112/04/20112/04/20Prof. Frederick Hok-ming Prof. Frederick Hok-ming

CHEUNGCHEUNG

Chuang Chuang TzuTzu

““Equalizing thingsEqualizing things”” ( (chch’’i-wui-wu))

““Heaven and earth co-exist with Heaven and earth co-exist with me; all the myriad thing and I are me; all the myriad thing and I are one.one.””

Each thing has its distinct reason Each thing has its distinct reason for being as it is; each thing has for being as it is; each thing has its individual appropriateness. its individual appropriateness. There are no things that are not There are no things that are not so; there are no things that are so; there are no things that are not appropriate.not appropriate.”” Ch.2 Ch.2 ““ChCh’’I-wu I-wu lunlun””

This principle once established, all This principle once established, all distinctions of things and the distinctions of things and the self, of noble and humble, then self, of noble and humble, then lose their absolute boundaries, lose their absolute boundaries, and all the inequalities of things and all the inequalities of things bring themselves into positions bring themselves into positions of relative equality and unity.of relative equality and unity.

Bigness? Smallness? Bigness? Smallness? ““Relative Relative only!only!””

““When we understand that heaven When we understand that heaven and earth are but as tiny grains and earth are but as tiny grains of rice, or that tip of a hair is as a of rice, or that tip of a hair is as a hill or a mountain, then all the hill or a mountain, then all the rankings and distinctions have rankings and distinctions have become equal.become equal.””

““Dust in the Wind.Dust in the Wind.””

When we recognize that east and When we recognize that east and west are relative opposites, and west are relative opposites, and that neither can exist except in that neither can exist except in relation to the other, then their relation to the other, then their separate shares of achievement separate shares of achievement can be established. can be established.

According to Burton Watson, (Columbia According to Burton Watson, (Columbia University) (Chuang Tzu)University) (Chuang Tzu)

““the central theme of the Chuang Tzu may the central theme of the Chuang Tzu may be summed up in a single word: freedom.be summed up in a single word: freedom.””

Essentially, all the philosophers of ancient Essentially, all the philosophers of ancient China addressed themselves to the same China addressed themselves to the same problem: how is man to live a world problem: how is man to live a world dominated by chaos, suffering, and dominated by chaos, suffering, and absurdity? Nearly all of them answered absurdity? Nearly all of them answered with some concrete plan of action designed with some concrete plan of action designed to reform the individual, to reform the to reform the individual, to reform the individual, to reform society, and individual, to reform society, and eventually to free the world from its ills.eventually to free the world from its ills.

Chuang TzuChuang Tzu’’s answer, however, is s answer, however, is radically different,radically different,……....

It is the answer of a mystic, It is the answer of a mystic, ……....

Chuang TzuChuang Tzu’’s answer to the s answer to the question is: question is: ““free yourself from free yourself from the world.the world.””

It is the baggage of It is the baggage of ““conventional conventional valuesvalues”” that man must first of all that man must first of all discard before he can be free! discard before he can be free!

Chuang Tzu saw the man-made ills of Chuang Tzu saw the man-made ills of war, poverty, and injustice. Chuang Tzu war, poverty, and injustice. Chuang Tzu saw the natural ills of disease and saw the natural ills of disease and death. But Chuang Tzu believed that death. But Chuang Tzu believed that they were ills only because man they were ills only because man recognized them as such. If man would recognized them as such. If man would once forsake his habit of labeling things once forsake his habit of labeling things good or bad, desirable or undesirable, good or bad, desirable or undesirable, then the man-made ills, will are the then the man-made ills, will are the product of manproduct of man’’s purposeful and value-s purposeful and value-ridden actions, would disappear and ridden actions, would disappear and the natural ills that remain would no the natural ills that remain would no longer be seen as ills, but as an longer be seen as ills, but as an inevitable part of the course of life. inevitable part of the course of life.

Thus, in Chuang TzuThus, in Chuang Tzu’’s eyes, man is the s eyes, man is the author of his own suffering and author of his own suffering and bondage, and all his fears spring from bondage, and all his fears spring from the web of values created by himself the web of values created by himself alone.alone.

Chuang Tzu employs every resource of Chuang Tzu employs every resource of rhetoric in his efforts to awaken the rhetoric in his efforts to awaken the reader to the essential meaninglessness reader to the essential meaninglessness of conventional values and to free him of conventional values and to free him from the bondage: from the bondage:

1.1. paradoxical anecdote/remarkparadoxical anecdote/remark

2.2. pseudo-logical discussion/debatepseudo-logical discussion/debate

3.3. humor humor

In Chuang TzuIn Chuang Tzu’’s view, the man who has s view, the man who has freed himself from conventional freed himself from conventional standards of judgment can no longer standards of judgment can no longer be made to suffer, for he refuses to be made to suffer, for he refuses to recognize poverty as any less recognize poverty as any less desirable than affluence, to recognize desirable than affluence, to recognize death as any less desirable than life. death as any less desirable than life. He remains within society but refrains He remains within society but refrains from acting out of the motives that from acting out of the motives that lead ordinary men to struggle for lead ordinary men to struggle for wealth, fame, success, or safety. wealth, fame, success, or safety.

He maintains a state that Chuang Tzu He maintains a state that Chuang Tzu refers to as refers to as wu-weiwu-wei or inaction, or inaction, meaning by this term not a forced meaning by this term not a forced quietude, but a course of action that is quietude, but a course of action that is not founded upon any purposeful not founded upon any purposeful motives of gain or striving. In such a motives of gain or striving. In such a state, all human actions become as state, all human actions become as mindless as those of the natural world.mindless as those of the natural world.

Man becomes one with Nature, or Man becomes one with Nature, or Heaven, and merges himself with Tao, Heaven, and merges himself with Tao, or the Way, the underlying unity that or the Way, the underlying unity that embraces man, Nature, and all that is embraces man, Nature, and all that is in the universe. in the universe.

忍忍patiencepatience

Discussion:Discussion:What is What is Weak / strong?Weak / strong?Coward / Brave?Coward / Brave?

Cf. ChristianityCf. Christianity““When a man hit you on the cheek, When a man hit you on the cheek,

offer him the other cheek, too.offer him the other cheek, too.””

Cf. Kenny Rogers, Cf. Kenny Rogers, ““The Coward of the CountyThe Coward of the County””

Discussion:Discussion:““DesireDesire””Can Can ““desiredesire”” be satisfied? be satisfied?To the Taoists, To the Taoists, ““NO!NO!”—”—The The ““crave for desirecrave for desire”” is never-ending! is never-ending!

Cf. D.H. LawrenceCf. D.H. Lawrence’’s short-story:s short-story:““the Rocking Horse Winnerthe Rocking Horse Winner””

““more is lessmore is less & less is more& less is more””