Being born to certain parents and being under the authority of a certain ruler is fate. One cannot fight against it.
Building upon the comparisons of these two relationships, Confucius then describes another, the relationship one has with one's mind:
'…[S]erve your own mind so that sadness or joy do not sway or move it; to understand what you can do nothing about and to be content with it as with fate this is the perfection of virtue. As a subject and a son, you are bound to find things you cannot avoid. If you act in accordance with the state of affairs and forget about yourself, then what leisure will you have to love life and hate death? Act in this way, and you will be all right.' (60)
It may seem as if Chuang Tsu contradicts himself by suggesting one "serve the mind," when earlier, in Yen Hui's parable, he urges that one should ignore it. However, the advice is quite similar. He says to serve the mind "so that sadness or joy do not sway or move it." Human beings are easily swayed by their emotions, products of the mind. It is easy to find joy in obeying one's parents, while serving a ruler can bring sadness. Chuang Tsu is saying that no matter how pleasurable or how painful the emotions, they should be ignored. In other words, the mind still needs to be ignored, as well. The mind recognizes certain relationships as pleasurable or difficult and uses that knowledge to produce the corresponding emotions of joy and sadness. For this reason, Tuz-kao, or any follower of the Way, must "forget…yourself" while carrying out duties. Again, one cannot focus on the known or unknown or whether one has a choice in one's circumstances. If one always focuses on receiving answers from the spirit, that part of oneself that does not have preconceived notions in how to respond or act, one can be free of the burdens of internal conflicts and worry.
After Confucius explains how Tzu-kao can avoid sickness through imbalance, he then speaks more generally on human relationships and how people communicate with each other. As this relates to Tzu-kao, he will need to be careful in how he talks to other men. However, no matter one's situation and whether one knows the person one communicates with or not, the comparisons and aphorisms in this section can be applied to any situation. First, Confucius addresses how difficult it is to "transmit words that are pleasing to both parties or infuriating to both parties'" (60). He asserts that there must be exaggeration, or an over willingness to please the other, when both parties agree, and an over willingness to focus on disagreements when the parties disagree. This is an important illustration for Tzu-kao because he will be communicating with men who may either agree or disagree with him. To avoid exaggeration, Chuang Tsu has Confucius recite an aphorism, or a known and respected adage to transmit "established facts" and not "words of exaggeration" (60).
Second, Confucius describes what usually occurs in competition, whether that competition is physical sport or drinking. What begins as friendly or orderly leads to ill will and deceit. The...
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