How Zhuangzi Teaches You to Live Free and Happy

After the Spring Festival, I started reading Zhuangzi. Classical Chinese from the pre-Qin period is much harder to read than that from the Tang and Song dynasties onward. With the help of various commentaries and annotations, after reading for over a week, I've only finished "Free and Easy Wandering" and half of "The Adjustment of Controversies." Just this portion has already greatly benefited me, so today I'd like to share some insights.

Using Your Talents Fully Brings Happiness

"In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, and its name is Kun. The Kun is so huge, I don't know how many thousands of li long it is. It transforms into a bird, and its name is Peng. The Peng's back is I don't know how many thousands of li broad; when it rouses itself and flies, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky."

The opening of "Free and Easy Wandering" features the familiar giant fish and giant bird. We learned this in Chinese class when we were young, but unfortunately at that time we only took it as a strange tale.

"The cicada and the little dove laugh at it, saying: 'We decide to fly up and stop when we reach the elm or sandalwood tree. Sometimes we don't make it and just drop to the ground. What's the point of flying ninety thousand li to the south!'"

The small bird says that with a whoosh it can fly up to a tree branch, and if it can't make it, it just falls back to the ground—very happy indeed.

Some people are advancing human progress, some are living their own lives, some are wealthy and noble, some are content with modest prosperity. As long as one fully exercises their talents, all are happy. This is the first level of happiness.

Higher-Level Happiness

"Thus, those whose wisdom qualifies them for an official position, whose conduct is suitable for a district, whose virtue matches a ruler, and who can win over a nation, view themselves just as these creatures do. But Song Rongzi still laughs at them."

We just discussed the debate between small and great. Whether one's talent can only secure a small official position or govern a nation, as long as one exercises their talents fully, happiness is the same. But Song Rongzi laughs at these people as inadequate, saying there's an even better happiness.

"If the whole world praised him, he wouldn't be encouraged; if the whole world condemned him, he wouldn't be discouraged. He distinguished clearly between the internal and the external, and discerned the boundary between honor and disgrace—that was all."

If a person has their own principles and doesn't become happy or sad based on others' evaluations, then they have achieved a higher level of happiness and are close to free and easy wandering.

Reaching the Highest Level of Freedom

"As for one who rides upon the righteousness of Heaven and Earth, who chariots upon the transformations of the six vital forces, and thus wanders in the limitless—what would he have need to depend upon?"

This is quite difficult to understand. I only slowly grasped what Zhuangzi wanted to express after reading half of "The Adjustment of Controversies." But my understanding may not be correct.

To achieve true freedom, one must view all things, everything in the world, from a higher perspective and vantage point. With Heaven and Earth as the chessboard, all things (including oneself) as chess pieces, and the nature of all things and causality as the rules of the game, one plays in the human world.

"Therefore it is said: The Perfect Person has no self; the Spiritual Person has no achievement; the Sage has no name."

Viewing all causality from God's perspective, thus having no self. Whatever is accomplished is the self-becoming of all things under the laws of causality, thus having no achievement. All things don't know of the relationship between success and you, thus having no name.

To achieve this requires at least two conditions. One is to understand that although all things in the world are different, they are essentially one whole. Only in this way can one transcend the self. This is what "The Adjustment of Controversies" explores. The other is to understand the use of all things in the world, so that one can act without action yet accomplish all things. This is the content of the last part of "Free and Easy Wandering."

The above is just my personal insight from reading "Free and Easy Wandering," not necessarily Zhuangzi's original meaning, nor necessarily the same as expert interpretations. I hope it's helpful to everyone.