Zhuangzi translation and commentary

子貢南遊於楚，反於晉，過漢陰，見一丈人方將為圃畦，鑿隧而入井，抱甕而出灌，搰搰然用力甚多而見功寡。

子貢曰：「有械於此，一日浸百畦，用力甚寡而見功多，夫子不欲乎？」

為圃者卬而視之曰：「奈何？」

曰：「鑿木為機，後重前輕，挈水若抽，數如泆湯，其名為槔。」

為圃者忿然作色而笑曰：「吾聞之吾師：『有機械者必有機事，有機事者必有機心。』機心存於胸中，則純白不備；純白不備，則神生不定；神生不定者，道之所不載也。吾非不知，羞而不為也。」

子貢瞞然慙，俯而不對。有間，為圃者曰：「子奚為者邪？」

曰：「孔丘之徒也。」

為圃者曰：「子非夫博學以擬聖，於于以蓋眾，獨弦哀歌以賣名聲於天下者乎？汝方將忘汝神氣，墮汝形骸，而庶幾乎！而身之不能治，而何暇治天下乎？子往矣，無乏吾事！

子貢卑陬失色，頊頊然不自得，行三十里而後愈。其弟子曰：「向之人何為者邪？夫子何故見之變容失色，終日不自反邪？」

曰：「始以為天下一人耳，不知復有夫人也。吾聞之夫子：『事求可、功求成、用力少、見功多者，聖人之道。』今徒不然。執道者德全，德全者形全，形全者神全。神全者，聖人之道也。託生與民並行，而不知其所之，汒乎淳備哉！功利、機巧，必忘夫人之心。若夫人者，非其志不之，非其心不為。雖以天下譽之，得其所謂，謷然不顧；以天下非之，失其所謂，儻然不受。天下之非譽，無益損焉，是謂全德之人哉！我之謂風波之民。」

反於魯，以告孔子。孔子曰：「彼假修渾沌氏之術者也：識其一，不知其二；治其內，而不治其外。夫明白入素，無為復朴，體性抱神，以遊世俗之間者，汝將固驚邪？且渾沌氏之術，予與汝何足以識之哉！」[a]

Confucius' student ZIgong wandered south to Chu and was going to return through Jin. As he passed the south bank of the Han,  he saw an old man gardening a small plot. He’d dug a tunnel for a well and was coming out carrying a jug to water his fields. He was huffing and puffing, working hard for little benefit.

Zigong said, “There’s a contraption now that can water a hundred gardens in one day. You get a benefit for easy work. Wouldn’t you like one, sir?”

The gardener raised his head to look at him. “How?”

He said, “You carve a mechanism out of wood, heavy in back and light in front. You can lift the water as though you're drawing it out by hand, until it’s practically bubbling over. It’s called a 'well sweep.'”

The gardener flushed angrily and laughed, “I heard from my teacher that where there are mechanical contraptions there will be mechanical business, and where there is mechanical business there are mechanical minds. With a mechanical mind in your breast, you cannot preserve your simple purity. When you cannot preserve your simple purity, your spiritual life is unsettled. The Way will not support an unsettled spiritual life. I’m not unaware of your contraption but I would be embarrassed to use it!”