The Floods of Autumn

The Floods of Autumn

When the autumn floods arrived, the hundred streams poured into the Yellow River. The current swelled so vast that from bank to islet, from shoal to shore, one could not distinguish a horse from a cow. Thereupon the Lord of the River rejoiced exceedingly, supposing that all the beauty in the world belonged entirely to him. He flowed eastward with the current and reached the North Sea. Turning his face eastward, he gazed and saw no end to the waters. Only then did the Lord of the River alter his expression, looking out toward the sea and sighing toward Ruo, saying: "There is a country saying: 'Having heard a hundred doctrines, I believe no one can match myself.' This applies to me. Moreover, I once heard those who diminished Zhongni's learning and slighted Boyi's righteousness. At first I did not believe it. Now I have witnessed your boundlessness. Had I not come to your gate, I would have been in peril! I would have been laughed at forever by those who understand great principles!"

The Spirit of the North Sea, Ruo, said: "A frog in a well cannot be spoken with about the sea, for it is confined by its narrow space. A summer insect cannot be spoken with about ice, for it is bound by its season. A scholar of limited learning cannot be spoken with about the Way, for he is shackled by his teachings. Now you have emerged from the banks and shores and have gazed upon the great sea, and you know your own unworthiness. You may now be spoken with about the greatest principle. Of the waters in the world, none is greater than the sea. The myriad streams return to it—it does not know when they will stop, yet it never overflows. The tail-gate drains it—it does not know when the draining will cease, yet it never empties. It does not change with spring or autumn, and it is unaffected by flood or drought. Its volume surpassing the streams of the Yangtze and the Yellow River cannot be reckoned in numbers. Yet I have never on this account prided myself. I take my form from Heaven and Earth and receive my breath from the Yin and the Yang. I exist between Heaven and Earth as a small stone or a small tree on a great mountain. Since I already perceive my own smallness, how could I ever pride myself? Consider the Four Seas in relation to Heaven and Earth—are they not like a tiny hollow in a vast marsh? Consider the Central States in relation to the seas within the world—are they not like a grain of millet in a great granary? The number of things created is reckoned at ten thousand, and man is but one among them. The people fill the nine provinces—where grain grows and boats and carriages travel—and man is but one among them. Among the ten thousand things, does he not compare to a single hair-tip on a horse's body? What the Five Emperors transmitted, what the Three Kings contended over, what the benevolent worried about, and what the men of office toiled for—all comes down to this. Boyi relinquished it in pursuit of fame; Zhongni discoursed upon it in pursuit of erudition. This is their self-pride—is it not like your former pride in your waters?"

The Lord of the River said: "Then may I take Heaven and Earth as great and a hair-tip as small?"

The Spirit of the North Sea said: "No. Things are immeasurable in quantity, inexhaustible in time, ever-changing in portion, and unpredictable in their beginning and end. Therefore, great understanding observes both the near and the far: it does not deem the small as too little or the great as too much, for it knows that quantity is immeasurable. It examines the present and the past: it does not feel weariness at what is distant nor strive after what is close at hand, for it knows that time is inexhaustible. It perceives fullness and emptiness: it does not rejoice in gain nor grieve in loss, for it knows that portion is ever-changing. It understands the even road of life: it does not delight in birth nor regard death as calamity, for it knows that beginning and end cannot be predetermined. The sum of what man knows is less than what he does not know. The time of his life is less than the time before he was born. With what is so small, he seeks to exhaust what is so vast—this is why he becomes confused and cannot find himself. From this perspective, how can we know that a hair-tip is sufficient to determine the smallest possible limit? How can we know that Heaven and Earth are sufficient to bound the greatest possible extent?"

The Lord of the River said: "Those who discuss such matters in the world all say: 'The most refined has no form; the largest cannot be enclosed.' Is this truly so?"

The Spirit of the North Sea said: "From the perspective of the small, one cannot see the large completely. From the perspective of the large, one cannot see the small distinctly. The refined is the ultimate in smallness; the massive is the ultimate in greatness. Each has its own appropriateness—this is inherent in their nature. Refinement and coarseness pertain to what has form. What has no form cannot be divided by counting. What cannot be enclosed cannot be exhausted by counting. What can be discussed in words pertains to the coarse aspect of things. What can be grasped by the mind pertains to the refined aspect of things. What cannot be discussed in words nor reached by the mind—this lies beyond refinement and coarseness. Thus, the conduct of the great man: he does not go out of his way to harm others, nor does he make much of kindness and favor. He acts not for profit and does not despise the gatekeeper. He does not contend for wealth and does not make much of courtesy and deference. In his undertakings he does not rely on others, nor does he make much of feeding himself by his own labor, and he does not despise greed and corruption. His conduct differs from that of the vulgar, yet he does not make much of his eccentricity. He follows the crowd in his actions and does not despise flattery and sycophancy. The world's titles and emoluments are insufficient to encourage him; punishment and disgrace are insufficient to shame him. He knows that right and wrong cannot be sharply divided, and that small and large cannot have fixed boundaries. It is said: 'The man of the Way seeks no fame. The man of utmost virtue seeks no gain. The great man has no self.' This is the utmost in setting limits."

The River Spirit said: "Beyond things and within things, how does one arrive at a judgment of noble and base? How does one arrive at a judgment of great and small?"

The Spirit of the Northern Sea said: "Viewed through the Way, things have no nobility or baseness. Viewed through the things themselves, each considers itself noble and the others base. Viewed through the eyes of convention, nobility and baseness do not depend on oneself. Viewed through difference, if we regard something as great simply because it is great, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not great. If we regard something as small simply because it is small, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not small. Knowing that Heaven and Earth are like grains of rice, and that the tip of a hair is like a hill or mountain—then the measures of difference can be seen. Viewed through function, if we regard something as having something simply because it has it, then among the ten thousand things there are none that do not have it. If we regard something as lacking something simply because it lacks it, then among the ten thousand things there are none that do not lack it. Knowing that East and West are opposite yet cannot do without each other—then the divisions of function are settled. Viewed through inclination, if we regard something as right simply because it is right, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not right. If we regard something as wrong simply because it is wrong, then among the ten thousand things there are none that are not wrong. Knowing that Yao and Jie naturally considered themselves right and the other wrong—then the workings of inclination can be seen. In the past, Yao and Shun yielded the throne and became kings; Zhi and Kuai yielded the throne and perished. Tang and Wu fought for the throne and became kings; Duke Bai fought for the throne and was destroyed. Viewed in this light, the protocols of contention and yielding, the conduct of Yao and Jie, the nobility or baseness of a thing depend on the time—they cannot be taken as constant. A fine war engine can batter a city wall but cannot plug a hole—this is a matter of different instruments. The thoroughbreds Qiji and Hualiu could gallop a thousand li in a day, but when it comes to catching mice they are no match for the wildcat—this is a matter of different skills. The owl can catch fleas at night and discern the tip of a hair, but in broad daylight it stares and cannot see a hill or mountain—this is a matter of different natures. Therefore it is said: 'To take the right as your master and have no wrong, to take order as your master and have no chaos!' This is failing to understand the principle of Heaven and the true nature of the ten thousand things. It would be like taking Heaven as your master and having no Earth, taking the Yin as your master and having no Yang—its impossibility is obvious. And yet to go on talking about it without stopping—this is either folly or deliberate deception. The dynastic founders had different modes of abdication; the Three Dynasties had different modes of succession. One who is out of step with his time and goes against custom is called a usurper; one who is in step with his time and follows custom is called a righteous follower. Be silent, River Spirit! How could you know the gate of noble and base, the house of great and small?"

The River Spirit said: "Then what should I do? What should I not do? How should I decide what to refuse and accept, what to pursue and relinquish? How should I bring it to an end?"

The Spirit of the Northern Sea said: "Viewed through the Way, what is noble and what is base? This is called 'turning back and forth.' Do not confine your will, for that would put you greatly at odds with the Way. What is little and what is much? This is called 'giving and receiving.' Do not cling to one course in your actions, for that would put you out of step with the Way. Stern and austere, as if you were a state's lord, bestowing no private favor; tranquil and at ease, as if you were the altar of the soil, granting no private blessing; vast and boundless, as if you were the four directions without limit, without any borders or demarcations. Embracing all things equally—which one would you favor? This is called 'having no direction.' The ten thousand things are all equal—which is short and which is long? The Way has no beginning or end; things have death and birth—they do not rely on what has been accomplished. Now empty, now full—it does not fix itself in one form. Years cannot be arrested, time cannot be stopped. Things wane and wax, fill and empty, and when one ends another begins. This is the way to speak of the method of great principle and to discourse on the patterns of the ten thousand things. When things are born, it is like a sudden gallop. There is no movement without change, no moment without shifting. What should you do? What should you not do? Things will surely transform themselves."

The River Spirit said: "Then what is the value of the Way?"

The Spirit of the Northern Sea said: "One who understands the Way must penetrate principle. One who penetrates principle must be clear about adaptation. One who is clear about adaptation will not let things harm him. One who has utmost virtue—fire cannot burn him, water cannot drown him, cold and heat cannot harm him, birds and beasts cannot injure him. This is not to say that he exposes himself to these things; it means that he is discerning about safety and danger, at ease with fortune and misfortune, careful about when to advance and when to withdraw, so that nothing can harm him. Therefore it is said: 'Heaven is within, human is without; virtue resides in Heaven.' Know the actions of Heaven and human: take Heaven as your root, take the fulfillment of your nature as your position. Advance and retreat, bend and stretch—return to the essential and speak of the ultimate."

The River Spirit asked: "What do you mean by Heaven? What do you mean by human?"

The Spirit of the Northern Sea said: "A cow has four feet—this is Heaven. Put a halter on the horse's head, put a ring through the cow's nose—this is human. Therefore it is said: 'Do not use the human to destroy Heaven. Do not use purpose to destroy fate. Do not sacrifice your good name for the sake of gain. Guard these carefully and do not lose them—this is called returning to your true nature.'"

The one-legged creature Kui envied the millipede; the millipede envied the snake; the snake envied the wind; the wind envied the eye; the eye envied the mind.

Kui said to the millipede: "I hop along on one foot—I can do no better than that. Now you manage to employ ten thousand feet. How do you do it?"

The millipede said: "It is not like that. Have you not seen a person sneeze? When it comes out, the large drops are like pearls, the small ones like mist, and the mixed shower that falls is beyond counting. Now I set my heavenly mechanism in motion—I do not know how it works."

The millipede said to the snake: "I move along with a multitude of feet, yet I cannot keep up with you, who have no feet. Why is that?"

The snake said: "When the heavenly mechanism is set in motion, how could one alter it? What use would I have for feet?"

The snake said to the wind: "I move along with my spine and ribs—at least I have some visible form. Now you, sir, come whirling up from the Northern Sea and go whirling into the Southern Sea—and yet you seem to have no form. Why is that?"

The wind said: "Yes. I come whirling up from the Northern Sea and go whirling into the Southern Sea. And yet if someone points a finger at me, that defeats me; if someone stamps a foot on me, that also defeats me. Nevertheless, only I can snap great trees and batter great houses." Therefore, to be victorious in many small defeats is to be greatly victorious. Only the sage can achieve great victory.

Kuang. The men of Song surrounded him several times over, yet he continued to sing and play his zheng without stopping.

Zilu went in to see him and said, "How can you be so lighthearted, Master?"

Confucius said: "Come, I will tell you. I have long tried to avoid hardship, yet I could not escape it—that is fate. I have long sought success, yet I could not achieve it—that is the times. In the age of Yao and Shun, no one in the world suffered hardship—it was not because they were wise. In the age of Jie and Zhou, no one in the world achieved success—it was not because they were foolish. It was simply the nature of the times. He who does not flee from dragons when traveling on water—that is the courage of the fisherman. He who does not flee from rhinos and tigers when traveling on land—that is the courage of the hunter. With naked blades crossing before him, he looks on death as if it were life—that is the courage of the determined man. Knowing that hardship has its fate and success its proper time, facing great danger without fear—that is the courage of the sage. Zilu, stay where you are! I am constrained by fate."

Before long, the officer in advance of the troops came forward and apologized, saying: "We mistook you for Yang Hu, so we surrounded you. Now that we see you are not him, we beg to withdraw and depart."

Gongsun Long asked Mou, Prince of Wei: "When I was young, I studied the way of the former kings, and when I grew up I came to understand the practice of benevolence and righteousness. I united sameness and difference, separated hardness from white, turned the improper into the proper and the impermissible into the permissible. I bewildered the knowledge of a hundred schools and exhausted the eloquence of all mouths. I considered myself to have reached the ultimate in understanding. But now I have heard the words of Zhuangzi, and I am bewildered and astonished by them. Is it that my arguments fall short? Or is it that my knowledge is inferior? Now I do not know how to open my beak. May I ask you the method?"

Prince Mou leaned on his armrest, heaved a great sigh, looked up to heaven, and laughed, saying: "Have you alone not heard of the frog in a caved-in well? He said to the turtle of the Eastern Sea: 'How happy I am! I hop about on the railing of the well, and rest in the crevice of a broken wall. When I leap into the water, the water supports my armpits and holds up my chin. When I sink into the mud, it covers my feet and buries my ankles. I look back at the mosquito larvae, the crabs, and the tadpoles—none of them can match me! And to monopolize the water of one ditch and to hop and strut in a caved-in well—this is the ultimate indeed. Why don't you come in from time to time to see for yourself?' The turtle of the Eastern Sea had not yet entered his left leg when his right knee was already stuck. Thereupon he withdrew and retreated, and told the sea: 'A distance of a thousand li is not enough to describe its vastness; a height of a thousand fathoms is not enough to describe its depth. In the time of Yu, nine years out of ten saw floods, yet the water did not increase; in the time of Tang, seven years out of eight saw drought, yet the shore did not diminish. Not to shift with the passage of time, not to advance or retreat with the amount of water—this is the great joy of the Eastern Sea.' When the frog in the caved-in well heard of this, he was startled and dazed, and lost himself in bewilderment.

"Now, knowledge that does not understand the realm of right and wrong, and yet wishes to observe the words of Zhuangzi—this is like making a mosquito carry a mountain on its back, or making a millipede race across the river—it certainly cannot bear the burden. Moreover, knowledge that cannot discuss the most subtle words, and yet suits itself to the profit of the moment—is this not the frog in a caved-in well? And he—Zhuangzi—steps on the Yellow Springs and ascends to the Great Radiance; no south, no north—he unfolds in all four directions, sinking into the unfathomable; no east, no west—he begins in the Dark and Mysterious, and returns to the Great Thoroughfare. And you, with your narrow and meticulous ways, seek him through scrutiny and search him through argument—this is like looking at heaven through a tube or pointing at the ground with an awl—is it not too small? Go away!

"Have you alone not heard of the young man from Shouling who went to Handan to learn how to walk? Before he had mastered the country's skill, he had already lost his original way of walking, and had no choice but to crawl back home. Now if you do not go, you will forget what was originally yours and lose your own calling." Gongsun Long's mouth gaped open and would not close, his tongue hung down and would not rise. He fled and ran away.

Zhuangzi was fishing on the Pu River. The King of Chu sent two grandees ahead of him, saying: "I wish to burden you with the affairs of the state!" Zhuangzi held his fishing pole and did not turn around, saying: "I have heard that Chu has a sacred turtle that has been dead for three thousand years. The king keeps it wrapped in cloth and boxed, and stores it in the ancestral hall. Now, would this turtle rather be dead and have its bones preserved and honored? Or would it rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud?" The two grandees said: "It would rather be alive and dragging its tail in the mud." Zhuangzi said: "Go away! I shall drag my tail in the mud."

Hui Shi was prime minister of Liang, and Zhuangzi went to visit him. Someone said to Hui Shi, "Zhuangzi has come—he wishes to replace you as prime minister." Thereupon Hui Shi was afraid and had the country searched for three days and nights. Zhuangzi went to see him and said: "In the south there is a bird; its name is the Yuanchu. Do you know it? The Yuanchu sets out from the South Sea and flies to the North Sea. It does not rest except on the parasol tree, does not eat except the fruit of the bamboo, and does not drink except from a sweet spring. Now an owl has gotten a rotten rat. As the Yuanchu flew over, the owl looked up at it and said: 'Shoo!' Now do you wish to use your state of Liang to shoo me?"

Zhuangzi and Hui Shi were walking on the bridge over the Hao River. Zhuangzi said: "See how the minnows dart out and about, at ease! This is the happiness of fish." Hui Shi said: "You are not a fish—how do you know the happiness of fish?" Zhuangzi said: "You are not I—how do you know that I do not know the happiness of fish?" Hui Shi said: "I am not you, so I certainly do not know about you. You are certainly not a fish, so your not knowing the happiness of fish is complete!" Zhuangzi said: "Let us return to the root of the matter. When you said, 'How do you know the happiness of fish?' you already knew that I knew it and then asked me. I knew it from here, on the Hao River."