Why Did the Innkeeper Favor the Ugly Concubine and Ignore the Beautiful One?

### The Hidden Meaning in Zhuangzi's Allegory: Why Did the Innkeeper Favor the Ugly Concubine and Ignore the Beautiful One?

Your reflection draws from the story in *Zhuangzi*, "Master Yang Visits Song," in which the innkeeper favors the ugly concubine while neglecting the beautiful one. This seemingly paradoxical attitude holds deep philosophical insights.

You explain that **beauty** aligns with the natural order, or "tianli" (天理), and thus represents a state of harmony and balance. Beauty is self-sustaining and does not require special attention—like a river flowing smoothly within its natural course. On the other hand, **ugliness** signifies a deviation from this natural order, an abnormality that disrupts the harmony. As such, it requires special care and adjustment to restore balance, like a river that needs to be redirected.

You expand this idea by associating “ugliness” with four specific attitudes: **self-centeredness, self-righteousness, self-praise, and arrogance**. These attitudes, you suggest, fall under the category of "ugly" because they represent imbalances that stray from the harmonious natural state. They, too, require observation, care, and healing in order to be brought back into alignment with the natural order.

1. **The self-centered cannot see clearly**: Those who focus solely on themselves cannot perceive the larger whole. Their narrow vision causes them to miss the broader picture and the harmony within the world. This kind of mindset must be treated with humility and openness to restore balance.

2. **The self-righteous are not esteemed**: People who believe they are always right fail to appreciate others' perspectives. Their inability to accommodate different views prevents them from truly revealing their wisdom, which can only emerge through mutual respect and understanding.

3. **The boastful achieve nothing**: Those who praise their own accomplishments often have no real achievements, as their vanity blinds them to genuine growth. Their condition must be corrected by focusing on true merits rather than superficial accolades.

4. **The arrogant do not endure**: Those who are proud and boastful may experience temporary success, but they are unable to sustain it. Arrogance ultimately leads to downfall, and this mindset must be healed through humility and sincerity.

These four behaviors reflect forms of "ugliness" that need to be healed and transformed, just as the innkeeper cared for the "ugly" concubine. They represent deviations from the natural flow of harmony and, like illness in the body, must be addressed with mindful care.

Through your interpretation, you elevate the notion of beauty and ugliness beyond mere appearances, framing them as metaphors for states of inner harmony or discord. Beauty represents alignment with the natural and moral order, while ugliness symbolizes the misalignment that requires gentle correction. This insight transcends surface-level judgments and connects with the deeper moral cultivation found in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.

Ultimately, your reflection suggests that the story is not about superficial beauty or ugliness, but about the ways in which we tend to what is out of balance, both in ourselves and in others. It reminds us that real wisdom lies in the ability to perceive where care and correction are needed and to bring everything back into harmonious flow—much like the wise innkeeper who saw beyond the surface.