When Lei Yikou traveled to the State of Qi, he turned back on the Tao and met Bo Fushimao.
He met Mr. Bohun, who asked, "What made you come back?"
Lie Mikao said, "I am frightened and uneasy."
Again, he asked, "What is the cause of your anxiety?"
Lie Mikao said, "I had been drinking at ten stores that sell soups, but five of them brought them to me beforehand."
The Bohun diminisher said, "How is it that you are terrified by something like this?"
Lie Mikao said, "When the heart is sincere but fails to free itself from the common place, the external figure gives vent to it and presents beauty; and when one subdues the heart with external things, and respects himself more than he respects the aged, he is bound to incur misfortune. The soup-sellers, who sell nothing but soup for drinking, without much profit, and whose inward intention in bringing the drink beforehand is insignificant, yet treat me so, not to mention the ruler of that great nation? The rulers of a great nation, who are personally occupied with their country, and whose wisdom is exhausted in government, will surely entrust me with important tasks and test my merits. It is for this reason that I am terrified."
The Bohun said, "Your observation and analysis are really good! Be at peace with yourself, and people will surely come to you!”
Not long afterward, he went to visit Lei Yikou and saw shoes outside the door. He stood with his face toward the north, holding his cane up to support his chin. After standing there for a while, he walked out without saying a word.
The person who received the guests told Lie Mikou, who ran out with his shoes and bare feet, rushed to the door, and said, "Sir has come, but not a word of criticism or instruction?"
And he said, "Forget it, I told you that the people would come to you, and they are coming to you. In the beginning I rebuked you for making the people adhere to you, and you have never been able to do anything to keep the people from adhering to you. Why do you act differently beforehand by appearing outwardly to move people? It must be something within you that moves you, and there is nothing you can do about it. And there is none that can warn the hof thy companions, whose subtle and confusing words are poisonous; how can they examine one another without being awakened and enlightened? The dexterous man labors much, and the wise man sorrows much; and he who has no ability has no pursuit, and fills his stomach, and roams freely, like a ship floating in the water without cables, and this is he who roams freely in a state of emptiness of mind."
A man named Slow in the state of Zheng chanted and recited in the place of Qiu, and in only three years he became a Confucian scholar, moistening the wide expanse of the land like the river water moistening the land along the shore, and extending his favor to the three clans, and making his brother a scholar of the Mohist school. Confucianism and Mohism were incompatible and argued with each other, but Slow's father sided with the Mohists. After ten years, he committed suicide in anger. His father dreamt of him and said, "I am the one who made your son a Mohist. Why don't you take a look at my grave, where I have turned into an autumn cypress tree and borne fruit!" What the Creator gives to people does not endow them with talents and abilities but with their natural nature. Slow's younger brother possessed the endowment of the Mohist thus enabling him to become a Mohist scholar. Slow always thought that he had something different to insult his father in this way, just like the man of Qi who thought that he had accomplished something in digging a well and scratched and fought with those who drank the water, so it seems that almost all the people in today's society are people like Slow who are greedy for heavenly accomplishments and think that they own them. They think that life is always like this, but those who are virtuous do not realize such a situation, let alone those who are virtuous! In ancient times, people called this greed for heaven's merits a punishment for going against the laws of nature.
The man who is sainty and philosophical is at peace with nature, but is not adapted to man-made manipulations; the ordinary man is accustomed to man-made manipulations, but is not at peace with nature.
Zhuangzi said, "It is easy to understand the Tao, but difficult not to talk about it. To understand the Tao but not to talk about it is the way to the realm of nature; to understand the Tao but to talk about it is the way to the man-made world. In ancient times, people were aware of nature and did not seek the artificial."
When Zhu Peng Man learned the technique of dragon slaying from Zhi Li Yi, he exhausted his family's wealth of a thousand gold, and three years later he had learned the technique but had little opportunity to perform such skill.
The holy and philosophical man does not argue with others about what is inevitable, and so there is always no argument; the ordinary man, however, regards what is not inevitable as inevitable, and thus is always arguing. The reason why people follow the disputes is that every action is pursued, and the disputes, depending on them, will only bring about their own destruction.
Worldly people's clever way, can not be separated from gifts and rewards, in the shallow things to spend the spirit,to help the world to guide all things, full of thinking that this can achieve the chaos and the realm of the harmony of the world. People like this have long been confused by the vastness of the universe, and their bodies have been exhausted by labor but they do not understand the true meaning of the beginning of chaos.
Those who have high moral cultivation, let the spirit return to the primitive state of the beginning of the universe, willing to rest in the world without any tangible things. Like water flowing with the formless, they naturally flow in the realm of emptiness and silence. Sadly! The worldly man spends his mind on trivial matters, but he does not know anything about tranquility, nature and inaction.
A man named Cao Shang from the state of Song traveled to the state of Qin for the king of Song. When he traveled to Qin, he was given several carriages by the king of Song; and the king of Qin was so pleased that he gave him a hundred more carriages. When Cao Shang returned to Song, he met with Zhuang Zi and said, "Living in a remote and narrow alley, being so poor as to have my own woven linen shoes, and having a shriveled neck and a yellowish face, this is where I am inferior to others; but once I had the opportunity to make the king of a great country realize his purpose and accompanied him with a hundred carriages, this is where I am superior to others." Zhuang Zi said, "I heard that the king of Qin was sick and summoned his subordinate doctors, and the one who broke out the pus sores and dispersed the boils could get one vehicle, and the one who licked and cured the hemorrhoids could get five carriages, and the lower the part of the body that was healed was, the more carriages he could get. Have you licked hemorrhoids for the King of Qin, and how is it that you were awarded so many carriages? You go away!"
Duke Lu Ai asked Yan Wu, "I want to appoint Zhong Ni as a minister, there is hope for the country, isn't there?" Yan Helu said, "It's dangerous, really dangerous! Zhongni is bent on whitewashing and dressing up, pursuing and practicing hypocritical speech, regarding branches and knots as essentials, and distorting his heart to boast to the people without realizing that there is not the slightest bit of honesty at all; how can he manage the people well by letting such a practice be borne in the heart and dominate the spirit! Is Zhongni really suitable for you, or is he really capable of raising the people? You are undoubtedly mistaken in your considerations. Nowadays the people are made to depart from the truth and learn falsehood and deceit; this is not the way to guide the people, and for the sake of future generations it would be better to give up the above intention as soon as possible. It is difficult for Kong Qiu to rule the country well."
Giving favors to others but always forgetting to let them return the favor is far from nature's extensive and selfless bestowal on the universal. The merchant who gives favors in return despises them, and even if there is something with which he must associate, he despises them inwardly.What inflicts the punishment of flesh and skin is no more than a metal or wooden instrument of torture; what brings punishment to the inner world is its own vexation and faulty action. The punishment of the flesh and skin of the villain is the use of instruments of torture; the punishment of the villain's heart is the infringement caused by the accumulation of Yin and yang Qi. Those who can be spared from internal and external punishment and humiliation are only true men.
Confucius said: "The human heart is more dangerous than mountains and rivers, and more difficult than predicting the sky; nature still has a certain cycle of spring, summer, fall, winter and morning and evening changes, but people are complex and changeable emotions deeply hidden. Some people look honest but inwardly overflowing, some people look like elders but the heart is not right, some people appearance of restraint inwardly impatient but reasonable, some people appearance of tough but lax, some people on the surface of the soothing but inwardly very strong. So people tend to benevolence and righteousness as if their mouths were dry and they wanted to drink from a spring, and they abandon benevolence and righteousness as if they were fleeing from the heat and avoiding the flames.
Therefore, a gentleman always keeps people away from himself to observe whether they are loyal or not, keeps people close to him to observe whether they are respectful or not, lets people handle chaotic affairs to observe whether they are capable or not, asks sudden questions to people to observe whether they are wise or not, gives them tasks with tight deadlines to observe whether they are trustworthy or not, trusts them with property to observe whether they are honest or not, tells them about danger to observe whether they are prudent or not, observes their manners in the form of drunkenness, observe their attitude toward women by means of mingling with men and women. When each of the above nine manifestations was verified, the bad ones were naturally picked out."
The first time Zheng Kaofu was appointed as a scholar, he bowed his back, the second time he was appointed as a great physician, he bent deeply, and the third time he was appointed as a minister, he bent down even more humbly, and he always made way for the avenue to walk quickly and hurriedly along the root of the wall, and with such a humble attitude, who dared to do anything untoward! If it is a mortal man, the first appointment as a scholar will be arrogant and reserved, the second appointment as a doctor will be dancing in the car, and the third appointment as a minister will be called uncle, like this, who will still be as modest as Tang Yao and Xu Yu?
There is no greater evil than to intentionally cultivate virtue and thinking overtimes. When one thinks overtimes, one will be subjective to one's own will.Subjective judgment will surely lead to failure.
The five faculties that invite evil are the heart, ears, eyes, tongue, and nose, and inner planning is the first of the evils. What is meant by the evil of inner planning? The scourge of inner scheming refers to self-righteousness that denigrates what one does not agree with.
Distress and embarrassment arise from the following eight aspects of self-importance and reserve, and smoothness and prosperity are based on the inevitable development of the following three circumstances, just as the body shape must have six internal organs. Beauty, long beard, tallness, stoutness, robustness, splendor, courage, and boldness, the eight strengths are far superior to others, so the pride of reliance inevitably leads to distress and embarrassment. The three cases of conformity, following others, being weak in distress and humble in attitude, are all able to achieve success in all things. He who boasts of his wisdom and shows it to the world, who is courageous and impetuous, will have many grievances, and who advocates benevolence and righteousness, will have many reproaches. He who knows the truth of life has an open heart; he who knows the truth has an open heart; he who knows the way of longevity follows nature; and he who knows the truth of shortness of life is able to be at peace with himself.
There was a man who visited the king of Song, who gave him ten horses and chariots, and flaunted them in front of Zhuang Zi. Zhuang Zi said, "There was a poor family on the river who made a living by weaving reed mats. His son dived into the abyss and got a pearl worth a thousand pieces of gold, and the father said to his son, 'Take a stone and hammer this pearl to break it! A pearl worth a thousand pieces of gold must have come from the bottom of the deep pool, under the chin of the black dragon, and you can easily get such a pearl because the black dragon must have fallen asleep. If the black dragon wakes up, do you still want to come back alive? Now the danger of Song is far more than the bottom of a deep pool; and the ferocity of the King of Song is far more than that of the Black Dragon. You were able to obtain ten carriages and horses from the King of Song, and you must also have met the King of Song asleep. If the King of Song wakes up, you will surely be crushed to pieces."
A man offered Zhuangzi a job. Zhuangzi replied to his messenger, "Have you seen the oxen that are to be sacrificed? Is it even possible to want to be an unattended calf when you drape it with brocade woven with patterns, give it grass and beans to eat, and wait until you lead it into the temple to kill it for sacrifice?"
Zhuangzi was about to die, and his disciples planned to use a lot of things as a burial. Zhuangzi said, "I take heaven and earth as my coffin, the sun and the moon as my jewels, and the stars as my pearls; all things can be my burial. Is my burial not complete? Where is the need to add all these things!" The disciple said, "We are worried about the crows and eagles pecking at the remains of the gentleman." Zhuangzi said, "Abandoning the body on the ground will be eaten by crows and eagles, and burying it deep in the ground will be eaten by ants; how can one be so biased as to take away the food from the crows and eagles and then give it to the ants？"
To pursue evenness with prejudice, such evenness is definitely not natural evenness; to fulfill external objects with artificial senses, such fulfillment is never natural senses. Those who think they are wise will only be driven by external objects; only those whose spiritual world is completely transcendent to external objects will be naturally inducted. Those who think they are wise have long been no match for those whose spiritual world is completely transcendent, but it is not sad that foolish people still indulge in the world and human affairs with their own prejudices, and that their utility lies only in the pursuit of things outside of themselves!
[列御寇之齐，中道而反，遇伯昏瞀人。
列御寇到齐国去，半路上又折了回来，遇上伯昏瞀人。
伯昏瞀人曰：「奚方而反？」
伯昏瞀人问道：“什么事情使你又折了回来？”
曰：「吾惊焉。」
列御寇说：“我感到惊惶不安。”
曰：「恶乎惊？」
伯昏瞀人又问：“什么原因使你惊惶不安？”
曰：「吾尝食于十浆，而五浆先馈。」
列御寇说：“我曾在十家卖汤的店子里饮用，却有五家事先就给我送来。”
伯昏瞀人曰：「若是，则汝何为惊已？」
伯昏瞀人说：“像这样的事，你怎么会惊惶不安呢？”
曰：「夫内诚不解，形谍成光，以外镇人心，使人轻乎贵老，而齑其所患。夫浆人特为食羹之货、多余之赢，其为利也薄，其为权也轻，而犹若是，而况于万乘之主乎？身劳于国，而知尽于事。彼将任我以事，而效我以功。吾是以惊焉。」
列御寇说：“内心至诚却又未能从流俗中解脱出来，外部身形就会有所宣泄而呈现出神采；用外在的东西镇服人心，对自己的尊重胜过尊重年老的人，必然会招致祸患。那卖汤的人只不过是为了卖掉饮用的羹汤，没有多少赢利，他们获利是很微薄的，他们预先送汤时的内心打算也是微不足道的，可是还如此地对待我，何况那大国的国君呢？国君亲身操劳于国家而才智耗尽于政事，他们定会把重任托付给我并检验我的功绩。我正因为这个缘故才惊惶不已。”
伯昏瞀人曰：「善哉观乎！女处己，人将保女矣！」
伯昏瞀人说：“你的观察与分析实在是好啊！你安处自身吧，人们一定会归附于你了！”
无几何而往，则户外之屦满矣。伯昏瞀人北面而立，敦杖，蹙之乎颐；立有间，不言而出。
没有多久伯昏瞀人前去看望列御寇，看见门外摆满了鞋子。伯昏瞀人面朝北方站着，竖着拐杖撑住下巴。站了一会儿，一句话也没说就走出去了。
宾者以告列子，列子提屦，跣而走，暨乎门，曰：「先生既来，曾不发药乎？」
接待宾客的人员告诉了列御寇，列御寇提着鞋子，光着脚就跑了出来，赶到门口，说：“先生已经来了，竟不说一句批评指教的话吗？”
曰：「已矣！吾固告汝曰『人将保汝』，果保汝矣。非汝能使人保汝，而汝不能使人无保汝也。而焉用之感豫出异也！必且有感，摇而本性，又无谓也。与汝游者，又莫汝告也。彼所小言，尽人毒也。莫觉、莫悟，何相孰也？巧者劳，而知者忧，无能者无所求，饱食而敖游，泛若不系之舟，虚而敖游者也。」
伯昏瞀人说：“算了算了，我本来就告诉你说人们将会归附于你，果真都在归附你了。当初我曾责备过你让人们归附于你，而你却始终不能做到让人们不归附于你。你何必用显迹于外的做法让人感动而预先就表现得与众不同呢！必定是内心有所感动方才会动摇你的本性哩，而你又无可奈何。跟你交游的人又没有谁能提醒告诫你，他们的细巧迷惑的言辞，全是毒害人的；没有谁觉醒没有谁省悟，怎么能彼此相互审视详察！灵巧的人多劳累而聪慧的人多忧患，没有能耐的人也就没有什么追求，填饱肚子就自由自在地遨游，像没有缆索飘忽在水中的船只一样，这才是心境虚无而自由遨游的人。”
郑人缓也，呻吟裘氏之地。只三年，而缓为儒，河润九里，泽及三族。使其弟墨。儒墨相与辩，其父助墨。十年而缓自杀。其父梦之，曰：「使而子为墨者，予也。阖胡尝视其良，既为秋柏之实矣？」夫造物者之报人也，不报其人而报其人之天。彼故使彼。夫人以己为有以异于人，以贱其亲，齐人之井饮者相捽也。君子之人，若儒墨者师，故以是非相谶也，而况今之人乎？故曰：今之世皆缓也。自己有德者，以不知也，而况有道者乎？古者谓之遁天之刑。
郑国有个名叫缓的人在裘氏地方吟咏诵读，只用了三年就成了儒生，像河水滋润沿岸的土地一样润泽着广远的地方，他的恩惠还施及三族，并且使他的弟弟成为墨家的学人。儒家、墨家不能相容而相互争辩，缓的父亲则站在墨家一边。过了十年缓愤而自杀，他的父亲梦见他说：“让你的儿子成为墨家，还是我的功劳。怎么不看看我的坟墓，我已变成秋天的柏树而结出了果实！”造物者所给予人们的，不会赋予人的才智和能力而是赋予人们的自然本性。缓的弟弟具备了墨家的禀赋因而能使他成为墨家学人。缓总认为自己有什么与众不同的地方才这样轻侮他的父亲，就跟齐人自以为挖井有功而与饮水的人抓扯扭打一样，看来如今社会上的人差不多都是像缓这样贪天之功以为己有的人。自以为生活中总是这样，有德行的人却并不知道这样的情况，更何况是有道的人啊！古时候人们称这种贪天之功的做法是违背自然规律而受到刑戮。
圣人安其所安，不安其所不安；众人安其所不安，不安其所安。
圣哲的人安于自然，却不适应人为的摆布；普通人习惯于人为的摆布，却不安于自然。
庄子曰：「知道易，勿言难。知而不言，所以之天也；知而言之，所以之人也；古之人，天而不人。」
庄子说：“了解道容易，不去谈论却很困难。了解了道却不妄加谈论，这是通往自然的境界；了解了道却信口谈论，这是走向人为的尘世。古时候的人，体察自然而不追求人为。”
朱泙漫学屠龙于支离益，单千金之家，三年，技成，而无所用其巧。
朱泙漫向支离益学习屠龙的技术，耗尽了千金的家产，三年后学成技术却没有什么机会可以施展这样的技巧。
圣人以必不必，故无兵；众人以不必必之，故多兵。慎于兵，故行有求。兵，恃之则亡。
圣哲的人对于必然的事物不与人持拗固执，所以总是没有争论；普通人却把非必然的东西看作必然，因而总是争论不休。曲从于纷争，总是因为一举一动都有所追求，纷争，依仗于它到头来只会自取灭亡。
小夫之知，不离苞苴、竿牍，敝精神乎蹇浅，而欲兼济道物，太一形虚。若是者，迷惑于宇宙，不知太初。
世俗人的聪明作法，离不开赠与酬答，在浅薄的事情上耗费精神，一心想着兼济天下疏导万物，满以为这就可以达到混沌初开、物我相融的境界。像这样的人，早已被浩瀚的宇宙所迷惑，身形劳苦拘累却并不了解混沌初始的真谛。
彼至人者，归精神乎无始，而甘冥乎无何有之乡。水流乎无形，发泄乎太清。悲哉乎！汝为知在毫毛，而不知太宁！
那些道德修养极高的人，让精神回归到鸿蒙初开的原始状态，甘愿休眠在没有任何有形事物的世界。像水流一样随顺无形，自然而然地流淌在清虚空寂的境域。可悲啊！世俗人把心思用在毫毛琐事上，却一点也不懂得宁静、自然和无为。
宋人有曹商者，为宋王使秦。其往也，得车数乘；王说之，益车百乘。反于宋，见庄子曰：「夫处穷闾厄巷，困窘织屦，槁项黄馘者，商之所短也；一悟万乘之主，而从车百乘者，商之所长也。」庄子曰：「秦王有病，召医，破痈溃痤者，得车一乘；舐痔者，得车五乘；所治愈下，得车愈多。子岂治其痔邪？何得车之多也？子行矣！」
宋国有个叫做曹商的人，为宋王出使秦国。他前往秦国的时候，得到宋王赠与的数辆车子；秦王十分高兴，又加赐车辆一百乘。曹商回到宋国，见了庄子说：“身居偏僻狭窄的里巷，贫困到自己的编织麻鞋，脖颈干瘪面色饥黄，这是我不如别人的地方；一旦有机会使大国的国君省悟而随从的车辆达到百乘之多，这又是我超过他人之处。”庄子说：“听说秦王有病召请属下的医生，破出脓疮溃散疖子的人可获得车辆一乘，舔治痔疮的人可获得车辆五乘，凡是疗治的部位越是低下，所能获得的车辆就越多。你难道给秦王舔过痔疮吗，怎么获奖的车辆如此之多呢？你走开吧！”
鲁哀公问乎颜阖曰：「吾以仲尼为贞干，国其有瘳乎？」曰：「殆哉！圾乎！仲尼方且饰羽而画，从事华辞，以支为旨，忍性以视民，而不知不信，受乎心，宰乎神，夫何足以上民！彼宜女与予，颐与误而可矣。今使民离实学伪，非所以视民也，为后世虑，不若休之。难治也！」
鲁哀公向颜阖问道：“我想把仲尼任命为大臣，国家有希望了吧？”颜阖说：“危险了，实在是危险啊！仲尼正一心想着粉饰装扮，追求和讲习虚伪的言辞，把枝节看作是要旨，扭曲心性以夸示于民众却不知道全无一点诚信；让这样的做法承受于内心，并主宰着精神，怎么能够管理好人民！仲尼果真适合于你吗，还是他真的能够养育人民呢？你的考虑错误无疑了。现今让人民背离真情学习伪诈，这不是用来导引民众的办法，为后世子孙着想，不如早早放弃上述打算。孔丘是很难治理好国家的。”
施于人而不忘，非天布也，商贾不齿；虽以事齿之，神者弗齿。为外刑者，金与木也；为内刑者，动与过也。宵人之离外刑者，金木讯之；离内刑者，阴阳食之。夫免乎外、内之刑者，唯真人能之。
施与别人恩惠却总忘不了让人回报，远不是自然对普天之下广泛而无私的赐予。施恩图报的行为商人都瞧不起，即使有什么事情必须与他交往，内心也是瞧不起的。施加皮肉之刑的，不外乎是金属或木质的刑具；给内心世界带来惩罚的，则是自身的烦乱和行动的过失。小人受到皮肉之刑，是用刑具加以拷问；小人内心受到惩罚，则是阴气阳气郁积所造成的侵害。能够免于内外刑辱的，只有真人才可做到。
孔子曰：「凡人心，险于山川，难于知天。天犹有春、秋、冬、夏、旦、暮之期，人者厚貌、深情。故有貌愿而益，有长若不肖，有顺而怀，有坚而缦，有缓而焊。故其就义若渴者，其去义若热。
孔子说：“人心比山川还要险恶，比预测天象还要困难；自然界尚有春夏秋冬和早晚变化的一定周期，可是人却面容复杂多变情感深深潜藏。有的人貌似老实却内心骄溢，有的人貌似长者却心术不正，有的人外表拘谨内心急躁却通达事理，有的人外表坚韧却懈怠涣散，有的人表面舒缓而内心却很强悍。所以人们趋赴仁义犹如口干舌燥思饮泉水，而他们抛弃仁义也像是逃离炽热避开烈焰。
故君子：远使之而观其忠，近使之而观其敬，烦使之而观其能，卒然问焉而观其知，急与之期而观其信，委之以财而观其仁，告之以危而观其节，醉之以酒而观其侧，杂之以处而观其色。九征至，不肖人得矣。」
因此君子总是让人远离自己任职而观察他们是否忠诚，让人就近办事而观察他们是否恭敬，让人处理纷乱事务观察他们是否有能力，对人突然提问观察他们是否有心智，交给期限紧迫的任务观察他们是否守信用，把财物托付给他们观察是否清廉，把危难告诉给他们观察是否持守节操，用醉酒的方式观察他们的仪态，用男女杂处的办法观察他们对待女色的态度。上述九种表现一一得到证验，不好的人也就自然挑捡出来。”
正考父一命而伛，再命而偻，三命而俯，循墙而走，孰敢不轨？如而夫者，一命而吕钜，再命而于车上舞，三命而名诸父；孰协唐、许？
正考父首次被任命为士便逢人躬着背，再次任命为大夫便深深地弯着腰，第三次任命为卿更谦恭地俯下身子，总是让开大道顺着墙根快步急走，态度如此谦下谁还敢干出不轨之事！如果是凡夫俗子，首次任命为士就会傲慢矜持，再次任命为大夫就会在车上手舞足蹈，第三次任命为卿就要人呼叔称伯了，像这样谁还会成为唐尧、许由那样谦让的人呢？
贼莫大乎德有心，而心有眼。及其有眼也，而内视；内视，而败矣。
最大的祸害莫过于有意培养德行而且有心眼，等到有了心眼就会以意度事主观臆断，而主观臆断必定导致失败。
凶德有五，中德为首。何谓中德？中德也者，有以自好也，而呲其所不为者也。
招惹凶祸的官能有心、耳、眼、舌、鼻五种，内心的谋虑则是祸害之首。什么叫做内心谋虑的祸害呢？所谓内心谋虑的祸害，是指自以为是而诋毁自己所不赞同的事情。
穷有八极，达有三必，形有六府。美髯长大壮丽勇敢，八者俱过人也，因以是穷。缘循，偃佒，困畏不若人，三者俱通，达。知慧，外通；勇动，多怨；仁义，多责。达生之情者，傀；达于知者，肖；达大命者，随；达小命者，遭。
困厄窘迫源于以下八个方面的自恃与矜持，顺利通达基于以下三种情况的必然发展，就像身形必具六个脏腑一样。貌美、须长、高大、魁梧、健壮、艳丽、勇武、果敢，八项长处远远胜过他人，于是依恃傲人必然导致困厄窘迫。因循顺应、俯仰随人、困厄怯弱而又态度谦下，三种情况都能遇事通达。自恃聪明炫耀于外，勇猛躁动必多怨恨，倡导仁义必多责难。通晓生命实情的人心胸开阔，通晓真知的人内心虚空豁达，通晓长寿之道的人随顺自然，通晓寿命短暂之理的人也能随遇而安。
人有见宋王者，锡车十乘，以其十乘骄稚庄子。庄子曰：「河上有家贫恃纬萧而食者，其子没于渊，得千金之珠。其父谓其子曰：『取石来，锻之！夫千金之珠，必在九重之渊而骊龙颔之下，子能得珠者，必遭其睡也。使骊龙而寤，子尚奚徼之有哉？』今宋国之深，非直九重之渊也；宋王之猛，非直骊龙也；子能得车者，必遭其睡也。使宋王而寤，子为齑粉夫！
有个拜会过宋王的人，宋王赐给他车马十乘，依仗这些车马在庄子面前炫耀。庄子说：“河上有一个家庭贫穷靠编织苇席为生的人家，他的儿子潜入深渊，得到一枚价值千金的宝珠，父亲对儿子说：‘拿过石块来锤坏这颗宝珠！价值千金的宝珠，必定出自深深的潭底黑龙的下巴下面，你能轻易地获得这样的宝珠，一定是正赶上黑龙睡着了。倘若黑龙醒过来，你还想活着回来吗？’如今宋国的险恶，远不只是深深的潭底；而宋王的凶残，也远不只是黑龙那样。你能从宋王那里获得十乘车马，也一定是遇上宋王睡着了。倘若宋王一旦醒过来，你也就必将粉身碎骨了”。
或聘于庄子。庄子应其使曰：「子见夫牺牛乎？衣以文绣，食以刍叔；及其牵而入于太庙，虽欲为孤犊，其可得乎？」
有人向庄子行聘。庄子答复他的使者说：“你见过那准备用作祭祀的牛牲吗？用织有花纹的锦绣披着，给它吃草料和豆子，等到牵着进入太庙杀掉用于祭祀，就是想要做个没人看顾的小牛，难道还可能吗？”
庄子将死，弟子欲厚葬之。庄子曰：「吾以天地为棺椁，以日月为连璧，星辰为珠玑，万物为赍送。吾葬具岂不备邪？何以加此？」弟子曰：「吾恐乌鸢之食夫子也！」庄子曰：「在上为乌鸢食，在下为蝼蚁食，夺彼与此，何其偏也？」
庄子快要死了，弟子们打算用很多的东西作为陪葬。庄子说：“我把天地当作棺椁，把日月当作连璧，把星辰当作珠玑，万物都可以成为我的陪葬。我陪葬的东西难道还不完备吗？哪里用得着再加上这些东西！”弟子说：“我们担忧乌鸦和老鹰啄食先生的遗体。”庄子说：“弃尸地面将会被乌鸦和老鹰吃掉，深埋地下将会被蚂蚁吃掉，夺过乌鸦老鹰的吃食再交给蚂蚁，怎么如此偏心？”
以不平平，其平也不平；以不征征，其征也不征。明者唯为之使，神者征之。夫明之不胜神也久矣，而愚者恃其所见，入于人；其功外也，不亦悲乎？
用偏见去追求均平，这样的均平绝对不是自然的均平；用人为的感应去应验外物，这样的应验绝不是自然的感应。自以为明智的人只会被外物所驱使，精神世界完全超脱于物外的人才会自然地感应。自以为明智的人早就比不上精神世界完全超脱的人，可是愚昧的人还总是自恃偏见而沉溺于世俗和人事，他们的功利只在于追求身外之物，这不很可悲吗！