Zhuangzi

Name: Zhuangzi
ISBN: 9787807208044

Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou)Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. · ChinaAug 2020

4.2

Word count: 114K words
Chapters: 23
ISBN: 9787807208044

Report an error Find this book

Summary

At the end of the last century there was a song called "Carefree Walk." To roam freely between heaven and earth is the golden dream of the young, a sigh of the middle-aged, and something the old cannot help recalling with "those were the days..." The unfettered footsteps always come and go without a trace. Following the thousand-year-long river of Chinese history upstream, one finds the Peach Blossom Spring of Wuling, standing apart from the world, free and at leisure. One may linger there, yet cannot truly roam. Going further back, riding upon all things to let the mind wander, keeping company alone with the spirit of heaven and earth—there stands Zhuangzi, and only Zhuangzi.

Editor's review

Zhuangzi is the collected works of Zhuang Zhou, a leading figure of the Warring States-period Daoist school, and his followers. As one of the Daoist classics, it is paired with the Laozi under the name "Lao-Zhuang." The celebrated chapters included here, such as "Free and Easy Wandering," "On the Equality of Things," and "The Secret of Caring for Life," build a grand system of thought that transcends the mundane and pursues absolute spiritual freedom through unrestrained imagination, magnificent and startling fables, and profound, lofty philosophy. It is not only a philosophical text but also a literary treasure; its stories—"Cook Ding Carves an Ox," "Zhuang Zhou Dreams of a Butterfly," and "The Debate on the Hao River"—have long entered the bloodstream of Chinese culture. This edition from Jilin Publishing Group offers a relatively complete text and is a good entry point for understanding this classic. As an editor, I believe its core value lies in offering an ancient wisdom that counters utilitarian reality and spiritual constraint. Amid the fast pace and high pressure of modern society, reading Zhuangzi is not about seeking practical tips for getting along in the world but about experiencing a state of mind that "wanders in tranquility and harmonizes with the vast" and learning how to move from the limitations of "dependence on something" to the freedom of "depending on nothing." Its transcendent reflections on life and death, fame and profit, right and wrong still offer us deep consolation and illumination today. However, the highly discontinuous nature of its language and thought also makes for a considerable barrier to reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginners and enthusiasts with a strong interest in ancient Chinese philosophy and intellectual culture
Modern readers seeking spiritual calm and inner exploration amid a busy life
Readers who appreciate allegorical writing and literary classical texts
Scholars and students in the humanities and social sciences who need to understand the origins of Daoist thought

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a clear, systematic, directly actionable life guide or success methodology
Readers with serious difficulty reading classical Chinese who are unwilling to use translations or annotations

Reading tips

First-time readers may begin with the more narrative chapters, such as "Free and Easy Wandering," "Autumn Floods," and "The Secret of Caring for Life," to take in their atmosphere, without insisting on grasping every idea at once
It is advisable to read alongside an authoritative modern annotated translation to understand the text accurately and avoid misreadings caused by the language barrier
Try combining reading with quiet reflection; do not pursue speed, but focus on experiencing its unconventional ways of thinking and expansive attitude toward life

About the publisher

Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 2003

Jilin Publishing Group Co., Ltd. focuses on fine fiction, social sciences, literary appreciation, history, classical poetry and classical literature, with 1,141 titles in the library. Representative books include Dan Simmons's science fiction novels Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, Freud's works on psychology and society such as The Ego and the Id and Group Psychology, and classical literature ranging from Laozi and Zhuangzi, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Three Hundred Poems of the Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties to Lü Simian's A General History of China. Its authors include Dan Simmons, Freud, Laozi, Lü Simian, Hengtang Tuishi, Pan Zhenhua, Li Yi and Guan Shanming, reflecting a balance between translated works and domestic editions. Public information is limited; the above is based on the library's holdings.

版权信息
文前
逍遥游
齐物论
养生主
人间世
德充符
大宗师
应帝王
骈拇
马蹄
在宥
天地
天道
天运
刻意
缮性
秋水
至乐
达生
山木
田子方
知北游

FAQ

What are the main differences between the thought of Zhuangzi and that of the Laozi?

Both belong to Daoism but emphasize different things. The Laozi (Daodejing) focuses more on political philosophy and abstract discussions of cosmic order, proposing core ideas such as "Dao," "non-action," and "the soft overcomes the hard"; it is more systematic and strategic. Zhuangzi focuses more on the pursuit of individual spiritual freedom and the opening of new horizons for life; through a wealth of fables it emphasizes the equality of self and things, the erasure of right and wrong, and the transcendence of life and death. Its style is more literary and imaginative, and its critique of conventional values is fiercer and more thorough.

What practical significance does reading Zhuangzi have for modern people?

Its significance lies more in the spiritual realm than in practical utility. It offers a critical perspective that helps us reflect on the alienation and anxiety brought by the excessive pursuit of efficiency, success, and material goods in modern society. The cultivation methods it advocates, such as "fasting the mind" and "sitting in forgetfulness," can help us learn to guard the spirit inwardly in an age of information overload; its wisdom of "the usefulness of the useless" lets us re-examine our standards of value and learn to find freedom within necessity and open up inner space within limitations, gaining a more open-minded and resilient attitude toward life.

Is this edition suitable for academic research?

This popular edition from Jilin Publishing Group is aimed mainly at general readers; its strength is a relatively complete text that is easy to obtain. For in-depth academic research, however, it is better to prioritize authoritative critical editions with detailed collation, annotation, and collected commentary, such as those published by Zhonghua Book Company and Shanghai Classics Publishing House (for example, Chen Guying's Zhuangzi Jinzhu Jinyi). Those editions are more rigorous and comprehensive in their choice of base texts, philological scholarship, and academic references, and are a better foundation for specialized research.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou) Author · Chinese

Zhuangzi, also known as Zhuang Zhou, was a native of Meng in the state of Song during the Warring States period and a leading figure of Daoism, ranked alongside Laozi as the two pillars of the tradition. His exact birth and death years are difficult to verify, and public information is limited; he is generally believed to have lived from roughly the mid-fourth century to the early third century BCE. He once served as a keeper of the lacquer garden and is said to have declined the offer of high office from King Wei of Chu. He advocated quietness and non-action, the unity of heaven and humanity, and a life close to nature and spiritual freedom. The book Zhuangzi is a Daoist classic known for its fantastical imagination, abundant fables, and unrestrained prose, and it has deeply influenced later philosophy and literature. This site holds eleven of his works, spanning categories such as culture, Eastern philosophy, and literature, among which the Nanhua Zhenjing and various editions of Zhuangzi are especially widespread.