Zhuangzi — 相濡以沫

“Mutual moistening with spittle” evokes a poignant image: fish stranded on dry land, desperately sharing saliva to survive. The *Zhuangzi* contrasts this with the quiet freedom of fish in the vast rivers and lakes—where no such effort is needed, and no memory of dependence remains. The line *xiāng rú yǐ mò, bù rú xiāng wàng yú jiāng hú*—“better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes”—is not a call for indifference, but a recognition that true ease arises when conditions support spontaneous, unforced existence. In the *Da Zong Shi* (“The Great Ancestral Teacher”) chapter, this image anchors a broader reflection on how artificial constraints—whether drought or moral judgment—distort natural harmony. When we praise Yao and condemn Jie, we remain trapped in dualistic thinking; “to forget both and transform with the Way” points instead to release from such comparisons. The commentary clarifies: just as fish in deep water need no mutual aid, so beings aligned with the Dao move freely without reliance on virtue, duty, or even self-conscious care. The *Zhuangzi* does not reject compassion, but asks us to consider its source—is it born of sufficiency or scarcity? Of abundance in the “rivers and lakes,” or of desperation on the drying shore?