Free renderings of selections from the works of Chuang-tzŭ, taken from various translations.

The Book of Chuang Tzu draws together the stories, tales, jokes and anecdotes that have gathered around the figure of Chuang Tzu. One of the great founders of Taoism, Chaung Tzu lived in the fourth century BC and is among the most enjoyable and intriguing personalities in the whole of Chinese philosophy.

Generally regarded as one of the foremost works of philosophy in any language, this important book by a brilliant Chinese philosopher and one of Taoism's founding fathers has exerted a profound influence on Chinese thought and led to the development of Zen Buddhism. This new edition contains a number of the most relevant and accessible selections from that great classic.

This book offers a fundamentally new interpretation of the philosophy of the Chuang-Tzu. It is the first full-length work of its kind which argues that a deep level cognitive structure exists beneath an otherwise random collection of literary anecdotes, cryptic sayings, and dark allusions. The author carefully analyzes myths, legends, monstrous characters, paradoxes, parables and linguistic puzzles as strategically placed techniques for systematically tapping and channeling the spiritual dimensions of the mind. Allinson takes issue with commentators who have treated the Chuang-Tzu as a minor foray into relativism. Chapter titles are re-translated, textual fragments are relocated, and inauthentic, outer miscellaneous chapters are carefully separated from the transformatory message of the authentic, inner chapters. Each of the inner chapters is shown to be a building block to the next so that they can only be understood as forming a developmental sequence. In the end, the reader is presented with a clear, consistent and coherent view of the Chuang-Tzu that is more in accord with its stature as a major philosophical work.

Chuang Tzu (369?-286? BC) was a leading Taoist philosopher. Using parable and anecdote, allegory and paradox, he set forth in this book the early ideas of what was to become the Taoist school. This collection includes the seven "inner chapters," three of the "outer chapters," and one of the "miscellaneous chapters."

In this vivid, contemporary translation, Victor Mair captures the quintessential life and spirit of Chuang Tzu while remaining faithful to the original text.

Only by inhabiting Dao (the Way of Nature) and dwelling in its unity can humankind achieve true happiness and freedom, in both life and death. This is Daoist philosophy’s central tenet, espoused by the person—or group of people—known as Zhuangzi (369?-286? B.C.E.) in a text by the same name. To be free, individuals must discard rigid distinctions between good and bad, right and wrong, and follow a course of action not motivated by gain or striving. When one ceases to judge events as good or bad, man-made suffering disappears and natural suffering is embraced as part of life. Zhuangzi elucidates this mystical philosophy through humor, parable, and anecdote, deploying non sequitur and even nonsense to illuminate a truth beyond the boundaries of ordinary logic. Boldly imaginative and inventively worded, the Zhuangzi floats free of its historical period and society, addressing the spiritual nourishment of all people across time. One of the most justly celebrated texts of the Chinese tradition, the Zhuangzi is read by thousands of English-language scholars each year, yet only in the Wade-Giles romanization. Burton Watson’s pinyin romanization brings the text in line with how Chinese scholars, and an increasing number of other scholars, read it.

The timeless wisdom of this classic Taoist text can become a companion on your own spiritual journey. The Chuang-tzu is the second major text of the Taoist tradition. It was compiled in the third century BCE and follows the lead of the best-known and oldest of all Taoist texts, the Tao-te-ching (Book of the Tao and Its Potency). Representing the philosophy of its main author, Chuang Chou, along with several other early Taoist strands, the text has inspired spiritual seekers for over two thousand years. Using parable, anecdote, allegory and paradox, the Chuang-tzu presents the central message of what was to become the Taoist school: a reverence for the Tao the "Way" of the natural world and the belief that you are not truly virtuous until you are free from the burden of circumstance, personal attachments, tradition and the desire to reform the world. In this special SkyLight Illuminations edition, leading Taoist scholar Livia Kohn, PhD, provides a fresh, modern translation of key selections from this timeless text to open up classic Taoist beliefs and practices. She provides insightful, accessible commentary that highlights the Chuang-tzu's call to reject artificially imposed boundaries and distinctions, and illustrates how you can live a more balanced, authentic and joyful life at ease in perfect happiness by following Taoist principles."

Revered for millennia in the Chinese spiritual tradition of the Tao Te Ching, this poetic translation of an ancient Taoist text comes alive for the modern reader Witty, engaging and spiced with the lyricism of poetry, Chuang Tzu's Taoist insights in the Inner Chapters are timely and eternal. The only sustained section of text widely believed to be the work of Chuang Tzu himself, these chapters date to the 4th century B.C.E and are profoundly concerned with spiritual ecology. With bold and startling prose, David Hinton's vital translation is surprisingly modern, making this ancient text from the golden age of Chinese philosophy come alive for contemporary readers. The Inner Chapters' fantastical passages offer up a wild menagerie of characters, freewheeling play with language, and surreal humor. Interwoven with Chuang Tzu's sharp instruction on the Tao are short stories that are often rough and ribald, rich with satire and paradox.

The writings of Chuang Tzu stand alongside the Tao Te Ching as foundational classics of Taoism. Dating back to the fourth century BC, The Inner Chapters is full of fantastical tales that both entertain and provide guidance on living a good life--a gigantic fish that becomes a bird, a cook who never sharpens his blade, a magical being who lives in the mountains, and more. This new luxury edition is distinguished by insightful commentary and superb photographs that convey in their wordless beauty the profound wisdom of Chuang Tzu's text.