â€Å"Instead of running around pointing fingers, why not laugh? Better than laughing, why not go along with things? Then you can experience the mysterious oneness of the Dao.â€
Zhuangzi would be silly laughing at himself, while watching the frenzy that many compete for profit in an era considered post-industrial. He has a good sense of humor if only for a moment, laughter would be able to release us from the so-called rationality that is dominating our lives. In the event that we are released from the rationality dictatorship, then this is the time to be free to â€Å"go along with things.†Whereas, Confucius gives so much focus on human relationships, and the Daoist exercises gladness, most especially the Dao, usually given manifestation in the natural surroundings. For Mencius, Aristotle and Buddha, there is considered critical point on the role of the mind especially in finding happiness. The Daoist believes that we think too much, in which our rational mind is leading us the way from the so-called intuitive Dao.
Zhuangzi devoted his first work to finding happiness several years during the warring states in the ancient China. He was born about 2,300 years ago. His essay entitled â€Å"Ultimate Happiness,†is now part of the chapter of a book entitled Zhuangzi.
Wu Wei is known as ultimate happiness
Zhuangzi believes that the ultimate happiness is nothing but wuwei, considered as the skill of doing nothing against the â€Å"way†(Dao). He made a clear distinction between two types of happiness. Many people give value to wealth, physical comfort and fame, and also through colors, delicious tastes, music, as well as attractive clothing. Once they are able to dip their toes in the so-called fleeting joys, they need to have more. They become uncomfortable if they cannot do it. Yet the so-called Dao, which is considered having a mysterious power fill the cosmos that is also reflected in nature, the source of the so-called deeper form of happiness. Since humans are part of the Dao and dwelling in the midst of nature, only needs to develop the power. This is only like sitting in a car with the engine running so powerful even when the gear is locked in neutral. There’s a need to know why and how to get the car in gear. This is made possible through doing wuwei, that Zhuangzi referred to as the skill of going along with things,†or what we know nowadays as ‘going with the flow.â€
Dao and the flow
Discussing about the so-called â€Å"flow,†Zhuangzi is comparing the smart and wise man as an expert swimmer, surviving a huge torrent by swimming with it freely. In the Dao of Pooh, a certain Benjamin Hoff is comparing the Daoist sage to the famous Winnie the Pooh, who is very ignorant especially in calculating the loss and the profit, but still lives in the moment and find happiness and contentment in what is known as simple things in life. Pooh don’t like the so-called â€Å"monkeying around†or the â€Å"meddling around†as things is seemed working out. Yet, many of Zhuangzi’z sages are not born with the sort of virtue. In the example, Butcher Ding achieves happiness when he perfected the skill of chopping up ox carcasses. This is considered most despised profession in ancient China, still Ding work it out with pleasure and great pride. He claimed that the more skillful he gets in chopping meat, the more he also â€Å"go along with things,†as well harmonizing with the Dao. Sages such as Ding as well as the cart maker P’ien is not interested in academic learning, thinking that words are not enough of a very efficient way to discover the so-called Dao and obtain genuine happiness. Simply following the teachings on wuwei as well as drawing closer to the Dao, a blue-collar sages such that of Pien and Ding is able to obtain De or virtue, known as a sort of indescribable power, which is also quiet different from Platonists and Confucius virtues.
