The Way of Chuang Tzu

by Thomas Merton

Heaven does nothing: its non-doing is its serenity. Earth does nothing: it non-doing is its rest.

All beings in their perfection Are born of non-doing.

Hence it is said: “Heaven and earth do nothing Yet there is nothing they do not do.”

“How does the true man of Tao

Walk through walls without obstruction, Stand in fire without being burnt?”

Not because he has learned, But because he has unlearned.

All that is limited by form, semblance, sound, color, Is called object.

man

Is more than an object.

He can attain to formlessness.

When he is beyond form and semblance,

Beyond “this” and...

Where is the co...

Where is the conflict?

What can stand in his way?

He will rest in his eternal place Which is no-place. ...

His nature sinks to its root

When he is all one, There is no flaw in him

Life and death are nothing to him. He knows no alarm, he meets obstacles

When an archer is shooting for nothing He has all his skill.

But the prize Divides him. He cares. He thinks more of winning Than of shooting—

a man is crossing a river And an empty boat collides with his own skiff, Even though he be a bad-tempered man He will not become very angry. But if he sees a man in the boat, He will shout at him to steer clear. If the shout is not heard, he will shout again, And yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat. Yet if the boat were empty, He would not be shouting, and not angry.

If you can empty your own boat Crossing the river of the world, No one will oppose you, No one will seek to harm you.

Achievement is the beginning of failure.

Fame is the beginning of disgrace.”

flow like Tao, unseen, He will go about like Life itself With no name and no home.

Since he judges no one No one judges him. Such is the perfect man: His boat is empty.

“Where self-interest is the bond, The friendship is dissolved When calamity comes.

Where Tao is the bond, Friendship is made perfect By calamity.

To dwell nowhere And rest in nothing Is the first step toward resting in Tao. To start from nowhere And follow no road Is the first step toward attaining Tao.”

“For he who knows does not speak, He who speaks does not know”

Tao is Great in all things, Complete in all, Universal in all, Whole in all. These three aspects Are distinct, but the Reality is One.

come with me To the palace of Nowhere Where all the many things are One:

speak Of what has no limitation and no end. Come with me to the land of Non-Doing: What shall we there say—that Tao

That which gives things Their thusness cannot be delimited by things.

when we speak of ‘limits,’ we remain confined To limited things. The limit of the unlimited is called ‘fullness.’ The limitlessness of the limited is called ‘emptiness.’

Tao produces both renewal and decay, But is neither renewal or decay. It causes being and non-being But is neither being nor non-being. Tao assembles and it destroys, But it is neither the Totality nor the Void.”

Do not try To hold on to Tao— Just hope that Tao Will keep hold of you!”

There is no deadlier weapon than the will! The sharpest sword Is not equal to it! There is no robber so dangerous As Nature (Yang and Yin). Yet it is not nature That does the damage: It is man’s own will!

The greatest politeness Is free of all formality. Perfect conduct Is free of concern.

Perfect wisdom Is unplanned. Perfect love Is without demonstrations. Perfect sincerity offers No guarantee.

Thus benevolence and justice rapidly come to be associated with fraud and hypocrisy. Then everybody doubts. And that is when trouble really begins.

To name Tao Is to name no-thing.

Tao is a name That indicates Without defining.

Where there is no longer word or silence Tao is apprehended.

The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.