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Zhuangzi Chapter 8: Webbed Toes


	Translated by Nina Correa Webbed toes and extra fingers may be present from the time of birth, but they have little effect on virtue. Warts and other growths may hang from one's body, but they have little effect on naturalness. There are many methods set forth for enacting benevolence and righteousness, and one who promotes them claims they line up with the five organs of the physical body, but that's in opposition to the way of Dao and virtue. (Note: The five organs of the body [heart. liver, stomach, lungs, kidneys] were believed to line up with the five elements [fire, wood, earth, metal and water] in Chinese alchemy and medicine. Those five had to be aligned with each other in order to ensure the body worked properly, and some philosophers tried to include the ideas of benevolence and righteousness as being as important as one's bodily organs.) Just as webbing on the feet is a useless piece of connecting flesh, extra digits sticking out from the hands are useless as fingers. One who tries to add extra webbing or digits to the natural condition of their five organs, pretending they have the power and authority to direct the way benevolence and righteousness should flow, are simply looking for ways to make their hearing more acute and their eyesight more clear. However, doesn't one who adds webs to eyesight which is already clear simply mix up the five colors, add additional patterns to what has already been carved, and find fault with the greens and yellows embroidered on a blue robe? That's what happened to Li Zhu. Doesn't one who tries to make their ears more sensitive to sound beyond what's normal mix up the five sounds, listen for additional notes played by a pitch pipe, and find fault with the sounds of all the musical instruments in an orchestra playing the "Huang Zhong" and "Da Lu" (two popular musical compositions of the time)? That's what happened to Shi Kuang. Doesn't one who tries to add benevolence to themselves destroy their own nature in order to attract fame and good reputation, cause the rest of the world to look like miscreants, and look to find fault with those who don't follow their rules? That's what happened to Zeng Shen and Shi Qiu. Doesn't one who adds webbing to their debates work hard to contain and tie up their words into strong forceful sentences, letting their minds swim with thoughts of the "hard" and the "white", getting caught up in what is "the same" and what is "different", and look to find fault with what they consider to be useless words used by those seeking immediate fame? That's what happened to Yang and Mo (Yangzi and Mozi). Therefore, all of those methods are simply ways to add numerous webs and unnecessary fingers, and are diversions to really getting right with the world. Those who do get it right don't lose their acceptance of nature and destiny. In that way connections occur not because anything has been forcefully tied together, and additions arise not because anything has been used to cause them to grow. Length occurs not because there is surplus, and shortness occurs not because of insufficiency. For example, although a duck's legs are short, if they were lengthened that would cause anxiety. Although a crane's legs are long, if they were shortened that would cause misery. Therefore, what's naturally long shouldn't be made shorter, and what's naturally short shouldn't be lengthened. In that way there would be no reason for grief. What if one suggests that benevolence and righteousness are in opposition to people's actual feelings? How could a person who was truly benevolent feel miserable? If a person's webbed toes were cut apart they'd cry. If a person's extra fingers were bitten off they'd scream. In these two cases, it seems that one of them is lacking enough individual digits and the other has an excess of digits, but their misery would be the same if they were altered. In today's world, benevolent people look out from behind tall grass and moan about the disasters happening all around them. People who aren't benevolent don't care much about what's natural or fated, and fiendishly set about gathering as much wealth as they can. Is it no wonder that it's been suggested that benevolence and righteousness are in opposition to people's actual feelings? From the Three Dynasties on down, hasn't the whole world been shouting and making noise about this? If we have to depend on the curve, plumb line, compass and T-square to make everything correct, that would be like chopping away at what was natural. Depending on rope, binding, glue and sap to make everything stick together, that would be like intruding on individuality. To bow down and humbly submit to ceremonial music, to preach about and ride on the coattails of benevolence and righteousness in order to give some comfort to the hearts of everyone in the world - doing those things would mean giving up on what's always so of itself. Everything in the world is always so of itself. When things are always so of themselves, they are bent without need of a curve, are straight without need of a plumb line, are round without need of a compass, are square without need of a T-square, dovetail into each other without need of glue or sap, and remain joined without need of binding or rope. In that way the world spontaneously guides all life, and there's no sense of how life works itself out. It's the same with everything that's achieved, and there's no sense of how it's been achieved. In this way the past and the present aren't different, and neither of them is lacking in anything. Then why have benevolence and righteousness been repeatedly joined together with glue, sap and rope - as though they're flowing with Dao and De? That causes lots of confusion in the world! If people have small doubts, they can easily change their attitude, but if people have large doubts about things, they can tend to change their whole nature because of it. How do we know this is so? Ever since Shun enlisted the ideas of benevolence and righteousness to hinder the world, there wasn't anyone in the world who hasn't been embroiled in the ideas of becoming benevolent and righteous. Weren't benevolence and righteousness used to change what was natural in people? In an attempt to explain this a little more: From the Three Dynasties on down, there's been no one in the world who hasn't changed their true nature! People in low positions would sacrifice their bodies for profit. Scholars would sacrifice their bodies for fame. Officials would sacrifice their bodies for their families. Sages would sacrifice their bodies for the world. Therefore, these various types of people weren't very different in what they set about to do. Even though they had different titles and careers, the way they harmed their natures and sacrificed their bodies were the same. There was a slave and a young servant who were tending their sheep, and both of them lost their flocks. When the slave was asked what he was doing when this happened, he said he was studying some books he'd brought along. When the young servant was asked what he was doing when this happened, he said he was playing at a game. Even though each of them was doing something different, the loss of the sheep was the same. Bo Yi died for his principles at the foot of Shou Yang mountain. Robber Zhi died for wealth on top of Dong Ling mountain. Although the two of them died for different reasons, the damage to their lives and injury to their natures was the same. Why must Bo Yi be considered as having done the right thing, but Robber Zhi as having done the wrong thing? Of all the people in the world who sacrifice themselves to something, those who sacrifice themselves for benevolence and righteousness are said to be of noble character, but those who sacrifice themselves for wealth and riches are said to be inferior beings. They've both really made the same kind of sacrifice, but one of them is considered noble and the other is considered base. In regard to damaging their lives and injuring their nature, then Robber Zhi is the same as Bo Yi. However, the noble and the base dislike each other because of their differences! Furthermore, I wouldn't say that one who subordinates their nature to benevolence and righteousness, even though they might be like Zeng Shen or Shi Qui, were generous. I wouldn't say that one who subordinates their nature to the five flavors, even though they may be like Yu Er, had fine taste. I wouldn't say that one who subordinates their nature to the five sounds, even though they may be like Shi Kuang, had excellent hearing. I wouldn't say that one who subordinates themselves to the five colors, even though they may be like Li Zhu, was clear-sighted. When I refer to someone who's generous, it's not the same as the common understanding of benevolence and righteousness. Generosity comes from the virtue of what one is, and that's all. When I refer to someone who has fine taste, it's not the same as the common understanding of benevolence and righteousness. Fine taste comes from acceptance of one's own nature and destiny, and that's all. What I mean when I refer to someone who has excellent hearing, it's not the same as the common understanding of being able to listen to other things, but to be able to listen to oneself and that's all. What I mean when I refer to someone who is keen sighted, it's not the same as the common understanding of being able to observe other things, but in being able to observe oneself and that's all. One who doesn't observe themselves but only observes other things, who doesn't reach satisfaction with themselves but only looks for satisfaction from others, who becomes satisfied with others' satisfaction but not with their own, ends up going along with other people's ways but not finding their own way. Going along with other people's ways but not finding their own way, even though they may be a Robber Zhi or a Bo Yi, they end up being arrogant and demented. I'd think they'd be embarrassed to follow a virtue that would make them appear superior and wouldn't dare to conduct themselves with benevolence and righteousness, nor want to appear inferior by going along with being arrogant and demented. \| Zhuangzi Translation \| Glossary/Index A to N \| Glossary/Index P to Z \| ZZ Links \| ZZ Books \| \| Return Home \| Laozi's Dao De Jing \| Your Dao De Jing \| Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) \| Links \| Meditation \| Dao (Tao) is Open Forum \| Book List \| Other Stuff \|