Effortless Action by Slingerland Edward;

Author:Slingerland, Edward;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 2003-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

The Cognitive Aspect of Zhuangzian Wu-wei: Tenuousness and Clarity

How does one avoid alienating one’s vital power, or at least regain powers that have already been lost? In other words, how does one resist the inborn human tendency toward fallenness? We have noted that language and the heart/mind, in which the linguistic capacity resides, are singled out by Zhuangzi as the root causes of fallenness, and it is therefore the heart/mind and its distinction-making tendency that are the primary targets of his soteriological strategy. One of the most detailed accounts of the cognitive aspect to Zhuangzian wu-wei is found at the beginning of chapter 4, in an exchange between Confucius (acting as a mouthpiece for Zhuangzi) and his favorite disciple, Yan Hui. Yan Hui comes to ask permission to travel to the state of Wei in order to remonstrate with its young and unprincipled ruler, whose selfish and foolish policies have caused much suffering among his people.24 Confucius is very dubious about his chances of success—or of even coming back with his head still attached to his shoulders. The problem is that Yan Hui is being guided by teachings/words (yan ) he has heard from the master (“Leave the state that is well ordered and go to the state in chaos!”), his confidence in his superior knowledge of right and wrong, and—Confucius rather sharply observes—his own desire to achieve fame as a “virtuous” man. Yan Hui suggests several different strategies, and they are all rejected by Confucius (“You are still making the heart/mind your teacher [shi ]!” he complains). Finally Yan Hui gives up:

Yan Hui said, “I have no other suggestions. May I ask about the proper technique [fang ]?”

Confucius responded, “You must fast! Let me tell you: do you think it is easy to act under the guidance of [the heart/mind]?25 Those who do think so are not deemed fit [yi ] by Bright Heaven.”

Yan Hui said, “My family is poor, so I haven’t drunk wine or eaten meat for several months. Can this be considered fasting?”

“That is the kind of fasting one does before a sacrifice; it is not the fasting of the heart/mind [xinzhai ].”

“May I ask about the fasting of the heart/mind?”

Confucius said, “Unify your intention [zhi ]! It is better to listen with your heart/mind than to listen with your ears, but better still to listen with your qi than to listen with your heart/mind. Listening stops with the ears and the heart/mind stops with matching things up [fu ],26 but qi is tenuous [xu ] and waits upon things. Only the Way will gather in tenuousness [].27 Tenuousness is the fasting of the heart/mind.”

Yan Hui said, “Before I was able to put this into practice, I was full of thoughts of myself. But now that I am capable of putting it into practice, [I realize] that my self has never existed. Can this be called tenuousness?”

The Master answered, “You’ve got it! I tell you now: you may go and wander in his cage without being moved by fame.

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