Zhuangzi Collected Interpretations—New Compilation of the Canon of the Masters (Volumes 1, 2, and 3)

Author: Guo Qingfan (Qing Dynasty) wrote, Wang Xiaoyu edited
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Features: Zhuangzi, whose surname was Zhuang and name was Zhou (Taishi Gong said: styled Zi Xiu), was a native of Meng County, Liang State. During the Warring States period, he served as an official in the Lacquer Garden and lived at the same time as King Hui of Wei, King Xuan of Qi, and King Wei of Chu. Both Qi and Chu intended to invite him to be their prime minister, but he refused. At that time, most people valued persuasive speeches, but Zhuangzi alone held them in high esteem, living a leisurely life in accordance with the teachings of Laozi. He wrote over 100,000 words, composing books that advocated freedom, nature, non-action, and the equality of all things. Most of his parables can be traced back to the principle of reason, and one should not judge them merely by their wording. The Qing Dynasty saw great prosperity in scholarship. The principle of "seeking truth from facts" proposed by Qing scholars became a symbol of the modernization of academia. Zhuangzi Jishu (The Collected Explanations of Zhuangzi) is a comprehensive work of annotations and interpretations of Zhuangzi from the Qing Dynasty. The Commercial Press included it in the Newly Compiled Collection of the Masters of the Hundred Schools, which has been highly valued by academia for many years.