Solved by verified expert:write according to the writing instrucion i uploaded. I would give u the five piece of pdf, they are the primary source. You have to find the secondary sources by urself… My title is “Let it Be”, and my argument is that Zhuang Zi wants to convey the message of “Let it Be”.. If you have a better idea on the title, topic , argument, u can do it…
the_complete_works_of_zhuangzi_______8._webbed_toes__.pdf
the_complete_works_of_zhuangzi_______9._horses__hoofs_.pdf
the_complete_works_of_zhuangzi_______10._rifling_trunks__.pdf
the_complete_works_of_zhuangzi_______11._let_it_be__leave_it_alone__.pdf
the_complete_works_of_zhuangzi_______12._heaven_and_earth__.pdf
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8
1. Virtue (de) here seems to
mean inner power or vital
force; see p. 58, n. 10. This
and the following three
sections are much closer
in thought to the Daodejing
of Laozi than the preceding
sections, and the use of the
word de seems to accord
with its use in the Daodejing.
Also, here we encounter for
the first time in Zhuangzi
the term xing or “inborn
nature,” which is so
important to
Confucian thought.
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2. The five vital organs—
liver, lungs, heart, kidneys,
and spleen—were related to
the five elements and later
to the five Confucian
virtues—benevolence,
propriety, good faith,
righteousness, wisdom.
3. Also called Li Lou; noted
for his exceptionally keen
eyesight.
4. Famous musician
mentioned on p. 12. With
this passage, compare
Daodejing XII: “The five
colors confuse the eye, the
five sounds dull the ear.”
5. Zeng Shen, a disciple of
Confucius, and Shih Yu,
historiographer of the state
of Wei, paragons of
benevolence and righteousness, respectively.
W EB B ED TO E S
Two toes webbed together, a sixth finger forking off—
these come from the inborn nature but are excretions as
far as Virtue is concerned.1 Swelling tumors and protruding wens—these come from the body but are excretions as far as the inborn nature is concerned. Men overnice in the ways of benevolence and righteousness try to
put these into practice, even to line them up with the five
vital organs!2 This is not the right approach to the Way
and its Virtue. Therefore he who has two toes webbed
together has grown a flap of useless flesh; he who has a
sixth finger forking out of his hand has sprouted a useless
digit; and he who imposes overnice ways, webs, and
forked fingers on the original form of the five vital organs will become deluded and perverse in the practice of
benevolence and righteousness, and overnice in the use
of his hearing and sight. Thus he who is web toed in eyesight will be confused by the five colors, bewitched by
patterns and designs, by the dazzling hues of blue and
yellow, of embroidery and brocade—am I wrong? So we
have Li Zhu.3 He who is overnice in hearing will be confused by the five notes, bewitched by the six tones, by the
sounds of metal and stone, strings and woodwinds,
the huangzhong and dalü pitch pipes—am I wrong? So we
have Music Master Kuang. 4 He who is fork fingered
with benevolence will tear out the Virtue given him and
stifle his inborn nature in order to seize fame and reputation, leading the world on with pipe and drum in the
service of an unattainable ideal—am I wrong? So we
have Zeng and Shih.5 He who is web toed in argumenta-
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WEBBED TOES
61
tion will pile up bricks, knot the plumb line, apply the
curve,6 letting his mind wander in the realm of “hard” and
“white,” “likeness” and “difference,” huffing and puffing
away, lauding his useless words—am I wrong? So we have
Yang and Mo.7 All these men walk a way that is overnice,
web toed, wide of the mark, fork fingered, not that which is
the True Rightness of the world.
He who holds to True Rightness8 does not lose the
original form of his inborn nature. So for him, joined
things are not webbed toes; things forking off are not superfluous fingers; the long is never too much; the short is
never too little.9 The duck’s legs are short, but to stretch
them out would worry him; the crane’s legs are long, but
to cut them down would make him sad. What is long by
nature needs no cutting off; what is short by nature needs
no stretching. That would be no way to get rid of worry.
I wonder, then, whether benevolence and righteousness
are part of man’s true form? Those benevolent men—
how much worrying they do!
The man with two toes webbed together would weep
if he tried to tear them apart; the man with a sixth finger
on his hand would howl if he tried to gnaw it off. Of these
two, one has more than the usual number; the other has
less; but in worrying about it, they are identical. Nowadays the benevolent men of the age lift up weary eyes,10
worrying over the ills of the world, while the men of no
benevolence tear apart the original form of their inborn
nature in their greed for eminence and wealth. Therefore
I wonder whether benevolence and righteousness are really part of man’s true form? From the Three Dynasties
on down,11 what a lot of fuss and hubbub they have made
in the world!
If we must use curve and plumb line, compass and
square, to make something right, this means cutting away
its inborn nature; if we must use cords and knots, glue and
lacquer, to make something firm, this means violating its
natural Virtue. So the crouchings and bendings of rights
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6. All seem to be building
metaphors, though the
meaning of the last is
doubtful. I read gou instead
of ju.
7. The hedonist philosopher
Yang Zhu and the advocate
of universal love Mo Di.
We would expect a
reference to the logicians,
however, since they were
the ones who argued about
“hard,” “white,” etc.; see p.
12, n. 9.
8. Reading zhizheng as in the
preceding sentence.
9. At this point, the
meaning of the symbolism
seems to shift (with some
violence to the logic of the
argument). The webbed
toes and extra fingers, which
earlier represented the
forced and unnatural
morality of Confucianism,
now become natural
deformities such as we have
seen in the earlier chapters,
which it would be wrong to
try to correct.
10. Following Ma Xulun’s
interpretation.
11. The Xia, Shang, and
Zhou dynasties.
62
12. Following Fukunaga,
I read tong with the man
radical. A similar phrase,
tonghu, appears in sec. 9, and
tongran in sec. 23.
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13. The sage ruler Shun,
idol of the Confucian
philosophers.
WEBBED TOES
and music, the smiles and beaming looks of benevolence and righteousness, which are intended to comfort
the hearts of the world, in fact destroy their constant
naturalness.
For in the world, there can be constant naturalness.
Where there is constant naturalness, things are arced
not by the use of the curve, straightened not by the use
of the plumb line, rounded not by the compasses,
squared not by T squares, joined not by glue and lacquer,
bound not by ropes and lines. Then all things in the
world, simple and compliant, live and never know how
they happen to live; all things, rude and unwitting,12 get
what they need and never know how they happen to get
it. Past and present, it has been the same; nothing can do
injury to this [principle]. Why, then, come with benevolence and righteousness, that tangle and train of glue
and lacquer, ropes and lines, and try to wander in the
realm of the Way and its Virtue? You will only confuse
the world!
A little confusion can alter the sense of direction;
a great confusion can alter the inborn nature. How do I
know this is so? Ever since that man of the Yu clan13 began
preaching benevolence and righteousness and stirring up
the world, all the men in the world have dashed headlong
for benevolence and righteousness. This is because benevolence and righteousness have altered their inborn nature, is it not?
Let me try explaining what I mean. From the Three
Dynasties on down, everyone in the world has altered his
inborn nature because of some [external] thing. The
petty man?—he will risk death for the sake of profit. The
knight?—he will risk it for the sake of fame. The high
official?—he will risk it for family; the sage?—he will risk it
for the world. All these various men go about the business
in a different way and are tagged differently when it comes
to fame and reputation; but in blighting their inborn
nature and risking their lives for something, they are the
same.
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WEBBED TOES
63
The slave boy and the slave girl were out together
herding their sheep, and both of them lost their flocks.
Ask the slave boy how it happened: well, he had a bundle
of writing slips and was reading a book.14 Ask the slave girl
how it happened: well, she was playing a game of tossand-wait-your-turn. They went about the business in different ways, but in losing their sheep, they were equal. Bo
Yi died for reputation at the foot of Shouyang Mountain;
Robber Zhi died for gain on top of Eastern Mound.15 The
two of them died different deaths, but in destroying their
lives and blighting their inborn nature, they were equal.
Why, then, must we say that Bo Yi was right and Robber
Zhi wrong?
Everyone in the world risks his life for something. If he
risks it for benevolence and righteousness, then custom
names him a gentleman; if he risks it for goods and wealth,
then custom names him a petty man. The risking is the
same, and yet we have a gentleman here, a petty man
there. In destroying their lives and blighting their inborn
nature, Robber Zhi and Bo Yi were two of a kind. How
then can we pick out the gentleman from the petty man
in such a case?
He who applies his nature to benevolence and righteousness may go as far with it as Zeng and Shi, but I
would not call him an expert. He who applies his nature
to the five flavors may go as far with it as Yu Er,16 but I
would not call him an expert. He who applies his nature
to the five notes may go as far with it as Music Master
Kuang, but I would not call this good hearing. He who
applies his nature to the five colors may go as far with it as
Li Zhu, but I would not call this good eyesight. My definition of expertness has nothing to do with benevolence
and righteousness; it means being expert in regard to your
Virtue, that is all. My definition of expertness has nothing
to do with benevolence or righteousness;17 it means following the true form of your inborn nature, that is all.
When I speak of good hearing, I do not mean listening to
others; I mean simply listening to yourself. When I speak
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14. An unusual slave boy
who, in true Confucian
fashion, was attempting to
improve his mind.
15. On Bo Yi, the model of
righteousness; see p. 126,
n. 3; Robber Zhi, who
appears later as the subject
of sec. 29, represents the
ultimate in greed and
violence.
16. Apparently a famous
chef and connoisseur
of flavor.
17. This clause is excessively
wordy and merely repeats
what was said earlier. I
suspect that it is corrupt
and that in its original form
it contained some reference
to the five flavors.
64
WEBBED TOES
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of good eyesight, I do not mean looking at others; I mean
simply looking at yourself. He who does not look at himself
but looks at others, who does not get hold of himself but
gets hold of others, is getting what other men have got and
failing to get what he himself has got. He finds joy in what
brings joy to other men but finds no joy in what would
bring joy to himself. And if he finds joy in what brings joy
to other men but finds no joy in what brings joy to himself, then whether he is a Robber Zhi or a Bo Yi, he is
equally deluded and perverse. I have a sense of shame before the Way and its Virtue, and for that reason I do not
venture to raise myself up in deeds of benevolence and
righteousness or to lower myself in deluded and perverse
practices.
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9
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H O RSE S’ H O O F S
Horses’ hoofs are made for treading frost and snow, their
coats for keeping out wind and cold. To munch grass,
drink from the stream, lift up their feet and gallop—this
is the true nature of horses. Though they might possess
great terraces and fine halls, they would have no use for
them.
Then along comes Bo Luo.1 “I’m good at handling
horses!” he announces and proceeds to singe them, shave
them, pare them, brand them, bind them with martingale
and crupper, tie them up in stable and stall. By this time,
two or three out of ten horses have died. He goes on to
starve them, make them go thirsty, race them, prance
them, pull them into line, and force them to run side by
side, in front of them the worry of bit and rein, behind
them the terror of whip and crop. By this time, more than
half the horses have died.
The potter says, “I’m good at handling clay! To round
it, I apply the compass; to square it, I apply the T square.”
The carpenter says, “I’m good at handling wood! To arc it,
I apply the curve; to make it straight, I apply the plumb
line.” But as far as inborn nature is concerned, the clay
and the wood surely have no wish to be subjected to compass and square, curve and plumb line. Yet generation after generation sings out in praise, saying, “Bo Luo is good
at handling horses! The potter and the carpenter are good
at handling clay and wood!” And the same fault is committed by the men who handle the affairs of the world!
In my opinion, someone who was really good at handling the affairs of the world would not go about it like
this. The people have their constant inborn nature. To
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1. Frequently mentioned
in early texts as an expert
judge of horses.
66
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2. Reading tong with the
man radical; see p. 62, n. 12.
3. The terms su and pu
(uncarved simplicity),
appear frequently in the
Daodejing, for example,
ch. XIX. Waley translates
them as “Simplicity” and
“the Uncarved Block,”
respectively.
HORSES’ HOOFS
weave for their clothing, to till for their food—this is the
Virtue they share. They are one in it and not partisan, and
it is called the Emancipation of Heaven. Therefore, in a
time of Perfect Virtue, the gait of men is slow and ambling; their gaze is steady and mild. In such an age,
mountains have no paths or trails, lakes no boats or
bridges. The ten thousand things live species by species,
one group settled close to another. Birds and beasts form
their flocks and herds; grass and trees grow to fullest
height. So it happens that you can tie a cord to the birds
and beasts and lead them about or bend down the limb
and peer into the nest of the crow and the magpie. In this
age of Perfect Virtue, men live the same as birds and
beasts, group themselves side by side with the ten thousand things. Who then knows anything about “gentleman” or “petty man”? Dull and unwitting,2 men have no
wisdom; thus their Virtue does not depart from them.
Dull and unwitting, they have no desire; this is called
uncarved simplicity. In uncarved simplicity, the people
attain their true nature.3
Then along comes the sage, huffing and puffing after
benevolence, reaching on tiptoe for righteousness, and
the world for the first time has doubts; mooning and
mouthing over his music, snipping and stitching away at
his rites, and the world for the first time is divided. Thus,
if the plain unwrought substance had not been blighted,
how would there be any sacrificial goblets? If the white
jade had not been shattered, how would there be any
scepters and batons? If the Way and its Virtue had not
been cast aside, how would there be any call for benevolence and righteousness? If the true form of the inborn
nature had not been abandoned, how would there be any
use for rights and music? If the five colors had not confused men, who would fashion patterns and hues? If the
five notes had not confused them, who would try to
tune things by the six tones? That the unwrought substance was blighted in order to fashion implements—
this was the crime of the artisan. That the Way and its
Burton. The Complete Works of Zhuangzi, Columbia University Press, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
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HORSES’ HOOFS
67
Virtue were destroyed in order to create benevolence
and righteousness—this was the fault of the sage.
When horses live on the plain, they eat grass and drink
from the streams. Pleased, they twine their necks together
and rub; angry, they turn back to back and kick. This all
horses know how to do. But if you pile poles and yokes on
them and line them up in crossbars and shafts, then they
will learn to snap the crossbars, break the yoke, rip the
carriage top, champ the bit, and chew the reins.4 Thus
horses learn how to commit the worst kinds of mischief.5
This is the crime of Bo Luo.
In the days of He Xu,6 people stayed home but didn’t
know what they were doing, walked around but didn’t
know where they were going. Their mouths crammed
with food, they were merry; drumming on their bellies,
they passed the time. This was as much as they were able
to do. Then the sage came along with the crouchings and
bendings of rites and music, which were intended to reform the bodies of the world; with the reaching-for-adangled-prize of benevolence and righteousness, which
was intended to comfort the hearts of the world. Then for
the first time, people learned to stand on tiptoe and covet
knowledge, to fight to the death over profit, and there was
no stopping them. This, in the end, was the fault of the
sage.
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4. There are many different
interpretations of the terms
in this sentence. I follow
Ma Xulun’s emendations
and interpretations.
5. Following texts that read
neng rather than tai.
6. Legendary ruler of
high antiquity.
10
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RIFLIN G TRUNKS
1. That is, it was rich
and fertile and had
no wastelands.
If one is to guard and take precautions against thieves who
rifle trunks, ransack bags, and break open boxes, then he
must bind with cords and ropes and make fast with locks
and hasps. This the ordinary world calls wisdom. But if a
great thief comes along, he will shoulder the boxes, hoist
up the trunks, sling the bags over his back, and dash off,
only worrying that the cords and ropes, the locks and
hasps, are not fastened tightly enough. In that case, the
man who earlier was called wise was in fact only piling up
goods for the benefit of a great thief.
Let me try explaining what I mean. What the ordinary
world calls a wise man is in fact someone who piles things
up for the benefit of a great thief, is he not? And what it
calls a sage is in fact someone who stands guard for the
benefit of a great thief, is he not? How do I know this i …
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