Imputed words are nine in ten; weighty words are seven in ten; goblet words come forth daily and are harmonized with the Heavenly Boundary.
Imputed words are nine in ten – they are used to discuss things through outside [authorities]. A father does not act as matchmaker for his own son. If a father praises him, it is not as good as if someone other than the father did. This is not my fault; it is the fault of men. If you agree with yourself, you respond; if not, you oppose. What agrees with yourself you call right; what differs you call wrong.
Weighty words are seven in ten – they are used to put an end to speech. They are the words of elders. Though their years are advanced, if they have no warp and weft, root and branch, to match their old age, then they are not truly advanced. If a man has nothing by which to be ahead of others, he lacks the Way of man. If a man lacks the Way of man, he is called a stale man.
Goblet words come forth daily and are harmonized with the Heavenly Boundary. By following along and rambling, one can last out one’s years. If one does not speak, things are equal. But equality and speech are not equal; speech and equality are not equal. Therefore it is said: “Speak without speaking.” Speaking without speaking: though one speaks all one’s life, one has never spoken; though one never speaks all one’s life, one has never failed to speak.
There is a source for approving; there is a source for disapproving. There is a source for being so; there is a source for not being so. How is it so? It is so because it is so. How is it not so? It is not so because it is not so. How is it acceptable? It is acceptable because it is acceptable. How is it not acceptable? It is not acceptable because it is not acceptable. Things inherently have their so; things inherently have their acceptable. No thing is not so; no thing is not acceptable. If not for goblet words coming forth daily and being harmonized with the Heavenly Boundary, who could make them last? All things are seeds. They succeed one another in different forms; beginning and end are like a ring, and no one finds their order. This is called the Heavenly Equality. The Heavenly Equality is the Heavenly Boundary.
Zhuangzi said to Huizi: “Confucius at the age of sixty had sixty transformations. What he first affirmed, he finally denied. He did not know whether what he now called right was not the wrong of fifty-nine years.”
Huizi said: “Confucius was diligent in will and submitted to knowledge.”
Zhuangzi said: “Confucius has declined this, but he never spoke of it. Confucius said: ‘One receives capacity from the Great Root and returns spirit to life. When he sings, it matches pitch; when he speaks, it matches law. Profit and righteousness are set before him, yet likes and dislikes, right and wrong merely subdue men’s mouths. He makes men submit in their hearts and not dare to stand opposed, and so settles the settling of the world. Enough, enough! I shall never reach him!’”
Zengzi took office twice and his heart transformed twice. He said: “When I took office while my parents were alive, with three fu I was happy in heart. Later, when I took office, with three thousand zhong I could not reach them, and my heart was sad.”
A disciple asked Zhongni: “Can one like Zeng Shen be said to be free of the guilt that hangs on him?”
He said: “He is already hung! One who is not hung – could he have grief? He looked on three fu and three thousand zhong as a sparrow or gnat flying past before him.”
Yancheng Ziyou said to Dongguo Ziqi: “Since I heard your words, in one year I became wild; in two years, I followed; in three years, I penetrated; in four years, I became things; in five years, I came; in six years, ghosts entered; in seven years, I was completed by Heaven; in eight years, I did not know death and did not know life; in nine years, I reached the Great Mystery.
Life is action; death is rest. To urge the public with one’s private – death has a source; but life’s yang has no source. But is it really so? Where is it fitting? Where is it not fitting? Heaven has its calendar; earth has human settlements. Where should I seek it? No one knows its end – how can there be no fate? No one knows its beginning – how can there be fate? If there is something that responds, how can there be no ghosts? If there is nothing that responds, how can there be ghosts?”
The penumbras asked the shadow: “Just now you looked down, now you look up; just now your hair was tied, now it hangs loose; just now you sat, now you stand; just now you walked, now you stop. Why?”
The shadow said: “I am just doing this and that – why ask such a trifling question? I have it but do not know why. I am a cicada shell, a snake skin – like it but not it. Fire and sun make me gather; yin and night make me disappear. That which I depend on – how much more that which has nothing to depend on! When it comes, I come with it; when it goes, I go with it; when it moves vigorously, I move vigorously with it. What is there to ask about what moves vigorously?”
Yangzi Ju was going south to Pei. Lao Dan was traveling west to Qin. They arranged to meet in the suburbs. When they reached Liang, they met Laozi. Laozi in the middle of the road looked up to Heaven and sighed: “At first I thought you could be taught; now you cannot.”
Yangzi Ju did not answer. When they reached the lodging, he brought water for washing, a towel, and a comb. He took off his shoes outside the door and crawled forward on his knees, saying: “Earlier I wished to ask you, Master, but you were not at leisure on the road, so I did not dare. Now you are at leisure. May I ask the reason?”
Laozi said: “You are so arrogant and staring – who could live with you? The brightest white seems stained; the fullest virtue seems insufficient.”
Yangzi Ju changed countenance and said: “I respectfully receive your command.”
When he was going, the innkeepers welcomed him into their house; the host held the mat; the wife held the towel and comb; the guests avoided his mat; the fire-tender avoided the stove. When he returned, the innkeepers contended with him for seats.
Note
Chapter 27, Yuyan (寓言, “Imputed Words”), is not a story-heavy chapter like some others. It is mainly about how Zhuangzi communicates – and why his way of speaking is deliberately indirect, metaphorical, and fluid.
It presents three modes of speech:
- Imputed words (寓言, yuyan): Putting words into the mouths of others. This is nine out of ten of Zhuangzi’s sayings. A father cannot convincingly praise his own son; an outside voice is more credible. So Zhuangzi often speaks through invented characters, ancients, or sages.
- Weighty words (重言, zhongyan): Quoting elders and authorities to settle disputes. This is seven out of ten. But age alone is not enough – an elder must also have wisdom, order, and depth.
- Goblet words (卮言, zhiyan): Words that pour out naturally, daily, like a goblet tipping and righting itself. They are harmonized with the Heavenly Boundary (天倪, tianni) – the natural line where things divide and come together.
The chapter’s title later became the standard Chinese word for fable or allegory.
Zhuangzi (庄子)
The author-figure of the text. In this chapter he appears in dialogue with Huizi, discussing Confucius and the nature of transformation.
Huizi / Hui Shi (惠子 / 惠施)
A logician and friend-rival of Zhuangzi. Here he says Confucius was “diligent in will and submitted to knowledge.” Zhuangzi replies that Confucius had moved beyond that, even if he never said so.
Confucius / Zhongni (孔子 / 仲尼)
The founder of Confucianism. In this chapter he is described as having sixty transformations by age sixty – what he once affirmed, he later denied. He did not know whether his current “right” was not the “wrong” of fifty-nine years. This is a Daoist image of intellectual humility and continual change.
Zengzi / Zeng Shen (曾子 / 曾参)
A famous disciple of Confucius, known for filial piety. He took office twice. The first time, with a small salary (three fu), he was happy because his parents were alive. Later, with a huge salary (three thousand zhong), he was sad because his parents were gone. A disciple asks Confucius whether Zengzi is free from attachment. Confucius says no – he is still “hung.” One truly free would see salaries as a sparrow or gnat flying past.
Yancheng Ziyou (颜成子游)
A disciple of Dongguo Ziqi. He describes nine years of spiritual progress: becoming wild, following, penetrating, becoming things, coming, ghosts entering, Heaven completing him, not knowing death or life, and finally reaching the Great Mystery (大妙).
Dongguo Ziqi (东郭子綦)
A Daoist sage-teacher. Yancheng Ziyou reports his progress to him. Ziqi is also known from other chapters of the Zhuangzi as a figure who has lost himself in the Way.
Yangzi Ju (阳子居)
Often identified with Yang Zhu (杨朱), an early Chinese philosopher associated with self-preservation and skepticism about moral activism. He goes south to Pei and meets Laozi at Liang. Laozi rebukes him for being arrogant and staring. Yangzi Ju humbles himself. Before, innkeepers treated him with great deference; after, they contended with him for seats – showing he had become ordinary and approachable.
Lao Dan / Laozi (老聃 / 老子)
The traditional founder of Daoism. Here he teaches Yangzi Ju that “the brightest white seems stained; the fullest virtue seems insufficient” (大白若辱，盛德若不足). This line echoes the Daodejing.
Matchmaking and Self-Praise
The text says: “A father does not act as matchmaker for his own son.” In ancient China, matchmakers were essential for marriage arrangements. A father praising his own son would not be trusted. This illustrates why Zhuangzi uses imputed words – putting praise or wisdom in someone else’s mouth makes it more credible.
Elders and Authority (耆艾)
“Weighty words” are the words of elders. In ancient China, age was associated with wisdom. But Zhuangzi adds a condition: an elder must have warp and weft, root and branch – real order and depth. Otherwise, he is just a “stale man” (陈人).
Salaries: Fu and Zhong (釜, 锺)
Fu and zhong are ancient measures of grain or salary. Three fu is a small salary; three thousand zhong is enormous. Zengzi’s story shows that external wealth cannot replace what truly matters – in his case, being able to care for his parents while they were alive.
Inn Etiquette (舍者)
When Yangzi Ju was arrogant, innkeepers welcomed him into their house, the host held the mat, the wife held the towel and comb, guests avoided his mat, and the fire-tender avoided the stove. These are signs of fear and excessive respect. After Laozi’s rebuke, Yangzi Ju became humble, and the innkeepers contended with him for seats – treating him as an equal. This is a vivid image of how true virtue makes one ordinary, not intimidating.
Shadow and Penumbra (景, 罔两)
The “penumbras” ask the shadow why it changes – now looking down, now up; hair tied, now loose; sitting, now standing. The shadow replies that it does not know why. It is like a cicada shell or snake skin – similar but not the real thing. It depends on something else: fire and sun make it appear; yin and night make it disappear. This is a classic Daoist image of dependence and transformation.
Father as Matchmaker
A father’s praise of his own son is not convincing. Truth often needs an outside voice. This justifies Zhuangzi’s use of invented speakers and allegories.
Cicada Shell and Snake Skin (蜩甲, 蛇蜕)
The shadow says it is like a cicada shell or snake skin – a residue, not the living creature. It looks like the thing but is not the thing. This points to the illusory nature of appearances and the chain of dependence.
Sparrow and Gnat (雀, 蚊虻)
Confucius says one who is truly free would see three fu and three thousand zhong as a sparrow or gnat flying past. Wealth and status are trivial compared to inner freedom.
Seeds and the Ring (万物皆种也，始卒若环)
All things are seeds. They succeed one another in different forms. Beginning and end are like a ring – no one finds their order. This is called the Heavenly Equality (天均), which is the same as the Heavenly Boundary (天倪).
Great White Seems Stained (大白若辱)
From the Daodejing: the brightest white looks stained; the fullest virtue looks insufficient. Laozi uses this to rebuke Yangzi Ju’s arrogance. True virtue does not display itself.
Speaking Without Speaking (言无言)
If one does not speak, things are equal. But equality and speech are not equal. Therefore: “Speak without speaking.” Though one speaks all one’s life, one has never spoken; though one never speaks, one has never failed to speak. This is the paradox of language and silence in Daoist thought.
Heavenly Equality (天均):
The natural equalizing process; beginning and end like a ring.
Great Root (大本):
The source from which one receives capacity and returns spirit to life.
Great Mystery (大妙):
The final stage of Yancheng Ziyou’s nine-year progress.
Stale man (陈人):
One who has age but no wisdom, no Way of man.
杂篇·寓言第二十七
寓言十九，重言十七，卮言日出，和以天倪。寓言十九，藉外论之 。亲父不为其子媒。亲父誉之，不若非其父者也。非吾罪也，人之罪 也。与己同则应，不与己同则反。同于己为是之，异于己为非之。重言十七，所以已言也。是为耆艾，年先矣，而无经纬本末以期年耆者 ，是非先也。人而无以先人，无人道也。人而无人道，是之谓陈人。 卮言日出，和以天倪，因以曼衍，所以穷年。不言则齐，齐与言不齐 ，言与齐不齐也。故曰：“言无言。”言无言：终身言，未尝言；终 身不言，未尝不言。有自也而可，有自也而不可；有自也而然，有自 也而不然。恶乎然？然于然；恶乎不然？不然于不然。恶乎可？可于 可；恶乎不可？不可于不可。物固有所然，物固有所可。无物不然， 无物不可。非卮言日出，和以天倪，孰得其久！万物皆种也，以不同 形相禅，始卒若环，莫得其伦，是谓天均。天均者，天倪也。
庄子谓惠子曰：“孔子行年六十而六十化。始时所是，卒而非之。 未知今之所谓是之非五十九非也。”惠子曰：“孔子勤志服知也。” 庄子曰：“孔子谢之矣，而其未之尝言也。孔子云：夫受才乎大本， 复灵以生。鸣而当律，言而当法。利义陈乎前，而好恶是非直服人之 口而已矣。使人乃以心服而不敢蘁立，定天下之定。已乎，已乎！吾且不得及彼乎！”
曾子再仕而心再化，曰：“吾及亲仕，三釜而心乐；后仕，三千锺 而不洎，吾心悲。”弟子问于仲尼曰：“若参者，可谓无所县其罪乎 ？”曰：“既已县矣！夫无所县者，可以有哀乎？彼视三釜、三千锺 ，如观雀蚊虻相过乎前也。”
颜成子游谓东郭子綦曰：“自吾闻子之言，一年而野，二年而从， 三年而通，四年而物，五年而来，六年而鬼入，七年而天成，八年而 不知死、不知生，九年而大妙。生有为，死也。劝公以其私，死也有 自也，而生阳也，无自也。而果然乎？恶乎其所适，恶乎其所不适？ 天有历数，地有人据，吾恶乎求之？莫知其所终，若之何其无命也？ 莫知其所始，若之何其有命也？有以相应也，若之何其无鬼邪？无以 相应也，若之何其有鬼邪？”
众罔两问于景曰：“若向也俯而今也仰，向也括撮而今也被发；向 也坐而今也起；向也行而今也止：何也？”景曰：“搜搜也，奚稍问 也！予有而不知其所以。予，蜩甲也，蛇蜕也，似之而非也。火与日 ，吾屯也；阴与夜，吾代也。彼，吾所以有待邪，而况乎以无有待者 乎！彼来则我与之来，彼往则我与之往，彼强阳则我与之强阳。强阳 者，又何以有问乎！”
阳子居南之沛，老聃西游于秦。邀于郊，至于梁而遇老子。老子中 道仰天而叹曰：“始以汝为可教，今不可也。”阳子居不答。至舍， 进盥漱巾栉，脱屦户外，膝行而前，曰：“向者弟子欲请夫子，夫子 行不闲，是以不敢；今闲矣，请问其故。”老子曰：“而睢睢盱盱， 而谁与居！大白若辱，盛德若不足。”阳子居蹴然变容曰：“敬闻命 矣！”其往也，舍者迎将其家，公执席，妻执巾栉，舍者避席，炀者 避灶。其反也，舍者与之争席矣！
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