，形全者神全。神全者，圣人之道也。托生与民并行而不知其所之，汒乎淳备哉！功利机巧必忘夫人之心。若夫人者，非其志不之，非其心不为。虽以天下誉之，得其所谓，謷然不顾；以天下非之，失其所谓，傥然不受。天下之非誉无益损焉，是谓全德之人哉！我之谓风波之民。”反于鲁，以告孔子。孔子曰：“彼假修浑沌氏之术者也。识其一，不识其二；治其内而不治其外。夫明白入素，无为复朴，体性抱神，以游世俗之间者，汝将固惊邪？且浑沌氏之术，予与汝何足以识之哉！”
谆芒将东之大壑，适遇苑风于东海之滨。苑风曰：“子将奚之？”曰：“将之大壑。”曰：“奚为焉？”曰：“夫大壑之为物也，注焉而不满，酌焉而不竭。吾将游焉！”苑风曰：“夫子无意于横目之民乎？愿闻圣治。”谆芒曰：“圣治乎？官施而不失其宜，拔举而不失其能，毕见其情事而行其所为，行言自为而天下化。手挠顾指，四方之民莫不俱至，此之谓圣治。”“愿闻德人。”曰：“德人者，居无思，行无虑，不藏是非美恶。四海之内共利之之谓悦，共给之之谓安。怊乎若婴儿之失其母也，傥乎若行而失其道也。财用有余而不知其所自来，饮食取足而不知其所从，此谓德人之容。”“愿闻神人。”曰：“上神乘光，与形灭亡，是谓照旷。致命尽情，天地乐而万事销亡，万物复情，此之谓混冥。”
门无鬼与赤张满稽观于武王之师，赤张满稽曰：“不及有虞氏乎！故离此患也。”门无鬼曰：“天下均治而有虞氏治之邪？其乱而后治之与？”赤张满稽曰：“天下均治之为愿，而何计以有虞氏为！有虞氏之药疡也，秃而施髢，病而求医。孝子操药以修慈父，其色燋然，圣人羞之。至德之世，不尚贤，不使能，上如标枝，民如野鹿。端正而不知以为义，相爱而不知以为仁，实而不知以为忠，当而不知以为信，蠢动而相使不以为赐。是故行而无迹，事而无传。
孝子不谀其亲，忠臣不谄其君，臣、子之盛也。亲之所言而然，所行而善，则世俗谓之不肖子；君之所言而然，所行而善，则世俗谓之不肖臣。而未知此其必然邪？世俗之所谓然而然之，所谓善而善之，则不谓之道谀之人也！然则俗故严于亲而尊于君邪？谓己道人，则勃然作色；谓己谀人，则怫然作色。而终身道人也，终身谀人也，合譬饰辞聚众也，是终始本末不相坐。垂衣裳，设采色，动容貌，以媚一世，而不自谓道谀；与夫人之为徒，通是非，而不自谓众人也，愚之至也。知其愚者，非大愚也；知其惑者，非大惑也。大惑者，终身不解；大愚者，终身不灵。三人行而一人惑，所适者，犹可致也，惑者少也；二人惑则劳而不至，惑者胜也。而今也以天下惑，予虽有祈向，不可得也。不亦悲乎！大声不入于里耳，折杨、皇荂，则嗑然而笑。是故高言不止于众人之心；至言不出，俗言胜也。以二缶钟惑，而所适不得矣。而今也以天下惑，予虽有祈向，其庸可得邪！知其不可得也而强之，又一惑也！故莫若释之而不推。不推，谁其比忧！厉之人，夜半生其子，遽取火而视之，汲汲然唯恐其似己也。
百年之木，破为牺尊，青黄而文之，其断在沟中。比牺尊于沟中之断，则美恶有间矣，其于失性一也。跖与曾、史，行义有间矣，然其失性均也。且夫失性有五：一曰五色乱目，使目不明；二曰五声乱耳，使耳不聪；三曰五臭熏鼻，困惾中颡；四曰五味浊口，使口厉爽；五曰趣舍滑心，使性飞扬。此五者，皆生之害也。而杨、墨乃始离跂自以为得，非吾所谓得也。夫得者困，可以为得乎？则鸠鸮之在于笼也，亦可以为得矣。且夫趣舍声色以柴其内，皮弁鹬冠搢笏绅修以约其外。内支盈于柴栅，外重纆缴睆然在纆缴之中，而自以为得，则是罪人交臂历指而虎豹在于囊槛，亦可以为得矣！
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