Description
Book SynopsisThe earliest and most influential commentary on the
Zhuangzi is that of Guo Xiang (265–312). Richard John Lynn’s translation of the
Zhuangzi is the first to follow Guo’s commentary in its interpretive choices. Its guiding principle is how Guo read the text, which allows for the full integration of the
Zhuangzi with Guo’s commentary.
Trade ReviewRichard John Lynn’s much-anticipated translation of the
Zhuangzi as interpreted by Guo Xiang is a monumental achievement of exceptional scope and depth. This magisterial rendering of the earliest wholly extant commentary and version of the
Zhuangzi is presented with superb discussions of key issues and debates surrounding the text. Lynn’s brilliant work will be indispensable for the study of Chinese philosophy, intellectual history, and literature. -- Wendy Swartz, author of
Reading Philosophy, Writing Poetry: Intertextual Modes of Making Meaning in Early Medieval ChinaFor far too long the
Zhuangzi has been read through a Buddhist lens, and Guo Xiang treated as an aberrant commentator who distorts the
Zhuangzi by reading it in political ways. As both parts of this picture are flat wrong, Lynn’s translation, which reads the
Zhuangzi through its first systematic commentary, restores the
Zhuangzi to all its inherent political genius and original power. -- Michael Nylan, author of
The Chinese Pleasure BookAs a major commentator, Guo Xiang not only illuminated the meaning of the
Zhuangzi but also shaped a way to understand that great Daoist classic. Richard John Lynn’s excellent translation of Guo Xiang’s version of the
Zhuangzi will be essential for the study of Daoism and Chinese philosophical tradition in general. This is a great contribution! -- Zhang Longxi, author of
Allegoresis: Reading Canonical Literature East and WestFollowing his acclaimed
Yijing and
Laozi renderings, Richard Lynn offers an authoritative translation of the
Zhuangzi together with, and through the lens of, its formative commentary. Lynn’s unique scholarly approach brings the
Zhuangzi alive as a complex, layered work of both ancient and early medieval Chinese philosophy. -- Martin Kern, coeditor of
Confucius and the Analects Revisited: New Perspectives on Dating, Composition, and AuthorshipLynn's translation of the Zhuangzi undoubtedly represents great progress in the English translations of the Zhuangzi and Zhuangzi studies. * Philosophy East and West *
Richard John Lynn’s
Zhuangzi is an incredible boon to Western academia. It not only demonstrates scholarship on the highest level, but also provides a constructive avenue for others to do the same. * Dao : a Journal of Comparative Philosophy *
Richard John Lynn has, in the course of a distinguished career, given us magisterial translations of the
Book of Changes and the
Laozi. Now he crowns these achievements with an equally impressive translation of the
Zhuangzi . . . I trust his book will remain a source of inspiration for many years to come. * Journal of Chinese Studies *
This new translation, an admirable result of a longstanding dedication to Guo Xiang’s
Zhuangzi, truly
deserves not only a special place on our bookshelves but will become a treasured point of reference for anyone who appreciates the aphorisms, wisdom, and literary qualities of those bundles of cherished texts attributed to Master Zhuang. * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *
Spearheads a fresh approach to the study of the Zhuangzi, enriching the understanding of this profound philosophical work for English-speaking readers and scholars alike. * Monumenta Serica *
A hugely valuable resource for scholars and general readers who would like to understand the text more thoroughly. * Paradigm Explorer *
Essential reading. * Religious Studies Review *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Translator’s Note
Introduction
Part I: The Sayings of Master Zhuang, the Inner Chapters1.
Xiaoyao you [Spontaneous Free Play]
2.
Qi wu lun [On Regarding All Things Equal]
3.
Yangsheng zhu [The Mastery of Nurturing Life]
4.
Renjian shi [The Ways of the World]
5.
Dechong fu [Tally of Virtue Replete]
6.
Da Zongshi [The Great Exemplary Teacher]
7.
Ying Diwang [Fit to Be Sovereigns]
Part II: The Sayings of Master Zhuang, the Outer Chapters8.
Pianmu [Webbed Toes]
9.
Mati [Horses’ Hooves]
10.
Quque [Ransack Chests]
11.
Zaiyou [Let Things Freely Be]
12.
Tiandi [Heaven and Earth]
13.
Tiandao [The Dao of Heaven]
14.
Tianyun [The Revolving of Heaven]
15.
Keyi [Honing the Will]
16.
Shanxing [Mending One’s Original Nature]
17.
Qiushui [Autumn Floods]
18.
Zhile [Perfect Joy]
19.
Dasheng [Understand Life]
20.
Shanmu [The Mountain Tree]
21.
Tian Zifang 22.
Zhi beiyou [Knowledge Wanders North]
Part III: The Sayings of Master Zhuang, the Miscellaneous Chapters23.
Gengsang Chu24.
Xu Wugui [Easygoing the Fearless]
25.
Zeyang26.
Waiwu [External Things]
27.
Yuyan [Words Attributed to Others]
28.
Rangwang [Refusing Rulership]
29.
Dao Zhi [Robber Zhi]
30.
Shuojian [Discourse on Swords]
31.
Yufu [The Old Fisherman]
32.
Lie Yukou33.
Tianxia [All Under Heaven]
Appendix A: Prefaces and Postface
Appendix B: Lost Works Attributed to Guo Xiang
Appendix C: Xiang Xiu and Guo Xiang Comments Compared
Appendix D: Sima Qian, “Biography of Master Zhuang”
Glossary of Terms
Glossary of Proper Nouns
Bibliography
Index
