Appreciation of Zhuangzi’s famous sayings

1. It is better to forget each other than to forget each other.

The original meaning is that in order to survive in the water that is about to dry up, two fish spit at each other to keep each other moist and not dry to death, so it is called "mutual care and foam". Zhuangzi took this and said with emotion, "It is better to forget each other in the world than to forget each other in the rivers and lakes." Because it is difficult for two fishes to survive just by relying on each other's saliva, it is better to forget each other and run away to find the rivers and lakes to survive.

2. If there is a gap between heaven and earth in life, it will happen suddenly.

"Human life between heaven and earth is like a horse passing through a narrow passage, passing by in an instant. Naturally, everything flourishes; naturally, everything adapts to changes and dies. Things have changed and grown. In the world, they will change and die. Living things lament it and people pity it. However, human death only releases the bondage of nature, destroys the restraint of nature, and wanders around the earth one after another. It will definitely disappear, so the body shape will also go with it. This is the ultimate return to the ancestral origin! There is no body change but a body, and there is a body and then changes into a disappearing body. This is what everyone understands. It is definitely not the truth that people who understand the Dao pursue, and it is also a topic that people talk about together. People who understand the Dao will not discuss it, and people who discuss it will not truly understand the Dao and will not truly seek it. It is better to understand that it is better to keep silent than to speak with great words. It is impossible to hear the truth through rumors. It is better to shut one's ears if one wishes to hear rumors. This is called truly understanding the mysterious way."

3. The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, while the friendship between villains is as sweet as sweet wine. The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, while the friendship between villains is as sweet as wine.

The friendship between gentlemen is as clear as water without impurities, while the friendship between villains is as sweet as liqueur. Although the friendship between gentlemen is plain, they are close at heart. Although the friendship between villains is too close and sweet, it is easy to break off the friendship (because of interests).

4. The afterlife cannot be waited for, and the past life cannot be pursued.

What will happen in the next life cannot be predicted, and what happened in the past cannot be taken back.

5. My life has a limit, but my knowledge has no limit. If there is a limit, then there is no limit, it is almost gone; if you know it already, it is almost gone.

"My life is limited, but knowledge is infinite. It is useless to pursue the infinite with the limited.

By the time you become a person who knows everything, you will be dead."

This shows that knowledge is endless. It is unrealistic to simply pursue the amount of knowledge.

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6. Those who work alone cannot achieve great things.

No matter how capable a person is, he alone cannot achieve success.

7. Skillful people work hard, wise people worry, and incompetent people have nothing to ask for.

Smart people are tired and smart people are troubled, and people without ability have nothing to pursue.

8. There is no greater sorrow than the death of the heart, and the death of a person is also the second most.

The greatest sorrow for a person is the death of the spiritual world, while the death of the physical body comes second.

9. Everyone knows the useful uses, but no one knows the useless ones.

Small things have their uses, and big things have their uses. Large and small objects just have different uses, and there is no difference between them being useful or useless.

10. Heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things are one with me.

"Heaven and earth coexist with me" means to transform nature into inaction, comply with the destiny of heaven, and do not deliberately pursue "my" desires and destroy the way of nature.

"All things are one with me" allows me to avoid the distinction between things and myself, big and small, and experience the wonder of "nothing can go but me".

“Heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things are one with me” talks about conforming to nature, avoiding the distinction between things and me, and integrating with heaven, earth, and all things.