Zhuangzi, Volume 1 and Volume 2

Author: Wang Lei / Zhang Chun / Annotation
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Zhuangzi, also known as Zhou, was a native of Song and a representative figure of the Daoist school during the Warring States period. He is often referred to alongside Laozi as the "Lao-Zhuang." The Zhuangzi is revered as the Nanhua Jing and, along with Laozi's Dao De Jing, is one of the most important classics of Daoism. King Wei of Chu heard of Zhuangzi's wisdom and offered him the position of prime minister, but Zhuangzi refused and remained a recluse for his entire life. Despite his poverty, he despised the powerful and noble; he was naturally unrestrained and advocated for living in harmony with nature, longing to return to the simple and natural society of ancient times. It is said that after his wife's death, Zhuangzi not only did not grieve but even danced with a pot, believing that after death, a person's body and soul merge with all things in nature. His carefree attitude toward life deeply influenced later generations. Zhuangzi's writings are described as "vast and profound, with myriad styles," surpassing the works of other late Zhou philosophers. Zhuangzi is rich in imagination and features ever-changing prose, much like the "Kun Peng soaring freely in the clouds" in Free and Easy Wandering, the "Don't know whether Zhou is dreaming of being a butterfly or the butterfly is dreaming of being Zhou?" in On the Equality of Things, and the "Better to be wet together than to moisten each other in a vast lake" in The Mandate of Heaven. Reading Zhuangzi is like quietly listening to ancient sages unveil the mysteries of the universe and the truths of life amidst a gentle breeze of immortality and Daoist wisdom. Li Bai became a poetic immortal due to his admiration for Laozi and Zhuangzi's teachings, while Changsun Wuji understood the principle of "the butcher's skill in dismembering an ox" and became a prime minister for three Tang emperors.