"According to the laws of nature, criticize the big problems, and guide the big problems" means: according to the natural physiological structure of the cow, cut into the gaps where the muscles and bones of the cow's body are connected, and follow the spaces between the joints. Enter the knife.

This sentence comes from Zhuangzi's "The Cooking Ding Jie Niu".

I have found the original text of this sentence for everyone. You can refer to it:

Pao Ding untied the ox for Lord Wenhui. He touched it with his hand, leaned on his shoulder, and walked on it with his feet. , where the knees are staggered, the stone is pointed straight away, and the sword is played sharply, all without missing the middle note. The dance that combines with "Sanglin" is the meeting of "Sutra".

Wen Huijun said: "Hey, that's great! Is this the end of skill?"

Pao Ding Shi Dao said to him: "What I like is the way, and it starts with skill." When I untied the ox, I saw nothing but the ox. Three years later, I did not see the whole ox. At this time, I saw it with my own eyes, but the official knew it and acted according to the will of heaven. It is true that he has not yet tried to use the skills to cut the sword, but it is so bad! The good cook renews his knife every year, and it is cut; the sword of the clan is broken every month. Thousands of oxen can be solved, and if the blade is new, there is space in the joint, but the blade is not thick. If there is a space without thickness, there will be enough room for the sword to be used, so it will take nineteen years. And if the blade is new, I see it is difficult to do it, so I am afraid and take it as a warning. The action is very slow, but it is already solved, just like holding the knife on the ground. He looked around, hesitating and full of ambition, and he hid the sword well." Wen Huijun said: "How good! I heard the words of the cook, and I learned about it."

Translation of this article. In vernacular it goes like this:

Pao Ding slaughtered the cow for King Hui of Liang. Wherever the hand touches, where the shoulder leans, where the foot steps, where the knee touches, there is a squeaking sound, and there is a crack when the knife is inserted, and there is nothing out of tune: it is in line with the rhythm of the dance music of "Sanglin" (Tang Shi) , and also conforms to the rhythm of the music of "Jingshou" (in the time of Yao).

King Hui of Liang said: "Hey, great! How come your skills (in cutting oxen) are so superb?"

Pao Ding put down his knife and replied: " What I focus on is the law of cutting cattle, which is beyond ordinary techniques. At first, when I slaughtered the cow, I saw a complete cow. After a few years, I never saw a complete cow again. Now, I am in contact with the cow with my spirit, without looking at it with my eyes. My senses are stopped and my spirit is moving according to the cow's natural physiological structure, cutting into the gaps between the bones and muscles of the cow's body, and following the spaces between the joints. According to the original structure of the cow's body, the place where the tendons and meridians are connected and the place where the muscles and bones are connected has never been touched with a knife, let alone the big bones! A skilled chef replaces the knife every year to cut the muscles. The knife is damaged by cutting (just like we use a knife to cut rope); a chef with average skill has to replace the knife every month. The knife is broken by cutting the bone. Now, my knife has been used for nineteen years, so. Thousands of cattle have been slaughtered, but the blade is as sharp as if it had just been sharpened on a whetstone. There are gaps in the joints of the cows, and the blade is very thin; use a very thin blade to insert the gap into the joints, and it will be wide. So, there must be room for the blade to move! Therefore, for nineteen years, the blade still looks like it has just been sharpened from the whetstone. It was difficult to cut the knife there, so I carefully increased my vigilance, focused my vision to a certain point, slowed down my movements, and moved the knife very lightly. With a crack, the bones and meat of the cow were untied at once, like soil scattered on the ground. It was the same as on the ground. I stood up with the knife in hand, looked around, and felt content with it. Then I wiped the knife clean and put it away." King Hui of Liang said, "Okay! After listening to what Cook Ding said, I now understand the principles of health preservation."

Here are some words that I think are more important, and I will explain them to you individually:

Pao (páo). ) Ding: Ming Ding’s cook. Pre-Qin ancient books often put occupation before a person's name.

Wen Huijun: King Hui of Liang, also known as King Hui of Wei.

Jie Niu: Slaughter the cow, which refers to cutting the entire body of the cow into pieces.

踦 (yǐ): support, contact. This refers to pushing the cow with the knee of one leg.

砉 (xū) Ran: onomatopoeia. The sound of skin and bones being separated. To, pass "ring".

騞（xū）Ran: Onomatopoeia, describing the sound of cutting the knife and cutting off the cow, which is louder than the sound of the knife.

Sanglin: The legendary name of the music during the Shang Tang Dynasty.

Sutra: A chapter from the legendary Yao music "Xianchi". Hui: refers to rhythm. The above two sentences are intertextual, which means "it is a gathering of dances in the mulberry forest and the sutra head".

Hee: Admiration.

Gai: Tong "盍(hé)", He, how.

To advance: to exceed.

Guanzhi: This refers to vision. Divine desire: refers to spiritual activities.

Tianli: refers to the natural physiological structure of cattle.

Pi Da Que: Hit into big gaps. Batch: hit. But: gap.

Daiao (kuǎn): insert the knife along the space (between the joints).

Cause: depend on. Of course: refers to the original structure of the cow's body.

Ji Jing: still talks about meridians. According to the textual research of Yu Yue of the Qing Dynasty, "Ji" should be a mistake in the word "branch", which refers to the branch vein. Meridian, meridians. Ken: Meat attached to bones. Qi (qìng): the place where muscles and muscles gather. The preposition of the predicate of "无道经经凯綮之" is "We have not tasted the skill classics and willing to cook".

軱(gū): The large bone in the thigh.

Cutting: This refers to cutting raw and hard.

Clan: public, refers to the general ones.

Break: Use a knife to break bones.

Fa: go out. 玎(xíng): Whetstone.

Joint: joint. Between: gap.

Huihuihu: a generous look.

Clan: refers to the place where muscles and bones intersect and gather together.

怵(chù)Ran: a look of fear.

苋 (huò): onomatopoeia. The sound of flesh and blood leaving.

Weidi: scattered on the ground.

Good: wipe.

Health preservation: refers to the way to maintain health.

It may be difficult to understand the meaning just by reading the article, so it is easier to understand if we combine it with the background of the article's creation:

Zhuangzi lived in the middle of the Warring States Period, which was very During the period of intense social transformation, Chinese society has experienced a great change in which "high shores turned into valleys and deep valleys turned into mausoleums." The society was in turmoil and the people were in dire straits. People in troubled times were full of confusion about life and the future. In view of the cruel reality that people cannot live unfettered by their nature and face ruthless destruction and cannot enjoy their full life, Zhuangzi is forced to be horribly cautious at any time and at any time, adapt at the right time, without seeking far-reaching harm, and wants to survive at the joints of complex struggles. Find a gap in the world and use it as a comfortable place to preserve life so that you can survive in this troubled world with ease. This fable reflects this state of mind.

Now that we have said this, let’s appreciate and analyze this article "The Cooking Ding Jie Niu":

The author’s original intention is to use it to explain the way to maintain health, and to reveal the truth. Understand the principle that everyone should obey the laws of nature in everything they do. The full text can be divided into four paragraphs. The first paragraph describes Cook Ding's skillful movements and beautiful sounds when undressing the ox; the second paragraph is followed by Wen Huijun's praise, which highlights Cook Ding's superb skills from the side; the third paragraph is Cook Ding's answer to Wen Huijun, in which Cook Ding mainly talks about his own In the three stages of "Tao" realm; the fourth paragraph writes that Wen Huijun understood the principle of health preservation after listening to it. This article uses a variety of techniques in writing, with a tight structure and vivid and concise language, which embodies the characteristics of Zhuangzi's writings.

The first paragraph is a vivid description of "Jie Niu". The author uses thick pen and ink to express the leisurely look and harmonious movements of the cook Ding while undressing the ox. The whole body's hands, shoulders, feet, and knees are used together, and touching, leaning, stepping, and pushing cooperate with each other. Everything looks so coordinated and elegant. "The sound of the hammer is loud, and the sound of the sword is loud", the sound shape is lifelike. The sound of the cattle's bones and flesh being separated and the sound of chopping the cattle's bones are gentle and heavy, alternating with ups and downs, and the sounds are heard.

The second paragraph then uses Wen Huijun's sigh: "How good! This is the best skill!" to further point out the "god" of Cook Ding's work on cattle. This is a good preparation for the transition from narrative to argument below. bedding.

The wonderful thing about the third paragraph is that Chef Ding's answer is not limited to "skill", but attributes the reason for "skill to this point" to "Tao". "What I like is Tao, which is advanced by skills." From this, he tells the truth about seeking "Tao" and being good at "skills". This paragraph of discussion is the essence of the whole article. In order to explain how "Tao" is superior to "skill", the article uses two contrasting contrasts: one is the comparison between the beginning of the cook's work and three years later, and the other is the comparison between the cook and ordinary cooks. When the cook Ding first saw the cow, he saw a whole cow. After three years, he no longer saw the whole cow. Instead, he knew the natural structure of the cow's physiology, the gaps between the muscles and bones, and the acupoints between the joints. Ordinary cooks don't understand the inner structure of cows and blindly chop the bones with knives. Although good cooks can avoid the bones, they can't avoid using their knives to cut the tendons. But this is not the case with Cook Ding. He doesn't rely on his senses to feel the cow, but " "Encounter with the spirit rather than with eyesight, the senses stop and the spirit desires to act." Use the inner spirit to experience the cow's body, follow nature, choose the gaps to enter, split the gaps between muscles and guide the joints, and proceed according to the natural structure of the cow .

Conformity with nature and the unity of things and myself are originally the pursuit of Taoism. Cook Ding used this as a way to solve the problem of cattle, which enabled him to advance from "skills" to "Tao" and reach the level of proficiency and superior skills. . "With only a slight movement of the knife, the beast has been cut off, just like the soil is cut into the ground." These twelve characters describe the effect of the cook's cutting of the cow. The method is correct. Not only can the cow be cut quickly, but the knife will not be damaged. In the past nineteen years, thousands of cattle have been slaughtered, and the knife has not been replaced. The blade is still as sharp as ever. This is of course inconceivable to a lowly cook who changes his knife every month. The difference is that they pursue "skills", while Cook Ding pursues "Tao".

On the relationship between "skills" and "Tao". The Zhuangzi School believes that "skill" and "Tao" are connected. "Tao" is higher than "technique", and "technique" is subordinate to "Tao"; only when "technique" conforms to "Tao" can skill be pure and refined. The essence of "Tao" lies in natural inaction, and the perfection of "skill" also lies in natural inaction. Only by "combining heaven with heaven" ("Zhuangzi Dasheng"), and combining man's inner nature with outer nature, can we reach the highest state of "skill". Cook Ding has a deep understanding of Samadhi, so he can become the best in solving cattle. In turn, there is "Tao" in "technique", and "Tao" can be observed from "technique". "Skills are related to things, things are related to righteousness, righteousness is related to virtue, virtue is related to Tao, and Tao is related to heaven" ("Zhuangzi Heaven and Earth"). It was through the "skills" of the cook that Wen Huijun understood the "Tao" of maintaining health. The fundamental way to maintain health is to follow nature. Obviously, the cook's explanation of the cow is Zhuangzi's metaphor for the method of maintaining health.

However, what Zhuangzi said about "depending on the laws of nature" and "because it is natural" objectively reveals the problem of how people can achieve freedom in practice.

The "natural principles" and "natural principles" mentioned in the article, if extended, can also be understood as the external objective things that people face. Although it will bring various restrictions or obstacles to people who hope to achieve freedom, wise people are not helpless in front of it. As long as they understand it and comply with it, they can be as free and unrestrained as Pao Ding. In this regard, Zhuangzi once made a very subtle analysis: "There is a gap in the joint, but the blade is not thick; if there is a gap in the blade without thickness, there will be room for it to be used with ease." "Jie" is of course. It is insurmountable, but there is a gap after all, which provides a world for people to "flexibly". As long as they are good at displaying their skills in this world, they can also be free. The word "Yuji" vividly reflects the deified state of the bull-breaker who is in line with nature but transcends nature. Of course, the understanding of "natural" is not once and for all. Even a highly skilled person like Cook Ding always works cautiously whenever his muscles and bones are knotted. The only way to pursue it is to never slacken off.

The purpose of this fable is to illustrate "health preservation", but in fact it also elaborates on a profound aesthetic proposition, that is, artistic creation is a kind of free creation. Zhuangzi believes that there is "art" in "skill". The action of the cook Ding undressing the ox is quite artistic and ornamental. His performance is like a beautiful music and dance, its dance steps are consistent with the dance music of "Sanglin", and its rhythm is consistent with the brilliant movement of "Xianchi". As a creative activity with beautiful meaning, it makes the viewers fascinated. And the look on the look of the cook Ding "standing with the knife in hand, looking around, and being very proud of it" after unloading the cow, allows people to see the creator's inner satisfaction and joy after the completion of the work.

It is through Pao Ding that Zhuangzi talks about his art and reveals that beauty is a free creation. This kind of beautiful creation must achieve the unity of law ("because it is natural") and purpose ("to the point"), in order to achieve the state of freedom ("with ease"). "Encounter with the spirit instead of looking at it, the official knowledge stops but the spirit wants to act" is the necessary state of mind for creation, emphasizing the need to eliminate all sensory disturbances and concentrate on it, which is similar to Zi Qing's statement in "Zhuangzi Dasheng" What was said at that time was "fasting to meditate" and "forgetfulness has four branches", which are consistent. This state of "mind fasting" and "sitting and forgetting" has the same goal as the "quiet contemplation" and "contemplation" that modern Western aesthetics focuses on, but it precedes Schopenhauer and Nietzsche by more than 2,100 years.

Zhuangzi’s prose is good at using visual reasoning methods. This fable uses a variety of techniques such as exaggeration, contrast, contrast, and description to express the skill of the cook Ding in dismantling the cow, the leisurely expression, the graceful movement, the harmony of rhythm, and the naturalness of body and mind. Specifically, the main characteristics of this article in terms of writing are:

1. Tight structure. The full text is divided into two parts, first telling the story (first and second paragraphs), and then pointing out the moral (third paragraph). As far as the story is concerned, it is divided into two levels, namely from writing about "technique" to talking about "Tao". First, the superb skill of Cook Ding in undressing the ox is described, and then Cook Ding explains his method of untying the ox. When writing about Cook Ding's skills, he first describes it directly, then summarizes it through Wen Huijun's praise, and then transfers it to Cook Ding's talk. The explanation of Tao is divided into three aspects: first, from the vertical aspect, it introduces the three stages of mastering Tao, highlighting the characteristics after mastering Tao; secondly, from the horizontal aspect, it compares Cook Ding with good cooks and clan cooks, so as to Explain the similarities and differences between being enlightened and not; thirdly, explaining the successful solution of the difficult "ethnic" problem. This is written from general to special. These three aspects are all closely linked to the "Tao" of "according to the laws of heaven" and "because it is natural". The first sentence of Cook Ding's reply to Wen Huijun naturally connected the two aspects of writing skills and speaking. Wen Huijun's words about how to maintain health through the words of Chef Ding also serve to unify the entire text and reveal the theme. The full text focuses on the incident of Jie Niu, elaborating on the word "Tao", from concrete to abstract, analyzing each link, and explaining the truth clearly and thoroughly.

2. The language is vivid and concise. For example, when writing about the movements of the hands, shoulders, feet, and knees of the cook when undressing the cow, the four characters of touching, leaning, walking, and hesitating are used to reflect their respective characteristics. With three words like "Hee! That's great! Is your skill like this?" (half content words and half function words), Wen Huijun's surprise, admiration and bewilderment when he saw Cook Ding's superb cattle-cutting skills were conveyed. Thoughts and feelings are truly reflected. "Being frightened is a warning, and seeing it as a warning is enough. The action is late, and the knife is barely used." These few sentences vividly portray the characteristics of the chef's inner activities, eyes and movements that are attentive, careful and confident when solving special difficulties. It is in sharp contrast to the later description of the chef Ding's leisurely and contented movements and demeanor after solving his difficulties.