What Zhuangzi Teaches About Integrity and the Six Emotions

The six emotions become extremities of the mind, spirit and falsify the person. When thunder moves, it does not produce thunder. It produces echoes. It is the same with the nature of the human spirit.

Therefore, it is said, sorrow and joy are perversions of integrity; happiness and anger are transgressions of the Way; likes and dislikes are failings of the mind. Thus, when the mind is free from anxiety and joy, that is the ultimate of integrity. - Zhuangzi

Human Feelings and Falsehood

The Six Emotions as Complexities of Virtue

Here, the words “human feelings” refers to the six emotions. The six emotions are “dislike and desire, pleasure and rage, sorrow and joy”. These six are also called the “complexities of virtue”. Contrastingly, integrity is known as the referent point of the Dao in the human being. For example, Heaven takes on virtue (de) and becomes clear. Humans take on virtue and possess integrity (wholeness, purity, grace, etc). Therefore, the word de refers to integrity, virtue, power and grace all at once. The dissolution of “wholeness” and integrity in humans is as follows:

1. The mind makes distinctions and then forms “likes and dislikes”.

2. Likes and dislikes produce either pleasure or anger.

3. Consequently, sorrow and joy arise and the person becomes fragmented and disharmonious.

The reason the six emotions are called the complexities of virtue is because although they arise from virtue, and are not intrinsically bad, they still obstruct and obscure virtue. For example, likes and dislikes emerge first from the love of what is good. All people desire to be good and to possess that which is good, and they abhor that which is not good. Thus, there is nothing innately wrong with likes and dislikes. However, likes and dislikes produce sorrow and joy. Even so, are sorrow and joy are inherently with flaw? Consider the operation of the universe which represents the transformations of holy virtue in the natural world. The universe undergoes constant change. There exists winter and there exists summer. Accordingly, we may say heaven and earth have periods of grief and periods of boundless light, periods of sorrow and periods of exuberance and energisation. Thus, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with either sorrow or joy. Instead, problems arise when people misuse consciousness. Such use of consciousness leads to the formation of distinctions. Many distinctions enable the proliferation of rights and wrongs, likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes fragmentise the mind, and throw the spirit into discord. And consequently, through this, hinder and obturate the effect that virtue would have previously had on nature. Thus, the human being becomes fragmented within themselves and in their perspective on the universe.

Restoring Integrity through Forgetfulness and Placidity

What does the classic mean by “free from anxiety and joy, that is the ultimate of integrity”? The dissolution of anxiety pertains to forgetfulness. If people can be forgetful and forget to hold things in their minds, forget the facets of human reality, and forget even the universe, they can be at one with the Dao. Being at one with the Dao is represented in the text by “that is the ultimate of integrity”. This transformation induced by forgetfulness represents returning to the state of simple-mindedness. For example, a lazy peasant may walk through a tawny forest without knowing that he is travelling, or the destination of his journey, or the cause or the reason. Thus, we may say that there is nothing that enters into his mind and nothing that leaves his lips. This may be termed an example of true forgetfulness.

As for “from joy”, it simply means to be without disturbance. The nature of people is to be placid and to rest with steady calmness; not to be agitated with sudden bouts of exuberance or euphoria. That is a simple interpretation of “from joy”. A secondary interpretation relies on the mutual correspondence between perceived good and evil in relation to their existence. For example, without one knowing what is “bad” or that is “sad” or that “dislike” exists, how could one ever know or conceptualise that they are “happy”? Thus, it is clear that [the knowledge of] good and evil arise together. Therefore, if one can learn to eliminate dislikes and to accept all things with equanimity, from where can evil sorrow take root? Instead, the joy of such a person would become constant. When joy becomes constant and invariable, how can it still referred to as joy? [E.g. it becomes a baseline of human existence].

Nature, Destiny, and True Existence

Do Not Destroy the Heavenly with the Human

The reason it is hard to be false when impelled by nature is that the natures of things find their generation in the Dao. Since destiny is also in relation to the Dao, they naturally produce one another. This can be shown here in the text where it says “it is hard to be false”. False here does not primarily refer to human deception and appearance, though that is also a correct interpretation. True and false here refer to being true to one’s nature and destiny, or not. It should be obvious that if one is impelled by one’s nature, it is hard to lose or be false in relation to one’s nature. Since nature and destiny produce each other, those that preserve their natures also take true existence. That is, they take their correct destiny. Another word for destiny is places. Thus, we sometimes say “things take their proper places”.

On the other hand, when people have thoughts, their thoughts may go for or against their nature. They may follow their emotions and exert their wills artificially, thus damaging their nature. As discussed earlier, such emotions arise from likes and dislikes and the formation of distinctions in the mind. Thus, identification and creation of emotion finds its source in human consciousness. Contrastingly, the root of nature is in heaven. Thus, it is said:

“Do not destroy the heavenly with the human; Do not destroy destiny with intentionality”

This has the same meaning as:

“If you are impelled by human feelings, it is easy to be false; if you are impelled by nature, it is hard to be false”.

The world of human feelings, interpretations and perspectives

For this reason, True Person (zhenren) do not allow themselves to become entangled in the world of human feelings. Even when they feel emotions, it is not to the point of losing within themselves what pertains to Heaven. However, this does not mean the extreme teaching of eliminating emotions is a correct interpretation of Zhuangzi. Concerning reality, the Buddhists say that all human emotions, all sentient beings and all mundane entanglements are illusory. However, this is not the intention of the text. Instead, it is also possible to use the human world as a vessel to remand and nurture one’s soul. It is similar to the idea of “taking the false to nurture the real”. Alternatively, rather than being “impelled by human feelings”, one reverses the course and impels their emotions by their pure nature instead. This is the meaning of:

“…along with others he prays for food from earth and prays for joy from heaven.”

Upon a close reading of the text, it is clear that the mention of “human feelings” does not refer to the five Confucian relationships but primarily to the six emotions. It is the six emotions that becomes extremities of the mind, spirit and falsify the person. What is the meaning of this? When thunder moves, it does not produce thunder. It produces echoes.

It is the same with the nature of the human spirit.

“Are there really men without emotions?” Master Hui asked Master Chuang.
“Yes,” said Master Chuang.
“If a man has no emotions,” asked Master Hui, “how can he be called a man?”
“The Way gives him an appearance,” said Master Chuang, “and heaven gives him a form. How can he not be called a man?”
“Since he is called a man,” said Master Hui, “how can it be that he has no emotions?”
“That is not what I mean by emotions,” said Master Chuang. “What I mean by having no emotions is to say that a man should not inwardly harm his person with ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ but rather should accord with the spontaneous and not add to life.”

(Mair, Zhuangzi)

You may buy Victor Mair’s translation here.