Who Is Greater: Laozi or Zhuangzi?
The two great masters of Daoism, Laozi and Zhuangzi, are often compared. When making such comparisons, it can be done from two perspectives: academic realm and personal realm. Simply put, Zhuangzi was a highly insightful young maverick, while Laozi was a wise and prudent elder.
Comparison of Academic Achievements
Laozi’s “Dao De Jing” is hailed as a classic of unparalleled significance throughout history. This book, from Dao to De, discusses not only theory but also practice. It covers governance, family management, and personal cultivation, providing thorough and clear explanations from societal phenomena to their causes and solutions. From the truth of the universe to everyday life, everything revolves around the concept of “Dao.” The essence of the “Dao De Jing” is the interchanging of yin and yang, the eternity of matter, orderly cycles, following the Dao, and adapting to natural tendencies. The book contains the famous saying: “Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things. All things carry yin and embrace yang, and are harmonized by the flow of Qi.” This book can serve as a guide for governance, family management, and personal cultivation. If an individual can grasp its meaning, they can become a person of great wisdom.
Confucius spent his life trying to exert his talents but often met with obstacles. He was once seen standing at the gates of the State of Chen, waiting for his students to receive him into the city, described by onlookers as “weary like a dog without a home.” His early life was filled with misfortune. Confucius, perplexed, sought advice from Laozi. Laozi, without saying much, simply told him to reread the “Yi Jing” (Book of Changes). When Confucius deeply studied the “Yi Jing,” he was already 68 years old. He lamented, “If I had understood it earlier, perhaps my life would have had fewer mistakes.” Laozi advised Confucius to reread the “Yi Jing” because its core idea is “the Taiji gives birth to Two Forms, Two Forms give birth to Four Emblems, Four Emblems give birth to Eight Trigrams,” which is fundamentally about nature, similar to “Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things.” Understanding nature and its patterns is understanding Dao. Understanding Dao means acting in accordance with heavenly, earthly, and human principles, which is the wisdom of Laozi.
As for Zhuangzi, his style is different. His philosophy originates from Daoism but with extraordinary creativity, making him an exceptionally insightful scholar. Laozi is like a teacher explaining the principles of the universe, allowing students to imagine the cosmos. Some students think of the Earth, others of the world. However, the exceptionally gifted Zhuangzi imagines beyond the nine heavens, his ideals soaring like a dragon in the skies, traversing the realms, with sparks of brilliance in his mind, dazzling and radiant.
Zhuangzi’s Style and Achievements
Zhuangzi is not only the most romantic poet but also the voice of his time: “The fish Kun is so large, I do not know how many thousand miles it spans; it transforms into a bird, called Peng. The back of Peng, I do not know how many thousand miles it spans; when it flies in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky.” “When Peng migrates to the southern darkness, it splashes the water for three thousand miles, rises with the whirlwind for ninety thousand miles, and continues its journey with June’s breath.” His words paint a grand and vivid picture, demonstrating his vast vision.
Zhuangzi’s empathy is extraordinary, adept at using the philosophy of all things to explain life’s truths, with a touch of humor and enlightening insight. He empathizes with fish: “The fish swims freely, this is the joy of the fish.” He empathizes with butterflies: “Am I Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou? There must be a distinction between Zhou and the butterfly. This is called the transformation of things.”
He was skilled in debate: “You are not me, how do you know I do not know the joy of fish?” When Hui Shi argued, he replied: “You asked how I knew the joy of fish, since you asked, you already knew I knew it. I knew it from above the Hao River.” He left Hui Shi speechless, showcasing his talent for sophistry.
Zhuangzi’s humor is also impressive. He told a story about the death of Hundun (Chaos). The Emperor of the North Sea was called Shu (Neglect), the Emperor of the South Sea was called Hu (Suddenness), and the Emperor of the Central Sea was called Hundun (Chaos). Hundun was very hospitable, always treating Shu and Hu warmly when they visited (perhaps serving dumplings), but Hundun had no orifices. To repay Hundun’s kindness, Shu and Hu decided to bore orifices into him. After seven days, Hundun had orifices but also died.
This story is brilliant. Laozi said in the “Dao De Jing”: “The five colors make people blind, the five sounds make people deaf, the five tastes make people’s mouths numb, racing and hunting make people’s hearts mad, rare goods make people behave evilly.” Zhuangzi uses this story to say that imposing one’s will on others might not yield good results. Hundun’s state represents the original, pure state. Creating orifices represents the influence of external matters, making one impure, corresponding to Laozi’s “five colors make people blind.” Too many external influences may make you lose yourself, thus killing the self.
Conclusion: Two Great Masters of Daoism
The two great masters of Daoism represent the founding and inheritance of the Daoist school. Laozi, like the Buddha, founded the philosophy but remained hidden. Zhuangzi, like the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism, spread Daoist thought through witty and allegorical means. In terms of academic realm, Laozi’s realm is evidently higher; he established a complete system, encompassing all. However, in terms of personal enlightenment, Zhuangzi might be more transcendent; he engages with the world but is not confined by it, with a free spirit. Laozi, being too aware of the essence of Dao, practices non-action and withdraws from the world.
In the long river of history, these sages created classics that have been passed down through the ages. However, I prefer to say they did not create but extracted, using their superhuman insights to find the natural laws and principles from heaven and earth, and using simple words to reveal these to the people. These principles were not their inventions but their realizations. They wrote them down in simple, comprehensible language to convey the mysteries of the universe to the people. Because these classic theories were naturally acquired and not created artificially, they will never become outdated, lasting as long as the heavens and the earth, simple and eternal.
An Imagined Encounter
Let us imagine an encounter in the countryside during a spring day.
Laozi, a sage who understands the principles of the universe, knows the cycles of heaven and earth, with a heart of compassion: “Few words in accord with nature. Hence a whirlwind does not last the morning, a sudden rain does not last the day. Who makes these? Heaven and earth. Even heaven and earth cannot last long, how much less can man?” “Heaven and earth are unkind; they treat all things as straw dogs.” He leaves these words of warning, hoping for a sage king to save the people from suffering, but also knowing it is unlikely, as rituals and music have decayed, and a wise ruler is hard to find. In the glow of the setting sun, the solitary sage rides his blue ox, leaving Hangu Pass, disappearing slowly into the fields, with the wind blowing and wild grass swaying.
Confucius, watching his departing figure, sighs to his students: “I know birds can fly, fish can swim, beasts can run. Those that run can be caught in nets, those that swim can be caught with lines, those that fly can be shot with arrows. But as for dragons, I cannot know; they rise on the wind and clouds to the heavens. Today, I have seen Laozi, he is like a dragon!” Laozi is a dragon, destined to soar someday. Then Confucius gets on his ox cart and leads his disciples on their journey, traveling across the states, advocating his ideas, facing difficulties but persevering with “knowing it is impossible, yet doing it.”
Zhuangzi stands on a high ground by the river, looking at these two sages from a distance, one withdrawing from the world, one engaging with it. He then turns to his friend Hui Shi and says: “Wild horses and dust, all things are blown by breath. The sky is vast, is it its true color? Is it limitless? Looking down, it is just like this. Life is short, why don’t you and I wander together?” The two smile at each other and walk slowly in the remaining spring sunlight.