摘自 The Tao of Happiness: Stories From Chuang Tzu for Your Spiritual Journey, a collection of spiritual parables by Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu, translated by Taoist teacher Derek Lin.
The “sacrificial cow”: a parable
A royal envoy came to a village to look for its most famous resident, Chuang Tzu. When he found the sage, he bowed and said: “Master, I bring greetings from His Majesty, King Wei of the Chu Kingdom. The king is a great admirer of yours and would like to offer you an invitation.”
Chuang Tzu smiled at this, and the envoy continued: “His Majesty has great plans for the kingdom and needs a sage such as yourself as his royal minister. This is a position of tremendous power, Master. You’ll live in luxury at the palace, with nothing but the finest clothing and food, and all must bow to you with the greatest respect, because you will represent His Majesty in everything you say and do.”
The envoy thought Chuang Tzu would be excited by this offer, but Chuang Tzu did not seem especially impressed. He asked the envoy: “Have you ever seen the cow that is prepared for sacrifice at the annual festival? The peasants drape a beautifully embroidered ceremonial cloth over it and feed it the finest feed, as much as it wants. When they lead it to the temple for the ritual, all villagers in sight kneel down and pray to it. Have you ever seen it?”
This question was so unexpected to the envoy that he could only nod in response. Chuang Tzu then asked: “When the cow is about to be slaughtered for the ritual, do you think it wants to be there? If you were in the cow’s position and aware of what will happen, would you not rather exchange places with the calves out in the field?”
“Of course I would, Master.”
“Even if that means giving up the finest clothing and food, as well as the respect of the people who bow down to you?”
The envoy finally understood. Chuang Tzu smiled again. “I think you know my answer now. Please convey my gratitude to His Majesty for thinking of me.”
Power, pleasure and materialism—at what cost?
The first message in this story is a warning against the overzealous pursuit of power. So many of us compete with one another to climb the social ladder, but at what cost?
It’s not uncommon to see high achievers who have neglected their health and relationships. Publicly, they may seem like the royal minister, commanding others and enjoying all the good things in life. Privately, they may feel more like the sacrificial cow about to be slaughtered.
The second message in this story is about the temptations we chase after. The blanket to cover the cow represents the material things we desire, the feed for the cow is the physical pleasures we seek, the praying of the villagers is the attention we crave. Chuang Tzu’s message is that these seemingly attractive things, carried to an extreme, can lead us down a path of destruction. The festival may be a celebration for the villagers, but for the cow it is the end of the road.
Does this mean Chuang Tzu wants us to refrain from having any kind of material success? Is he teaching us that a life of poverty is a life of happiness, like the carefree happiness of the calves in the field?
No. The Tao is not about poverty. It is about awareness. Being aware means understanding what you’re getting into, not just for the present but also for the future. Never be the sacrificial cow, being led around by the nose with no clear idea of what will happen next.
The Tao and making choices
When you encounter a choice in life, it’s like coming to a fork in the road, where you have to choose which way to go. An offer like the position of royal minister is like a path that looks good initially, but turns out to be difficult and hazardous. The farther you travel down such a path, the worse it gets. By the time you give up and turn back, you’ve already wasted too much time and effort.
Not all choices in life are like that. You may receive an offer that’s in tune with the Tao. It can be a genuine opportunity that leads to fulfilling work, personal growth, and great benefits for you and others. It’s a path that may not seem remarkable at first, but turns out to be easy and safe. The farther you travel down this path, the more you enjoy yourself.
Use Tao cultivation to help you choose wisely at the crossroads of life. Bring a higher level of awareness to all the choices you make, and always look beyond the initial impression to perceive the underlying factors. That’s how the Tao can warn you against the dangers of the road and show you how to navigate away from hazards. Think of it as the ultimate GPS… for the spiritual journey.
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Derek Lin is the award-winning author of The Tao of Daily Life, The Tao of Success，和 The Tao of Joy Every Day. He was born in Taiwan and grew up with native fluency in both Chinese and English. This background lets him convey Eastern teachings to Western readers in a way that is clear, simple, and authentic. He is an active speaker and educator on the Tao Te Ching and the Tao in general.
摘自 The Tao of Happiness by Derek Lin with the permission of Tarcher, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2015 by Derek Lin. |
图： Young businessman using a red cloth to face angry bull 来自 Shutterstock
