He who wants to avoid doing anything for his body had best abandon the world. By abandoning the world, he can be without entanglements. Being without entanglements, he can be upright and calm. Being upright and calm, he can be born again with others. Being born again, he can come close [to the Way].Go here to read the introductory post to the chapters of the Book of Chuang Tzu.
But why is abandoning the affairs of the world worthwhile, and why is forgetting life worth while?
If you abandon the affairs of the world, your body will be without toil. If you forget life, your vitality will be unimpaired. With your body complete and your vitality made whole again, you may become one with Heaven. Heaven and earth are the father and mother of the ten thousand things. They join to become a body; they part to become a beginning. When the body and vitality are without flaw, this is called being able to shift. Vitality added to vitality, you return to become the Helper of Heaven.
~ Burton Watson translation via Terebess Asia Online ~
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Chapter 19, Part 1B - Chuang Tzu
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