19, Shoko Yamaki

Zhuangzi led the students on a tour of the mountains to the forest area where they were being logged, and saw a large tree with lush branches and leaves.

When we got closer, a group of cutters had set up a wooden hut under a big tree for the night.

Zhuangzi asked, "Do you want to cut down this big tree?" The cutter said, "It's useless, don't cut it." Zhuangzi turned back to the students and smiled and said, "Because it's useless, don't be stabbed." This big tree has a good life and can live for many years. ”

Zhuangzi went down the mountain, it was almost dark, and he went to a friend's house to stay overnight. The friend was pleased and ordered the boy servant to kill the goose and entertain the guests. The child servant asked: "Two male geese, one loves to call, the other does not like to call, which one to kill?" A friend said, "Love is useful for screaming, and it can prevent thieves at night." Kill the one who doesn't like to scream. ”

I got up early the next day, thanked my friends, and returned to the lacquer garden. On the way, the student stepped forward and smiled at Zhuangzi and said, "The big tree on the mountain yesterday was useless, so it was not stabbed." The male goose at the bottom of the mountain last night was stabbed because it was useless. You may be stabbed if you are useful or useless, which side is the teacher on?"

Zhuangzi couldn't help but laugh and said, "One side is useful, and the other side is useless." I couldn't stand on either side, so I had to stand in the middle and ask.

Then I, Zhuang Zhou, stand between being useful and useless, looking at me useless from the useful side, and looking at me useful from the useless side.

Standing between the useful and the useless, deceiving people on both sides paradoxically, so I live a very tired life.

If you want to live a relaxed and happy life, you can only ride your wings, cultivate your way with one wing, cultivate virtue with the other wing, and drift with the wind.

Escape from the category of useful and useless, not praised, not condemned. In response to social changes, we will change our own houses.

One moment it is a golden dragon in the sky, and another moment it is a black snake in the cave, don't fix it.

It should be revealed, it will be revealed, all things have the same root, the root is in nothingness, it should be hidden, always in accordance with the principle of nature, and realize that all living beings are passers-by, and no one is superior to anyone else, and they should be their own masters, how can they be the guests of the passers-by, and be trampled by them at will! Once you are in charge, you will be free, how can you live like me! These are the principles of the Yan and Huang Emperors, the morality of the ideal country.

The reality of the supreme beings and the accumulated habits of mankind are unprincipled and immoral, and they are really evil, united divisions, successful destruction, incorruptible frustrations, noble skews, disadvantaged work, virtuous people are strangled, and unvirtuous jobs will be lacking. How can such a society live easily and happily! It's so pathetic. Remember, if you want to live without getting tired, you can only cultivate morality. ”

Xiong Yiyi, a hermit of Lu State, lived at the south end of the market, known as Mr. Shinan, and was invited to enter the palace to meet the king. The king's face was full of sorrow, and he looked up to the sky and sighed.

Mr. Shinan said, "Look at your face full of sorrow, what is the matter?"

The king said, "So I would like to invite you to talk." Since I ascended the throne, I have inherited the career of my ancestors in accordance with the teachings of the previous kings, and I want to govern the country of Lu. I personally grasped the sacrifices to the ghosts and gods and the recruitment of wise men, and I didn't dare to relax a little. But the political situation has recently been in crisis, and there are always some people who have trouble getting along with me. That's what I'm anxious about. ”

Mr. Shinan said: "Your method of dealing with the political crisis is too naïve. When I saw you wearing a fox fur and sitting on a leopard skin, I thought of those fat foxes and leopards. Fat fox and leopard, living in the mountains and forests, hiding in caves, how quiet; Nocturnal activity, daytime sleep, how vigilant. Endure hunger and thirst, and still do not go to densely populated areas to forage for food, how to accept your fate.

In this way, he still fell into the net, or he still touched the opportunity, and it was difficult to escape the disaster of death. The fat fox leopard didn't make any mistakes, it was that beautiful fur that caused the trouble. Isn't the cherry blossom of the Lu Country Jiangshan Society your beautiful fur today? If you want to avoid a political crisis and avoid a catastrophe, listen to my advice, hurry up and go under the knife, peel off your fur, wash your greed in your heart, and then flee to a deserted area. What are you still sitting in the deep palace anxious about. ”

Mr. Shinan also said: "'I was originally from the Chu State, and I knew that the south of the Chu State was the wild Baiyue, and there was a city in the south of the Baiyue that was the capital of Germany. Germany is truly an ideal country. In ancient times, China also had an ideal country, the so-called world of virtue. After Yan Huang became emperor, there was no more. The people of Germany have not yet been civilized, and the concept of private ownership is not strong, let alone material desires. They will only cultivate diligently, they will not store much, they will not steal, they will not rob, so there is no granary. They give to the poor and do not ask for compensation. What an example of righteousness! What a ritual frame! They don't use their brains, their behavior is debauched, but they are natural, natural, and not absurd. They live happily ever after, and when they die, someone is buried. Ah, I hope you will give up the state of Lu, abandon the idea of monarchy, cultivate and preach, and defect to the state of Jiande. ”

The king said, "It is too far to get there, and I am afraid that it will be dangerous." What's more, the mountains and rivers are blocked, and the transportation is inconvenient, where can I find a car or boat?"

Mr. Ichinan said, "If you put down the shelf, you will be able to get a car." Don't stay on the boat. ”

The king said, "Not only is the road long, there is not a guidebook, but the road is too lonely." Who waits during the day? Who accompanies you in the night? Who escorts the grain and grass? Who serves the Imperial Meal? Unprepared, to reach the finish line?"

Mr. Shinan said: "Save money, control your appetite, even if you don't bring a grain of food, you can eat on the road."

You go south from the country of Lu, cross the Yangtze River, go down to the South China Sea, as far as the eye can see, and there are infinite mysteries waiting for you in the voyage. The natives who sent you away from the coast and returned home, and you have entered a new realm, drifting farther and farther away, never to return.

Who do you want to wait, who do you want to accompany you, you have developed a habit of dominating the people for many years. He who is accustomed to dominating the people has added a burden to himself, and he who is accustomed to being dominated by the people has caused trouble to himself.

Therefore, the good king Grandpa Yao does not want to dominate the people, nor does he want to be dominated by the people. Unwilling to dominate the people, he delegated power to officials.

Unwilling to be dominated by the people, he left them to take care of themselves. I hope that you will cut off your burdens, sweep away your troubles, and flee alone to the vast and empty country to cultivate.

Do you know the benefits of emptiness? You let the boat cross the Yellow River, and an empty boat floats upstream and hits your boat, you won't be angry, even if you have a violent temperament. If the ship is not empty, even if it is carrying one person, you will shout and tell him to pull aside.

If you don't listen to it after shouting once, if you don't listen to it twice, if you shout it three times, you will definitely scold his mother. The ship is empty, you don't scold; If the ship is not empty, you will curse. Flee to the vast and empty country, you yourself are empty, how can there be a political crisis that will kill you!"

Beigong Hao is the prefect of the country, surnamed Beigong, named Luxury, on the order of the king, responsible for casting a set of chimes for the court orchestra. The king said: "There is no money, so let the people give it." "Beigong Hao built a gold offering platform outside the gate of the capital.

Music is played on the stage, and singers are entertained to attract a wide range of people. The audience was crowded, some offered money, and some offered bronze. The money was enough, and in three months it was cast into sixteen bells, two high and low, which were hung in two squares above and below the suspension.

Qingji, the son of King Zhou, who was an official in Weiguo, was interested in this donation activity and asked Beigong Hao: "What methods have you done?"

Beigong Hao said: "Devote yourself wholeheartedly, and don't dare to think of the slightest means."

I understand that art returns to its roots. I trusted the people with a foolish attitude, and stayed under the gold offering platform, with a focused and trance expression, ushering in the send-off. When people come, I don't refuse, anyone can come. If people are gone, I won't keep them, anyone can go. If he behaves stiffly and does not pull out a hair, I will not criticize him for being reactionary, but I will obey him. If he behaves generously and donates a lot of money, I don't praise him for loving the motherland, just let him be. In short, it is necessary to let the people pay out of their own pockets voluntarily, never deceive with rhetoric, and not apportionment and exploitation. Therefore, asking people to donate from morning to night did not affect the lives of the people, not at all. Donating money to cast bells is just a trivial matter. By extension, what about ruling the world with great avenues?"

Confucius led a group of attachés to go to the palace. On his way west, he left the state of Lu and went to the state of Chu, where the king of Chu hired him. After passing through the junction of Chen and Cai, he was misunderstood by the militia of the two countries, thinking that the robbers were coming, and besieged them in groups, and cut off the cooking for seven days and seven nights. After the misunderstanding was clarified, a local hermit Ren Taigong came to the scene to visit Confucius and sent wine and meat to Confucius to suppress his shock. Confucius was grateful.

Ren Taigong asked, "I almost starved you to death, right?"

Confucius said, "Yes, I almost died." ”

Ren Taigong asked, "You don't want to die, do you?"

Confucius said, "Of course. ”

Ren Taigong said: "That's good." I'll tell you how to save your life for your reference.

There are birds in the East China Sea, and their chirping is clear, and they are swallows that fly from the south every spring. The swallow is fluttering, light and flexible, and never shows strong and strong plumage. Soar in groups and take care of each other.

Colonies and habitats, close to each other. Flying always comes together, and they don't dare to be the first.

Fly away always fly away together, don't dare to fall behind. When he found that the insects were flying, he called his friends to accompany everyone to eat, never swallowed alone, and never quarreled. The swallow has these qualities, so the group does not disperse, the foreign insult does not come, and it is free from disaster.

The swallow chooses incompetence as a means of survival. Look at those who have the ability, the straight tree will be cut first, and the sweet well will dry up first. You are bent on showing that you are knowledgeable and that you are acting nobly, in order to awaken the ignorance of others, to reflect the meanness of others. Thou art dazzling with thy splendour, thou wilt hold up the sun and moon in thy hands, and thou shalt march everywhere, so that you will not be spared calamity. Once upon a time, I listened to Lao Dan's lectures, and I remember that this scholar who had gathered all the best things said: 'He who boasts must fail.' Sooner or later, success will fall.

The famous, will be replaced. 'Who will give credit to the people?' Who wants to be famous? Only the supreme can do both. The avenue underflows without shining brilliance, and the great virtue sneaks without showing traces. Zhiren is sluggish, his face is ordinary, he gives people the impression of a fool, he does not want to show his face, he refuses to form a gang, he does not build an archway to remember his merits, he does not cast a statue that leaves his name, and he does not want to write a foolish account for the annals of history. The supreme man never criticizes the world, and the world cannot condemn him. Why do you covet fame and fame?"

Confucius said, "Good criticism. "I decided not to go to the state of Chu. He immediately refused to socialize, dismissed his attachés, and fled into the mountains and forests. During this period of seclusion, Confucius wore fur to keep out the cold, picked chestnuts to satisfy hunger, and washed away the color of civilization. He is psychologically incompetent, blending into the flock of birds and beasts, the birds do not frighten, and the beasts do not flee. Birds and beasts are no longer disgusted with him, will people still be hostile to him? It's a pity that this period of time was not long, and then he came out of the mountain again.

Confucius visits Zisanghu, a monastic hermit.

Confucius said: "I was in politics in our country of Lu, and I was forced into self-exile twice. Don't talk about it the first time, let's talk about it a second time. At the age of 50, I became the Minister of Public Security and rectified the public order in Lu. King Qi was not at ease, so he sent a group of female singers and horses to King Lu, asking him to alienate me. I couldn't stand the king's cold reception, so I had to resign and walk away. Later, I went to the Song Kingdom to teach ancient rites, but the official did not give the class, so I had to rehearse under the big tree. As soon as the ancient ceremony was finished, the Minister of Defense ordered someone to cut down the tree. Later, I went to give a speech on a patriotic tour and was officially deported. The ground where I parked was shoveled. Later, when I went to Yinxu and Zhoudu, I couldn't find a job, I was desperate, and I begged to go home. Later, the last time I was hired to go to Chu State, I passed through the junction of Chen and Cai, and was besieged by the militia for seven days and seven nights, and almost starved to death. In just a few years, a series of disasters, relatives and friends have been estranged, and the attachés and students have dispersed, why?"

Zi Sanghu said: "Once upon a time, there was a fake kingdom that was destroyed by the Jin kingdom. The Jin army burned and killed, the people fled for their lives, there are many tragic stories, haven't you heard of it? Lin Hui, a fake national sage, was ruined, and he was carrying a piece of jade when he fled.

That's a family heirloom, and it's hard to buy for a thousand dollars. The enemy was chasing after him, and Lin Hui found that there was an abandoned baby crying on the side of the road, so he immediately threw away the jade and ran away with the abandoned baby on his back. The people who fled for their lives on the same road blamed Lin Hui for being too stupid.

Think about it too. If you want to say it's worth it, when the soldiers are in a hurry, the baby is not worth anything. If you want to say it's a drag, you can run desperately with a baby on your back, and you have to nurse him to raise him and teach him, which is enough to drag him down. lost his daughter and jade, and fled with a baby on his back, what is this Lin Hui trying to do with him?

Lin Hui said: "Interests call me jade, and nature calls me a baby." Lin Hui betrayed his interests and defected to his nature, so he threw away the jade bi and carried the baby on his back. Those who are united because of interests, in the face of life and death, will abandon each other. Those who are united by nature will protect each other in the face of life and death. Abandon each other and protect each other, how can the two be the same! The gentleman's friendship is as light as clear water, and the villain's friendship is as sweet as rice wine. Although the gentleman's affection is light, it is long-term and cordial. Although the villain's affection is sweet, he once turned his face. Some of your relatives and friends, attachés, students, with all due respect, it was not out of their nature to unite with you in the first place, so their conscience will not be bitter when they break up with you. If you understand this, you will not rebuke them. ”

Confucius said, "I have listened." "I feel that the boredom is gone, I am relaxed and happy, and I walk like I am flying. Back at school, classes were closed, books were sealed. The students have long since dispersed, and only a few have stayed in school. In front of them, Confucius no longer performs the demeanor of a sage. They don't have to do the same and practice the red tape. Their love for Confucius grew, but they couldn't say why. Maybe this is what Zi Sando said out of nature.

Later, Confucius visited Zisanghu. Zisang's family was poor, his health was very poor, and his voice was intermittent and low. Probably thinking of death, he talked to Confucius about Emperor Shun's will. He said: "When Shun Ye was dying, he repeatedly told Yu Ye: You have to be careful in the future." To people and things, the attitude should be smooth, and the heart should be true. To be smooth, the relationship can be tight. To be true, emotions can be relaxed. When the relationship is strong and the mood is relaxed, there is no need to pretend with red tape. The white body is free and easy, and everything is not asked, so it's good. That's what Shun told Yu. ”

Confucius could hear that this was Zi Sanghu's sincere advice.

In Xia Zhuang Zhou, wearing a linen robe, the placket of the robe was mended, and he came to the palace of King Liang. Lifting his feet and stepping up the steps, the straps of his robe and shoelaces were broken. Smile apologetically, stop and tie up, and then salute King Liang Hui.

King Liang Hui said, "Why is Mr. Zhuang so cowardly?"

Zhuang Zhou said: "It's not a nest, it's just poverty. If a scholar has ambitions and can't display them, that's really a bag. The robes of the sons are mended, the shoes are tattered, as you can see, to be exact, this is poverty, and it is not easy to mix with the nest. Scholars are all born at the wrong time. Just like the contemptible. Look at the gibbon jumping in the treetops, let him inhabit the arbor forest of the camphor species, climb the high branches, and be satisfied, even if there is a sharpshooter, he will not want to plot against him. Cut down all the trees, forced him to flee into thorny bushes such as hooked thorns and stinky oranges, dodged and dodged, peeked in his eyes, and trembled, could it be that he had cramps and bones, and his limbs were stiff? Of course not. The situation is not good, and he can't use his skills. In today's situation, the king is sitting in a faint seat, the prime minister is in chaos, and the aspiring scholar is caught in the middle. In the last years of the Shang Dynasty, the loyal minister Bigan refused to make a nest, which provoked the anger of the tyrant, and as a result, he was cut out of his belly and heart, and there was a precedent. ”

King Liang Hui was unhappy and pretended to be deaf and did not hear. Mr. Hui Shi, the prime minister of His Majesty, was an old friend of Zhuang Zhou, and he was relieved to see that Zhuang Zhou had no hope of getting an official position.

Confucius was in a desperate situation at the junction of Chen and Cai, because he was misunderstood by the militia, and he was in a desperate situation, and he was blind for seven days and seven nights. This time it was a song from the time of Emperor Yan and Shennong, with musical instruments but no beat, and singing without tone. Bangzi accompanies the singing, which clearly evokes the resonance in the hearts of a group of attachés.

The attaché Yan Huan lowered his eyebrows, sat quietly facing the wall, heard the teacher knocking on the bang and singing ancient songs, and was deeply infected, looking back and peeking, looking excited. Confucius noticed it and immediately stopped singing. He was afraid that Yan Hui's feelings would be out of control and he would be angry, and he would cry when he touched the scene, so the instructor said: "Yan Hui, want to open some." Life in the world, it is easy to be free from natural disasters, and it is not difficult to be favored by others. Any end is a starting point. Be in tune with nature. The person who sang just now wasn't the real me, you know??"

Yan replied: "It's easy to not be harmed by nature, how can you say this?"

Confucius said: "The cold makes me hungry, the sun makes me thirsty, and the poor and sleepy me are all caused by the operation of heaven and earth." I follow obediently, suffering is suffering, and I am not harmed. Isn't that easy to do? Behold those officials, waiting for the king, not daring to disobey orders. Do you dare not disobey the order of the king, dare to disobey the mandate of heaven? ”

Yan Huijian: "I am not affected by people's favors, how can I say this?"

Confucius said: "Joining the eunuch field, the young man has ambition, left and right, customs clearance up and down, promotion and salary increase, and climb higher and higher." It's not that he's greedy, fame and fortune are pouring in from the outside, and the door panel can't stop it. All external material benefits are all human favors, not what he should have in his own life, but they just happen to belong to him. A gentleman does not steal, a wise man does not steal, and the truth is understood. Outsiders are kind and open the door to accept it, but they are also passive thieves. If it were me, I would open the door and be a thief passively.

The king of Chu hired me as an official, which is a human favor. I took you to the state of Chu to receive favors, but you were besieged here halfway, and your life and death are uncertain. This shows how difficult it is to go unfavored.

You look up and the swallows are flying around. These brilliant birds know where to roost. Unsafe dwellings, such as the dense forest ahead, where the swallows fly without a glance. Look, the swallow's nest mud fell to the ground, and he didn't even look back to pick it up, because it was not safe to land. Also, swallows are afraid of humans, but they build nests under people's roofs and ask for shelter from being bullied by big birds. The country of Swallow was preserved in this way. Alas, how difficult it is to be unfavored!"

Yan Hui asked: "Any end is the starting point, how do you say this?"

Confucius said, "All things are in the process of change, and so are people." I don't know what the next stage will become, do you still know where the end is? Do you know where to start? Stages one after the other, infinitely. Keep your own nature and righteousness, wait for changes, that's all. ”

Yan Huijian: "To be consistent with nature, how do you say this?"

Confucius said, "Man is controlled by nature, and nature itself is controlled by nature." Man can't twist nature, but it is very natural, and he is born. The saints understand this truth, so they should take the initiative to be in tune with nature in the face of danger and death, and move towards the end, that is, the beginning of the next stage. ”

After Confucius finished speaking, he continued to knock on the bangzi and sing.

In the Xiazhuang Zhou Book Lacquer Garden, I was tired in summer, hung a slingshot on my shoulder, went out for a walk, and climbed the Diaoling Mountain. A large area of the front mountain is an orchard, which, like the lacquer garden, belongs to the state. The orchard is surrounded by hedges, and outsiders are not allowed to enter. Zhuang Zhou stood outside the fence, suddenly heard the sound of fluttering behind him, and when he turned around to look, his forehead was hit by a wing, and he screamed in fright.

It turned out to be a strange big bird, with a long tail and black and white flowers, like a magpie magpie, with a wingspan of seven feet and an eye diameter of one inch. I have never seen such a strange magpie in the Yellow River Basin, and it is estimated that it comes from the far south. At this time, the strange magpie flew over the head of Zhuang Zhou, soared into the orchard, and rested on the chestnut forest with its wings. In late autumn, the chestnuts are ripe, and the chestnut leaves are dark copper, which sets off the black and white flowers of the strange magpie, which is particularly eye-catching. Zhuang Zhou was curious and didn't leave.

Zhuang Zhou muttered to himself: "What kind of bird is this?" The wings are big and they don't fly far, too fat? Eyes big and bumping against people, blind?" Then the idea of cooking came to mind, and swallowed his saliva. So he lifted his robe, stepped over the hedge, hurried into the chestnut grove, removed the slingshot hanging from his shoulder, and looked up to see the direction. Just as he was about to aim, he caught a glimpse of a cicada flying next to the target, and he was glad that he had found a thick shade, and he was so happy that he gradually fell into a realm of self-forgetfulness. In front of the cicada, a bore mantis crawled up, holding a dead leaf in its front paws, as a way to hide itself, and approached the cicada step by step, just about to catch it. As the prey is about to arrive, the toad also enters the realm of selflessness. Behind the cockroach was the strange magpie, staring at the locust with big eyes, and was about to peck at it, but it also entered the realm of selflessness. Who is behind the strange magpie? Who's behind it......

Thinking of this, Zhuang Zhou was shocked and shouted: Ouch! One eats one, one eats another! What a terrible food chain! Greed forgets yourself, lock them up, and lock me up one by one!" So he threw away the projectile, hung his bow on his shoulder, turned and fled, jumping out of the hedge. At this time, the caretaker chased out of the depths of the orchard and yelled at the outside of the fence: "Shameless thing, stealing chestnuts!"

Zhuang Zhou lowered his head and walked down the mountain quickly and returned to the paint garden. For the next three days, he was still not feeling well. The students who were waiting by his side every day followed him and asked, "The teacher has been very uncomfortable recently, why is the matter?"

Zhuang Zhou said: "I am reflecting. I only cared about nourishing my flesh and forgot to protect myself. A ditch of dirty water, I saw it, and avoided it from afar. A pool of clear water, I couldn't see it, and I almost drowned. The old teacher taught that there are rules to be followed wherever you go. Three days ago I walked to the Diaoling Mountain, and I forgot to protect myself, when a strange magpie flew to warn me, and the wings plucked off my forehead. slipped into the chestnut forest, and strayed into the realm of selflessness, which was scolded by the administrator. If you don't feel comfortable for three days, it's just for this matter. ”

Mr. Yang Zhu came to Song Guolai and stayed overnight in the hotel. The owner of the pavilion married two aunts, one beautiful and the other ugly. Mrs. Ugly sits at the counter, manages the accounts, and directs the hall servant, with a higher status. The aunt's wife picks up passengers, manages the guest rooms, cleans and cleans, and has a lower status. Yang Zhu has heard a lot of jokes, all of which are sarcastic about Song Guoyan. Those who do stupid things are all Song people in jokes. No, there is another owner in front of him.

The next morning, the servant brought water. Yang Zhu asked the hall servant to inquire about the inside story. The servant replied, "Mrs. Mei thinks she is beautiful, but I don't think she is beautiful." Mrs. Ugly thinks she's ugly, I don't think she's ugly. Yang Zhu gave a reward, believing that the pavilion servant was not stupid.

Yang Zhu turned back to the attaché and said, "Students, remember." Behavior is noble, but you don't feel how noble you are, no matter where you go, you are welcome. ”