He also provides useful footnotes which are located on the same page as the text the humor shines through and the language Watson uses in his translation is clear and precise. I've read this a number of times and I've read other translations. I find it interesting that Chuang Tzu did something similar on the other side of the continent. That's what these stories are ultimately about-to lose (or forget) the small self. Be mesmerized in the many imaginative stories and lose yourself. His thinking and writing are so limitless, however. I trust that this English translation contains his essential writings.Ĭhuang Tzu defies definition. In fact, the Japanese might read Chinese classics more than the Chinese today.)Ĭhuang Tzu wrote extensively, so editors/translators must choose which stories to include in the book. We've been reading such classics for generations it's part of the cultural heritage of the area that received the ancient Chinese influence. (Chinese characters represent not only the phonetics but also the meanings, and many modern Japanese translations of Chinese classics contain the original text to assist deeper understanding-even though I don't speak Chinese, I know the meanings of the characters.

Well, I have read Chuang Tzu's writings in Japanese translation that comes with the original Chinese texts and footnotes.

GR keeps asking me if I've read this book because I've read Tao Te Ching. Witty and imaginative, enriched by brilliant imagery, and making sportive use of both mythological and historical personages (including even Confucius), this timeless classic is sure to appeal to anyone interested in Chinese religion and culture.

Central to these is the belief that only by understanding Tao (the Way of Nature) and dwelling in its unity can man achieve true happiness and freedom, in both life and death.Ĭhuang Tzu: Basic Writings includes the seven 'inner chapters,' which form the heart of the book, three of the 'outer chapters,' and one of the 'miscellaneous chapters.' Watson also provides an introduction, placing the philosopher in relation to Chinese history and thought. Using parable and anecdote, allegory and paradox, he set forth, in the book that bears his name, the early ideas of what was to become the Taoist school. And Burton Watson's lucid and beautiful translation has been loved by generations of readers.Ĭhuang Tzu (369?-286? B.C.) was a leading philosopher representing the Taoist strain in Chinese thought.

The basic writings of Chuang Tzu have been savored by Chinese readers for over two thousand years.

Chuang tzu basic writings