Huainanzi Quick Read - Legends of Immortals and Taoism

Author: Lü Kai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The book here is one you must read at least once in your lifetime, whether you are ten, thirty, or seventy years old! A minimalist reading list of Chinese culture. From the vast collection of ancient classics, sixty classics have been selected for the first time to be presented in an easy and enjoyable reading format, fully depicting the style and appearance of Chinese five thousand years of culture. Renowned scholars in Taiwan review the classics with the perspective of the 21st century, traversing through time and space, guiding you into the "unfenced museum of Chinese culture." In dreams, he becomes a bird and flies in the sky; in dreams, he becomes a fish and dives into the depths. When he is dreaming, he is completely unaware that he is dreaming. Only when he wakes up does he realize that he was dreaming. The Huainanzi is a work of the Zhai school. The Zhai school emphasizes heavy deliberation, as their discussions draw from multiple sources, hence the name Zhai. The Huainanzi is a book of this nature. Although it is a Zhai school work with ancient sayings and mixed discussions, it also has its own purpose. The Huainanzi is largely attributed to Taoism, with an intent close to the Laozi. The discussions on indifference, inaction, dwelling in emptiness, and maintaining constancy in both entering and exiting are all very profound. The allegorical satire is also very interesting. For example, in the Chuzhen Lun, there is a record like this: "In dreams, he becomes a bird and flies in the sky; in dreams, he becomes a fish and dives into the depths. When he is dreaming, he is completely unaware that he is dreaming. Only when he wakes up does he realize that he was dreaming. Now, one must have a great awakening to realize that we are indeed in a great dream." Such interesting and magnificent passages are found throughout the Huainanzi. For this reason, this book is called "Hong Lve," where "Hong" means great, and "Lve" means bright, combined to mean "the bright way of the Dao."