“A mechanic, Shih, going to Qi, came to Chui-Yuan, and saw an oak tree which was used as the altar for the spirits of the earth. It was so large that its shadow could cover a thousand oxen. Its trunk had a circumference of a hundred spans. It rose up ten chei on the hill before it threw out any branches, after which there were ten or so, from each of which a boat could be hollowed out. People came to see it in crowds as in a market place, but the mechanic Shih did not look around at it, but held on his way without stopping. His student however looked long and admiring at it, and then came to his master, saying: ‘Since I’ve picked up my axe and bill to follow you, I have never seen such beautiful timber as this. But master, you didn’t look round at it, but went on without stopping; why?’ Master said: ‘Stop. Don’t speak about it. It’s useless timber. A boat made from it would sink; a coffin or shell made from it would soon rot. Objects made from it would soon disintegrate. A door made from it would exude sap. A pillar made from it would be riddled with insects. It is un-utilizable wood. The tree cannot be used for anything, hence it could have attained such great age as it has.’ When mechanic Shih returned, the altar-oak appeared in his dream, saying: ‘To what tree will you compare me? Will you compare me to one of your ornamental trees? Take these hawthorns, pear-trees, orange-trees, pummelo-trees, all these fruit-bearing plants. When their fruits are ripe, they are knocked down from them, then thrown among the dirt. The large branches are broken, and the smaller torn away. This is how their productive ability (usefulness) makes bitter their life. Hence they do not complete the natural term of their life, but come to a premature end in the middle of their time, bringing onto themselves destruction by those worldly and profane. All things are like this. Thus so have I sought after the art of being useful for nothing. I have almost died once, but now acquired this art, and it has been of the greatest use to me. Suppose that I were useful, should I have acquired such great size as this I am? Moreover, you and I are both things, why is it that you judge and evaluate other things? And you useless man, near-death yourself, what do you know about the useless tree?’ Mechanic Shih awoke and was determining the meaning of the dream. The student said: ‘Being so taken with its uselessness, why is it then that it yet acts as the altar for the spirits of the land?’ The mechanic said: ‘Quiet. You say not. The altar came simply residing there [without the tree's asking for it]… Even if it were not used as an altar, would it be still in danger of being cut down, it being so useless already ? Moreover, the reason of its preservation is different from that of things generally; but you try to analogically understand it with conventional reasons, isn’t it far off the mark?’”

“The mountain trees bring about their own demises [by being useful], burning oil exhausts itself in fire [when people use it in oil lamp]. The fruits of the cinnamon tree can be eaten, hence the trees are cut down; the varnish tree is useful, hence incisions are made in it. Everyone knows the usefulness of being useful, but no one knows the usefulness of being useless.”