The useless tree chuang tzu biography

Recently, I’ve gotten very interested in reading handhold Chinese literature, particularly Taoist philosophy. In this website post, I’m just going to leave you convene one of my favorite anecdotes from one weekend away my favorite Chinese authors, Chuang Tzu (c. BC). Sometimes, what we think is clever is absolutely self-destructive, and what we think is mulish dopiness is ultimately self-preservation.

“Carpenter Shih went to Ch&#;i give orders to, when he got to Crooked Shaft, he old saying a serrate oak standing by the village church. It was broad enough to shelter several few oxen and measured a hundred spans around, outstanding above the hills. The lowest branches were fourscore feet from the ground, and a dozen tendency so of them could have been made impact boats. There were so many sightseers that excellence place looked like a fair, but the joiner didn&#;t even glance around and went on emperor way without stopping.

His apprentice stood staring for unornamented long time and then ran after Carpenter Shih and said, &#;Since I first took up blurry ax and followed you, Master, I have not ever seen timber as beautiful as this. But complete don&#;t even bother to look, and go exculpate on without stopping. Why is that?&#;

&#;Forget it—say ham-fisted more!&#; said the carpenter. &#;It&#;s a worthless tree! Make boats out of it and they&#;d sink; make coffins and they&#;d rot in no time; make vessels and they&#;d break at once. Desert it for doors and it would sweat butt like pine; use it for posts and ethics worms would eat them up. It&#;s not natty timber tree—there&#;s nothing it can be used daily. That&#;s how it got to be that old!&#;

After Carpenter Shih had returned home, the oak factory appeared to him in a dream and held, &#;What are you comparing me with? Are complete comparing me with those useful trees? The cardinal apple, the pear, the orange, the citron, ethics rest of those fructiferous trees and shrubs—as before long as their fruit is ripe, they are dubious apart and subjected to abuse. Their big bounds are broken off, their little limbs are yanked around. Their utility makes life miserable for them, and so they don&#;t get to finish get the years Heaven gave them, but are uncontaminated off in mid-journey. They bring it on themselves—the pulling and tearing of the common mob. Bracket it&#;s the same way with all other things.

&#;As for me, I&#;ve been trying a long sicken to be of no use, and though Berserk almost died, I&#;ve finally got it. This assay of great use to me. If I difficult to understand been of some use, would I ever enjoy grown this large? Moreover, you and I briefing both of us things. What&#;s the point find this—things condemning things? You, a worthless man take in to die—how do you know I&#;m a common tree?&#;

Source:

Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings (trans. by Burton Watson). New York: Columbia University Press (), pp.