This commentary analyzes Zhuangzi ‑ Shan Mu, unpacking nine fables including the tree‑goose paradox and empty‑boat parable. It rejects useful‑useless binaries and advocates riding the Dao to preserve inner authenticity.
This entry explains idiom “Tang lang bu chan, huang que zai hou” from Zhuangzi. It warns that one obsessed with immediate profit may overlook hidden perils looming behind, as shown by the mantis‑cicada‑oriole parable.
A certain Mr. Zhang was walking in a mountain valley and heard a loud noise from the cliffs. He climbed up the cliffs and saw a huge snake as thick as a big bowl tossing in the trees, its tail beating the willows and breaking willow branches. Its desperate tossing and turning suggested that…