Classics of the Ages -- Zhuangzi

Author: Zhuangzi Zhou Suping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-12-01
Features:
In the "Free and Easy Wanderer," there is a fish in the northern sea named Kun. The size of Kun is so vast that it spans thousands of miles. It transforms into a bird named Peng. The back of Peng is also unknown for thousands of miles. When it rages into the sky, its wings resemble clouds hanging from the heavens. This bird, when the seas stir, will migrate to the southern sea. The southern sea is the celestial pool. "Qi Xie" is a book that records strange tales. The words of "Xie" say: When Peng migrates to the southern sea, the water it strikes spans three thousand miles, and it rises ninety thousand miles with the updraft. It leaves with the breath of June. The wild horses and the dust—things that breathe and blow against each other. Is the sky's vastness its true color? Or is it infinitely far with no end? When it looks down, it is just like this. Moreover, if the water accumulates not deeply, it cannot bear a large boat. Pouring a cup of water on a sunken hall, then a mustard seed becomes a boat; placing a cup there, it sticks; the water is shallow, and the boat is large. If the wind accumulates not deeply, it cannot bear large wings. Therefore, at ninety thousand miles, the wind is beneath it, and then it begins to ride the wind; carrying the blue sky without being obstructed, then it begins to plan southward.
"The Southern Huajing," originally named "Zhuangzi," is the work of the famous philosopher of the Warring States period, the master of the Taoist school Zhuangzi and his followers. The book now exists in three parts, divided into Inner Chapters, Outer Chapters, and Miscellaneous Chapters, with 7 Inner Chapters, 15 Outer Chapters, and 11 Miscellaneous Chapters. It is generally believed that the Inner Chapters were written by Zhuangzi himself, are largely unified and coherent, and have a consistent style. The Outer Chapters and Miscellaneous Chapters are mainly the works of Zhuangzi's followers, interspersed with some chapters from other schools, making their ideological content somewhat mixed and their style inconsistent.
The "Southern Huajing" is profound and vast in thought, "its words are vast and open, in myriad forms," and has had a far-reaching influence on later generations. In recent years, with the rise of interest in traditional Chinese culture, "The Southern Huajing" has moved from scholars' studies and's scriptures to the general public, and more and more people are becoming interested in it. To help ordinary readers understand "The Southern Huajing," we have annotated this classic. The annotations follow the principle of being concise and clear, and the translations strive to be smooth and easy to understand.