Interpretation of Zhuangzi thought and Chinese context

The context is the cultural inheritance of a nation. In the cultural inheritance of the Chinese nation, outstanding thinkers of different eras have made outstanding contributions. These include zhuangzi's important contributions. Mr. Wen Yiduo said in the "Classical New Righteousness": "Chinese culture will always retain the brand of Zhuangzi. "Zhuangzi was a very creative thinker. His rich, profound and unique ideas have had a broad and far-reaching impact on the formation and inheritance of the Chinese literary context in the fields of philosophy, religion, literature and art.

01

Zhuangzi Thought and Chinese Philosophy

The great influence of Zhuangzi's thought on Chinese philosophy can be summed up by borrowing a sentence from Zhang Binglin's "Zhuangzi's Explanation": "The philosopher of the fate of the world, Mo Ruozhuang." "The greatest influence is that Zhuangzi thought and Lao Tzu thought together laid the cornerstone of the Taoist philosophical system. In addition, the influence of Zhuangzi's thought on traditional Chinese philosophy is reflected in many aspects and is difficult to describe. Here, only the more representative Wei and Jin metaphysics is used as an example to illustrate Zhuangzi's influence on Chinese philosophy.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, metaphysics flourished. Zhuangzi, together with the I Ching and Lao Tzu, is called the "Three Xuans". In Yan Zhitui's "Yan Family Training and Mian Xue", there is a saying that "Zhuang", "Lao", "Zhou Yi", and "Three Xuan" are generally referred to as "Three Xuan", which ranks "Zhuangzi" in the first place, reflecting the great influence of Zhuangzi thought in metaphysics. As Wen Yiduo said in the Classical New Righteousness: "As soon as he arrived between Wei and Jin, Zhuangzi's momentum suddenly became huge,...... Like magic, Zhuangzi suddenly occupied the whole body and mind of the era, their lives, thoughts, literature and art - the core of the whole civilization was Zhuangzi. ”

In the early years, scholars advocated clean talk, and Zhuangzi became the main content of the discussion of metaphysicians at that time. Ruan Zhi and Ji Kang in the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" both exert Zhuangzi's idea of natural human nature.

Ruan Was an important figure in the metaphysics of Wei and Jin. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms says that he was "talented and elegant, but a gentleman who is debauched, who practices his own widowhood, and takes Zhuang Zhou as a model." In terms of behavioral characteristics, Ruan Zhi has the legacy of Zhuangzi, he lives in seclusion in the mountains and forests, indulges in alcohol and talks about Xuan, and shows a laissez-faire rebellious spirit. Ideologically, Ruan inherited Zhuangzi's idea of natural human nature. Zhuangzi believed that man is a part of nature and has his own nature and true nature. "Zhuangzi Horseshoe" says: "The people of the other people have the permanence, weaving and clothing, ploughing and eating, is called the same virtue; one is not the party, the fate of the heavens is released", advocating the abolition of the shackles and fetters of human nature in secular society, benevolence, righteousness, and pleasure, so that people and all things can conform to nature and survive and develop, and return to their natural nature. Nguyen proposed that gang chang ming sect was used by the elite to put spiritual shackles on people and distort people's natural nature. Therefore, only by leading people back to the way of nature can we restore human nature and true feelings. In "The Biography of Mr. Adult", Ruan Zhi borrowed the mouth of the adult to attack the elite class and the social reality of "using all things in heaven and earth to serve the infinite desires of voice and color", tarted the magnates for "false incorruptibility and greed, internal danger and external benevolence", and accused the famous religion of destroying human nature. In the "Treatise on Dazhuang", Ruan Zhi gave full play to Zhuangzi's "Theory of QiWu" thought, proposing that "death and life are consistent, and right and wrong are one", everything is relative, and the absolutized understanding should be broken. Only in this way, he believes, can people return to the way of nature and realize the wonders of morality. These concepts are the inheritance and play of Zhuangzi's thought.

Another metaphysical figure, Ji Kang, said in the "Biography of Jin Shu Ji Kang" that he "did not learn to be taught, and the expo should not be understood, and the "old" and "Zhuang" were good. Ji Kangping admired Lao Zhuang's thought, and he said in the "Book of Renunciation with Shan Juyuan": "Lao Tzu, Zhuang Zhou, my master also." In "Bu Doubt", he also said that what he longed for was "like the change of Zhuang Zhou's Qi things, the hole is reached and relaxed." Compared with Ruan, Ji Kang adopted a more fierce negative attitude towards famous religions. In "The Theory of Interpretation of Private Interests", he openly proposed to "let nature go beyond the name of the religion", directly opposed the "famous religion" and "nature", advocated transcending the famous religion and returning to nature, showing a strong rebellious spirit against feudal etiquette. In The Difficulty of Learning, Ji Kang questions the utility of Confucian teachings. He said, "The Six Classics are mainly based on inhibition and introduction, and human nature is based on pleasure from desire." To induce is against one's wishes, and to derive from desire is to be natural. "The Six Classics actually achieve the purpose of governing society by suppressing human nature or leading it astray, but the rulers abuse The Confucian cult not only fails to achieve the purpose of governing society, but also destroys human nature. Only by removing the shackles of famous religions, allowing the people of the world to "follow their desires" and restoring people's natural nature can we enable society to be governed and move toward harmony. Ji Kang also gave play to Zhuangzi's idea of paying attention to spiritual cultivation, and he said in the "Theory of Health Maintenance": "The spirit is in the form of a skeleton, and the kingdom of Judah has a king." God is restless in the middle, and the form is lost in the outside, judas is faint on the top, and the kingdom is in chaos below. Ji Kang's "Theory of Health Maintenance" and Zhuangzi's "Health Care Lord" are in the same vein, emphasizing that only when the spirit is not tempted by external objects, especially fame and fortune, can it focus on the Dao and "communicate with the spirit of heaven and earth."

In the "Qing Tan" of metaphysics, the Wei and Jin scholars analyzed and debated some mysterious and profound philosophical issues, such as the original and the end, the existence and the non-existence, the movement and the static, the one and the many, the body and the use, the speech and the meaning, the nature and the famous religion, and so on. "Qing Tan" does not talk about mundane things, only about Lao Tzu, Zhuangzi and Zhou Yi. The most favored by celebrities is still Zhuangzi's thought, and most of the content of the qing talk is directly or indirectly related to Zhuangzi's thought. For example, the Eastern Jin Dynasty monk Zhi Daolin (支遁), although a monk, gained a very high reputation among famous scholars because of his study of Zhuangzi. He often combined Buddhist doctrines to explain Zhuangzi's thought in his Qing Talks, which impressed the famous scholars. Someone once asked Wang Xizhi, a famous scholar and calligrapher at that time: Zhi Daolin explained "Zhuangzi", which is unique and innovative, would you like to meet him? At that time, Wang Xizhi was not impressed. Later, Wang Xizhi met Zhi Daolin by chance and listened to his explanation of "The Getaway", and suddenly felt that his insight was brilliant, novel and wonderful, and Wang Xizhi was amazed. The influence of Zhuangzi Thought on the metaphysics of Wei and Jin and the intellectual circles of the time can also be seen.

02

Zhuangzi Thought and Chinese Religion

* Zhuangzi and Taoism

Zhuangzi and Lao Tzu were both revered by Taoism as the founding masters, and their ideas had pioneering contributions to Taoism. The book "Zhuangzi" was called the "South China True Classic" by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, which is a treasure book of Taoism, and Zhuangzi is the "True Man of South China" of Taoism.

Zhuangzi's ideas on the immortality of the human spirit were absorbed and brought into play by Taoism, becoming the theoretical basis for the ultimate goal of Taoist cultivation, eternal life and long-term vision.

Taoism inherited and brought into play Zhuangzi's idea of focusing on the way of eternal life. Ge Hong said in "Baopuzi": "The most secret and important place of Taoism is the Fang Ye of immortality. "The way of eternal life, the way of the way, so the ancients also valued it." However, Taoism also used the theory of immortals to elaborate zhuangzi's ideas. According to Wu Yun's "Treatise on Xuan Gang", some people once questioned the Taoist theory of immortals and immortals, which violated the original intention of Lao Zhuang's thoughts, and used this to rebuke Wu Jun: "The great purpose of the Tao, Mo Xian, Lao Zhuang's words are not still immortal, and Mr. Lao Zhuang is the only one who is a immortal, why not?" Wu Yun replied, "Lao Tzu said: 'Deeply rooted, the way of eternal life and long-term vision.'" It is also said: 'Ceres does not die'. Zhuangzi Yue: 'Chitose is world-weary, go to the immortals, ride on the white clouds, as for the imperial hometown." He also said, "Therefore I have cultivated myself for a thousand years, but my form has not yet decayed." He also said, "Ride on the clouds, ride the dragons, and swim across the world." And he said, 'Everyone dies, but I am alone.' He also said, "God will keep his form, and his form will live forever." Si Ze Lao Zhuang's words immortal immortal immortal Ming. Wu Yun quoted the words of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi to justify Taoism. In his view, what Lao Tzu called "deeply rooted, eternal life and long-term vision" and Zhuangzi's "God will keep the form, and the form is immortal" are the theoretical basis for the Taoist theory of immortality and immortality.

In Taoism, the spirit on which Zhuangzi relied was regarded as the foundation of the immortality of human life. Zhuangzi said that "the form is beautiful but the gods have not tasted", and Taoism bases the eternal life into immortality and transcends life and death on this immortal spirit of man. Taoism refers to the spirit as the "Yuan God" and "True Nature", believing that everything that has a physical body under the heavens will eventually perish, and only the human spirit can live forever. The famous Daoist priest qiu Chuji of the Jin Dynasty said in his "Quotations of the Ancestors of Changchun": "Those who are born and destroyed, form also; those who are lifeless and destroyed, sex is also, and god is also." All forms are bad, the heavens and the earth are also illusory bodies, and the Yuan will be exhausted. There is only a little sunlight, beyond the doom, in the body is the sea of sex, that is, the Yuan Hai also. "The human form is born and died, but the human spirit is lifeless, so man can live forever."

Not only were Zhuangzi's ideas absorbed and played by Taoism, but some of his terms were also directly used by Taoism and became Taoist terms. For example, the "Heavenly Master" in "Zhuangzi Xu Wu Ghost" became the honorific title of a High-status Taoist figure, Zhang Daoling was honored as "Zhang Tianshi", and Kou Qianzhi was honored as "Kou Tianshi". The titles of "immortal", "Daoist", "zhenren", "zhiren", "divine man", "true king", "quanzhen" in Zhuangzi, as well as concepts such as "shouyi", "guidance", and "tugu na xin" have become important terms in Taoist theory.

Lao Tzu was revered as the master of Taoism, and the Tao Te Ching (i.e., Lao Tzu) is the original classic of Taoism. However, with the development of Taoism, Taoist theory needs to establish a complete system and perfect doctrine, and the five thousand texts of Lao Tzu are too brief, some ideas are vague, lack of detailed elaboration, and the language is more mysterious. In contrast, the rich, elaborate, and vividly linguistic Nanhua Zhenjing (Zhuangzi) has a greater influence on Taoism than Laozi.

* Zhuangzi and Chinese Buddhism

The early spread of Buddhism in China was largely dependent on Lao Zhuang thought. In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced to China from India, but for a long time, the exquisite and speculative philosophies of Buddhism were difficult to understand and accept by Chinese. After a hundred or two years of silence, it was not until the great metaphysics of the Wei and Jin dynasties that Buddhism became active in China. Metaphysics prevailed, and Lao Zhuang thought flourished, providing cultural soil for the foothold and development of Buddhism in China. Zhuangzi thought, in particular, has become an important medium for people to understand and digest Buddhist thought.

In the "Geyi" of the Buddhist scriptures, senior monks often borrow Lao Zhuang's terminology to translate and interpret Buddhist thought. For example, the Buddhist "emptiness" is quite similar to laozhuang's "nothingness", so "emptiness" is often translated as "nothingness". In the early Chinese translations of Buddhist scriptures, "Bodhi" was translated as "Tao", "Zhenru" was translated as "Ben Wu", "Nirvana" was translated as "Wuwei", "Prajna" was translated as "Daming", "Shamen" was translated as "Daoren", etc., all of which explained the Buddhist texts in Taoist terms.

Since Buddhism and Lao Zhuang thought have many internal similarities, the buddhist scripture teachings can be spread by attaching themselves to Lao Zhuang thought, and some monks borrow Lao Zhuang thought to promote Buddhism. In this process, there are also monks who become high monks who are proficient in Lao Zhuang's thought.

For example, the famous monk Zhaozhao of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Biography of the High Monk Zhao, said that he was "good at Xuanwei, and every time he took "Zhuang" and "Lao" as his heart. In his book "The Theory of Zhao", there are "three theories", namely "The Theory of the Induability of Things", "The Theory of Non-Vacuum", and "The Theory of Prajnaparamita". These "three theories" were all inspired by Zhuangzi's thought. The term "things do not move" in "The Theory of Non-Migration of Things" is derived from "Zhuangzi". The idea of "The Theory of No Vacuum" is based on Zhuangzi's thought. Monk Zhao believes that all things in heaven and earth are not really existent, but they are not really non-existent, that is, the so-called "non-existence, non-existence, non-truth- and non-existence." He said that all things "are illusory people, non-illusionary people, and illusionary people are not real people." His "illusionary man", like the "dream man" described in Zhuangzi Qiwu, is neither a real being nor a real non-existence. The Prajnaparamita Emphasizes that Prajnaparamita (Buddhist wisdom) differs from worldly wisdom in that Prajnaparamita does not take the real world as the object of knowledge, "Ignorant of the Sacred Heart, therefore omniscient." What is not known is what is known. Therefore, Jingyun: The Sacred Heart knows nothing, knows everything". "Zhuangzi Zhibei Tour" said: "Fu Zhi is known, Zhi Nai is not known!" Who knows? The monk Zhao's "knowledge of Prajnaparamita" is similar to Zhuangzi's "knowledge of ignorance" and "knowledge of ignorance." They all divide knowledge into "true knowledge" and "conventional knowledge", and they all believe that if you let the worldly knowledge fill the heart, you cannot obtain "true knowledge". Here, the influence of Zhuangzi's thought on the monks is very obvious.

Hui Yuan, a senior monk of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was also deeply influenced by Zhuangzi's thought. According to the "Biography of the High Monk And The Biography of Shi Huiyuan", Hui Yuan was proficient in Lao Zhuang thought in his early years. He took refuge in Buddhism at the age of twenty-one and studied Buddhism under Dao'an. Among his disciples, Dao'an made an exception by allowing Hui Yuan to read books other than Buddhist scriptures. Because of his brilliant intelligence, Hui Yuan was able to preach the Dharma at the age of twenty-four. When people could not understand the Buddhist teachings expounded by Dao'an, Hui Yuan often used the ideas of Zhuangzi to explain and let everyone understand the Dharma. For example, when explaining the Buddhist scriptures about the immortality of the soul, Hui Yuan invoked Zhuangzi's thought to promote the "theory of the immortality of God". In "Zhuangzi Health Lord", it is said: "It means that the poor is poor for the salary, and the fire is also passed on, and I don't know the end." "Firewood soaked in grease can burn out, but the fire will not be extinguished, it can be passed on indefinitely." This is the "fire to the fire". Hui Yuan said in the "Shamen Disrespecting the King": "The transmission of fire is in the salary, the transmission of the judas is in the form; the transmission of the fire is different, and the transmission of the judas is the alien." Just as fire can be passed on between different firewood, so the human spirit can also go on and on through the transmission between different forms, so "the soul is immortal." Hui Yuan's "Metaphor of The Flame" is obviously the inheritance and play of Zhuangzi's thought.

03

Zhuangzi Thought and Chinese Literature and Art

Zhuangzi was not only a master of philosophy, but also a giant of literature. Although Zhuangzi is often regarded as a philosophical work, its literary achievements also had a profound impact on the literature and art of later generations. Guo Moruo said in "Pu Jian in the Present and Past": "Although Zhuangzi is a philosopher with a number of Chinese people, he is also a number of literary artists in China, and his transcendent subtlety of thought and the wantonness of his words are really the same as between ancient and modern times." In his article "Lu Xun and Zhuangzi", he also praised Zhuangzi, saying: "Almost half of the history of Chinese literature since the Qin and Han Dynasties has developed under his influence. And Lu Xun also had a high opinion of Zhuangzi, he said in the "Outline of the History of Chinese Literature": "His literary style is Wang Yang's elegance, his manners are all square, and the works of the sons of the late Zhou Dynasty are Mo Nengxianye." ”

Zhuangzi has always been regarded as the first master of Romantic literature in the mainland, and his book "Zhuangzi" is regarded as an important source of romantic literature on the mainland. The book "Zhuangzi" is philosophical in a rich artistic imagination, with strange ideas, grotesque artistic conceptions, and a strong romantic spirit. The so-called "absurd theories, absurd words, and unprovoked cliff words" of "Zhuangzi Tianxia" can be said to be a summary of the strange and magnificent romantic art style of "Zhuangzi".

The romanticism of Zhuangzi had a great influence on Li Bai. The opening chapter of "Zhuangzi", "Getaway", shows a magical picture scroll of Kunpeng spreading its wings for 90,000 miles, and its magnificent artistic conception and majestic momentum make Li Baizan write for the immortals. Li Bai said in "Dapeng Fu": "The old immortals of Nanhua, the heavenly machine in the lacquer garden, the high theory of Tu Zhengrong, and the strange words of opening up the vastness,...... The Five Peaks were shaken by it, and the Hundred Rivers were crashed for it. Li Bai is very fond of the image of Dapeng in the writings of "Nanhua Laoxian" Zhuangzi, and has repeatedly used the image of Dapeng to express his chest. The romantic style of "Zhuangzi" infected Li Bai and inspired Li Bai to boldly use a high degree of exaggeration and peculiar imagination in his poetry creation to express enthusiastic and unrestrained thoughts and feelings.

Su Shi was proficient in Zhuangzi at an early age. According to the "Biography of Su Shi of Song", when Su Shi first read "Zhuangzi", he once exclaimed: "I have seen in the past, but my mouth has not been able to speak, and now I see it as a book, and I have my heart." Su Shi's poetry was greatly influenced by Zhuangzi in terms of artistic style, and Liu Xizai of the Qing Dynasty wrote in the "Outline of Art" Yun: "Poetry is positive for those who come from "Sao", and those who are from "Zhuang" are changed. Shaoling is pure "Sao", Taibai is in "Zhuang" and "Sao", and Dongpo is from "Zhuang" in 89 out of 10. It can be seen that Su Shi's poetry was deeply influenced by Zhuangzi.

Xin was also deeply influenced by Zhuangzi, and he often quoted allusions from Zhuangzi in his poems. In "Grateful for the Emperor's Grace and Reading 'Zhuangzi' Wen Zhu Obscure's World", he wrote: "There are several compilations of books on the case, and it is not "Zhuang" or "Lao". "The boldness, vigor and unique language style shown by Xin's words are inseparable from the influence of Zhuangzi.

In addition to his artistic style, Zhuangzi's romantic spirit is also reflected in his personality ideal of detachment and power. Zhuangzi, who fishes with a rod, shows that he would rather walk alone in the mud like a turtle than refuse to be subject to the high-ranking official Houlu, showing a kind of arrogant spiritual quality. This spiritual quality has become a spiritual force that inspires future generations of literati to pursue their ideal personality. From Jia Yi's "Distant Turbidity and Self-Hiding", to Ruan Yuan's "Cloth Can Last Forever, Spoiled Lu Is Enough to Rely on", from Tao Yuanming's "I Can't Bend My Waist for Five Buckets of Rice", to Li Bai's "An Can Destroy the Brow and Bend the Waist of the Powerful, Making Me Unhappy", all show a kind of Zhuangzi spirit and Taoist style bone that is transcendent and distant and independent.

In terms of art form, Zhuangzi was the first to use the literary genre of fables to create. The characteristic of allegory is that it is like a reason, and it is shown in an image, so that the truth with profound connotations is revealed in a story with a highly condensed plot. Most of the fables in "Zhuangzi" are fictional, but they all have profound meanings, vivid images, and strong rationality, so Liu Xizai commented on Zhuangzi's fables in "Art Overview", saying: "Zhuangziwen seems to be talking nonsense, but there are scores in the bones. ”

Zhuangzi's allegorical creation also provided conditions for the development of the novel. The important feature of the novel is the artistic fiction with the logic of life, and although the fable is not a novel, the rich imagination in the fable is a necessary premise of the fictional art. Zhuangzi not only proposed the concept of "novel" (see "Zhuangzi Foreign Objects"), but also summarized the basic characteristics of the novel as "Zhi Wei". Some of the fables in "Zhuangzi" have a fairly complete storyline and quite distinct characters, which have begun to take shape with the basic characteristics of the novel. "Zhuangzi" is an important source of Chinese novels and has played a role in promoting the development of classical Chinese novels.

Zhuangzi was also a master of language. His language is colorful, vivid and expressive. The book "Zhuangzi" uses different word-building techniques to create many new words, such as "idle", "fu sha", "creation", "creation", "novel", "fable", "dust", "dust", "news", "spirit", "simplicity", "morality", "wisdom", "bravery", "funny", "Menglang", "absurdity", "jianghu", "heavenly machine", "dead ash", "majestic", "bloated", "mallet", "nickname", "tianfu", "weighing" and so on. The book "Zhuangzi" also left many idioms for future generations through fables and stories, such as "Pengcheng Wanli", "Yue Li Dai Ku", "Ease of Maneuvering", "Handan Toddler", "Dong Shi Xiao Qi", "Chao San Twilight Four", "Looking at the Ocean and Sighing", "Moving Forward", "Getting Worse Every Time", "Cold Lips and Dead Teeth", "Hesitant and Full of Ambition", "Mantis Arm Blocking Car", "Great Difference" and so on. These rich words and idioms have greatly enriched the Chinese vocabulary and are still widely used in modern Chinese. This can also reflect Zhuangzi's influence on Chinese literature and art.

The fundamental reason why Zhuangzi's thought has profoundly and long-term influenced Chinese culture in many fields lies in its great creativity. Zhuangzi Thought, formed in the pre-Qin period when Chinese culture originated, is leisurely romantic and broad and deep, like the source of living water, flowing endlessly in the long river of Chinese culture. Its creativity and unique charm are consistent in the Chinese context.

There is much more to be said about the influence of Zhuangzi's thought on the Chinese context. However, we can also use a sentence as the conclusion of this article, so the most appropriate thing is to smell this sentence in the "Classical New Righteousness": "Chinese culture will always leave the brand of Zhuangzi." ”

◎ This article was originally published in the "China Reading News" (author Yu Bingyi), the source network, the copyright of the picture and text belongs to the original author, if there is infringement, please contact to delete.