Zhuangzi: I Prefer to Wag my Tail in the Mud 庄子：吾将曳尾于涂中

Zhuangzi was born in a poor family, lived primarily on making straw sandals. However, he was indifferent to fame and gain, which seemed to him like devils rather than angels, and had long pursued spiritual freedom. Zhuangzi advocates respecting life and nourishing life instead of being caught up by outside matters and being destroyed by desires.

Zhuang Zi preferred non-action. He has always been viewed as the paragon of high moral character and purity of spirit. One story (extracted from the book ‘Zhuangzi’) illustrates these qualities well.

Zhuangzi was fishing on the Pu River when the king of the state of Chu sent two high officials to see him and said, "Our king desires to burden you with the administration of the Chu State."

Zhuangzi went on fishing without turning his head and said, "I have heard that in Chu there is a sacred tortoise which died when it was three thousand years old. The king keeps this tortoise carefully enclosed in a chest in his ancestral temple. Now would this tortoise rather be dead and have its remains venerated, or would it rather be alive and wagging its tail in the mud?"

"It would rather be alive," replied the two officials, "and wagging its tail in the mud."

"Begone!" cried Zhuangzi. "I too will wag my tail in the mud."

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庄子生长于贫苦家庭，主要以作草鞋为生。但是，他不热衷于名利，对他而言这些是恶不是善。他追求的是精神自由。庄子提倡尊敬生命，丰富生活，而不是拘禁于外在事物与为欲所毁。

庄子主张无为。所以常常被认为是高尚品德与纯净精神的模范。以下出自《庄子》一书的故事可说明他的这些素质。

庄子钓于濮水，楚王使大夫二人往先焉，曰：“愿以境内累矣！”

庄子持竿不顾，曰：“吾闻楚有神龟，死已三千岁矣，王巾笥而藏之庙堂之上。此龟者，宁其死为留骨而贵乎？宁其生而曳尾于涂中乎？”

二大夫曰：“宁生而曳尾涂中。”

庄子曰：“往矣，吾将曳尾于涂中。”