Taoism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===''Zhuangzi''=== {{Main|Zhuangzi (book)}} The [[Zhuangzi (book)|''Zhuangzi'']] (''Book of Master Zhuang'', {{zh|labels=no|t=莊子}}), named after its supposed author [[Zhuang Zhou]], is a highly influential composite text of multi-vocal writings from various sources and historical periods.{{sfnp|Idema|Haft|1997|p=90}} The commentator and editor [[Guo Xiang]] (c. CE 300) helped establish the text as an important source for Taoist thought. One traditional view is that a sage called Zhuang Zhou wrote the first seven chapters (the "inner chapters"), and his students and related thinkers were responsible for the other parts (the outer and miscellaneous chapters). However, some modern scholars, like Russell Kirkland, argue that [[Guo Xiang]] is actually the creator of the 33-chapter Zhuangzi text and that there is no solid historical data for the existence of Zhuang Zhou himself (other than the sparse and unreliable mentions in [[Sima Qian]]).{{sfnp|Kirkland|2004|p=34-35}} The ''Zhuangzi'' uses anecdotes, parables, and dialogues to express one of its main themes—avoiding cultural constructs and instead living in a spontaneous way aligned with the natural world.{{sfnp|Kirkland|2004|p=34-37}}<ref name="Ware-2023" /> This way of living might be perceived as "useless" by most people who follow their own "common sense" and social and political rules, but this uselessness is actually a wiser alternative, since it is more in accord with reality.{{sfnp|Kirkland|2004|p=37-38}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page