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Scope: Zhuangzi Request type: Paragraph
Condition 1: Contains text "妙" Matched:4.
Total 4 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.

莊子 - Zhuangzi

[Warring States] 350 BC-250 BC English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《莊子》 Library Resources
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[Also known as: 《南華真經》]

內篇 - Inner Chapters

Library Resources

齊物論 - The Adjustment of Controversies

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《齊物論》 Library Resources
12 齊物論:
瞿鵲子問乎長梧子曰:「吾聞諸夫子,聖人不從事於務,不就利,不違害,不喜求,不緣道,无謂有謂,有謂无謂,而遊乎塵垢之外。夫子以為孟浪之言,而我以為道之行也。吾子以為奚若?」長梧子曰:「是黃帝之所聽熒也,而丘也何足以知之!且女亦大早計,見卵而求時夜,見彈而求鴞炙。予嘗為女妄言之,女以妄聽之,奚?旁日月,挾宇宙,為其脗合,置其滑涽,以隸相尊。眾人役役,聖人愚芚,參萬歲而一成純。萬物盡然,而以是相蘊。予惡乎知說生之非惑邪!予惡乎知惡死之非弱喪而不知歸者邪!麗之姬,艾封人之子也。晉國之始得之也,涕泣沾襟;及其至於王所,與王同筐床,食芻豢,而後悔其泣也。予惡乎知夫死者不悔其始之蘄生乎!夢飲酒者,旦而哭泣;夢哭泣者,旦而田獵。方其夢也,不知其夢也。夢之中又占其夢焉,覺而後知其夢也。且有大覺而後知此其大夢也,而愚者自以為覺,竊竊然知之。君乎,牧乎,固哉!丘也,與女皆夢也;予謂女夢,亦夢也。是其言也,其名為弔詭。萬世之後,而一遇大聖知其解者,是旦暮遇之也。既使我與若辯矣,若勝我,我不若勝,若果是也?我果非也邪?我勝若,若不吾勝,我果是也?而果非也邪?其或是也,其或非也邪?其俱是也,其俱非也邪?我與若不能相知也,則人固受其黮闇。吾誰使正之?使同乎若者正之,既與若同矣,惡能正之!使同乎我者正之,既同乎我矣,惡能正之!使異乎我與若者正之,既異乎我與若矣,惡能正之!使同乎我與若者正之,既同乎我與若矣,惡能正之!然則我與若與人俱不能相知也,而待彼也邪?何
化聲之相待,若其不相待。和之以天倪,因之以曼衍,所以窮年也。
1謂和之以天倪?曰:是不是,然不然。是若果是也,則是之異乎不是也亦無辯;然若果然也,則然之異乎不然也亦無辯。
化聲之相待,若其不相待。和之以天倪,因之以曼衍,所以窮年也。
2忘年忘義,振於無竟,故寓諸無竟。」
The Adjustment of Controversies:...:
Qu Quezi asked Chang Wuzi, saying, 'I heard the Master (speaking of such language as the following): "The sagely man does not occupy himself with worldly affairs. He does not put himself in the way of what is profitable, nor try to avoid what is hurtful; he has no pleasure in seeking (for anything from any one); he does not care to be found in (any established) Way; he speaks without speaking; he does not speak when he speaks; thus finding his enjoyment outside the dust and dirt (of the world)." The Master considered all this to be a shoreless flow of mere words, and I consider it to describe the course of the Mysterious Way - What do you, Sir, think of it?' Chang Wuzi replied, 'The hearing of such words would have perplexed even Huang Di, and how should Qiu be competent to understand them? And you, moreover, are too hasty in forming your estimate (of their meaning). You see the egg, and (immediately) look out for the cock (that is to be hatched from it); you see the bow, and (immediately) look out for the dove (that is to be brought down by it) being roasted. I will try to explain the thing to you in a rough way; do you in the same way listen to me. How could any one stand by the side of the sun and moon, and hold under his arm all space and all time? (Such language only means that the sagely man) keeps his mouth shut, and puts aside questions that are uncertain and dark; making his inferior capacities unite with him in honouring (the One Lord). Men in general bustle about and toil; the sagely man seems stupid and to know nothing. He blends ten thousand years together in the one (conception of time); the myriad things all pursue their spontaneous course, and they are all before him as doing so. How do I know that the love of life is not a delusion? and that the dislike of death is not like a young person's losing his way, and not knowing that he is (really) going home? Li Ji was a daughter of the border Warden of Ai. When (the ruler of) the state of Jin first got possession of her, she wept till the tears wetted all the front of her dress. But when she came to the place of the king, shared with him his luxurious couch, and ate his grain-and-grass-fed meat, then she regretted that she had wept. How do I know that the dead do not repent of their former craving for life? Those who dream of (the pleasures of) drinking may in the morning wail and weep; those who dream of wailing and weeping may in the morning be going out to hunt. When they were dreaming they did not know it was a dream; in their dream they may even have tried to interpret it; but when they awoke they knew that it was a dream. And there is the great awaking, after which we shall know that this life was a great dream. All the while, the stupid think they are awake, and with nice discrimination insist on their knowledge; now playing the part of rulers, and now of grooms. Bigoted was that Qiu! He and you are both dreaming. I who say that you are dreaming am dreaming myself. These words seem very strange; but if after ten thousand ages we once meet with a great sage who knows how to explain them, it will be as if we met him (unexpectedly) some morning or evening.
Since you made me enter into this discussion with you, if you have got the better of me and not I of you, are you indeed right, and I indeed wrong? If I have got the better of you and not you of me, am I indeed right and you indeed wrong? Is the one of us right and the other wrong? are we both right or both wrong? Since we cannot come to a mutual and common understanding, men will certainly continue in darkness on the subject. Whom shall I employ to adjudicate in the matter? If I employ one who agrees with you, how can he, agreeing with you, do so correctly? If I employ one who agrees with me, how can he, agreeing with me, do so correctly? If I employ one who disagrees with you and I, how can he, disagreeing with you and I, do so correctly? If I employ one who agrees with you and I, how can he, agreeing with you and I, do so correctly? In this way I and you and those others would all not be able to come to a mutual understanding; and shall we then wait for that (great sage)? (We need not do so.) To wait on others to learn how conflicting opinions are changed is simply like not so waiting at all. The harmonising of them is to be found in the invisible operation of Heaven, and by following this on into the unlimited past. It is by this method that we can complete our years (without our minds being disturbed). What is meant by harmonising (conflicting opinions) in the invisible operation of Heaven? There is the affirmation and the denial of it; and there is the assertion of an opinion and the rejection of it. If the affirmation be according to the reality of the fact, it is certainly different from the denial of it - there can be no dispute about that. If the assertion of an opinion be correct, it is certainly different from its rejection - neither can there be any dispute about that. Let us forget the lapse of time; let us forget the conflict of opinions. Let us make our appeal to the Infinite, and take up our position there.'

1. 化聲之相待,若其不相待。和之以天倪,因之以曼衍,所以窮年也。 : Moved here from entry 12.
2. 化聲之相待,若其不相待。和之以天倪,因之以曼衍,所以窮年也。 : Moved to entry 12.

外篇 - Outer Chapters

Library Resources

秋水 - The Floods of Autumn

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《秋水》 Library Resources
10 秋水:
公孫龍問於魏牟曰:「龍少學先生之道,長而明仁義之行,合同異,雜堅白,然不然,可不可,困百家之知,窮眾口之辯,吾自以為至達已。今吾聞莊子之言,汒焉異之,不知論之不及與,知之弗若與?今吾無所開吾喙,敢問其方。」
The Floods of Autumn:...:
Gong-sun Long asked Mou of Wei, saying, 'When I was young, I learned the teachings of the former kings; and when I was grown up, I became proficient in the practice of benevolence and righteousness. I brought together the views that agreed and disagreed; I considered the questions about hardness and whiteness; I set forth what was to be affirmed and what was not, and what was allowable and what was not; I studied painfully the various schools of thought, and made myself master of the reasonings of all their masters. I thought that I had reached a good understanding of every subject; but now that I have heard the words of Zhuangzi, they throw me into a flutter of surprise. I do not know whether it be that I do not come up to him in the power of discussion, or that my knowledge is not equal to his. But now I do not feel able to open my mouth, and venture to ask you what course I should pursue.'
公子牟隱机太息,仰天而笑曰:「子獨不聞夫埳井之鼃乎?謂東海之鱉曰:『吾樂與!出跳梁乎井幹之上,入休乎缺甃之崖,赴水則接腋持頤,蹶泥則沒足滅跗,還虷蟹與科斗,莫吾能若也。且夫擅一壑之水,而跨跱埳井之樂,此亦至矣,夫子奚不時來入觀乎?』東海之鱉左足未入,而右膝已縶矣。於是逡巡而卻,告之海曰:『夫千里之遠,不足以舉其大;千仞之高,不足以極其深。禹之時,十年九潦,而水弗為加益;湯之時,八年七旱,而崖不為加損。夫不為頃久推移,不以多少進退者,此亦東海之大樂也。』於是埳井之鼃聞之,適適然驚,規規然自失也。且夫知不知是非之竟,而猶欲觀於莊子之言,是猶使蚊負山,商蚷馳河也,必不勝任矣。且夫知不知論極之言,而自適一時之利者,是非埳井之鼃與?且彼方跐黃泉而登大皇,無南無北,奭然四解,淪於不測;無東無西,始於玄冥,反於大通。子乃規規然而求之以察,索之以辯,是直用管窺天,用錐指地也,不亦小乎!子往矣!且子獨不聞壽陵餘子之學行於邯鄲與?未得國能,又失其故行矣,直匍匐而歸耳。今子不去,將忘子之故,失子之業。」
Gong-sun Mou leant forward on his stool, drew a long breath, looked up to heaven, smiled, and said, 'Have you not heard of the frog of the dilapidated well, and how it said to the turtle of the Eastern Sea, "How I enjoy myself? I leap upon the parapet of this well. I enter, and having by means of the projections formed by the fragments of the broken tiles of the lining proceeded to the water, I draw my legs together, keep my chin up, (and strike out). When I have got to the mud, I dive till my feet are lost in it. Then turning round, I see that of the shrimps, crabs, and tadpoles there is not one that can do like me. Moreover, when one has entire command of all the water in the gully, and hesitates to go forward, it is the greatest pleasure to enjoy one's self here in this dilapidated well - why do not you, Master, often come and enter, and see it for yourself?" The turtle of the Eastern Sea (was then proceeding to go forward), but before he had put in his left foot, he found his right knee caught and held fast. On this he hesitated, drew back, and told (the frog) all about the sea, saying, "A distance of a thousand li is not sufficient to express its extent, nor would (a line of) eight thousand cubits be equal to sound its depth. In the time of Yu, for nine years out of ten the flooded land (all drained into it), and its water was not sensibly increased; and in the time of Thang for seven years out of eight there was a drought, but the rocks on the shore (saw) no diminution of the water because of it. Thus it is that no change is produced in its waters by any cause operating for a short time or a long, and that they do not advance nor recede for any addition or subtraction, whether great or small; and this is the great pleasure afforded by the Eastern Sea." When the frog of the dilapidated well heard this, he was amazed and terror-struck, and lost himself in surprise.
And moreover, when you, who have not wisdom enough to know where the discussions about what is right and what is wrong should end, still desire to see through the words of Zhuangzi, that is like employing a mosquito to carry a mountain on its back, or a millipede to gallop as fast as the Ho runs - tasks to which both the insects are sure to be unequal. Still further, when you, who have not wisdom enough to know the words employed in discussing very mysterious subjects, yet hasten to show your sharpness of speech on any occasion that may occur, is not this being like the frog of the dilapidated well?
And that (Zhuangzi) now plants his foot on the Yellow Springs (below the earth), and anon rises to the height of the Empyrean. Without any regard to south and north, with freedom he launches out in every direction, and is lost in the unfathomable. Without any regard to east and west, starting from what is abysmally obscure, he comes back to what is grandly intelligible. (All the while), you, Sir, in amazement, search for his views to examine them, and grope among them for matter for discussion - this is just like peeping at the heavens through a tube, or aiming at the earth with an awl; are not both the implements too small for the purpose? Go your ways, Sir.
And have you not heard of the young learners of Shou-ling, and how they did in Han-dan? Before they had acquired what they might have done in that capital, they had forgotten what they had learned to do in their old city, and were marched back to it on their hands and knees. If now you do not go away, you will forget your old acquirements, and fail in your profession.'
公孫龍口呿而不合,舌舉而不下,乃逸而走。
Gong-sun Long gaped on the speaker, and could not shut his mouth, and his tongue clave to its roof. He slank away and ran off.

雜篇 - Miscellaneous Chapters

English translation: James Legge [?] Library Resources

寓言 - Metaphorical Language

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《寓言》 Library Resources
4 寓言:
顏成子游謂東郭子綦曰:自吾聞子之言,一年而野,二年而從,三年而通,四年而物,五年而來,六年而鬼入,七年而天成,八年而不知死、不知生,九年而大
Metaphorical Language:...:
Yan Cheng Zi-you said to Dong-guo Zi-qi, 'When I (had begun to) hear your instructions, the first year, I continued a simple rustic; the second year, I became docile; the third year, I comprehended (your teaching); the fourth year, I was (plastic) as a thing; the fifth year, I made advances; the sixth year, the spirit entered (and dwelt in me); the seventh year, (my nature as designed by) Heaven was perfected; the eighth year, I knew no difference between death and life; the ninth year, I attained to the Great Mystery.
生有為,死也。勸公:以其死也,有自也;而生陽也,無自也。而果然乎?惡乎其所適?惡乎其所不適?天有曆數,地有人據,吾惡乎求之?莫知其所終,若之何其無命也?莫知其所始,若之何其有命也?有以相應也,若之何其無鬼邪?無以相應也,若之何其有鬼邪?」
'Life has its work to do, and death ensues, (as if) the common character of each were a thing prescribed. Men consider that their death has its cause; but that life from (the operation of) the Yang has no cause. But is it really so? How does (the Yang) operate in this direction? Why does it not operate there? Heaven has its places and spaces which can be calculated; (the divisions of) the earth can be assigned bv men. But how shall we search for and find out (the conditions of the Great Mystery)? We do not know when and how (life) will end, but how shall we conclude that it is not determined (from without)? and as we do not know when and how it begins, how should we conclude that it is not (so) determined? In regard to the issues of conduct which we deem appropriate, how should we conclude that there are no spirits presiding over them; and where those issues seem inappropriate, how should we conclude that there are spirits presiding over them?'

漁父 - The Old Fisherman

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《漁父》 Library Resources
6 漁父:
孔子又再拜而起曰:「今者丘得遇也,若天幸然。先生不羞而比之服役,而身教之。敢問舍所在,請因受業而卒學大道。」客曰:「吾聞之:可與往者與之,至於道;不可與往者,不知其道,慎勿與之,身乃無咎。子勉之!吾去子矣,吾去子矣。」乃刺船而去,延緣葦間。
The Old Fisherman:
(Once more), Confucius bowed twice (to the fisherman), then rose again, and said, 'That I have met you to-day is as if I had the happiness of getting to heaven. If you, Master, are not ashamed, but will let me be as your servant, and continue to teach me, let me venture to ask where your dwelling is. I will then beg to receive your instructions there, and finish my learning of the Great Way.' The stranger replied, 'I have heard the saying, "If it be one with whom you can walk together, go with him to the subtlest mysteries of the Dao. If it be one with whom you cannot walk together and he do not know the Dao, take care that you do not associate with him, and you will yourself incur no responsibility." Do your utmost, Sir. I must leave you, I must leave you!' With this he shoved off his boat, and went away among the green reeds.

Total 4 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.