2021.11.02 Tuesday Qing D306
"Zhidao Lexue·Chinese Classics" D449
"Zhuangzi" Internal Chapter Health Preservation Master
2
Original text
Pao Ding untied the ox for Lord Wen Hui[1], touched by his hands, leaned on his shoulders, walked on by his feet[2], and stepped by his knees[3] ], the stone is straight, the sword is played [4], and all are in the middle tone [5]. Together with the dance in the mulberry forest, it is the meeting of the first of the middle scriptures.
Lord Wen Hui said: "Hehe [6], that's great! Is this the end of skill?"
Cook Ding Shi Dao said to him: "What I like is the way, which is to advance beyond skill." [7]. When the first minister took care of the cow, he saw nothing but the whole cow. At this time, the whole cow was not seen. I want to do it. According to the laws of nature, I will approve the big problem [8] and guide the big thread, because it is true; the technical scriptures are willing to do it [9], but the situation is great [10]! The sword is broken. The sword of this minister is nineteen years old, and it has cut thousands of oxen. The blade is like a new one, but the blade is not thick. In this period, there must be enough room for him to use the sword. Therefore, in nineteen years, the sword is like a new one. Although, every time I see it is difficult for the clan, I am frightened and take it as a warning. If I act too late, I will use the sword. Very little. However, it is like Tu Wei Di [12]. Standing with the sword in hand, he hesitated and hid it.
Lord Wen Hui said: "That's good!" I heard what the cook Ding said, so I can maintain my health. ”
Notes
[1] Pao (páo): kitchen. “Pao Ding” means the chef. When it is said that “Pao” refers to the chef, “Ding” is his name. ( wèi): substitute, give. Wen Huijun: the old saying refers to Liang Hui Wang. [2] Lu: step on, step on. [4] Hold with your knees. (huà) Ran: the sound of skin and flesh separating. Xiang (Xiang): commonly used as "Xiang (Xiang)", sound. "Xiang (Xiang) Ran", the way multiple sounds respond to each other. [5] In (zhòng): "Medium" means in line with the rhythm of the music. [6] Xi (xi): pass "hee". [7] Enter: to surpass, to surpass. . [8] Comment: Strike: But (xi): Tong means "gap", here refers to the space between the tendons and bones of the cow's body. [9] Technique (zhī): Tong means "branch", which refers to the meridians. "Ji Jing" refers to the place where the meridians are gathered together. 綮 (qǐ): the place where the flesh and bones are tightly connected. Taste: try. [11]玎 (xíng): Whetstone. [12] Wei: Heap.
A chef killed a cow for Wen Huijun and touched it with his hand. The place where the shoulder resists, the place where the foot touches, the place where the knee presses against, make a buzzing sound, just like a beautiful melody, which is in line with the rhythm of the sanglin dance and the rhythm of the sutra.
Wen Huijun said: “Hey, it’s so beautiful! How did you achieve such superb technology? "
The chef put down his knife and replied: "What I like is to explore the rules of slaughtering cattle, not just the general techniques of slaughtering cattle. When I first started to dissect the body of a cow, all I saw was a whole cow. After three years, the whole cow was never seen again. Now, I only use my mind to contact without having to use my eyes to observe. The functions of my eyes seem to have stopped while the spiritual world is still running. According to the natural physiological structure of the cow's body, chop the gaps between the muscles and bones, insert the knife into the large spaces between the bones of the cow, and follow the natural structure of the cow's body to dissect; never collide with the areas where the meridians are gathered and the bones and flesh are closely connected. Where they are connected, not to mention those big bones! Excellent chefs change their knives once a year because they are cutting meat; average chefs change their knives once a month because they are cutting bones. The knife I have been using now has been used for nineteen years, and I have slaughtered more than a thousand cattle, and the blade is still as sharp as if it had just been sharpened on the whetstone. There are gaps between the joints of the cow, and the blade has almost no thickness. If a thin blade is inserted between the joints and combined parts with gaps, there will be plenty of room for the blade to move and rotate. So after nineteen years of use, the edge of my knife still looks like it was freshly sharpened from the whetstone. However, whenever I encounter a place where the muscles and bones are intertwined and it is difficult to operate the knife, I will be extra careful not to be careless. I will look attentively, move slowly, and use the knife very lightly. The entire body of the cow can be completely untied, just like dirt piled on the ground. So, I stood there with the knife in hand, looked around, and with great ambition, I wiped the knife calmly and put it away. "
Wen Huijun said: "The chef's words are so wonderful. I understand the principles of health preservation from it.
”