Extensive Interpretation of Chuang Tzu Part 1

HAPPY AND FREE EXCURSION (1)


1 There is a kind of fish called “Kun”, living in the northern sea.

2Kun is several thousands li in length. You may imagine how broad the northern sea is because such big a fish could live and swim freely in it.

3When Kun grows to a certain degree, it transforms into bird, just like the worm change into butterfly at the end of its life. When it becomes a bird, it is called “Peng”.

4So big is Peng’s back, it is several thousands li in length! While flying, it stretches its wings to the edge of the heaven, just like a huge cloud obscuring the sky.

5 Peng usually lives in the northern sea. Only in June when storm rises, it migrates to the southern sea as the migrant birds do.

6 The southern sea is a very different realm, which is called “Celestial Lake”.

7 According to the book named Qixie, in Peng’s flight to Celestial Lake, its wings smite water beyond the field of three thousand li. With a swiftly flutter, it raise itself to a high sky of 90,000 li.

8 Flying so aloft, Peng looks the wild horses on the groundlike tiny dust. The galloping horses like tiny bugs floating in the wind.

9 The sky is blue as we look up on the ground; however, as we look in the sky, the sky is actually not blue, on the contrary, the ground is tinted with dark blue and is charmingly beautiful.

10 The sky is unreachable high when we look up on it on the ground. When sometime you fly as high as Peng, you will find the ground is also unreachable far.

11 It is asked why Peng has to fly onto the sky in height of 90,000 li.

12 The reason is that the higher it flies, the thicker air is, and the stronger wind is, so the big bird can be lifted to fly.

13 For example, insufficient and shallow water can not float a big ship. A cup of water upset into a dent place on the ground only can float a small piece of grass or a leaf. If we put the cup on the water, the bottom of it will immediately reach on the ground, because the water is too shallow to float it.

14 A cicada and a young dove laugh at Peng when they see it flying fiercely and hard,

15 “It is very easy and simple for me to fly. I fly as I want, and don’t need the lift of strong winds that only rise in June. Flying is hands-down to me. I fly from elm tree to sandalwood tree and fall to the ground when tired. Why do I fly so high? Why do I toil to fly to so remote southern sea.”

16 To excurse to suburban place, we just prepare and carry three meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Excursion of return within one day needs no meal for overnight.

17 To travel a hundred li, we however, should prepare provisions for three months before hitting the road.

18 Living in small field, the cicada and young dove can not understand Peng’s ambition.

19 Knowledge is like this. It is impossible to discuss about calculus with those who only know arithmetic.

20 It is impossible to discuss about backhand of tennis with those who never play tennis, because every contact point causes its unique result.

21 Cicada life only is a summer and an autumn. It is impossible to talk with Cicada about winter scene in which snow covers field and cold wind pierces.

22 Straw mushrooms that grow on grassland are picked away at the moment of its germination. So they don’t know hotness in the afternoon and breezing coolness in the dusk.

23 A kind of turtle that lives in the south of Chu (Country) has a long life. Its spring is 500 years and one year in its life equals to 2000 years of human.

24 You can’t say it is rare. In the long ancient time, there was a kind of animal called Dachun. Its spring is 8000 years so one its year is 32,000 years of human.

25 It is usually said that it is great of Pengzu to live for 800 years; however, compare to long life, he is quite eclipes by Dachun.

26 In history a story similar to the said story of the Kun and Peng was mentioned in the talk between Emperor Tang and his courtier Ji. Therefore the ancient people did believe that the creature, Kun and Peng, ever live in our world.

27 The evidences discovered by archaeologist show that dinosaur is jumbo. But if you describe the jumbo creature to those who don’t know the existence of dinosaur, you will be called kook.

28 So the opinions of those who are a petty official or a governor of small town, or even an emperor, are also confined in the small realm of their living locations. Their simple heads cannot understand everything in the immense universe.

29 Rongzi of Song knew well the phenomenon. He laughed off others’ talk, he deemed they were like a frog in the well and was not bothered to argue with them.

30 He would not be very delighted by the praise from others; he would not be annoyed by the blame from others. He distinguished clearly the subjective conditions from the objective conditions.

31 The subjective conditions are to practice Yoga and to meditate in the way of Zen so as to improve himself, his Buddha-nature, breath, calmness and refinement. As to the objective conditions, he is to plug up ears and to close eyes so as to reduce the touch of the outer world. Thus the praise and the blame can not disturb his stable, peaceful and tranquil mind.

32 Precious and rare are the men like him to find out, but they still need more practice and improvement in order to reach the status of perfection.

33Lie Zi was much more advanced than Rongzi of Song. Lie Zi did practice and improve himself well enough so he could walk and drift by the wind. He could sojourn in the air for fifteen days and then go home safely. Those who have feat like this have been rare throughout the ages but it is still by the wind for him to fly.

34 Those who have genuinely practiced to perfection can employ eternal energy of nature to control the change of Ying and Yang, wind and rain, and day and night. They can roam around the heaven and earth, being free from the time and space and yet needing nothing to assist.

35 They are no-self and being flexibility. They devote themselves to Nirvana, not seeking for the honor and glory in the world, not establishing their undertakings, which are the role models that we as nazarite make efforts to reach.

36 As for not seeking for the honor and glory and not establishing undertakings, I would like to tell you a story.

37 Emperor Yao had long respected and admired Xu You. He deemed that Xu You’s intelligence was much better than that of the common people and Xu You’s governance of country would bring well-being to the people of the country.

38 One day, Yao paid a visit to Xu You and intended to abdicate his throne to him.

39 Yao said, “Now that dawn is here, it is unnecessary to let camp fire burn; now that it rains, irrigation should be ceased. Sir, your thoughts and doctrines have prevailed and have had a profound influence on the people of our country, so what more can I do on the throne? Rather, it is you who should sit on the throne!”

40 Sitting still, Xu You said, without moving.

41“Your governance gave our country and people stability, peace and prosperity. Now you ask that I succeed you, and yet, the path I would follow as emperor would be the one you forged. Why would me to do that? ”

42 “If not for the new policies, what would motivate my ascension to the throne? If simply because of the position, then what do you treat me for? Your puppet? A substitute? Solely because for the sake of honor and a good salary, should I accept your request?

43 To tell the truth, a wren needs only a twig to build its nest in the forest; how much water does a mole can drink? A full belly of water at most, isn’t it?

44 My life is very simple. Great wealth is of little use to me. As for my reputation, I have long had it, or you don’t come and ask me.

45 Be gone, Your Majesty! Your throne is nothing to me. Cookers strike and don’t cook while the priests will not cook instead.”