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!”