Publisher's Synopsis
Brilliant, mystical, pragmatic and witty, some have called Chuang Tsu the world's first anarchist. Others have said his teachings were fatalistic in nature, while still others insist that of all the ancient Chinese philosophers, Chuang Tsu was the most lyrical; the most touching; the most humorous. Even 2,000 years after his death, it is this contradiction of opinion that has kept this provocative Taoist in the forefront of ancient Chinese philosophical study. As Plato was to Socrates and St. Paul to Jesus, Chuang Tsu is the second most important figure in Taoism after the legendary Lao Tsu, author of the Tao Te Ching. One of the greatest spiritual classics in the world, the Tao Te Ching has been translated more times than any other work except the Bible. A companion to the Tao Te Ching, CHAUNG TSU is a spiritual classic in its own right and a source book second only to the Tao Te Ching in importance in the Toaist cannon. The sublime prose of CHUANG TSU serves as a profound and paradoxical commentary to the Tao Te Ching. In an age when global warming, terrorism and role of government and religion weigh heavily on the modern mind, CHUANG TSU reminds us that these are ancient issues. Chaung Tsu's philosophy directly addresses these areas, offering wisdom relating to our interactions with nature, with each other as well as our role in the grand scheme.
