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In the Chinese ancient times, and the early Qin and the two Han dynasties in particular, no line of demarcation was drawn between literature, philosophy and historiography, so the history of literature for these dynasties, if mentioned, generally involves some famous works of philosophy and historiography. Of the argumentative prose works of the early Qin dynasty scholars Zhuang Zi is of the highest value of literature. Now let us come to Zhuang Zi. wish.1155815.com
Zhuang Zi, also known as Zhuang Zhou, was a native of Meng (present-day northeastern Shang Qiu City, Henan Province) in the Song Stte during the Warring States Period. He once took the post of a petty official at Qiyuan. Knowledgeable and far-sighted, he was a philosopher of great wisdom. Oppressed by a poverty-stricken life, he borrowed rice from the Marquis of Jianhe on his trip to the Sate of Wei and visited King Hui of Wei though still in rags. He thought little of fame and riches and looked down upon those with wealth and rank. He even declined the invitation of King Wei of Chu to be prime minister of the Chu State. In the chaotic society of the Warring States Period it was indeed no easy matter for him to keep his moral character and seek his spiritual freedom. Zhuang Zi is the piece of work, which crystallizes his wisdom. wish.1155815.com
Appealing and impassioned, Zhuang Zi’s essays are very philosophical and highly literary, so to speak, a perfect unity of philosophy and literature. He seldom conducted his empty talk in his essays, but preferred to illustrate the abstruse philosophy in the form of the allegorical stories. Its representative work was Leisurely and Carefree Wanderings, the theme of which was to seek absolute spiritual freedom or contentment with leisurely and carefree wanderings. www.1155815.com
Zhuang Zi’s allegorical stories were written in such a supernatural way as to develop a fantastic, ever-changing and unfathomable world. In his writings all things were life-betraying and thoughtful. When they conversed with the people, they seemed as if to leap out of the paper alive and kicking. In Supreme Joy Zhuang Zi went so far as to talk with an empty skull about the truths of life. In On the Equality of All Things Zhuang Zi dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering to and fro, unconscious of who Zhuang Zhou was. As he awakened later on, he found himself still Zhuang Zhou, doubting whether Zhuang Zhou was a dream of the butterfly or the butterfly was a dream of Zhuang Zhou. In this story Zhuang Zi expressed his idea of taking an equal view of the relationship between dream and reality, man and thing as well as thing and thing. Didn’t you think it very interesting? Zhuang Zi was really wise enough to express his idea indirectly through a series of interesting, allegorical stories, which found its way into your mind before you realized it.
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Being very fantastic and imaginative, Zhuang Zi’s essays are like the celestial horses galloping through the wide sky, free and flowing on the one hand, and are like prose-poems, thought-provoking and entertaining on the other. Zhuang Zi has exercised an influence over many writers of later generations.
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