I believe most of us have experienced similar situation.
At some times, we got hurt because of certain value we possessed, because that value was useful to other people, like when someone else took advantage of us.
At other times, we were pushed into some bad position because we lacked certain value and became useless. For example, not getting promotion or being rejected.
Should we then be useful or not? Is being useful good?
I believe everyone has an answer, and you’re welcome to share your story in the comment with us.
Today, we will introduce a philosophical parable by Zhuangzi, which will likely bring you new perspective. Even though we live in a time 2000 years later than Zhuangzi, the question he raises still resonates with us.
It’s called “Between the Useless Tree and the Mute Goose, Transforming Like a Dragon and Snake” (《木雁之间 龙蛇之变》), which consists of three parts:
- The Tale of the Useless Tree
- The Fate of the Mute Goose
- Zhuangzi On Usefulness and Transformation
Now let’s get started with the amazing story.
1. The Useless Tree
One day, Zhuangzi was walking in the mountain with his disciples.
There, they saw a a large tree with lush branches and leaves, and encountered a woodcutter. It seemed that the woodcutter had no interest in cutting down this tree and turned to other ones.
Zhuangzi asked the woodcutter: “Why didn’t you fell this tree?”
The woodcutter replied: “Because this tree is of no use to me.”
Therefore, Zhuangzi said to his disciples: “This tree can live out its natural life because it is useless. It is the uselessness that saved its life.”
2. The Mute Goose
Later, as Zhuangzi and his disciples left the mountain, they stayed at an old friend’s house.
The friend was delighted for the visiting, so he ordered a servant to kill a goose for dinner.
The servant asked the master: “Which goose should I kill? One goose can sing but the other one cannot.”
The master answered: “Kill the mute one that cannot sing, for being able to sing is more useful.”
3. Zhuangzi On Usefulness and Transformation
The next day, Zhuangzi’s disciples ask their master:
“Yesterday, the tree in the mountain lived its full life because it was useless. However, the master’s goose was killed also because it was useless. It seems paradoxical. Is being useless in deed good or bad? What will you do, master?”
Zhuangzi answered with a smile:
“I will stay between the useful and the useless. Being between them seems right but isn’t, so it’s not free of trouble. But if one acts according to Virtue of the Dao and drifts freely, it’s different.”
The disciples asked further: “Please explain.”
Zhuangzi said:
“Unburdened by fame and untouched by criticism, sometimes flying like a dragon and sometimes crawling a snake, we change with the times without insisting on any form. High at times, low at others, using harmony as a measure, We drift freely in the origin of all things. Existing with all but bound by none, what then can trouble us? This was the way of the Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor) and Shen Nong (the Flame Emperor).
As for the nature of all things and the traditions of human relations, the situation is different. Unity leads to separation, success leads to destruction, integrity wears down, eminence gets criticized, actions lead to losses, the wise are schemed against, the incompetent are bullied; how can those persist and be certain? How sad! Remember, disciples, we should only pursue the land of Dao and De (Virtue of Dao).”
The Parable in Today’s World
So, should we be useful or not?
From a Taoist perspective, the answer is “it depends.” It’s all contingent on the situation, the context, the people, the priorities, etc. No standard is absolute and never changing.
For the tree, because the value that the woodcutter desired is its material, so being useful was dangerous. But for the goose, since it is the singing skill that the master wanted, so the lack of it was unfavorable.
If the tree or the goose can transform freely about their values, wouldn’t then they will be able to change their own ending, and grasp the wheel of their destiny on their own?
Therefore, being able to change swiftly and freely according to the “times” or the given context, and not being bound by chain pre-given to us, is extremely important.
At the end of the day, the Dao is highly valued and followed by Taoism because it is the origin of all things, and therefore, of all possible changes. By cultivating the Virtue of Dao, we can move more and more freely in the world, and transform ourselves to a higher existential state. And this is one of the Taoist ideals: Xiaoyao (逍遥), or the Ultimate Freedom
