The joy of the fish

Zhuangzi and Huizi were strolling on a bridge above the Hao River. Zhuangzi said: “Look at that white fish in the water; how leisurely and freely it swims. This is the joy of the fish.” Huizi said, “You are not a fish; how do you know its joy?” Zhuangzi replied, “You are not me; how do you know that I don’t know the joy of the fish?” Huizi responded, “I am indeed not you and surely cannot know your thoughts; similarly, since you are not a fish, how can you know its joy?”

Zhuangzi replied: “Let’s go back to the beginning. You just asked me how I knew the joy of the fish. That question implies you already know that I know it. I’ll tell you: I knew it as I stood on the bridge over the Hao River.”

Why did Zhuangzi think the fish is joyful? A key word here is that Zhuangzi said, “The white fish swims leisurely.” The fish, composed and content, swims freely between heaven and earth. Isn’t this the usual state of the fish? This perfectly represents the ideal state according to Taoism.

The fish is unencumbered and carefree; this is happiness! We humans are full of troubles, feeling pain every day. How wonderful it would be if we could live freely like the fish, live according to the way, follow nature, be uncompetitive, minimize self-interest and desires. Then we will surely have inner peace.

Many people think high status is the greatest joy. Here’s another story also from “Autumn Water.” Once, as Zhuangzi was fishing near the Pu River, the King of Chu sent two high-ranking officials to convey his wishes. They said to Zhuangzi: “His Majesty hopes to entrust you with the affairs of the nation. What do you think?” In essence, they wanted to hire Zhuangzi as the prime minister. This was a very high position.

But Zhuangzi remained unmoved, continuing to fish without turning his head, and told the envoys a story. He said: “I’ve heard that a sacred turtle in the Chu Kingdom has been dead for 3,000 years. Its bones, wrapped in a handkerchief and kept in a bamboo box, are placed in the ancestral temple for divination. Do you think that turtle preferred to sacrifice its life to have its bones respected, or would it rather be alive, rolling in the mud?”

The two envoys replied, “If it were us, we would rather remain alive, crawling through the mud.” Zhuangzi then said, “Well, then you may go! I’d rather be dragging my tail in the mud!”

The joy that most people seek is often associated with wealth and fame, but in Zhuangzi’s view, this is not true. If people lose their nature, their freedom and ease, and become entangled in material desire, it will lead to a fundamental reversal of priorities in this world.

(The author is a cultural scholar.)

(Translated by Shenzhen Daily)