Chuang Tzu Chapter 6, Section A

[Marblehead]

Section A

 

He who knows the part which the Heavenly (in him) plays, and knows (also) that which the Human (in him ought to) play, has reached the perfection (of knowledge). He who knows the part which the Heavenly plays (knows) that it is naturally born with him; he who knows the part which the Human ought to play (proceeds) with the knowledge which he possesses to nourish it in the direction of what he does not (yet) know: to complete one's natural term of years and not come to an untimely end in the middle of his course is the fulness of knowledge. Although it be so, there is an evil (attending this condition). Such knowledge still awaits the confirmation of it as correct; it does so because it is not yet determined. How do we know that what we call the Heavenly (in us) is not the Human? and that what we call the Human is not the Heavenly? There must be the True man, and then there is the True knowledge.

[XieJia]

leave human to humans

leave heaven to heaven

[konchog uma]

from Wandering on the Way: Taoist Tales and Parables

by Victor Mair

 

To know the actions of heaven and to know the actions of man,

that's the ultimate! She who knows the actions of heaven will live

in accordance with heaven. She who knows the actions of men

can nourish what is unknown to her intellect with what is known

to her intellect. Thus she can live out the years allotted to her by

heaven and not die midway. This is the height of knowledge.

 

However, there is still some difficulty. Namely, knowledge

has to depend on something for its consequent accuracy, but

that which it depends on is particularly unstable. How do we

know that what we attribute to heaven may not be due to man,

and that what we attribute to man may not be due to heaven?

Only when there is a true man is there true knowledge.

 

What is a true man? The true man of old did not oppose the

minority, did not strive for heroic accomplishments, and did not

scheme over affairs. Such being the case, he did not regret it

when he made a mistake nor feel smug when he was right. Such

being the case, he could climb high without trembling, enter

water without getting soaked, and enter fire without feeling hot.

Only one whose knowledge can ascend the heights of the Way

can be like this.

 

The true man of old did not dream when he slept and did

not worry when he was awake. His food was not savory, his

breathing was deep. The breathing of the true man is from his

heels, the breathing of the common man is from his throat. The

words of those who unwillingly yield catch in their throats as

though they were retching. Those whose desires are deep-seated

will have shallow natural reserves.

 

The true man of old knew neither fondness for life nor

aversion to death, was neither elated by going forth nor reluctant

to return. Casually he went and casually he came. He neither

forgot what his beginning had been nor sought what his end

would be. Happily he received and forgetfully he returned. This

is what is meant by not detracting from the Way with the mind,

not assisting heaven with the human. This is what we call a true

man.

 

Such being the case, his mind was forgetful, his visage calm,

his forehead beamingly broad. Austere as autumn, warm as

spring, his joy and anger were in touch with the four seasons. He

was compatible with all things but no one knew his limits

 

The true man of old

Was towering in stature but never collapsed,

Seemed insufficient but accepted nothing;

Aloofly independent but not obstinate,

Amply empty but not ostentatious ,

Merry, as though he were happy,

Demurring, as though he were compelled,

Suffused with an alluring charm,

Endowed with an arresting integrity,

Stern, as though he were worldly,

Arrogant, as though he were uncontrollable,

Reticent, as though he preferred to clam up,

Absent-minded, as though he forgot what to say.

 

Thus his likes were reduced to one and his dislikes were also

reduced to one. His "one" was one and his "not one" was also

one. Being "one," he was a follower of heaven. Being "not one" he

was a follower of man. He in whom neither heaven nor man is

victorious over the other is called a true man.

[konchog uma]

one of my favorite passages in the entire Chuang Tzu.. wisdom itself!!

[ChiDragon]

--- Work in Progress ---

 

Overall Summary

【题解】

“宗”指敬仰、尊崇，“大宗师”意思是最值得敬仰、尊崇的老师。谁够得上称作这样的老师呢？那就是“道”。庄子认为自然和人是浑一的，人的生死变化是没有什么区别的，因而他主张清心寂神，离形去智，忘却生死，顺应自然。这就叫做“道”。

 

全文可以分为九个部分。

1. 第一部分至“是之谓真人”，虚拟一理想中的“真人”，“真人”能做到“天”、“人”不分，因而“真人”能做到“无人”、“无我”。“真人”的精神境界就是“道”的形象化。

 

The first part was to define what is a "natural person", virtually, it is to think about a "natural person". A "natural person" can be attained to a state of no separation between 'Heaven' and 'human' because a 'natural person' can be attained to a state of 'formless' and 'selfless'. The spirit of a 'natural person' is an imitated image of 'Tao'.

 

2. 第二部分至“而比于列星”，从描写“真人”逐步转为述说“道”，只有“真人”才能体察“道”，而“道”是“无为无形”而又永存的，因而体察“道”就必须“无人”、“无我”。这两段是全文论述的主体。

 

The second part of Chapter 6 was compared with all the stars in describing a "natural person" gradually rendering into 'Tao'. Only a 'natural person" can sense 'Tao', and 'Tao' is "natural(wu wei) and formless" but also in eternally existed. In order to sense and observe 'Tao', it must be 'formless' and 'selfless'. These two paragraphs are the main theme of the text.

 

3. 第三部分至“参寥闻之疑始”，讨论体察“道”的方法和进程。

 

The third part was up to 参寥(San Liao) in doubting the beginning of Tao, discussing the methods and procedure in the observation of Tao.

 

4. 第四部分至“蘧然觉”，说明人的死生存亡实为一体，无法逃避，因而应“安时而处顺”。

 

The fourth part was up to "surprisingly amazed", describing the life and death of human is integrated as a whole. It was inevitable, therefore one ought to be peaceful with the time and follow the trend in time.

 

5. 第五部分至“天之小人也”，进一步讨论人的死和生，指出死和生都是“气”的变化，是自然的现象，因而应“相忘以生，无所终穷”，只有这样精神才会超脱物外。

 

The fifth part was up to the "hypocrites", then he advanced to discuss the life and death of human. He pointed out that life and death was due to the mutation of Chi and it was a natural phenomenon. Therefore, one must forget "the existence of oneself, so, there is no end and no exhaustion". Only with this kind of spirit, so one can transcend outside the materialistic world.

 

6. 第六部分至“乃入于寥天一”，说明人的躯体有了变化而人的精神却不会死，安于自然、忘却死亡，便进入“道”的境界而与自然合成一体。

 

The sixth part was up to "human and heaven integrated as one"; it has described that the physical body has changes but the spirit of the soul never dies. Peaceful within the naturalness but forgotten about death. Then, entered the level of Tao to be in accord with the naturalness integrated as one body.

 

7. 第七部分至“此所游已”，批判儒家的仁义和是非观念，指出儒家的观念是对人的精神摧残。

 

The seventh part was up to "the creation of one's own free well", it was the criticism about the Confucian's ideas about benevolence and righteousness, and the matters of right or wrong. It points out that the Confucian ideas were tormenting the minds of the people.

 

8. 第八部分至“丘也请从而后也”，论述“离形去知，同于大通”是进入“道”的境界的方法。

 

9. 余下为第九部分，说明一切都由“命”所安排，即非人为之力所安排。

 

Original Classic Text

【原文】

知天之所为，知人之所为者，至矣。知天之所为者，天而生也；知人之所为者，以其知之所知以养其知之所不知，终其天年而不中道夭者：是知之盛也。虽然，有患。夫知有所待而后当①，其所待者特未定也②。庸讵知吾所谓天之非人乎？所谓人之非天乎？

 

且有真人而后有真知。何谓真人？古之真人不逆寡③，不雄成④，不谟士⑤。若然者，过而弗悔，当而不自得也⑥。若然者，登高不慄，入水不濡⑦，入火不热。是知之能登假于道者也若此⑧。古之真人，其寝不梦，其觉无忧，其食不甘，其息深深。真人之息以踵⑨，众人之息以喉。屈服者，其嗌言若哇⑩。其耆欲深者(11)，其天机浅(12)。古之真人，不知说生，不知恶死；其出不(13)，其入不距(14)；翛然而往(15)，翛然而来而已矣。不忘其所始，不求其所终；受而喜之，忘而复之，是之谓不以心捐道(16)，不以人助天。是之谓真人。若然者，其心志(17)，其容寂，其颡(18)；凄然似秋，煖然似春(19)，喜怒通四时，与物有宜而莫知其极(20)。

 

故圣人之用兵也(21)，亡国而不失人心；利泽施乎万世(22)，不为爱人。故乐通物，非圣人也；有亲(23)，非仁也；天时(24)，非贤也；利害不通，非君子也；行名失己(25)，非士也；亡身不真，非役人也(26)。若狐不偕、务光、伯夷、叔齐、箕子、胥余、纪他、申徒狄(27)，是役人之役，适人之适(28)，而不自适其适者也。

 

古之真人，其状義而不朋(29)，若不足而不承；与乎其觚而不坚也(30)，张乎其虚而不华也(31)；邴邴乎其似喜乎(32)，崔乎其不得已乎(33)！滀乎进我色也(34)，与乎止我德也(35)；厉乎其似世乎(36)！謷乎其未可制也(37)；连乎其似好闭也(38)，悗乎忘其言也(39)。以刑为体(40)，以礼为翼，以知为时(41)，以德为循。以刑为体者，绰乎其杀也(42)；以礼为翼者，所以行于世也；以知为时者，不得已于事也；以德为循者，言其与有足者至于丘也，而人真以为勤行者也。故其好之也一，其弗好之也一。其一也一，其不一也一。其一与天为徒(43)，其不一与人为徒。天与人不相胜也，是之谓真人。

 

Glossary

【注释】

①有所待：有所依凭。庄子认为人们的认识和了解都离不开认识、了解的对象。当：恰当、正确。

②特：但，不过。

③逆：针对，对付。

④雄成：雄据自己的成绩，即凭借自己取得的成绩而傲视他人、凌驾他人。

⑤谟：图谋、算计。土：通作“事”。一说“士”当就字面讲，“谟士”则讲作采用不正当手段谋取士人的信赖。

⑥当：恰巧、正好。自得：自以为得意。

⑦濡（ｒú）：沾湿。

⑧假：通作“格”，至、达到的意思。

⑨踵：脚根。“息以踵”言气息深沉，发自根本。

⑩嗌（àｉ）：咽喉闭塞。“嗌言”是说言语吞吐像堵在喉头似的。哇（ｗā）：象声词，形容声音靡曼。

(11)耆：嗜好；这个意思后代写作“嗜”。

(12)天机：天生的神智。

(13)“出”这里指出生于世，与下句“入”指死亡相对为文。以下的“往”和“来”也是指人的死和生。：“欣”字的异体，高兴的意思。

(14)距：通作“拒”，拒绝、回避的意思。

(15)翛（ｘｉāｏ）然：无拘束，自由自在的样子。

(16)揖：当为“损”字之讹，损害的意思。

(17)志：疑为“忘”字之误；“心忘”意思是心里空灵，忘掉自己的周围。

(18)颡（ｓāｎｇ）：额。

(19)煖（ｘｕāｎ）：同“煊”，温暖的意思。

(20)宜：合适、相称。

(21)本自然段（从“故圣人之用兵也”至“而不自适其适者也”）闻一多先生认为文意与上下不能一贯而自成片断，疑系错简。以备参考。

(22)利泽：利益和恩泽。

(23)亲：这里指偏爱。庄子主张至人无亲，任理自存，因而有了偏爱就算不上是“仁”。

(24)天时：选择时机。

(25)行名：做事为取名声。一说“行”读ｘìｎｇ，是品行的意思，“行名失己”即品行和名声不符而失去本真。

(26)役：役使、驱遣。

(27)狐不偕、务光、伯夷、叔齐、箕子、胥余、纪他、申徒狄：皆人名，传说中远古时代（唐尧、夏禹、商汤时代）的贤人，有的为不愿接受天下，有的为忠谏不被采纳，或投水而死，或饿死，或被杀害。

(28)适：安适，舒畅。

(29)状：外部的表情和神态。義（é）：通作“峨”（亦写作“峩”），高的意思。朋（ｂēｎｇ）：通作“崩”，崩坏的意思。“義而不朋”意思是嵬峨而不矜持。一说“義”（ｙì）讲作“宜”，指与人相处随物而宜；“朋”讲作“朋党”，指与人交往却不结成朋党。姑备参考。

(30)与乎：容与，态度自然安闲的样子。觚（ｇū）：特立超群。坚：这里是固执的意思。

(31)张乎：广大的样子，这里指内心宽宏、开阔。华：浮华。

(32)邴（ｂǐｎｇ）邴：欣喜的样子。有的本子只有一个“邴”字。

(33)崔乎：开始行动的样子。

(34)滀（ｃｈù）乎：本指水之停聚貌，这里引伸形容人的容颜和悦而有光泽。

(35)与：交往，待人接物。止：归；“止我德”是说德性高雅宽和让人归依。

(36)厉：疑为“广”字之误，言精神博大好像包容了世界。一说“世”乃“泰”字之通假，大的意思。

(37)謷（áｏ）乎：高放自得的样子。制：限止。

(38)连乎：绵邈深远的样子。

(39)悗（ｍèｎ）乎：心不在焉的样子。

(40)“以刑为体”至“而人真以为勤行者也”十三句，所述内容不似庄子的思想和主张，跟上下文内容也不连贯，嵌在这里前后很不好串通，有待进一步校勘、考订。

(41)为时：等待时机。

(42)绰乎：宽大的样子。

(43)徒：徒属，这里是同类的意思。

 

Modern interpretation

【译文】

知道自然的作为，并且了解人的作为，这就达到了认识的极点。知道自然的作为，是懂得事物出于自然；了解人的作为，是用他智慧所通晓的知识哺育、薰陶他智慧所未能通晓的知识，直至自然死亡而不中途夭折，这恐怕就是认识的最高境界了。虽然这样，还是存在忧患。人们的知识一定要有所依凭方才能认定是否恰当，而认识的对象却是不稳定的。怎么知道我所说的本于自然的东西不是出于人为呢，怎么知道我所说的人为的东西又不是出于自然呢？

 

况且有了“真人”方才有真知。什么叫做“真人”呢？古时候的“真人”，不倚众凌寡，不自恃成功雄踞他人，也不图谋琐事。像这样的人，错过了时机不后悔，赶上了机遇不得意。象这样的人，登上高处不颤慄，下到水里不会沾湿，进入火中不觉灼热。这只有智慧能通达大道境界的人方才能像这样。古时候的“真人”，他睡觉时不做梦，他醒来时不忧愁，他吃东西时不求甘美，他呼吸时气息深沉。“真人”呼吸凭借的是着地的脚根，而一般人呼吸则靠的只是喉咙。被人屈服时，言语在喉前吞吐就像哇哇地曼语。那些嗜好和欲望太深的人，他们天生的智慧也就很浅。古时候的“真人”，不懂得喜悦生存，也不懂得厌恶死亡；出生不欣喜，入死不推辞；无拘无束地就走了，自由自在地又来了罢了。不忘记自己从哪儿来，也不寻求自己往哪儿去，承受什么际遇都欢欢喜喜，忘掉死生像是回到了自己的本然，这就叫做不用心智去损害大道，也不用人为的因素去帮助自然。这就叫“真人”。像这样的人，他的内心忘掉了周围的一切，他的容颜淡漠安闲，他的面额质朴端严；冷肃得像秋天，温暖得像春天，高兴或愤怒跟四时更替一样自然无饰，和外界事物合宜相称而没有谁能探测到他精神世界的真谛。

 

所以古代圣人使用武力，灭掉敌国却不失掉敌国的民心；利益和恩泽广施于万世，却不是为了偏爱什么人。乐于交往取悦外物的人，不是圣人；有偏爱就算不上是“仁”；伺机行事，不是贤人；不能看到利害的相通和相辅，算不上是君子；办事求名而失掉自身的本性，不是有识之士；丧失身躯却与自己的真性不符，不是能役使世人的人。像狐不偕、务光、伯夷、叔齐、箕子、胥余、纪他、申徒狄，这样的人都是被役使世人的人所役使，都是被安适世人的人所安适，而不是能使自己得到安适的人。

 

古时候的“真人”，神情嵬峨而不矜持，好像不足却又无所承受；态度安闲自然、特立超群而不执着顽固，襟怀宽阔虚空而不浮华；怡然欣喜像是格外地高兴，一举一动又像是出自不得已！容颜和悦令人喜欢接近，与人交往德性宽和让人乐于归依；气度博大像是宽广的世界！高放自得从不受什么限制，绵邈深远好像喜欢封闭自己，心不在焉的样子又好像忘记了要说的话。把刑律当作主体，把礼仪当作羽翼，用已掌握的知识去等待时机，用道德来遵循规律。把刑律当作主体的人，那么杀了人也是宽厚仁慈的；把礼仪当作羽翼的人，用礼仪的教诲在世上施行；用已掌握的知识去等待时机的人，是因为对各种事情出于不得已；用道德来遵循规律，就像是说大凡有脚的人就能够登上山丘，而人们却真以为是勤于行走的人。所以说人们所喜好的是浑然为一的，人们不喜好的也是浑然为一的。那些同一的东西是浑一的，那些不同一的东西也是浑一的。那些同一的东西跟自然同类，那些不同一的东西跟人同类。自然与人不可能相互对立而相互超越，具有这种认识的人就叫做“真人”。

Edited February 11, 2012 by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

Overall Summary

“宗”(zong): implies to respect; to venerate. “大宗师” means a respectable and venerable teacher. Who can be this kind of teacher? That is 'Tao'. Zhuang Zi reckon that being natural(zi ren) and human, the life and death of human has no different. It was because he advocates purify the heart and quiet the mind, detached from the physical form and eliminated one's intelligence, forgotten about life and death, follow what is natural. That was called 'Tao".

There are nine parts to this chapter.

The first part was to define what is a "natural person", virtually, it is to think about a "natural person". A "natural person" can be attained to a state of no separation between 'Heaven' and 'human' because a 'natural person' can be attained to a state of 'formless' and 'selfless'. The spirit of a 'natural person' is an imitated image of 'Tao'.

 

Modern interpretation of Part 1

If one knows the purpose of 'naturalness' and also understand the action of human, then one was said to be attained to an ultimate level of knowledge. If one knew the purpose of 'naturalness', then one will know that all matters were came from 'naturalness'. If one understood the action of human, then one will use one's wisdom to acquire more knowledge. Gradually, using one's wisdom to acquire more knowledge until the end of the 'naturalness' but not halted in the middle, then I am afraid that one has reached the ultimate level of knowledge. Even so, there are still worries. The knowledge of humans must have some references to reply on to determine if they were adequate; and to realize that the recognizable objects were not stable. However, how do I know that the natural things I'd said were not coming from the action of human; and how do I know that the things by the action of human I'd said were not from 'naturalness'...???

Edited February 10, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

Looking good so far.