My name is Cai Bi-Ming
I’m an associate professor at the department of Chinese Language and Literature, National Taiwan University
I have been teaching Zhuangzi for 19 years
The Zhuangzi is an ancient Chinese text from the Warring States period
That was an age of constant and endless wars
Zhuang Zhou worked as a “Qiyuanli”
He managed something like a big arboretum
A minor official
But what’s his life like
We can tell from his outfit
His ragged clothes
His sallow complexion
That he was poor
He was so pour that he had to borrow from the official who supervised rivers
How to settle his mind
Is one of the initial questions raised by Zhuangzi philosophy
With four words, “focus on self-cultivation”
He taught us how to serve our own hearts
He said “use your heart as a mirror”
Imagine that our heart is a mirror
So when bad things happen for three seconds
We won’t let it stay in our heart for three hours
Three days, even three years
The book talks about health maintenance
Healthy or not largely depends on your heart
Both my great-grandfather and grandfather were practitioners of Chinese medicine
And I had a chance to dip into traditional Chinese medicine
Zhuangzi tells us to stay clear of negative emotions
Which account for one third of all illnesses
That is also what traditional Chinese medicine appeals for
You will find that Zhuangzi lays emphasis on our body
95% of modern people have scoliosis
But Zhuang Zhou said “follow the center path as the rule” When I sit, I have my spine perpendicular to the ground
In that case, we are revived
And we can be in our best condition
I have a warm, happy family
And my life was going on so well
That left me no ground to teach Zhuangzi
Eight months later
I experienced great pain during my period
I went to the hospital
And it came out to be cancer Third stage
And it had spread to lymph nodes and stomach and intestines
I was mad
I was sad
And it surprised me
That when I was mad or sad
How my blood was oozing like crazy
And how my fingernails crackled
Then I calmed down
And tried to enter into a state of mindfulness
Our heart has an impact on our Qi
Zhuangzi teaches us
How to configure
Our mind and body
And how to interact with the world
How to achieve a peaceful
Meanwhile powerful mind and body
There is a way
When I waited to see the doctor
Every time I saw sour faces
Hunched in the waiting room
But I had to survive by all means
I started taking treatment at December 20th
April 17th the next year
The tumor shrank
And disappeared in my body
It is a precious experience to face death
And I understand better
Why death is discussed repeatedly in Zhuangzi
In different chapters
The death of friends
The death of wife
The death of family Because death reveals for you
What really matters in life
What you shouldn’t let go
At first I was her fan
When I heard of Zhuangzi
I realized
That how poor my Chinese was
Later I found out that her book was mainly composed of pictures
So I wasn’t as intimidated as before
As a public figure, I have pressure directly inflicted on me
Reading Zhuangzi
Has inspired me a lot
I start to understand
That I don’t have to be a handy tool
I’m allowed to make mistakes
As long as I make an effort
I need to cultivate my heart
There are many questions in her book
How are you today
Have you taken care of your heart
How is your perception
Are you tired
My body is honest
I did not know that
I controlled it with my brain
Zhuangzi reminds me That I need to take care of my body
Your best friend forever