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How Confucius is depicted in Zhuangzi Texts

Zhuangzi: Welcome
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Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi is a representative of the Daoist, and the book "Zhuangzi" written by him and his scholar of younger age has always been regarded as a classic of Daoism,which established the status of Daoism in the history of Chinese philosophy. Confucius is the fable character with the highest frequency in the whole book of "Zhuangzi". Judging from the book "Zhuangzi", Zhuangzi did not pay attention to discussing and narrating the life deeds of Confucius. He often explained their thoughts and concepts through the words and deeds of Confucius. The appearance of Confucius is both derogatory and praiseworthy.

Zhuangzi: About
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Zhuangzi & His Work

Zhuangzi explained his philosophy of life in the words of Confucius. Zhuangzi used Yen Huei's words to tell Confucius about “forget oneself while sitting” in The Great Supreme (Zhuangzi) [1]. It can be seen that in order to explain his own ideas, Zhuangzi was not aware of the fact that the cultivation level of Confucius was higher than Yen Huei. Confucius was portrayed as an image that did not pretend to be a teacher but was humbly learning.


【example】[1]Yen Huei spoke to Chungni (Confucius), "I am getting on."

"How so?" asked the latter.

"I have got rid of charity and duty," replied the former.

"Very good," replied Chungni, "but not quite perfect."

Another day, Yen Huei met Chungni and said, "I am getting on.

"How so?"

"I have got rid of ceremonies and music," answered Yen Huei.

"Very good," said Chungni, "but not quite perfect."

Another day, Yen Huei again met Chungni and said, "I am getting on.

"How so?"

"I can forget myself while sitting," replied Yen Huei.

"What do you mean by that?" said Chungni, changing his countenance.

"I have freed myself from my body," answered Yen Huei. I have discarded my reasoning powers. And by thus getting rid of my body and mind, I have become One with the Infinite. This is what I mean by forgetting myself while sitting."

"If you have become One," said Chungni, "there can be no room for bias. If you have lost yourself, there can be no more hindrance. Perhaps you are really a wise one. I trust to be allowed to follow in your steps.

颜回曰:“回益矣。”仲尼曰:“何谓也?”曰:“回忘仁义矣。”曰:“可矣,犹未也。”他日复见,曰:“回益矣。”曰:“何谓也?”曰:“回忘礼乐矣!”曰:“可矣,犹未也。”他日复见,曰:“回益矣!”曰:“何谓也?”曰:“回坐忘矣。”仲尼蹴然曰:“何谓坐忘?”颜回曰:“堕肢体,黜聪明,离形去知,同于大通,此谓坐忘。”仲尼曰:“同则无好也,化则无常也。而果其贤乎!丘也请从而后也。”


The second chapter of the "Imputed Words "(Zhuangzi) [2] is about Zhuangzi's comment on Confucius. Zhuangzi admired the image of Confucius he described deeply. Confucius who improved with age advocated that wisdom comes from nature, and his views on issues can change over time. Obviously, this Confucius has the shadow of Zhuangzi's thought, but it also has his original appearance. Therefore, what Zhuangzi admired is the Confucius he described, and part of it contains the elements of true Confucius.


[example][2] Chuang Tzu said to Hui Tzu, "Confucius has been going along for sixty years and he has changed sixty times. What at the beginning he used to call right he has ended up calling wrong. So now there's no telling whether what he calls right at the moment is not in fact what he called wrong during the past fifty-nine years." 

Hui Tzu said, "Confucius keeps working away at it, trying to make knowledge serve him." 

"Oh, no-Confucius has given all that up," said Chuang Tzu. "It's just that he never talks about it. Confucius said, 'We receive our talents from the Great Source and, with the spirit hidden within us,' we live.' [As for you, you] sing on key, you talk by the rules, you line up 'profit' and 'righteousness' before us, but your 'likes' and 'dislikes,' your 'rights' and 'wrongs' are merely something that command lip service from others, that's all. If you could make men pay service with their minds and never dare stand up in defiance — this would settle things for the world so they would stay settled. But let it be, let it be! As for me, what hope have I of ever catching up with Confucius?" 

庄子谓惠子曰:“孔子行年六十而六十化,始时所是,卒而非之,未知今之所谓是之非五十九非也。”

惠子曰:“孔子勤志服知也。”

庄子曰:“孔子谢之矣,而其未之尝言。孔子云:‘夫受才乎大本,复灵以生。’鸣而当律,言而当法,利义陈乎前,而好恶是非直服人之口而已矣。使人乃以心服,而不敢蘁立,定天下之定。已乎已乎!吾且不得及彼乎!”

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Zhuangzi called Confucius a saint. However, this sage is not the person with the highest moral cultivation in Zhuangzi's thought. In “This Human World” (Zhuangzi) [3], Chieh Yu urged Confucius to save his life so as not to violate the punishment and humiliation. Zhuangzi maintained that people should adhere to their own characteristics and not drift with the current; they should be accommodating and conforming to the external world(外化而内不化), but "externalization (外化)" is what this Confucius lacks. 


【example】[3]When Confucius was in the Chu State, the eccentric Chieh Yu passed his door, saying, "O phoenix! O phoenix! How has thy virtue fallen! Wait not for the coming years, nor hanker back to the past. When the right principles prevail on earth, prophets will fulfill their mission. When the right principles prevail not, they will but preserve themselves. At the present day, they are but trying to keep out of jail! The good fortunes of this world are light as feathers, yet none estimates them at their true value. The misfortunes of this life are weighty as the earth, yet none knows how to keep out of their reach. No more, no more, show off your virtue. Beware, beware, move cautiously on! O brambles, O brambles, wound not my steps! I pick my way about, hurt not my feet!" 

The mountain trees invite their own cutting down; lamp oil invites its own burning up. Cinnamon bark can be eaten; therefore, the tree is cut down. Lacquer can be used; therefore, the tree is scraped. All men know the utility of useful things; but they do not know the utility of futility. 

孔子适楚,楚狂接舆游其门曰:“凤兮凤兮,何如德之衰也!来世不可待,往世不可追也。天下有道,圣人成焉;天下无道,圣人生焉。方今之时,仅免刑焉。福轻乎羽,莫之知载;祸重乎地,莫之知避。已乎已乎。临人以德!殆乎殆乎,画地而趋!迷阳迷阳,无伤吾行!吾行郤曲,无伤吾足。”

山木自寇也,膏火自煎也。桂可食,故伐之;漆可用,故割之。人皆知有用之用,而莫知无用之用也。


Zhuangzi quoted Confucius to explain that Confucian spiritual realm was not comparable to that of the saints in Zhuangzi. " Deformities, or Evidence of a Full Character" (Zhuangzi) [4] stated that this saint is Zhuangzi's ideal personality. In other words, the Confucius described by Zhuangzi in this passage is not his ideal personality.


【example】[4]In the state of Lu there was a man, named Wang Tai, who had had one of his legs cut off. His disciples were as numerous as those of Confucius. Chang Chi asked Confucius, saying, "This Wang Tai has been mutilated, yet he has as many followers in the Lu State as you. He neither stands up to preach nor sits down to give discourse; yet those who go to him empty, depart full. Is he the kind of person who can teach without words and influence people's minds without material means? What manner of man is this?" 

"He is a sage," replied Confucius, "I wanted to go to him, but am merely behind the others. Even I will go and make him my teacher, — why not those who are lesser than I? And I will lead, not only the State of Lu, but the whole world to follow him." 

鲁有兀者王骀,从之游者与仲尼相若。常季问于仲尼曰:“王骀,兀者也。从之游者与夫子中分鲁。立不教,坐不议;虚而往,实而归。固有不言之教,无形而心成者邪?是何人也?”仲尼曰:“夫子,圣人也,丘也直后而未往耳。丘将以为师,而况不若丘者乎!奚假鲁国!丘将引天下而与从之。


In summary, Zhuangzi regarded Confucius as a medium for interpreting his thoughts. Confucius is a Confucian sage, but his cultivation cannot reach the standard of an ideal figure in the thought of Zhuangzi.

[1] Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), Chapter 6, The Great Supreme, translated by Yutang Lin, Martin Palmer, James Legge, Burton Watson, Sam Hamill, J. P. Seaton, Chad Hansen 

[2] Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), Chapter 27, Imputed Words, translated by Yutang Lin, Martin Palmer, James Legge, Burton Watson, Sam Hamill, J. P. Seaton, Chad Hansen 

[3] Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), Chapter 4, This Human World, translated by Yutang Lin, Martin Palmer, James Legge, Burton Watson, Sam Hamill, J. P. Seaton, Chad Hansen 

[4] Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), Chapter 5, Deformities, or Evidence of a Full Character, translated by Yutang Lin, Martin Palmer, James Legge, Burton Watson, Sam Hamill, J. P. Seaton, Chad Hansen 

Zhuangzi: About
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