Full-text Translation of Zhuangzi's Journey to the North

Until he went north to the shore of Xuanshui, he climbed a hill called Yinan, where he happened to meet the theory of inaction. Knowing inaction means: "I want to ask you a few questions: how to think, how to think to understand Tao?" How to live and act according to the Tao? What to follow and how to get the word? "Asked several times, I don't answer, not because I don't answer, but I don't know how to answer.

Knowing that he couldn't get the answer from inaction, he went back to the south bank of Baishui and climbed a hill called Fox Kun, where he saw madness. Knowing the previous questions, he asked Kuangqu for advice. Kuangqu said, "Well, I know how to answer these questions, and I will tell you, but I was just about to speak but forgot what I was going to say."

Knowing that Kuangqu didn't answer, he turned back to the residence of the Yellow Emperor and asked him again when he saw the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor said, "You can know without thinking. You can walk without safety and pass by, and you can get the Tao without following the law."

Knowing this, he asked the Yellow Emperor, "You and I both know these truths, but inaction and arrogance don't know these truths. So, who is right? " The yellow emperor said: "inaction is true and right, madness is close to right;" You and I have never been near the aisle. Those who know don't talk, those who talk don't know, and saints educate without talking.

Tao can't be achieved by words, and virtue can't be achieved by words. No preference can make a difference, morality can lose money and be incomplete, and the implementation of etiquette is only mutual hypocrisy and fraud. Therefore,' if you lose your way, you can gain virtue; If you lose your virtue, you can gain benevolence; If you lose your benevolence, you can gain righteousness; If you lose your righteousness, you will get a gift.

Ceremony is the disguise of Tao and the culprit of chaos. Therefore,' people who observe the Tao should remove their disguise every day, remove it again and again until they reach the realm of inaction, and when they reach the realm of inaction, they have nothing to do.' Now that I have done some things abroad, is it difficult to get back to basics? If it's easy to change one's roots, I'm afraid only enlightened people!

"Life is the same kind of death, and death is the beginning of life. Who knows their thread! The birth of man is the aggregation of qi, which forms life, and the dispersion of qi is death. If death and life belong to the same species, then what am I worried about?

So, everything is the same after all. In this way, those so-called beautiful things are regarded as magic, those so-called disgusting things are regarded as rot, and rotten things can be transformed into magic, and magical things can be transformed into rot. Therefore,' the whole world is the same gas'. Therefore, saints value the characteristics of the integration of all things. "

Zhihe said to the Yellow Emperor, "I asked about inaction. Inaction means not answering me, not not answering me, but not knowing what to answer me." I asked Kuang Qu, but he wanted to tell me but didn't tell me, not because he didn't tell me, but because he wanted to tell me but forgot how to tell me. Now I want to ask you again, you know my question, why do you say that it is not a shortcut to answer me? "

Huangdi said: "inaction means that he really knows the avenue, because he knows nothing;" He approached Tao because he forgot; You and I can't get close to the Tao after all, because we know everything. After listening to this, Kuang Qu thought that the words of the Yellow Emperor were the most learned words.

Original text:

Knowing that you travel north on the mysterious water and climb the mountain of seclusion, you suffer from inaction. Knowing to do nothing means: "If you want to ask, you will know what you are thinking and worrying about." Where is the safe way? Where did you get the Tao? "Three questions without doing anything means there is no answer. You don't know if you don't answer. You can't ask if you know, but south of Baishui, you can climb on the fox and see how crazy you are.

What you know is crazy, too. "alas! Say it when you know it. " Say what you want, and forget what you want. Do you know what to ask? This is against the palace. Ask when you see the yellow emperor. The Yellow Emperor said, "You won't know until you think about it. You don't know until you have service. There is no way to know. "

Knowing, he asked the Yellow Emperor, "I know it, but I don't know it. Which is evil? " The Yellow Emperor said, "If you don't do it, you will be true, and if you do it, you will be crazy. I am not close to you after all. " The knower does not speak, and the speaker does not know, so the sage teaches without speaking. Tao can't be caused, and morality can't be achieved. Benevolence can be done, righteousness can be lost, and ceremony is false.

Therefore, it is said that' losing morality means losing morality, losing benevolence means losing benevolence, and losing righteousness means being rude'. The ceremony was chaotic at first. Therefore, it is said:' If you walk for the Tao, you will lose money every day, and if you lose money, you will lose money, so that you will do nothing. Doing nothing. "Now is a thing, it is not difficult to trace back! This is simple, and it's an adult! Who knows the discipline of those who are born and sick, born and sick, and who knows their discipline! When people are born, they gather together.

If you gather, you will live, but if you disperse, you will die. If I die and live as a disciple, what will I suffer! So, everything is one. The magic is beauty, and the stench is evil. Rotten rot is transformed into magic, and magic is transformed into rotten rot. Therefore, some people say,' it speaks to the whole world.' Saints are so precious. "

Knowing the Yellow Emperor, he said, "I asked about inaction, and inaction should not be me. If I have to, I don't know if it should be me. " I asked about madness, and I wanted to sue me in madness. I didn't sue, I didn't sue, and I wanted to sue. If I ask you what day it is today, if I know, I won't be close. "

The Yellow Emperor said, "If it is true, I don't know it." : this is like, but also forgotten; If it is not close to the end, it is also known. "I am crazy about it, and I know the Yellow Emperor.

Origin: It is from Zhuangzi's Journey to the North written by Zhuang Zhou during the Warring States Period.

Extended data:

Background:

Zhuangzi was knowledgeable, traveled to many countries, and studied, analyzed and criticized various schools of thought at that time. Chu Weiwang heard that he was very talented, so he sent an emissary with a generous gift and asked him to be the prime minister.

Zhuangzi smiled and said to the envoy of Chu: "A thousand dollars is valuable; Qing Xiang's status is also respected. But didn't you see the sacrificed cow? Feed it for a few years, then cover it with bright patterns and take it to the ancestral temple as a sacrifice. At this time, it wants to be a pig and avoid being slaughtered, but it can't do it. Go away and don't insult me.

I would rather be happy in the mud pond like a turtle than be bound by a monarch. I will never be an official, let me be free and happy forever. "At that time, the warlords were fighting for hegemony, and Zhuangzi didn't want to go along with the rulers, so he quit his job to live in seclusion and concentrate on studying Taoism. He inherited and developed Lao Dan's thought greatly, and was called "the father of Taoism" with Laozi.

He led the "noble life" to "great life", which was attributed to the natural unity of "Tao" and "I". Zhuangzi's intelligence should not be underestimated, however, it is due to Lao Tzu's words. Therefore, his books of more than 100,000 words, such as Zhuangzi's Journey to the North, are all used to identify Laozi's thoughts. Zhuangzi should not be employed by Chu Weiwang because he stands for freedom. After writing a book in seclusion, he became one of the representatives of Taoist school in pre-Qin period.