There was a man in the country of Lu who had a broken foot, and his name was Wang Xiao. The ** who studied with him was equal to Confucius, and Chang Ji asked Confucius: "Wang Xiao is a person with a broken foot, and the ** and Mr. who studied with him account for half in the Lu country." He did not teach, he sat and did not discuss, and those who learned from him came empty, and returned with a full load. Is there really a self-evident teaching, invisible influence and imperceptible work? What kind of person is this? ”
Confucius said, "This gentleman is a saint, and I have not yet consulted him." I am ready to worship him as a teacher, let alone those who are inferior to me. Not to mention Lu Guo, I want to guide the people of the world to learn from him. ”
Chang Ji said: "He is a man with a broken foot, and he can beat you, so the distance between ordinary people and him is too great." If so, how did he use his mind? ”
Confucius said: "Death and life are a great thing, but they will not change with him, even if the heavens and the earth fall, he will not be left behind and destroyed." He is not affected by the changes of external objects and is in the state of "waiting for nothing", dominating the changes of things and holding the pivot of things. ”
Chang Ji said, "What does this mean? ”
Confucius said: "Looking at the different sides of all things, the liver and gallbladder are adjacent but far apart, just like the distance between Chu and Yue; From the perspective of the sameness of all things, all things are one. If we understand this, we will not care about what kind of sound and color are suitable for the ears and eyes, but only seek to play in the harmonious state of morality. When you look at the same side of everything, you can't see anything missing. So, he saw a broken foot as if he had lost a piece of soil. ”
Chang Ji said: "Wang Xiao is just cultivating himself. He uses wisdom to understand all minds, and then returns to the undifferentiated 'constant mind' based on this mind. Why, then, did the crowd follow him? ”
Confucius said, "Man does not shine his own shadow on the flowing water, but on the still water, and only the still thing can make others still." Ordered by the ground, only the pine and cypress are natural, and the branches and leaves are evergreen regardless of winter and summer; Ordered by the sky, only Yao and Shun have the righteousness of life and dominate all things. They can correct their own nature, and only then can they guide the people. Only when the characteristics of the original can be preserved will there be the fearlessness of the brave. Like a brave samurai, one man rushes into the midst of thousands of horses. Those who pursue fame and self-control are still able to do so, let alone those who dominate the heavens and the earth, contain all things, regard the body as an abode, regard the ears and eyes as appearances, and can grasp the great way through all things they know, and have not tasted death in their hearts! He was able to calmly choose auspicious days and transcend the world, and everyone was happy to follow him. Is he willing to attract people? ”
In the fable, Wang Xiao is a man with a broken foot, that is, a person with a mutilated appearance. This kind of incomplete teaching, but there are so many followers, and the number of followers is equal to that of Confucius, the "Master of All Ages", in order to highlight the inner importance. Zhuangzi contrasts the inner fullness and abundance through the external incompleteness, and the brilliance of virtue fills the heart, and affects the outside from the inside, which is the meaning of "virtue full of symbols".
There are many theories about the origin of the word "virtue", but in general it is related to "heart". Therefore, virtue is the function of the mind, not what can be expressed externally. Liushahe said in the "Zhuangzi Modern Edition":
Virtue here is the meaning of the cultivator. The connotation is substantial, and the appearance is highlighted, which is the meaning of Dechongfu. The outer skin of the bamboo is extended to the explicit. The "University" says that "sincerity is in the middle and the form is outside" and "Mencius" says "full and brilliant" is similar to the meaning of "virtue and strength".In short, virtue is related to the heart, and the heart is internal, not external. The article "Zhuangzi De Chong Fu" expresses that:Breaking through the external shackles and attaching importance to people's internality, virtuous people naturally exude a kind of spiritual power, and can attract others without saying anything, reaching the realm of "teaching without words". The fable is based on the Zhuangzi De Chong Fu).
*Internet.