This is the year of tiger. Tigers are known to be the kings of jungle and yet they are one of the Earth's fastest disappearing species. Why? This is because every part of a dead tiger is valuable (more valuable than a live tiger in the eyes of poachers). A tiger's coat sells for as much as US$20,000 on the black market. An intact tiger forearm can bring in hundreds of US dollars per kilogram. Tiger penis soup sells for US$320 a bowl in Taiwan. (Some people actually believe that tiger penis soup will increase their sexuality.) Tiger bones, claws, eyes and even the whiskers command high prices for use in Eastern potions and elixirs. To fulfil the demand, the world's last tigers are being illegally trapped, poisoned and shot, then smuggled across international boundaries.
So being useful is not something that is good as at times it is better to be useless. Zhuanzi knows it best.
Zhuangzi was walking in the mountains when he saw a huge tree with branches full of luxuriant foliage. A lumberjack had stopped next to it, but wasn't attempting to cut it down. When Zhuangzi asked the lumberjack the reason, he responded, ‘There's nothing useful about that tree.’ Zhuangzi said: ‘This tree is so worthless it's been able to live out its natural lifespan.’
After coming out of the mountains, Zhuangzi stayed overnight in the home of an old friend. His friend was so delighted that he ordered his young servant to slaughter a goose so they could have it for dinner. The young servant politely asked, ‘One of them can cackle, and one of them can't cackle. Please tell me which one I should slaughter?’ The host responded, ‘Kill the one that can't cackle.’
The next day one of his disciples asked Zhuangzi, ‘Yesterday when we were in the mountains and came across that tree, it was able to live out its natural lifespan because it was worthless. Now our host has ordered the goose to be killed because it's worthless. Which is the better position?’
Zhuangzi laughed and said, ‘All around, I'd say the better position would be somewhere between being of worth and being worthless. Being somewhere between being of worth and being worthless might seem like the best place to be, but it's actually not. That's because one hasn't yet gotten rid of being tied to some idea. But that wouldn't be true if you could mount on the chariot of Dao and virtue and float about on it, without praise, without disapproval; In one moment a dragon, in one moment a snake. Changing in unison with the times; and never consenting to act in one specified way. In one moment above, in one moment below; using harmony as a measuring stick. Floating about with the ancestor of all living things; allowing things to be things, but not making things out of things. Then how would one be tied to anything? This was the method used by Shen Nong and Huang Di. But that's not truly the sentiments of most creatures who pass concepts of human ethics on to humanity: Joining together, then separating; Constructing, then destroying; Appearing to be honest, then back stabbing; Glorifying, then criticizing; Making promises, then backing down; Acting virtuous, then scheming; Deeming unworthy, then deceiving. Is there anything to be certain of? Yes, it's sad. But remember, my disciples, the only place to find a comfortable home is in Dao and virtue.’
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今年是虎年。老虎被称为森林之王，却是在地球上消失最快的物种之一。为什么呢？这是因为死去的老虎的每一个部分都值钱（在猎物者的眼中，比活生生的老虎更有价值）。在黑市中，虎皮可卖美元两万。一个完整的虎臂每公斤可值几百美元。虎鞭在台湾每碗可卖美元三百二十元（一些人真的相信虎鞭可壮阳）。虎骨、爪、眼，甚至虎须都因在东方可用来做药与补品而可卖得高价。为了满足需求，世上所剩下的老虎都被非法捕捉、毒害与射杀，然后偷运过国际国界。
所以有用并不是件好事。有时无用反而好。庄子最明白这一点了。
庄子行於山中，见大木枝叶盛茂，伐木者止其旁而不取也。问其故，曰：“无所可用。”庄子曰：“此木以不材得终其天年。”夫子出於山，舍於故人之家。故人喜，命竖子杀雁而烹之。竖子请曰：“其一能鸣，其一不能鸣，请奚杀？”主人曰：“杀不能鸣者。”
明日，弟子问於庄子曰，“昨日山中之木，以不材得终其天年；今主人之雁，以不材死。先生将何处？”
庄子笑曰：“周将处乎材与不材之间。材与不材之间，似之而非也，故未免乎累。若夫乘道德而浮游则不然，无誉无皆，一龙一蛇，与时俱化，而无肯专为。一上一下，以和为量，浮游乎万物之祖。物物而不物於物，则胡可得而累邪！此神农、黄帝之法则也。若夫万物之情，人伦之传，则不然。合则离，成则毁，廉则挫，尊则议，有为则亏，贤则谋，不肖则欺，胡可得而必乎哉！悲夫！弟子志之，其唯道德之乡乎！”
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