Chuang Tzu 5.5

A person who had no lips, whose legs were bent so that he could only walk on his toes, and who was otherwise deformed, addressed his counsels to duke Ling of Wei, who was so pleased with him, that he looked on a perfectly formed man as having a lean and small neck in comparison with him. 

Another who had a large goitre like an earthenware jar addressed his counsels to duke Hwan of Khì, who was so pleased with him that he looked on a perfectly formed man as having a neck lean and small in comparison with him. 

So it is that when one's virtue is extraordinary, any deficiency in his bodily form may be forgotten. When men do not forget what is easily forgotten, and forget what is not easily forgotten, we have a case of real oblivion. 

Therefore, the sagely man has that in which his mind finds its enjoyment, and looks on wisdom as but the shoots from an old stump; agreements with others are to him but so much glue; kindnesses are but the arts of intercourse; and great skill is but as merchants' wares. 

The sagely man lays no plans—of what use would wisdom be to him? He has no cutting and hacking to do—of what use would glue be to him? He has lost nothing—of what use would arts of intercourse be to him? He has no goods to dispose of—what need has he to play the merchant? 

The want of these four things are the nourishment of his Heavenly nature; that nourishment is its Heavenly food. Since he receives this food from Heaven, what need has he for anything of man's devising? 

He has the bodily form of man, but not the passions and desires of other men. He has the form of man, and therefore he is a man. Being without the passions and desires of men, their approvings and disapprovings are not to be found in him. How insignificant and small is the body by which he belongs to humanity! How grand and great is he in the unique perfection of his Heavenly nature! 

Hui-tsze said to Kwang-tsze, "Can a man indeed be without desires and passions?" 

The reply was, "He can." 

"But on what grounds do you call him a man, who is thus without passions and desires?" 

Kwang-tsze said, "The Tâo gives him his personal appearance and powers; Heaven gives him his bodily form; how should we not call him a man?" 

Hui-tsze rejoined, "Since you call him a man, how can he be without passions and desires?" 

The reply was, "You are misunderstanding what I mean by passions and desires. What I mean when I say that he is without these is, that this man does not by his likings and dislikings do any inward harm to his body—he always pursues his course without effort, and does not try to increase his store of life." 

Hui-tsze rejoined, "If there were not that increasing of the amount of life, how would he get his body?" 

Kwang-tsze said, "The Tâo gives him his personal appearance and powers; Heaven gives him his bodily form; and he does not by his likings and dislikings do any internal harm to his body. 

"But now you, Sir, deal with your spirit as if it were something external to you, and subject your vital powers to toil. You sing your ditties, leaning against a tree; you go to sleep, grasping the stump of a rotten dryandra tree. Heaven selected for you the bodily form of a man, and you babble about what is strong and what is white."