Zhuangzi : A New Translation of the Sayings of Master Zhuang As Interpreted by Guo Xiang

The earliest and most influential commentary on the __Zhuangzi__ is that of Guo Xiang (265–312). Richard John Lynn’s translation of the __Zhuangzi__ is the first to follow Guo’s commentary in its interpretive choices. Its guiding principle is how Guo read the text, which allows for the full integration of the __Zhuangzi__ with Guo’s commentary. The Zhuangzi (Sayings of Master Zhuang) is one of the foundational texts of the Chinese philosophical tradition and the cornerstone of Daoist thought. The earliest and most influential commentary on the Zhuangzi is that of Guo Xiang (265–312), who also edited the text into the thirty-three-chapter version known ever since. Guo's commentary enriches readings of the Zhuangzi , offering keen insights into the meaning and significance of its pithy but often ambiguous aphorisms, narratives, and parables. Richard John Lynn's new translation of the Zhuangzi is the first to follow Guo's commentary in its interpretive choices. Unlike any previous translation into any language, its guiding principle is how Guo read the text; Lynn renders the Zhuangzi in terms of Guo's understanding. This approach allows for the full integration of the text of the Zhuangzi with Guo's commentary. The book also features a translation of Guo's complete interlinear commentary and is annotated throughout. A critical introduction includes a detailed account of Guo's life and times as well as analysis of his essential contributions to the arcane learning ( xuanxue ) of the fourth century and the development of Chinese philosophy. Lynn sheds new light on how the Daoist classic, which has often been seen as a timeless book of wisdom, is situated in its historical context, while also considering it as a guide to personal cultivation and self-realization. "The Zhuangzi is one of the central texts of the Daoist tradition. Several translations exist, but this is the first of the oldest, most complete, and most influential commentary on the text, written by Guo Xiang (d. 312). The volume will consist of an introduction, translation of the text and Guo Xiang's commentary, the Chinese text, and numerous appendices, which gather lost works attributed to Guo Xiang, a comparison of the Xiang Xiu and Guo Xiang commentaries, and Sima Qian's "Biography of Master Zhuang.""-- Provided by publisher