1. Zhuangzi's Inner Chapter: Getaway

Far north, there is no sun, the sky is dark and the water is dark, it is called the North Underworld.

There are fish in the North Underworld. The famous kun, thousands of miles long from beginning to end, cannot be measured. Kun turned into a bird, Mingpeng, with a back thousands of miles long, which cannot be measured. Peng strives to fly, wings like clouds in the sky, Peng, this kind of bird, usually floats on the sea, every time the sea wanders into a big whirlpool, it will rise into the air with the potential of the water, and migrate to the south of the earth.

The south is far south, the sun is not visible, the sky is dark and the water is dark, and the same as the north is the ocean.

There are people in the country of Qi, who are famous and harmonious, and they specialize in collecting strange things. The book says: "Peng migrated to the South Underworld; You must rely on the momentum of the water, flap your wings hard, and paddle 3,000 miles before you can rise into the air. After taking off from the sea, it has to circle and stir up the atmosphere into a tornado, lifting itself to an altitude of 90,000 li before it can set off for the south. The southern flight is a long distance, and it has to rely on the push of summer typhoons. ”

So Peng can't fly if he wants to. Is Peng living freely? Peng: Is it easy to swim? Hard.

On a sunny day, the air disturbs like a herd of wild horses. The sunlight shines into the darkroom, illuminating the bright spot with thousands of fine dusts flying. The phenomenon of wild horses in large landscapes and fine dust phenomena in small landscapes can show that all living things blow wind and need each other. Although Peng is big, it also needs the wind.

Peng rose to a height of 90,000 li, and the shadow disappeared. We look up, but see the sky blue. God, is it really blue? Perhaps the sky is an infinite void, bottomless, and therefore colorless? When Peng looks at the earth at an altitude of 90,000 miles, he will feel that the earth is also at a height of 90,000 miles, the same sky blue, the same void is infinitely far away, because the position of space is relative.

Why did Peng have to rise to an altitude of 90,000 miles? You can use the boat as an analogy. The water is shallow, and the big boat can't float. Pour a glass of water in the recess of the hall and make a boat out of small blades of grass. Put the cup in the concave water, it will inevitably touch the bottom, can not float, because the water is shallow and the boat is big, the same reason, the wind is thin and can not float the big bird, must rise to a height of 90,000 li, the wind is thick enough, enough to bear Peng's weight.

Peng rose to an altitude of 90,000 li, relying on the thick wind below, carrying the blue sky above, and the push of a summer typhoon behind it, and finally flew south.

After Peng's departure, the news spread. The cicada and the dove in the forest, the former being a well-known person in the insect world, and the latter being a famous person in the feather insect world, laughed at each other and said, "We can fly if we want to, fly to the elm tree, fly to the sandalwood tree." If the tree is far away, you can't fly for a while, so you can rest when you land on the ground, and then fly again. We live freely, and there is no need to fly south at an altitude of 90,000 miles. ”

At the end of the suburbs, the reckless and vast, the birds flew to forage for food, and after three meals were settled, they flew back to the cave, and their stomachs were still swollen. If a man goes a hundred miles away, he must prepare dry food so that he does not starve. If an army travels thousands of miles, it has to carry three months' rations to avoid hardship. These two insects have never heard of these common sense of human beings, let alone such strange things as the 90,000-mile-high Pengfei Nanying. Between insects, the level gap is too large. The higher level of survival will never understand the lower level.

There is a gap in the level of knowledge, and the small knowledge does not understand the big knowledge. There is a gap in the level of longevity, and the small year does not understand the big year. Why? Take a look at the following facts.

One of the fungi, called Chao Fungi, that is, soil fungi, is born in the shade and dampness, dies from exposure, and has a short survival period. Less than a quarter of a lunar month. The month of January is divided into four phases, obscure and obscure, each accounting for seven days. Morning fungus, the day of the sun of the day In short, any of the bacteria can survive for only seven days. How much knowledge can I gain by observing the moon? It is pitiful to say, those who know the moon do not know that there is a new moon, those who know the new moon do not know that there is a moon string, those who know the moon string do not know that there is a moon and a moon, and those who know the moon do not know that there is still a moon and a moon. The fungus is a small year.

One of the cicadas, called cockroaches, is also known as the summer cicada, born in the late spring and died before the autumn, and has a short survival period, less than a quarter of a solar year. The year is divided into four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, each accounting for March. No cockroach will survive more than one summer season. How much knowledge can be gained by studying the timing of cockroaches? It is pitiful to say, I only know that there is only one season of hot summer, and I do not know that there was a warm spring in the past, and I do not know that there will be a cool autumn in the future, and of course, I do not know that there will be a cold winter of ice and snow after the cool autumn. Cockroaches are also small years.

In the south of the state of Chu, there is a kind of tree called the Spirit. The flowers that last for 500 years are the spring of the spirit, and the flowers that last for 500 years are the autumn of the spirit. The world is a thousand years, and the ghost is one year old. The spirit of the dead is the Great Year. In ancient times, there was a kind of tree called Tsubaki. The flowers that last for 8,000 years are the spring of the Tsubaki, and the flowers that last for 8,000 years are the autumn of the Tsubaki. He has lived for 16,000 years, and Tsubaki is one year old. It's a big year.

Trees have great years, and so do people. Emperor Yao has a minister, named Keng, and was named Pengcheng, which is for Peng Keng, and people call Peng Zu. Peng Zu served the second emperor Yao Shun, served dozens of kings of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, and lived for thousands of years, and no one has broken his longevity record so far. Don't mortals feel sad when they compare their lives with Peng Zu?

There is no need to be sad, just let it go. Everything has its own nature, and people have their own lives, which cannot be changed. There is a difference in endowment, and there is a size in longevity, so why be sad. This is how Dr. Thorn of the Shang Dynasty answered King Tang's inquiry. Liezi · The Tang Wen Chapter mentions this incident and explains the truth thoroughly.

"Liezi Tang Wen Chapter" also mentions Pengfei's Nanming. Liezi's statement is similar to that of Mr. Qi Guohuan, which is as follows: "The northern desert is barren and bare, and the place name is poor. To the north of the poor hair, there is no sun, and the sky is dark and the water is dark, which is called the North Underworld. The North Underworld is originally an ocean, there are fish, the name Kun, from the dorsal fin to the pectoral fin thousands of miles wide, from the head to the tail I don't know how long. There was also a bird, named Peng, whose back was like Mount Tai, and its wings were like clouds in the sky. Peng flapped his wings and stirred up the atmosphere into a tornado, circling in circles like sheep's horns, lifting himself to an altitude of 90,000 li, away from the white clouds below, carrying the blue sky above, and then flying south, to the south. After Peng's departure, the news spread. In the bushes, there were birds laughing and saying, 'What is that guy doing in the South Hell?' Look at me, with a flap of his wings and a jump of his legs, he rises to a low altitude and then lands, not to go to his 90,000-mile altitude, and to live well. Spreading your wings and playing among the fluffy grass and artemisia grass is also interesting enough to fly. But he, what is that guy doing in the South Underworld?' It is impossible for the bird to understand Pengfei Nanming. ”

Let's talk about the level gap between small knowledge and big knowledge, and between small years and big years.

The finch in the bush reminds me of certain people in society, who are intellectually capable of doing a good job; When it comes to reputation, they can make a name for themselves; When it comes to virtue, they can serve a monarch; As far as it comes to the hand, they can be employed by a state. These people feel good about themselves, just like the finch that "flies enough." These people would never think they were ridiculous, but Mr. Rong of the Song Kingdom still had to laugh at their shallowness.

Mr. Rong was a wise man, a man of his own opinions, who was not influenced by the outside world. Even when the whole world came to praise him, he was not encouraged; Even if the whole world came to blame him, he was not discouraged. In his eyes, I am me, and things are things, and there is a difference between inside and outside. There is a clear boundary between the inside and the outside, so his mentality is stable and not affected by the outside world. He looked at the glory and shame very indifferently, and he did not think that the glory must belong to himself or the shame must belong to someone else. With his cultivation, it is very good. Although he keeps his distance from external objects and does not bother to think about the outside world, he still has some shortcomings that need to be overcome. For example, he laughed at the shallowness of some people, which seemed unnecessary in the eyes of Xia Zhuang Zhou. It is unreasonable to laugh at the birds, and to laugh at the big knowledge. Is it reasonable for Mr. Rong to laugh at some people and laugh at them?

Look at that Liezi, that is, Mr. Lie Yukou of Zheng Guo, who is the author of the above-cited "Tang Wen Chapter", who has cultivated the art of wind immortals, does not need equipment, flies in the wind, enjoys air travel, and lives freely. Every time Liezi traveled in the wind, he played with him lightly for 15 days, and then went home and wrote a book saying that this set of immortal arts of flying in the wind can obviously be used for the benefit of others and himself. However, Liezi refused to bother with much thought, because he was a wise man and did not want to be influenced by the outside world.

Liezi does not need to walk on two feet, nor does he need horses, carts, or boats, which completely solves the problem of traveling. However, there is still something to be done. What to do? Wait for the wind. To fly with the wind, you must wait for the wind, and if there is no wind, you can't fly in the air. In this difficult situation, Liezi and Peng are the same. It can be seen that Liezi is not able to fly if he wants to. Whoever has something to do cannot be said to be truly free and at ease, nor can it be said to be truly at ease.

Who can do absolutely nothing?

If a person can perceive the truth and essence of all things in the universe, rely on the laws of great nature, and grasp the changes in the six qi of yin qi, yang qi, wind qi, rain qi, obscure qi, and clear qi between heaven and earth, so as to make use of these six qi and gain infinite vitality and live forever, then what else does he need to wait?

What kind of person is he?

As far as the ontology is concerned, he is the supreme man, the supreme man who has abandoned himself.

In terms of function, he is a man of God, a man of God who has mixed up his achievements.

In terms of fame, he is a baseman, a saint who has extinguished the title.

He is the Trinity.

Emperor Yao was a good emperor in ancient times, who reigned for many years, was politically clear, and the world was stable. Although he is an emperor, he is very humble to people and has the ability to observe public opinion. I heard that there was a wise man named Xu You who lived in seclusion on the Kei Mountain, so he sent someone to ask Xu You to surrender the emperor's displacement to Xu You in person.

Emperor Yao said to Xu You: "The good sun has come out, the full moon has come out, and candles are still burning day and night. If you were a candle flame, wouldn't you feel too ashamed? The rain fell in time, and the water from the pond was still being used to irrigate the crops. If you were a pool, wouldn't it feel like a waste? Mr. Xu, you are in the people, and your influence has spread far and wide, resulting in stability in the world. I sat on the throne, dressed as a god, and enjoyed the worship in vain, and felt very ashamed. Now, allow me to leave the world to you. ”

Xu You said: "You have ruled the world for many years, and you have already governed it. Now you want me to take your place, that's what you think. But what am I going to do in your place? Picture name? The name is an external guest, but it is actually the inner master. Do you want me to play the role of a fake guest in name only? Although there are many trees, the peach finch only nests one branch. Although the river is abundant, the mole only drinks to its heart's content. It's useless to give me this thing in the world. Go back and rest, king. The cooks are on strike, and the clergy are not going to go down to the kitchen.

Mr. Jieyu, a famous hermit in the Chu State, once sang "Phoenix Song" and laughed at Confucius for wanting to be an official, and once pretended to be crazy to escape the king's appointment, and then took his virtuous wife to wander around, cultivate immortals and learn the Tao. There was a gentleman who was also a scholar of Taoism, and he went to visit and was surprised to listen to his strange remarks.

Afterwards, Mr. Shougo said to Mr. Uncle Lian, a Taoist friend: "I listened to the talk of public opinion, and I listened to it inexplicably. First, it is big and inappropriate, that is, the sea and the sky are vast, and no information can be found to corroborate it. The second is to go back and forth, that is, to make assumptions throughout the text, and not to find any facts to test. As soon as he opened his mouth, he gushed endlessly, and it was terrifying, like the endless flow of the Yellow River. What is being talked about is too biased and unusual. ”

Mr. Lian Shu asked, "What did he say?"

Shoulder Wu said: "The public opinion said that the ethereal aunt shoots the mountain, and the gods live in the mountains. The skin is moist and white, like frozen fat, like condensed snow, the appearance is beautiful and refined, and the body is graceful and weak, as if a virgin is in the boudoir. When they are hungry, they breathe the wind, they are thirsty and drink dew, and they do not eat the grains of the world. Soar in the sky on the clouds, fly the dragon, and travel all over the north, south, west and east. Focusing on the power of the mind can save all things from disasters and make people live longer and more abundantly. These are the original words of the reception. I don't think he's a madman, and he can't be trusted.

Uncle Lian said, "Yes." The blind can't see art, and the deaf can't listen to music. blind in the eyes, deaf in the ears, and of course disabled; Intellectually blind, deaf, and equally disabled. I'm saying that to you, man. You may not believe what you said, but I believe it. If there is such a man of God, if there is such a divine virtue, he will coordinate all things so that they will return to the same path and become one. The world is in chaos, and everyone prays that if he can't finish the world's work one by one, then he will be exhausted. What he wants to do is to coordinate all things without revealing any traces, so that they will return to the same road and become one in harmony. There is such a man of God, and nothing outside can hurt him. The flood rose to the sky, and it couldn't drown him. There was a great drought, the gold and stone were melted into a liquid state, and the earth and mountains were burned into a charred (huohu), and he was not hot. He was a man of God and of extraordinary quality. To be honest, a single debris attached to his body, a little bit of slag, can also cultivate a good emperor like Yao La Shunla. In this case, he does not have to do the specific trivial things in the world one by one. The words of the public opinion. Is it credible or not, please think again, dude. ”

The two Taoist friends also discussed why Emperor Yao retired.

Uncle Lian said: "The nobles of the Song Kingdom wore Zhangfu hats to express their reverence for cultural traditions, because this kind of hat style is classical, and Confucius loved to wear it." Someone in the Song Kingdom bought a large number of Zhangfu hats and trafficked them all the way to the Yue Kingdom. As a result, they can't get rid of it, because people there cut their hair short, get naked tattoos, and don't wear hats. Emperor Yao reigned; Govern the people, and the world is peaceful. Later, he went to the ethereal Gushu Mountain, where he met with the four gentlemen and listened to the teachings. After returning to Pingyang City, the national capital on the north bank of Fenshui, Emperor Yao's eyes were full of confusion and he felt that the environment was unfamiliar. What kind of Jiangshan Sheji, simply the Yue people's Zhang Fu hat, is useless. He was no longer interested in nostalgia for the throne, and what he never forgot was the ethereal Gu Shooting Mountain and the teachings of the four gentlemen. He made his own world, so he retired. ”

There was a Mr. Hui Shi in the Liang State, that is, Hui Zi, who was very learned and proficient in debate, and was a friend of Zhuangzi. Huizi invited Zhuangzi to come to the Prime Minister's Mansion in order to correct Zhuangzi's ideology and consciousness, so as to fulfill the friendship of friends and reap the effect of salvation. Of course, direct correction must be eaten and touched, and it is only appropriate to be sarcastic.

Huizi said to Zhuangzi, "The king has given me the seeds of a big gourd. I planted it in the backyard and made a big gourd. The craftsman processed it into a container, with a capacity of five buckets, which is extremely large. It is used to hold water and slurry, but I am worried that the bottom of the container is thin and not strong, and it cannot bear the weight of its own body, and it is easy to break. It's still too big to cut it into a scoop, because it doesn't take that much to scoop water, wine, and soup. Can you say that this big gourd is not big enough? No. But it is big and useless, and it is empty and arrogant. What didn't work, I simply broke it with a hammer and fell. ”

The big gourd is too confused. Zhuangzi understood in his heart that he was not angry at all. He said: "Your old gentleman can only use small tools, not large ones, and this is always the case. I'll also tell you a story; The Song State has a family. For generations, squatting by the river and drifting silk cotton has become a profession. At the same time, according to the secret recipe of the gods, a special medicine for skin protection is concocted, which is produced for its own use. In the cold winter, the silk is washed with cotton, and the medicine is rubbed in the hands, and it is not cracked, and there are no chilblains. There were guests from other places who came to visit the family and paid a high price of 100 gold to buy the secret recipe for medicine. So the whole family got together to discuss, and they all said: "We have been drifting silk for generations, and we have worked hard for a year to earn a few golds. Now sell technology and make 100 gold a day. Sell it. "After the visitor bought the secret recipe, he traveled far to the kingdom of Wu, met the king, and gained trust. Later, when the Yue invaded the Wu Kingdom, the King of Wu sent him to lead his army to participate in the Winter Water Campaign, and his soldiers were all dressed with special skin care drugs to prevent frostbite on their hands and feet, and defeated the Yue army. The king of Wu rewarded him, gave him land, and made him a marquis. You see, the same hand is not cracked, a big use, Ti Tu Tu Hou Hou, a small use, a lifetime of inevitable drifting silk. You have a big gourd, with a capacity of fifty buckets, which is really a big tool, why not hollow out the inner gourd and make it into a big waist boat, Go to the rivers and lakes, and worry about the big and useless? In this way, your old gentleman's thinking is still distorted, is that right?"

Zhuangzi could not listen to Huizi's sarcasm, but persuaded Huizi to leave Chaoyan and wander the rivers and lakes. Huizi had no choice but to give up the sarcasm, simply criticize it openly, and said to Zhuangzi: "There is a big tree in my territory, which others say is a tree, that is, a stinky tree. The body of the tree was covered with too many lumps, and the carpenter could not play the ink line. The high branches of the side are all curved and twisted, and the circle is not regular, and the straight is not regular. Growing up on the side of the road for many years, the carpenter walked by and turned a blind eye. What your husband says is empty words, like the stinky tree, big and useless. No wonder everyone ignores you.

The smell of stinky oak is unpleasant, which is a curse word. Zhuangzi smiled and took a small revenge. He said, "Your husband must have seen a skunk, a stinky weasel." The weasel prostrates in the shadows, waiting for the rats to come out to play, and when one comes out, he pounces on it, jumping up and down, chasing the rats and rats, regardless of their own danger. In the end, the rat escaped, but he touched the mechanism, fell into the net, and died a tragic death. Let's talk about the rumored yak, a behemoth, like a cloud in the sky. It's big enough, but it's a big fool, he can't catch mice, unlike a weasel, he is smart and agile. Now sir, you have a big tree, and you don't like it to be useless, so why don't you transplant it to an unreal country, that vast and silent land? Under its green shade, beside its giant Ke, you roam, you play, you go deep into the realm of inaction, you lie idle, you sleep peacefully, and you get the pleasure of leisure. Like it, you will not be short-lived, you will not be harmed, you will not be considered useful. If you do that, you will be able to live freely and without the hardships and pains of life.