| Summary: | 碩士 === 華梵大學 === 哲學系碩士班 === 96 === Abstract
In the inner seven chapters of Zhuangzi, the chapter “Relating to the Human World”expounds on Zhuangzi’s attitude on life. In a world of thistles and thorns, in a world of no morality (Dao), Zhuangzi reflects and observes the predicaments of life, contemplates how to find outlets to such predicaments in the limited course of life and reaches the ideal realm of a carefree life. Hence, how to breakthrough and transcend from the predicaments of life has formed the basic theories and context of “Relating to the Human World.”The entire chapter of “Relating to the Human World” is divided into two parts: One part profiles the relation between the emperor and his subjects, from Yan Hui going to admonish the state of Wei, Ye Gong going to the state of Qi as an envoy, Yan He educating the prince of Wei, noting the dangers of the official career, the remorse and jeopardy of engaging in power struggles by intellectuals, and further emphasizes the spiritual cultivation of selflessness to extricate themselves from the mundane world. The other part compares useful timber with useless timber, that is contrast of usefulness with uselessness and explores Zhuangzi’s uselessness in the philosophy of life. The useless timber and the handicapped person tells how uselessness can protect your safety, achieve a tranquil spirit, end life in its natural limitation, and also hints at Zhuangzi’s severest criticism of the current political degeneration.
The author holds that though this chapter talks about Zhuangzi’s attitude of life, its purpose is in fact to resolve the predicaments of life and reach the ideal realm of a carefree life. In face of this generation of immorality (no Dao), Zhuangzhi chooses to resort to his “uselessness” philosophy, take an attitude of concealment in this mundane world and realize the realm of no self, no name and no merit as in “Carefree Roaming” in order to avoid any criminal punishment and achieve a tranquil spirit and accomplish and transcend the mundane values and accumulated miseries with liberty and carefree roaming of the world. The focus of this article is to analyze and interpret the text and meaning of “Relating to the Human World” and expound on Zhuangzi’s art of getting along with people and seeking breakthrough of the predicaments of life. How to extricate from the mundane confrontation and achieve the realm of roaming in the heart? From the veins of this chapter we endeavor to comprehend the meaning of life and the way of cultivation. Amidst myriad things and sentiments how can an individual unfetter the desires for fame and profits by dissolving, tempering and transcending the limitations of Shape, Knowledge and Sensory Feeling, follow nature, and bring about harmony with heaven and earth and all creatures, turn crisis into opportunity and sort out Zhuangzi’s solutions for different situations or predicaments. Hence, the individual can raise its spiritual level, resolve the predicaments of life and accomplish the goals of averting harm, achieving a tranquil spirit, ending life in its natural limitation and roaming in the heart so as to find back the intrinsic freedom and the genuine natural self.
Keywords: transcend, selflessness, uselessness, follow nature, roaming in the heart
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