If Chapter 17. Autumn Floods expands your perspective and breaks mental limits, Chapter 20. The Mountain Tree (Shan‑mu) drops you straight into real‑life dilemmas. It explores how to keep your inner authenticity and personal freedom when you are trapped between difficult choices.
The whole chapter revolves around one timeless human puzzle:
If you stand out too much, you get worn down early. If you stay too ordinary, you get cast aside. How should you live in‑between?
This dilemma repeats in workplaces, family life and social relationships. Many people burned‑out by social pressure will find themselves reflected in these ancient parables. The core insight of The Mountain Tree is summed up in nine Chinese characters:
Half‑way between being useful and useless – yet this is still not the true Dao. (材与不材之间，似之而非也.)
If you miss this point, you may end up either becoming a disposable tool for others, or an overlooked burden, forever swept along by external circumstances.
This chapter contains nine connected fables, step‑by‑step unpacking the trap of “useful‑versus‑useless” binary thinking.
1. The Great Mountain Tree and the Wild Goose
While walking in the mountains, Zhuangzi saw a huge, leafy tree. Woodcutters stood beside it but would not cut it down. When Zhuangzi asked why, they answered: the wood had no practical use.
Zhuangzi observed: This tree lived out its natural lifespan precisely because it was useless.
Later Zhuangzi stayed overnight at an old friend’s house. His host wanted to entertain guests and ordered his servant to kill a wild goose. There were two geese: one could honk, the other could not. The host said: kill the silent one.
The next day, one of Zhuangzi’s disciples was confused.
“Yesterday the tree survived because it was useless. Today the goose died because it was useless. What stance should we take in the world?”
Zhuangzi smiled:
“I would dwell halfway between being useful and useless. Yet this middle position seems right but is not; you still cannot escape worldly burdens.”
Many modern readers misread this line. They imagine a clever life‑hack: show talent when needed, hide it when danger appears. But Zhuangzi warns: this calculated middle ground still relies on constant mental scheming. You remain locked inside the “useful / useless” framework, judging yourself by other people’s standards.
The genuine path is to wander freely, riding upon the Dao (乘道德而浮游).
Seek neither praise nor blame. Rise like a dragon; lie low like a snake. Transform along with the times, never clinging to one fixed way of acting. Use harmony as your inner measure and wander back to the source of all things. Master things, yet do not be mastered by things (物物而不物于物). How then could worldly troubles weigh you down? This was the way of the Yellow Emperor and Shennong.
In human relationships and worldly affairs things work differently: unions end in separation; completion brings ruin. Sharp edges get chipped; high rank draws criticism. Achievement creates loss; talent attracts plots; incompetence invites abuse. Nothing can be guaranteed safe. Remember: only the homeland of the Dao is our true refuge.
We can draw three layers of teaching:
- Do not fixate on either extreme of “useful” or “useless”. Both carry hidden dangers.
- Do not trust the artificially‑calculated middle balance. Constant weighing itself drains your spirit.
- Step outside the whole “object‑like” way of thinking. Stop letting the outside world define your worth. Act when circumstances call for action; retreat when retreat makes sense. Shape outer conditions without being chained by them.
2. Shinan Yiliao and the Marquis of Lu
The Marquis of Lu looked deeply troubled.
Shinan Yiliao (市南宜僚) asked him: “Why so much sorrow?”
The Marquis replied: ”I follow the ways of ancient kings, carry on their legacy. I honor ghosts and respect worthy men. I practice these things every moment, yet disasters still befall me. This is why I grieve.”
Yiliao told him: Your methods for avoiding misfortune are shallow.
Think of foxes with rich fur and leopards with fine patterned coats. They hide deep in rocks and forests, rest by day and move by night, search for food far from humans. Still they get trapped in nets and snares. What crime have they committed? Their beautiful fur brings them ruin.
Now the state of Lu is your “fine fur”. Your status and land make you a target.
“Strip away your outer form‑identity, wash away desires, and wander in the open wilderness where no people dwell.”
In the southern land of Jiande, people live simple, unselfish lives. They work but do not hoard; they give without demanding repayment. They follow their natural impulses and naturally align with the Dao. Their lives are joyful, their deaths peaceful. Abandon your state and worldly status; walk side‑by‑side with the Dao.
The Marquis objected: “That land is far and dangerous. Rivers and mountains stand in my way; I have no carriage or boat.”
Yiliao answered: “Let go of arrogant posturing; stop clinging to your position. That will be your carriage.”
“But it is empty of people. I have no food.”
“Reduce your wants and expenditures. Even without grain you will have enough. Sail out upon the great sea until you see no shore. Those who saw you off will turn back at the cliff‑edge, and you travel far beyond the old world.”
He who possesses things will be burdened. He who is possessed by things will live in constant fear. Yao neither possessed other people nor was possessed by them.
Then Yiliao told the famous empty‑boat parable.
Imagine two boats crossing a river. An empty boat drifts and crashes into yours. Even an irritable person will not grow angry. But if there is a man inside that boat, you will shout for him to move. Shout twice with no reply, and you will curse loudly. The only difference: the boat was empty before, now it holds a person.
If you travel through the world with an emptied‑out self (虚己以游世), who can harm you?
Many of our modern anxieties come from identifying too closely with external things: our job title, our relationships, our children’s future. When outer circumstances shift, our inner peace collapses. Draw a clear boundary between your true self and external attachments. Let go of pride and craving, and you gain inner ease.
3. Beigong She casts bells for Lord Ling of Wei
Beigong She (北宫奢) collected funds from people to build ritual bronze bells. He built an altar outside the city gate, and finished the full set of bell‑racks in only three months.
Prince Qingji(庆忌) asked: “What special technique did you use?”
Bei‑gong She replied: ”My heart stayed single‑minded; I applied no clever schemes. I have heard:
After carving and polishing, return to the uncarved simple state (既雕既琢，复归于朴).“
I remained innocent and undeliberate. I received people coming and going. I did not block those who gave, nor stop those who held back. I let each person follow their own disposition. Though I collected contributions day and night, people suffered no real harm. How much more so for those who walk the great Dao!
This fable illustrates wu‑wei governance: do not force people with harsh orders. Work with human nature instead.
4. Lord Ren visits Confucius trapped between Chen and Cai
Confucius was trapped between the states of Chen and Cai. For seven days he could not light a fire to cook.
Lord Ren (太公任, 大公任) came to console him: “Are you nearly dead?”
“Yes,” Confucius said.
“Do you fear death?”
“Yes.”
Lord Ren told him the secret of avoiding calamity. Far in the East Sea lives a bird called Yidai. It flies slowly and clumsily, always following the flock. It will not fly ahead, nor lag far behind. When eating, it takes only leftover scraps. So the flock never rejects it, and humans cannot hurt it.
Straight trees get cut first; sweet wells run dry first.
“You polish your wisdom to astonish ordinary folk; you cultivate your conduct to show others their faults. You shine brightly as if holding up the sun and moon – that is why disaster finds you.”
Sages of old taught: He who boasts of his merit achieves nothing. When merit is complete, decline follows; when fame peaks, ruin comes.
Who can cast‑off merit and fame and blend back among ordinary folk? Let the Dao flow without seeking glory; let virtue act without claiming reputation. Be plain‑spoken and unassuming. Erase your public trace, let go of power, chase no renown. Demand nothing of others, and others will demand nothing of you. The Ultimate Man seeks no worldly fame. Why do you love praise so much?
Confucius agreed. He left his friends, sent away his disciples, and wandered into great marshes. He wore rough clothing and fed on acorns. When he walked among beasts or birds, the animals felt no alarm. If wild creatures did not hate him, how much less would human beings?
This echoes Laozi’s teaching of softness, yielding, and withdrawing once your work is done. Shining too brightly invites opposition. Learn to return to simplicity.
5. Lin Hui abandons a jade disc (Confucius questions Zisang Hu)
Confucius told Zisang Hu (子桑雽) his misfortunes: Twice driven out of Lu; insulted under a tree in Song; banned from Wei; stranded in Shang‑Zhou; besieged at Chen and Cai. As disasters piled up, old friends drifted away and disciples scattered. Why?
Zisang Hu told the story of Lin Hui (林回) fleeing his fallen home state. Lin Hui threw away a priceless jade disc, but carried a small infant on his back as he ran. Bystanders were confused: the baby brings little profit and great trouble. Why abandon jade and save the child?
Lin Hui answered: The jade and I were bound by profit. The child and I are bound by our inborn natural bond.
Bonds built on benefit get abandoned in hardship. Bonds rooted in innate nature will hold fast through suffering. What a huge difference!
“The friendship of noble‑minded people is plain like water; shallow worldly friendship tastes sweet as sweet wine. Plain‑hearted friendship brings real closeness; honey‑sweet superficial bonds easily break. What forms for no deep inner reason will fall apart for no deep inner reason.”
Confucius went home, stopped formal teaching and set aside his books. His disciples no longer performed stiff ritual bows before him, yet they loved him even more.
Later Zisang Hu passed on Shun’s death‑bed warning to Yu:
“Beware! In outward conduct, yield and adapt. In your inner feelings, be genuine and spontaneous.” (汝戒之哉！形莫若缘，情莫若率。)
If you adapt outwardly you will not stray from Dao; if your feelings are genuine you will not exhaust your spirit. Without inner exhaustion and outer straying, you will no longer chase fancy ornamentation for your body – and you will stop depending on external things entirely.
Relationships rooted in true‑nature endure. Those built on gain easily collapse. Act flexibly outwardly, keep genuine feelings inside; do not rely on external decoration.
6. Zhuangzi meets the King of Wei
Zhuangzi wore patched coarse clothes and tied his broken shoes with hemp string, and went to see the King of Wei.
The king said: “Master, you look so worn‑out.”
Zhuangzi replied: ”This is poverty, not spiritual exhaustion. To be worn‑out means you hold the Dao‑virtue inside but cannot put it into practice. Ragged clothes and broken shoes are poverty – a sign of living in the wrong age.”
Have you seen monkeys? When they leap among tall hardwood trees, they rule the branches. Even legendary archers dare not stare at them. But put them among thorny brambles: they move cautiously, trembling with fear. Their bones and sinews are no less flexible; their surroundings block their talents.
Now we live under a foolish ruler and corrupt ministers. How could anyone avoid inner exhaustion? The execution of Bi Gan is proof of this truth.
Material hardship does not mean inner burnout. Times and circumstances can limit what you can achieve. In chaotic eras, preserve your inner freedom rather than forcing your talent upon the world.
7. Confucius and Yan Hui: Human and Heaven are One
Trapped between Chen and Cai, Confucius had no fire for seven days. He leaned on dry wood, tapped dry branches, and sang ancient folk songs. He made rhythm with wood and voice, yet there was no formal musical pitch. The sound was soothing to the heart.
Yan Hui (颜回) sat upright watching him. Confucius feared Hui might become arrogant or sink into self‑pity. He said:
“Hui: It is easy to accept harm sent by Heaven. It is hard to resist honours given by humans. There is no true beginning nor true ending. Human and Heaven are one. Who is it that sings right now?”
Yan Hui asked for explanation.
Confucius said: Hunger, thirst, cold, heat, and blocked paths are all transformations of heaven‑earth. “Accept harm from heaven” means flow along with these changes. Even ministers dare not resist their lord; how much more should we yield to Heaven.
“Resist human favours”: Early‑career success, rank and salary are gifts from outside fate, not truly yours. A gentleman will not steal; how could I claim these outer prizes for myself?
Of all birds, swallows are wisest. They spot bad places and flee. Even if they lose fruit, they leave it behind. Afraid of humans, they still nest among people’s houses – yet keep their own safety.
“No true beginning nor true ending”: All things endlessly transform. We cannot know where change starts or ends. Simply stand straight and await it.
“Human and Heaven are one”: Human existence comes from Heaven; Heaven itself also comes from Heaven. Human beings cannot possess Heaven; this is our inherent nature. The sage calmly abides through all transformations until life closes.
Human beings can more easily endure natural misfortune. What truly tests us is worldly success: rank, wealth, fame. Everything flows and shifts. We cannot hold onto it. Our wisest path is quiet acceptance.
8. The Cicada, Mantis and Magpie
Zhuangzi wandered in the chestnut orchard at Diaoling. A strange magpie flew from the south. Its wings spanned seven feet, its eyes one inch across. Its wing brushed Zhuangzi’s forehead and it settled in the chestnut trees.
Zhuangzi marvelled: Such big wings yet it cannot fly far; such big eyes yet it failed to see me. He lifted his robe, hurried forward, and readied his sling‑stone.
Then he saw a cicada enjoying cool shade, forgetting danger. A mantis hid behind leaves, ready to strike the cicada – and forgot its own safety. The magpie targeted the mantis, chasing gain and forgetting its true self.
Zhuangzi shuddered: “Things mutually weigh upon one another; each being draws trouble toward another.”
He dropped his sling‑stone and hurried away. The orchard‑warden chased him, shouting insults.
Back home, Zhuangzi did not enter his main hall for three days, heavy‑hearted. His disciple Lin‑ju asked why.
Zhuangzi answered: ”I fixated on outer creatures and forgot myself. I stared at muddy water and lost sight of the clear deep spring. I have heard the ancient rule: when you enter a place, follow its customs. I wandered Diaoling, forgot myself. The magpie brushed my forehead. I lingered in the orchard and lost sight of my true nature. The warden scolded me – hence my sorrow.”
When you fixate on visible gain, you overlook hidden peril and lose touch with your authentic self. Chains of cause‑and‑effect tie every living being.
9. Yangzi at the inn
Yangzi (Yang Zhu) stayed at an inn in Song. The inn‑keeper had two concubines: one beautiful, one plain‑looking. The plain‑faced one was favoured; the beautiful one was treated coldly.
Yangzi asked why. The inn‑boy replied: ”The beautiful one thinks she is beautiful, and so I no longer see her beauty. The plain‑faced one thinks she is plain, and so I do not notice her plainness.”
Yangzi told his disciples: ”Remember this! Do good deeds, yet cast‑off the attitude of showing‑off your own goodness. Wherever you go, you will be loved.”
True goodness lies inside your heart, not outer looks or obvious virtue‑signalling. Let go of self‑pride and self‑praise, and you naturally win people’s affection.
Closing Thoughts
The nine fables of The Mountain Tree give us a complete spiritual roadmap for difficult times:
- Do not cling to either “useful” or “useless”; both hold risk.
- Do not trust the man‑made calculated middle ground. Calculation itself is mental weight.
- Escape the mindset that treats humans like tools. Free yourself from labels of status, desire and vanity.
Master things; do not be mastered by things (物物而不物于物).
Ride upon the Dao, change with the times, and preserve your authentic inner freedom amid the chaos of the world.
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