A live-streamed Chinese language lesson under the sky—the ancients were taken aback.

Zhi Wubuyan walked to the other side of the screen, and a line of large characters appeared behind him: "Free and Easy Wandering".

What is "逍遥" (xiāoyáo)? These two words cannot be simply translated as "freedom".

Zhuangzi's concept of carefree living doesn't mean doing whatever you want, nor does it mean traveling the world after becoming rich and powerful.

"Zhuangzi's carefree life is..." He paused for a moment, """and then continued, ""being free from all dependence."

"What does it mean? Let's look at the text."

The screen then switched back to the textbook, displaying an excerpt from the original text.

The cicada and the turtledove laughed at it, saying, "When we take flight, we only need to land on an elm or a oak tree. Sometimes we don't even reach that height and just fall to the ground. Why bother flying nine thousand miles south?"

Zhiwubuyan translated this passage: "The cicada and the little dove mocked the roc: 'We fly up with a whoosh, and stop when we hit an elm or a fir tree. Sometimes we can't fly up and fall to the ground, but that doesn't matter. Why do you go through all that trouble to fly 90,000 miles to the south?'"

"Does this sound familiar, students?" He looked around. "Isn't this...?"

He changed his tone, "'Why are you taking it so seriously? Why are you studying so many books? Why are you going to such a faraway place? Wouldn't it be better to go back to your hometown, take the civil service exam, and live a stable life?'"

The live chat exploded.

This is so true!!

That's exactly what my parents mean!!

[Relative: Why go so far? Me: ...None of your business]

[So this kind of soul-searching question existed more than two thousand years ago.]

……

"What was Zhuangzi's attitude?" The author, pointing to the original text, said, "He didn't directly refute it; he only said: 'What do these two insects know!'"

Then he gave an explanation: "Those who travel to the wilderness return after three meals, their bellies still full; those who travel a hundred li travel overnight with provisions; those who travel a thousand li travel three months with provisions."

This passage means that,

For those going to the suburbs, bringing three meals is enough.

Those who travel a hundred miles away should prepare dry rations for the night.

People traveling a thousand miles away need three months to stockpile food.

The farther you travel, the more preparation you need.

He paused for a moment, lowering his voice slightly.

"But I want to remind everyone that Zhuangzi was not talking about geographical distance; he was talking about spiritual distance."

Some people spend their entire lives flying between elm and oak trees, and they feel content.

Some people want to fly 90,000 miles into the sky to see a bigger world.

There is no absolute right or wrong in these two ways of living, but Zhuangzi uses the comparison between the cicada and the turtledove and the roc to ask you a question.

Which one do you want to do?

Chang'an, Weiyang Palace.

Liu Che had just returned from a hunting trip to Shanglin Garden, and his brocade robe was still stained with mud splattered from the horses' hooves.

He strode into the palace gate and was about to call someone to change his clothes when he caught a glimpse of the enormous bird that filled the sky out of the corner of his eye.

"Zhuangzi?" He paused, raising an eyebrow. "I've heard of him. It's said he'd rather wallow in the mud than serve in office?"

The eunuch beside him bowed and said, "Your Majesty is very knowledgeable."

Liu Che ignored the compliment.

He gazed at the roc in the sky, its wings like clouds hanging from the heavens, for a long time.

The young man in the sky said that this bird was going to fly from the North Sea to the South Sea, a journey of 90,000 li (4,500 kilometers). The cicadas and birds laughed at it for flying too far.

"Nine thousand li," Liu Che murmured, repeating the phrase, then suddenly smiled.

His laughter echoed in the empty hall, carrying the sharp edge unique to a young emperor.

"When I sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions, all the officials in the court, though they didn't say it, probably thought I was just being ambitious and eager for quick success."

I want to fight the Xiongnu, but the senior officials in the court are submitting memorials every day advising me to rest and recuperate.

Aren't they just like those cicadas and doves?

"Chirp, chirp, why fly so far? Stopping at the elm or oak tree is enough."

He threw off his cloak, strode to the high platform outside the hall, and looked up at the sky.

The setting sun was sinking below the western wall of Chang'an, turning the eaves of Weiyang Palace a golden-red hue.

"But I insist on flying this far." His voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "Zhang Qian has already set off, and I will fight the Xiongnu as well. They laugh at me for flying too far? Let them laugh then. I want to see what lies beyond 90,000 miles."

"Next, let's look at the most difficult part of the text."

Turn to the next page, "Small knowledge cannot compare to great knowledge, and a short year cannot compare to a long year."

Then Zhuangzi gave a series of examples: "The ephemeral mushroom does not know the difference between dawn and dusk, the cicada does not know spring and autumn, the dark spirit considers five hundred years as spring, and the great cedar tree considers eight thousand years as autumn."

He turned around to face the camera.

"This section has been debated by commentators throughout history as to what Zhuangzi actually meant."

Guo Xiang of the Jin Dynasty said in his commentary on Zhuangzi that this is about the "debate between small and large": small people have a narrow perspective, while large people have a broad perspective.

Cheng Xuanying of the Tang Dynasty further elaborated on this in his commentary on Zhuangzi, saying that it refers to the different levels of human realm.

Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty did not particularly like Zhuangzi, but he had to admit that this passage was "extremely insightful".

Wang Fuzhi, in his commentary on Zhuangzi during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, explained it most clearly. He said that Zhuangzi's discussion of the distinction between small and large was not to belittle the small and elevate the large, but rather to break down the distinction between them.

Wang Fuzhi's understanding is so profound.

Breaking down the distinction between small and large? What does that mean?

In other words, although the roc flies farther than the cicada, it is not truly free; it still relies on the wind. Liezi rode the wind, which was better than walking, but he too depended on the wind.

……

Zhiwubuyan continued to explain, "Zhuangzi wrote about the Peng bird not so that it would mock the cicada and the turtledove."

He wanted Dapeng to become a mirror. You think Dapeng is very free?

No, even the roc needs the wind.

Without the strong winds of June, the roc cannot take flight.

The roc can fly 90,000 miles because it depends on the wind.

It also needs time.

"But what is true freedom? It is being free from dependence and not relying on any external conditions."

The scene shifts to a sea of ​​clouds above, where the wings of a roc gradually fold up.

The wind stopped, and the roc began to fall.

It was enormous, but when there was no wind, it simply fell.

Then Zhuangzi used a series of reasoning, progressing step by step.

He mentioned Liezi, who could ride the wind with ease and grace, far superior to ordinary people. But even Liezi relied on the wind, and thus depended on something.

He spoke of Song Rongzi, who was neither elated by universal praise nor discouraged by universal criticism; such a person was already quite detached. However, Song Rongzi only distinguished between internal and external matters; he had not yet reached the highest realm.

"So what is the highest level?" Knowing nothing, he turned to the last paragraph of the text and read out the two most important sentences in the whole text.

"If one can ride the true nature of Heaven and Earth, and control the changes of the six qi, to roam the boundless universe, what would one need to rely on?"

Therefore it is said: The most perfect person has no self; the truly enlightened person seeks no merit; the truly sage seeks no fame.

The screen went silent for a few seconds.

The sea of ​​clouds stopped churning, the roc disappeared, leaving only the vast blue sky, stretching to the horizon.

The comments section remained silent for a moment, then slowly scrolled by.

[Selflessness, lack of merit, and absence of fame... easier said than done]

Did Zhuangzi himself achieve this?

[He was fishing by the river when the King of Chu sent someone to invite him to be the prime minister. He replied, "I'd rather wallow in the mud than be worshipped in the temple." Does that count as keeping his word?]

……