Today’s Between Master and Disciples – “The Outer Teachings of Chuang Tzu: Heaven and Earth” – will be presented in Chinese with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech-Slovak, English, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Thai.

The great philosopher Chuang Tzu lived from approximately 370 to 301 BCE. He is considered one of the greatest literary and philosophical figures of China. His philosophy is contained in the book bearing his name, Chuang Tzu. His teachings were true to wu-wei, the Taoist doctrine which means to refrain from action contrary to Nature. He espoused a way of life which is simple and natural, yet fulfilling. He advocated for a flexible and pragmatic approach to understanding concepts. Today, we present to you excerpts from “Heaven and Earth”

from The Outer Teachings of Chuang Tzu. We thank you for your company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Join us again next wednesday for part 2 of “Heaven and Earth,”

excerpted from The Outer Teachings of Chuang Tzu. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, up next right after Noteworthy News. May Providence guide you in light, wisdom and peace!

We enjoyed your company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples on Supreme Master Television. Join us again next Wednesday for part 3 of “Heaven and Earth,” excerpted from The Outer Teachings of Chuang Tzu. Planet Earth: Our Loving Home is up next right after Noteworthy News. May the Providence shine ever brightly on your path of goodness and nobility!

Gracious viewers, thank you for your charming presence for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, up next after Noteworthy News. May Heaven’s blessings eternally grace our planet, showering all beings with loving kindness and inner tranquility!

We thank you for your company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Join us again next wednesday for part 2 of “Heaven and Earth,”

excerpted from The Outer Teachings of Chuang Tzu. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, up next right after Noteworthy News. May Providence guide you in light, wisdom and peace!

We enjoyed your company for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples on Supreme Master Television. Join us again next Wednesday for part 3 of “Heaven and Earth,” excerpted from The Outer Teachings of Chuang Tzu. Planet Earth: Our Loving Home is up next right after Noteworthy News. May the Providence shine ever brightly on your path of goodness and nobility!

Gracious viewers, thank you for your charming presence for today’s episode of Between Master and Disciples. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, up next after Noteworthy News. May Heaven’s blessings eternally grace our planet, showering all beings with loving kindness and inner tranquility!

Notwithstanding the greatness of Heaven and Earth, their transforming power proceeds from one lathe; notwithstanding the number of the myriad things, the government of them is one and the same; notwithstanding the multitude of mankind, the lord of them is their one ruler. The ruler's course should proceed from the qualities of the Tao (the great Self) and be perfected by Heaven, when it is so, it is called “Mysterious and Sublime.” The ancients ruled the world by doing nothing – simply by this attribute of Heaven.

If we look at their words in the light of the Tao (the great Self), we see that the appellation for the ruler of the world was correctly assigned; if we look in the same light at the distinctions which they instituted, we see that the separation of ruler and ministers was right; if we look at the abilities which they called forth in the same light, we see that the duties of all the offices were well performed; and if we look generally in the same way at all things, we see that their response to this rule was complete.

Therefore that which pervades the action of Heaven and Earth is this one attribute; that which operates in all things is this one course; that by which their superiors govern the people is the business of the various department; and that by which aptitude is given to ability is skill. The skill was manifested in all the departments of business; those departments were all administered in righteousness; the righteousness was the outflow of the natural virtue; the virtue was manifested according to the Tao (the great Self); and the Tao (the great Self) was according to the pattern of Heaven.

Hence it is said, “The ancients who had the nourishment of the world wished for nothing and the world had enough; they did nothing and all things were transformed; their stillness was abysmal, and the people were all composed.” The Record says, “When the one Tao (the great Self) pervades it, all business is completed. When the mind gets to be free from all aim, even the Spirits submit.”

The Master said, “It is the Tao (the great Self) that overspreads and sustains all things. How great It is in Its overflowing influence! The Superior man ought by all means to remove from his mind all that is contrary to It. Acting without action is what is called Heaven-like. Speech coming forth of itself is what is called a mark of the true Virtue. Loving men and benefiting things is what is called Benevolence. Seeing wherein things that are different yet agree is what is called being Great.

Conduct free from the ambition of being distinguished above others is what is called being Generous. The possession in himself of a myriad points of difference is what is called being Rich. Therefore to hold fast the natural attributes is what is called the Guiding Line of government; the perfecting of those attributes is what is called its Establishment; accordance with the Tao (the great Self) is what is called being Complete; and not allowing anything external to affect the will is what is called being Perfect.

When the superior man understands these ten things, he keeps all matters as it were sheathed in himself, showing the greatness of his mind; and through the outflow of his doings, all things move and come to him. Being such, he lets the gold lie hid in the hill, and the pearls in the deep; he considers not property or money to be any gain; he keeps aloof from riches and honors; he rejoices not in long life, and grieves not for early death; he does not account prosperity a glory, nor is ashamed of indigence; he would not grasp at the gain of the whole world to be held as his own private portion; he would not desire to rule over the whole world as his own private distinction.

His distinction is in understanding that all things belong to the one treasury, and that death and life should be viewed in the same way. The Master said, “How still and deep is the place where the Tao (the great Self) resides! How limpid is its purity! Metal and stone without It would give forth no sound. They have indeed the power of sound in them, but if they be not struck, they do not emit it. Who can determine the qualities that are in all things?

The man of kingly qualities holds on his way unoccupied, and is ashamed to busy himself with the conduct of affairs. He establishes himself in what is the root and source of his capacity, and his wisdom grows to be spirit-like. In this way his attributes become more and more great, and when his mind goes forth, whatever things come in his way, it lays hold of them and deals with them.

Thus, if there were not the Tao (the great Self), the bodily form would not have life, and its life, without the attributes of the Tao (the great Self), would not be manifested. Is not he who preserves the body and gives the fullest development to the life, who establishes the attributes of the Tao (the great Self) and clearly displays It, possessed of kingly qualities? How majestic is he in his sudden issuing forth, and in his unexpected movements, when all things follow him! This we call the man whose qualities fit him to rule.”

He sees where there is the deepest obscurity; he hears where there is no sound. In the midst of the deepest obscurity, he alone sees and can distinguish various objects; in the midst of a soundless abyss, he alone can hear a harmony of notes. Therefore where one deep is succeeded by a greater, he can create everything from it, where one mysterious range is followed by another that is more so, he can lay hold of the subtlest character of each. In this way in his intercourse with all things, while he is farthest from having anything, he can yet give to them what they seek; while he is always hurrying forth, he yet returns to his resting-place; now large, now small; now long, now short; now distant, now near.”

Huang-Di, enjoying himself on the north of the Red-water, ascended to the height of the Kun-lun mountain, and having looked towards the south, was returning home, when he lost his dark-colored pearl. He employed Wisdom to search for it, but he could not find it. He employed the clear-sighted Li Zhu to search for it, but he could not find it. He employed the vehement debater Chi Gou to search for it, but he could not find it. He then employed Purposeless, who found it; on which Huang-Di said, “How strange that it was Purposeless who was able to find it!”

The teacher of Yao was Xu You; of Xu You, Nie Que; of Nie Que, Wang Ni; of Wang Ni, Bei-yi. Yao asked Xu You, saying, “Is Nie Que fit to be the correlate of Heaven? If you think he is, I will avail myself of the services of Wang Ni to constrain him to take my place.” Xu You replied, “Such a measure would be hazardous, and full of peril to the kingdom! The character of Nie Que is this – he is acute, perspicacious, shrewd and knowing, ready in reply, sharp in retort, and hasty; his natural endowments surpass those of other men, but by his human qualities he seeks to obtain the Heavenly gift; he exercises his discrimination in suppressing his errors, but he does not know what is the source from which his errors arise.

Make him the correlate of Heaven! He would employ the human qualities, so that no regard would be paid to the Heavenly gift. Moreover, he would assign different functions to the different parts of the one person. Moreover, honor would be given to knowledge, and he would have his plans take effect with the speed of fire. Moreover, he would be the slave of everything he initiated. Moreover, he would be embarrassed by things. Moreover, he would be looking all round for the response of things to his measures. Moreover, he would be responding to the opinion of the multitude as to what was right.

Moreover, he would be changing as things changed, and would not begin to have any principle of constancy. How can such a man be fit to be the correlate of Heaven? Nevertheless, as there are the smaller branches of a family and the common ancestor of all its branches, he might be the father of a branch, but not the father of the fathers of all the branches. Such government as he would conduct would lead to disorder. It would be calamity in one in the position of a minister, and ruin if he were in the position of the sovereign.”

Yao was looking about him at Hua, the border-warden of which said, “Ha! the sage! Let me ask blessings on the sage! May he live long!” Yao said, “Hush!” but the other went on, “May the sage become rich!” Yao again said, “Hush!” but the warden continued, “May the sage have many sons!' When Yao repeated his “Hush,” the warden said, “Long life, riches, and many sons are what men wish for – how is it that you alone do not wish for them?” Yao replied, “Many sons bring many fears; riches bring many troubles; and long life gives rise to many obloquies.

These three things do not help to nourish virtue; and therefore I wish to decline them.” The warden rejoined, “At first I considered you to be a sage; now I see in you only a superior man. Heaven, in producing the myriads of the people, is sure to have appointed for them their several offices. If you had many sons, and gave them all their offices, what would you have to fear? If you had riches, and made other men share them with you, what trouble would you have? The sage finds his dwelling like the quail without any choice of its own, and is fed like the fledgling; he is like the bird which passes on through the air, and leaves no trace of its flight.

When good order prevails in the world, he shares in the general prosperity. When there is no such order, he cultivates his virtue, and seeks to be unoccupied. After a thousand years, tired of the world, he leaves it, and ascends among the immortals. He mounts on the white clouds, and arrives at the place of God. The three forms of evil do not reach him, his person is always free from misfortune – what obloquy has he to incur?” With this the border-warden left him. Yao followed him, saying, “I beg to ask…” but the other said, “Begone!”