But he hires ministers and ministers, having no desires and no actions, and is fully true in nature

In 339 BC, King Wei of Chu ascended the throne. In order to contend for supremacy among the vassal states, he, on the one hand, trained in military affairs and martial arts, and on the other hand, sought out talented people and accepted debtors and persuasants, all in an attempt to achieve the goal of becoming a king. When he heard that Zhuang Zhou of the state of Song was a great man of the time, he sent an envoy of 斎 a thousand pieces of gold and a hundred chariots to greet him. That early morning, a group of chariots and horses had already arrived in Mengcheng. In an instant, the roads were jammed with vehicles and horses, and the onlookers were like a sea of people, making the humble alley where Zhuangzi lived so crowded that there was no room to move. The envoy dismounted and walked personally to Zhuang Zhou's shed, where only Zhuang's wife, Tian Shi, was at home. The messenger explained his purpose. Tian Shi said, "My husband is working in the Lacquer Garden. He went there to practice martial arts early in the morning." Tian Shi said as she led the envoy to the lacquer garden, but there was no sign of Zhuang Zhou. Only the branches in the forest were turning, making a rustling sound. Tian Shi knew in her heart that he couldn't receive guests while practicing martial arts. So she shouted into the woods, "Sir, an envoy from the State of Chu has come to see you!" Then just wait quietly outside the garden. Chu Shi bent down and peeked out his head, peering into the garden with wide-eyed eyes. He saw a person moving swiftly and nimbly in the garden. Sometimes it hangs on a branch like a bear, motionless. Sometimes it stretches its neck like a bird, looking left and right. Sometimes I would climb the tree with all my limbs, so fast that I would reach the top of the tree. Then I would stand on the swaying branches in the wind, as light as a bird. In a short while, I would climb down from the tree again. Sometimes, he would put his hands on his hips, walk up and down the tree trunk with his feet, and keep his body parallel to the ground... After several such ups and downs, he finally emerged from the forest. The envoy of Chu was greatly impressed and was about to step forward to pay his respects. Zhuang's wife said, "Wait a moment. Sir, you haven't finished your training yet!" At this moment, Zhuang Zhou was seen facing the rising sun, with his hands crossed over his chest, his feet slightly apart. He would sometimes puff out his abdomen, sometimes draw it in, sometimes snort, and sometimes inhale, as if he were about to draw the sun into his abdomen. After about two minutes, Zhuang Zhou finally crossed his arms as before, bent his knees and sat on his hips, motionless, just like a wooden stake. After another hour or so, the envoy of Chu was already experiencing soreness in his waist and legs, but Zhuang Zhou remained motionless. The envoy then asked Zhuang's wife, "When will you be able to finish your work, Sir?" Just as they were talking, Zhuang Zhou got up, moved a bit, relaxed his limbs, and rubbed his eyes and face. So Tian Shi led the envoy from Chu forward. "Who are you?" " Zhuang Zhou pointed at his wife and asked. "Sir, how could you have forgotten me?" " Tian said. Then who am I? Zhuang Zhou asked his wife. "Sir, you are my husband!" " Then who is this person? Zhuang Zhou pointed at the envoy of Chu and asked his wife. Didn't your Majesty just inform you, Sir? I was ordered by the King of Chu... Before the envoy of Chu could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhuang Zhou: "I have even forgotten my wife and myself. How could I know about the envoy of Chu?" Why did you come all the way to see me, Sir? Our king has heard that you are a great sage of your time and has treated you with the position of prime minister. Therefore, you have now ordered me to prepare a thousand pieces of gold to welcome you. Today, there is great chaos and the feudal lords are vying for supremacy. It is the perfect time for you to fully display your talents. Moreover, your country's King Yan of Song is tyrannical and tyrannical, and cannot employ virtuous people..." Before the envoy of Chu could finish speaking, Zhuang Zhou had already covered his ears, unwilling to listen any longer. He said to the envoy of Chu, "There is a huge turtle in Chu that has been dead for three thousand years. It is wrapped in cloth and placed in a box, hidden in a high hall." This turtle would rather live in the mire, wagging its tail and swimming, than be placed on a high hall. I'd rather play in the mud. That way my heart would be happy. Please go back! Zhuang Zhou said this and stood up. He even resigned from the position of the lacquer garden official and went home with his wife to make straw sandals. The envoy of Chu, unable to report the order, went to pay a visit again a few days later. Zhuangzi was fishing by the Pu River at that time. How did the Chu envoy win him over again with the words of "for the world"? Zhuangzi said angrily, "Let's go!" You idiot! How could you ask such a stupid question? I am now accompanied by fish, swimming in a land of nothing and in a vast wilderness, feeling both comfortable and happy. How could you use such foolish words to disturb my happy heart? Zhuangzi, despite being offered a position as a prime minister, preferred to live in poverty. This was naturally due to political and ideological reasons. The debauchery of the rulers, the fraud of the treacherous lobbyists and so on, all these formed the social ills of that time. Zhuangzi believed that these ills of The Times were harmful to life and nature, and he detest them deeply. Therefore, he advocated having no desires and no actions, eliminating knowledge, and being as foolish as a state of confusion. In this way, he could criticize the ills of The Times, purify evil, and achieve the "same virtue" for all - living a life of "weaving clothes and farming for food" together, thereby restoring the natural virtue of human beings. Obviously, Zhuangzi's ideological theory of criticizing the ills of The Times is wrong, and his idea of keeping the people ignorant was precisely accepted by the feudal rulers. However, the theory of health preservation formed by Zhuangzi as a result is actually scientific. The core of Zhuangzi's thought on cultivating one's nature is "to preserve one's true nature and not to harm one's nature." In the "Horse Hooves" chapter, he used the horse as a metaphor, saying: "The horse's hooves can withstand frost and snow, its fur can resist wind and cold, it can eat grass and drink water, and it can leap with its feet raised. This is the true nature of the horse. Even if there are high platforms and grand halls, they are of no use to it." Later, there was a man who recognized his talent. He said that he could tame horses. So the horse's hooves were cut, its hair was trimmed, a mark was made on it, a bridle was attached, a leg rope was tied, and it was placed in a manger. In this way, about two or three tenths of the horse died. Then it was starved, thirsty, galloped, run, trained and polished. First, there was the disaster of holding a rope in its mouth, and then the threat of whips and bamboo sticks. By then, most of the horse had died. Just as the person who burns Windows says: I will burn Windows with earth. If they are round, I will use a compass; if they are convenient, I will use a square. The carpenter also said, "I can make wood straight. If I want it to be curved, just make it hook in the middle; if I want it to be straight, just make it fit the rope." However, in their governance, the nature of horses, earth and wood was all diminished. It is in this way that those who govern the world diminish the nature of human beings! Therefore, Zhuangzi believed that to preserve one's true nature, one must be free from desires and actions, and follow the natural course of things. He said that pursuing high official positions and generous salaries is sacrificing oneself for material things and losing one's nature in the mundane world. It is an "upside-down people" with their heads down and feet up, and their lives will not last long. To be desireless means to "get rid of the four and six and eliminate the five harms". The chapter "Geng Sang Chu" states: "To eliminate the confusion of will, break free from the shackles of the mind, remove the burdens of virtue, and smooth out the obstacles of the great way." Honor, wealth, prestige, dignity, fame and fortune are the six things that are wrong to one's will. The six elements of porcelain, objects, colors, words and principles, breath and emotions are all restraints on the soul. Hatred, desire, delight, anger, sorrow and joy are the six things that hinder the great way. If these four "six items" are not disturbed in the mind, the heart can be calm. When the heart is calm, it can be peaceful. When it is peaceful, it can be clear. When it is clear, it can be void. When void, it can follow nature and there is nothing that cannot be achieved. The Dao is revered by virtue, life is the radiance of virtue, and nature is the essence of life. The activity of sex is called "action", and when action leads to human hypocrisy, it is called "loss". There is also the chapter "Tianyun" which states: "There are five aspects to losing one's true nature: First, the five colors confuse the eyes, making them unclear; The second is that the five sounds disturb the ears, causing them to lose their hearing. The third is that the five odors irritate the nose and irritate the nasal cavity. Fourth, the five flavors contaminate the mouth, causing mouth disease and injury. The fifth is that likes and dislikes confuse the mind and cause emotions to fluctuate. All these five aspects are harms to life. Therefore, Zhuangzi advocated "eliminating the four and six" and "getting rid of the five harms" in order to preserve one's true nature and enjoy longevity and good health.