The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu (Translations from the Asian Classics)

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The Zhuangzi is the most influential purely literary Chinese work dating from before China's imperial unification in 221BC. [37] Its literary quality, imagination and creativity, and linguistic prowess were unprecedented in the period of its creation. [37] Virtually every major Chinese writer or poet in history, from Sima Xiangru and Sima Qian during the Han dynasty, Ruan Ji and Tao Yuanming during the Six Dynasties, Li Bai during the Tang dynasty, to Su Shi and Lu You in the Song dynasty were "deeply imbued with the ideas and artistry of the Zhuangzi." [38] Early times [ edit ]

The Zhuangzi [a] ( Chinese: 莊子, historically romanized Chuang Tzŭ) is an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476–221BC) containing stories and anecdotes that exemplify the carefree nature of the ideal Taoist sage. Named for its traditional author, "Master Zhuang" ( Zhuangzi), the Zhuangzi is one of the two foundational texts of Taoism, along with the Tao Te Ching. He who knows he is a fool is not the biggest fool; he who knows he is confused is not in the worst confusion. To serve your ruler and be content to do anything for him—this is the peak of loyalty. And to serve your own mind so that sadness or joy does not sway or move it; to understand what you can do nothing about and to be content with it as with fate—this is the perfection of virtue. Goldin, Paul R. (2001). "The Thirteen Classics". In Mair, Victor H. (ed.). The Columbia History of Chinese Literature. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 86-96. ISBN 0-231-10984-9. Wilkinson, Endymion (2015). Chinese History: A New Manual (4thed.). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Asia Center. ISBN 978-0-674-08846-7.

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Idema, Wilt; Haft, Lloyd (1997). A Guide to Chinese Literature. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan. ISBN 0-89264-123-1. The best way to approach Zhuangzi, I believe, is not to attempt to subject his thought to rational and systematic analysis , but to read and reread his words until one has ceased to think of what he is saying and instead has developed an intuitive sense of the mind moving behind the words, and of the world in which it moves. In the world, everyone knows enough to pursue what he does not know, but no one knows enough to pursue what he already knows. 11 – Let It Be, Leave It Alone It is generally agreed that the seven “inner chapters,” all of which are translated here, constitute the heart of the Zhuangzi. They contain all the important ideas, are written in a brilliant and distinctive—though difficult— style, and are probably the earliest in date, though so far no way has been found to prove this last assumption. Do not be an embodier for fame; do not be a storehouse of schemes; do not be an undertaker of projects; do not be a proprietor of wisdom. Embody to the fullest what has no end and wander where there is no trail. Hold on to all that you have received from Heaven, but do not think you have gotten anything. Be empty, that is all. The Perfect Man uses his mind like a mirror—going after nothing, welcoming nothing, responding but not storing. Therefore he can win out over things and not hurt himself. 8 – Webbed Toes

Since I first took up my ax and followed you, Master, I have never seen timber as beautiful as this. But you don’t even bother to look, and go right on without stopping. Why is that?” between us and the course(es) of nature. 4.2 The Conceptual Foci of Chinese Daoist Normative Theorizing When a man has perfect virtue, fire cannot burn him, water cannot drown him, cold and heat cannot afflict him, birds and beasts cannot injure him. I do not say that he makes light of these things. I mean that he distinguishes between safety and danger, contents himself with fortune or misfortune, and is cautious in his comings and goings. Mair, Victor H. (1998). " Chuang-tzu". In Nienhauser, William (ed.). The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature, Volume 2. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp.20–26. ISBN 0-253-33456-X. (Google Books) Among the Japanese national treasures preserved in the Kōzan-ji temple in Kyoto is a Zhuangzi manuscript from the Muromachi period (1338–1573). [14] The manuscript has seven complete chapters from the "outer" and "miscellaneous" chapters, and is believed to be a close copy of an annotated edition written in the 7th century by the Chinese Daoist master Cheng Xuanying. [14] Content [ edit ] Chinese philosophy

James Legge (1891), The Texts of Taoism, in Sacred Books of the East, vols. XXXIX, XL, Oxford: Oxford University Press. What starts out being sincere usually ends up being deceitful. What was simple in the beginning acquires monstrous proportions in the end. Both Zhuangzi and Plato should then agree with the conviction that “there would be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till…political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands” (Plato 192). However, it is crucial to note that their conceptions of the real philosopher and the philosopher’s role as ruler are radically different. Plato’s Politeia is a perfect meritocracy: education/examinations are the methods that are employed to distinguish the talented from the mediocre, and thus to select the members of the ruling guardian class. His philosopher, then, is simply the wisest member of the educated elites, knowledgeable, trained in reasoning, and thus able to rule. In contrast, Zhuangzi is deeply concerned about the dangers of human knowledge (知), sometimes even treating it as a vice. The true philosopher, for Zhuangzi, has no human knowledge but grasps the Way itself: his/her mind is emptied and is able to “sit down and forget everything (坐忘).” In many examples in the Zhuangzi, those who grasp the Way are not educated elites, but men from lower classes. He is chilly like autumn, balmy like spring, and his joy and anger prevail through the four seasons. He goes along with what is right for things, and no one knows his limit. Therefore, when the sage calls out the troops, he may overthrow nations, but he will not lose the hearts of the people. His bounty enriches ten thousand ages, but he has no love for men. Therefore he who delights in bringing success to things is not a sage; he who has affections is not benevolent; he who looks for the right time is not a worthy man; he who cannot encompass both profit and loss is not a gentleman; he who thinks of conduct and fame and misleads himself is not a man of breeding; and he who destroys himself and is without truth is not a user of men. Rathnam, Lincoln. “Wandering In The Ruler’s Cage: Zhuangzi As A Political Philosopher”. Philosophy East And West, vol 69, no. 4, 2019, pp. 1076-1097. Project Muse, doi:10.1353/pew.2019.0086.

In my opinion, someone who was really good at handling the affairs of the world would not go about it like this. The people have their constant inborn nature. To weave for their clothing, to till for their food—this is the Virtue they share. They are one in it and not partisan, and it is called the Emancipation of Heaven. Therefore, in a time of Perfect Virtue, the gait of men is slow and ambling; their gaze is steady and mild. In such an age, mountains have no paths or trails, lakes no boats or bridges. The ten thousand things live species by species, one group settled close to another. Puett, Michael (2001). "Philosophy and Literature in Early China". In Mair, Victor H. (ed.). The Columbia History of Chinese Literature. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 70–85. ISBN 0-231-10984-9. Everyone knows enough to pursue what he does not know, but no one knows enough to pursue what he already knows. Zhuangzi’s answer, however, the answer of one branch of the Daoist school, is radically different from these and is grounded on a wholly different type of thinking. It is the answer of a mystic, and in attempting to describe it here in clear and concrete language, I shall undoubtedly be doing violence to its essentially mystic and indescribable nature. Zhuangzi’s answer to the question is: free yourself from the world.

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That a son should love his parents is fate—you cannot erase this from his heart. That a subject should serve his ruler is duty—there is no place he can go and be without his ruler, no place he can escape to between heaven and earth. These are called the great decrees. Therefore, to serve your parents and be content to follow them anywhere—this is the perfection of filial piety. In the Zhuangzi, a fictional dialogue takes place between ‘Confucius’ and Yan Hui (I use ‘Confucius’ to distinguish the fictional character from the historical figure). Yan Hui plans to travel to Wei, because it is in chaos due to the bad governance of its young ruler, whom he wishes to remonstrate. However, ‘Confucius’ warns Yan Hui that he will only get himself executed. It is not only dangerous to “appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness” (Zhuangzi and Watson 77), as ‘Confucius’ suggests, it is also useless: Wei would not be in chaos if its ruler is willing to take good suggestions, and if the ruler is not open to suggestions, Yan Hui can achieve nothing.