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The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters) · 37 of 57 · tr. James Legge

Book 127 (part 5)

Though the realisation of this be not manifested in the person, things cannot separate themselves (from its influence).' Some days afterwards duke Âi told this conversation to Min-dze 3 , saying, 'Formerly it seemed to me the work of the sovereign to stand in court with his face to the south, to rule the kingdom, and to pay good heed to the accounts of the people concerned, lest any should come to a (miserable) death;--this p. 233 [paragraph continues] I considered to be the sum (of his duty). Now that I have heard that description of the Perfect man, I fear that my idea is not the real one, and that, by employing myself too lightly, I may cause the ruin of my state. I and Khung Khiû are not on the footing of ruler and subject, but on that of a virtuous friendship.' 5. A person who had no lips, whose legs were bent so that he could only walk on his toes, and who was (otherwise) deformed 1 , addressed his counsels to duke Ling of Wei, who was so pleased with him, that he looked on a perfectly formed man as having a lean and small neck in comparison with him. Another who had a large goitre like an earthenware jar 1 addressed his counsels to duke Hwan of Khî 2 , who was so pleased with him that he looked on a perfectly formed man as having a neck lean and small in comparison with him 3 . So it is that when one's virtue is extraordinary, (any deficiency in) his bodily form may be forgotten. When men do not forget what is (easily) forgotten, and forget what is not (easily) forgotten, we have a case of real oblivion. Therefore the sagely man has that in which his mind finds its enjoyment, and (looks on) wisdom as (but) the shoots from an old stump; agreements with others are to him but so much glue; kindnesses are p. 234 (but the arts of) intercourse; and great skill is (but as) merchants' wares. The sagely man lays no plans;--of what use would wisdom be to him? He has no cutting and hacking to do;--of what use would glue be to him? He has lost nothing; of what use would arts of intercourse be to him? He has no goods to dispose of;--what need has he to play the merchant? (The want of) these four things are the nourishment of (his) Heavenly (nature); that nourishment is its Heavenly food. Since he receives this food from Heaven, what need has he for anything of man's (devising)? He has the bodily form of man, but not the passions and desires of (other) men. He has the form of man, and therefore he is a man. Being without the passions and desires of men, their approvings and disapprovings are not to be found in him. How insignificant and small is (the body) by which he belongs to humanity! How grand and great is he in the unique perfection of his Heavenly (nature)! Hui-dze said to Kwang-dze, 'Can a man indeed be without desires and passions?' The reply was, 'He can.' 'But on what grounds do you call him a man, who is thus without passions and desires?' Kwang-dze said, 'The Tâo 1 gives him his personal appearance (and powers); Heaven 2 gives him his bodily form; how should we not call him a man?' Hui-dze rejoined, 'Since you call him a man, how p. 235 can he be without passions and desires?' The reply was, 'You are misunderstanding what I mean by passions and desires.
Themes
◆Detachment Gelassenheitpraxis

Eckhart's Abgeschiedenheit/Gelassenheit — radical letting-go of will, image, and grasping that opens the soul to God; distinct from inner_silence (quietness) and from material renunciation, and adjacent to Sufi tark and Buddhist non-grasping as a practice rather than a metaphysical claim.

The sage is described as having lost nothing and needing no goods to dispose of, reflecting a radical letting-go of will and grasping.

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◆Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The text notes that the realisation may not be manifested in the person, indicating a concealed or hidden nature of the true influence.

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◆Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

The text states the sage receives food from Heaven internally and has no need for anything of man's devising, locating the divine source within.

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◆Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The claim that things cannot separate themselves from the influence suggests an underlying unity or connection between all existence.

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◆Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

The passage contrasts forgetting what is easily forgotten (bodily form) with forgetting what is not easily forgotten (virtue), emphasizing the recognition of true nature.

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◇Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

[auto] The text contrasts deformed men with perfectly formed ones and redefines ruler-subject relationships as friendship, dissolving conventional binaries.

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◇Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] The stories of deformed counselors being preferred over perfect men serve as paradoxes to destabilize ordinary understanding of worth and power.

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◇Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The passage states that things cannot separate themselves from the influence of the realisation, suggesting a pervasive underlying reality.

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◇Wu Weipraxis

Effortless action aligned with the spontaneous flow of the Dao; non-coercive, non-striving conduct that yields results without forcing — the sage acts without acting.

[auto] The passage explicitly describes the sagely man as one who 'lays no plans' and has 'no cutting and hacking to do,' embodying effortless action aligned with the Dao.

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Related passages · 9 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 13 (part 1)
“p. 263 CHAPTER XIII. REGENERATION. "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not of those things?" — John iii. 10. "Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."— Luke ix. 23. No man c…”
Both passages discuss the concept of transcending human desires and the limitations of the physical form to achieve a higher spiritual state. They emphasize the importance of inner transformation and the detachment from worldly concerns.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 6 (part 1)
“p. 18 THE GOLDEN SENTENCES OF DEMOCRATES 1. If anyone will give his mind to these sentences, he will obtain many things worthy of a man, and be free from many things that are base. 2. The perfection of the soul will correct the depravit…”
Both passages discuss the importance of inner virtue and the transcendence of physical form or external appearances. They emphasize the cultivation of a higher nature or soul, which is central to both Taoist and Stoic philosophies.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 7 (part 1)
“p. 29 THE PYTHAGOREAN SENTENCES OF DEMOPHILUS 1. Request not of Divinity such things as, when obtained, you cannot preserve; for no gift of Divinity can ever be taken away; and on this account he does not confer that which you are unable…”
Both passages explore the idea of transcending human desires and passions to achieve a higher state of being. The Chuang Tzu passage discusses the Perfect man who is without passions and desires, while the Pythagorean Sentences emphasize the importance of virtue and self-sufficiency, suggesting a similar transcendence of worldly concerns.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 7 (part 2)
“Understand that no dissimulation can be long concealed. 24. The unjust man suffers greater evil while his soul is tormented with a consciousness of guilt, than when his body is scourged with whips. 25. It is by no means safe to discours…”
Both passages explore the theme of the ideal person or sage who transcends ordinary human desires and passions. They emphasize the importance of inner virtue and the detachment from worldly concerns, though they do so within different cultural and philosophical contexts.
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Concealed Mystery (Siphra Dtzenioutha)|1e
“31: "And He was wise above every man." Because these are not classed with man. 21. (But when it is said) "And the Tetragrammaton gave him wisdom," then is understood the supernal He . (Because he gave unto him the influx of the wisdom of…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the enlightened or wise individual who transcends ordinary human desires and limitations. They explore the idea of a higher, divine nature that sets these individuals apart from the common populace, though they do so within different cultural and religious frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 40
“Section 7 7. Then why are these conditions sought and their contraries repelled by the man established in happiness? Here is our answer: These more pleasant conditions cannot, it is true, add any particle towards the Sage's felicity: but th…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a sage or perfect man who transcends ordinary human desires and is unaffected by external circumstances. They emphasize the sage's detachment from worldly concerns and the insignificance of physical form or material conditions in the face of higher spiritual or philosophical ideals.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 210 (part 1)
“Section 4 4. If man were all of one piece- I mean, if he were nothing more than a made thing, acting and acted upon according to a fixed nature- he could be no more subject to reproach and punishment than the mere animals. But as the sche…”
Both passages explore the concept of a higher, divine nature within individuals that transcends ordinary human desires and passions. They discuss the idea of a perfect or sagely man who is guided by a higher principle, whether it be the Tao or the Reason-Principle, and who is not bound by the typical human concerns and desires.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 211 (part 1)
“Section 5 5. There is, then a Providence, which permeates the Kosmos from first to last, not everywhere equal, as in a numerical distribution, but proportioned, differing, according to the grades of place- just as in some one animal, linke…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a higher, divine nature within individuals that transcends ordinary human desires and passions. They emphasize the distinction between the physical form and the spiritual or rational essence, highlighting the importance of the latter in defining true humanity.
◆platonism|Plato: Republic|Section 1k
“But, said I, one is enough; let there be one man who has a city obedient to his will, and he might bring into existence the ideal polity about which the world is so incredulous. Yes, one is enough. The ruler may impose the laws and instit…”
Both passages discuss the qualities and rarity of ideal rulers or individuals. Plato's passage emphasizes the combination of intelligence and virtue in the perfect guardian, while the Taoist passage highlights the extraordinary virtue and unique perfection of the Perfect man, both stressing the rarity and exceptional nature of such individuals.