Book Description

We delve into The Zhuangzi(In English, 2023 Revision). Prologue. Zhuang Zhou, commonly known as Zhuangzi, was born in Meng in the state of Song during the Warring States period. Meng is currently located in the north of Sang-gu, Hanam Province. The estimated dates of his life are approximately 369-286 BC. This was the era of King Hui of the Yang dynasty and King Seon of the Qi dynasty. After working as a manager at Chilwon for a while, he did not hold any official positions for the rest of his life. Instead, he devoted himself to writing and interacted with the prime ministers of his time. In a turbulent and unstable era, he viewed the world through the lens of Taoism. His ideas, which diverged from conventional reality, had a significant influence on Chinese culture. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang canonized the Zhuangzi as one of the Chinese classics and bestowed upon it the honorific title \'True Scripture of Southern Florescence\'. The philosophy of Zhuangzi also had a profound impact on Zen Buddhism during the Tang dynasty, leading to its flourishing. It is believed that the original Zhuangzi consisted of fifty-two sections, but only thirty-three sections by Guo Xiang (AD.252-312) have been reported. Guo Xiang of the Northern Song Dynasty divided it into seven sections called \'inner chapters\', fifteen sections called \'outer chapters\', and eleven sections called \'miscellaneous chapters\'. The \'inner chapters\' provide a descriptive overview of the themes of each chapter and are considered the purest form of Zhuangzi\'s philosophy. On the other hand, the \'outer and miscellaneous chapters\' provide more detailed insights into the disciples. There is a saying that the Zhuangzi is a commentary on Laozi\'s teachings, but this is an exaggerated denunciation. The Huainanzi, an ancient Chinese text, treats the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi as unique thoughts within a philosophical system. Zhuangzi reinterprets the Tao proposed by Laozi in the form of stories, presenting it in a new way. Through his writings, he embodies Laozi\'s ideas and awakens the concept of the Great Integrity.