Introduction to Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi (about 369 BC - about 286 BC), named Zhou, was a native of Mengdi (now northeast of Shangqiu City, Henan Province) in the Song Dynasty during the Warring States Period. He was born around BC 369 years. Zhuangzi was unknown throughout his life, but he wrote prolifically. As the master of Taoist thought, he had a great influence on the history of Chinese philosophy, literature and various art fields. Lao and Zhuang, together with Confucius and Mencius, constitute the source of the national spirit. However, Zhuangzi was a hermit thinker who meditated and did not seek fame. He basically did not participate in any major historical events. Therefore, we cannot confidently write a biography of him with clear lines and succession. This must be stated in advance.

(1) Born as a noble, settled in Song and Mongolia. In 387 BC, in the Chu State among the "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period", an important historical event occurred: Wu Qi's Reform. This incident is of great significance to understanding Zhuang Zhou, so our story must start from here. In the six centuries from the time when the Emperor of Zhou split the land and sealed the territory to the middle of the Warring States Period, with the emergence of iron tools, productivity developed significantly. The so-called "men farmed and women weaved" and the patriarchal farming system of "a family of five, a hundred acres of land" were natural. The economic production mode is gradually taking shape; at the same time, an increasingly large leisure class has emerged within each vassal state. "There are few people who live, and many people who eat." Social class contradictions are becoming increasingly acute and complex. Under this situation, far-sighted people from all over the world have begun to advocate reforms, trying to remove the barriers that "punishment cannot be extended to officials, and courtesy cannot be extended to common people"; some shrewd rulers, out of the need to enrich the country, strengthen the army, and dominate the Central Plains, We are also happy to use these reform-minded people. Wu Qi is a very famous one among them. During the Warring States Period, there were three major reformers: Li Kui of Wei, Wu Qi of Chu, and Shang Yang of Qin. As a historical figure of high talent and low moral character, Wu Qi was handsome and heroic, and his methods were shrewd and sophisticated: in order to lead the troops in Lu to fight against Qi, he could kill his Qi wife with his own hands; when he led troops in Wei, he You can suck thick sores for soldiers with your own mouth. However, as a generation of heroes, he did make a life-level contribution to the prosperity of Chu State. At the beginning of the Chu State's feudal rule, it was originally a backward and barbaric land. Due to superior natural conditions, a warm and humid climate, and beautiful mountains and rivers, the Chu people developed quickly with their primitive romance and enthusiasm. By the time of Wu Qi's reform, the state of Chu already had many public families, lacked finances, was "a poor country and weak soldiers", and was overwhelmed by the burden, and social conflicts were about to intensify. During the reign of King Chu Mourning, Wu Qi came to Chu from Wei and advocated reforms, and was entrusted with important responsibilities by King Chu Mourning. He advocated "donating officials who are not in urgent need and abolishing those who are alienated from the public clan in order to support the land of fighting." Specifically speaking, it is necessary to eliminate a group of idle and casual officials who have no duties and implement "reducing administration". All the idle descendants of the nobles for three generations or below were demoted to common people and allowed to fend for themselves. Then use the saved fiscal revenue to raise elite soldiers to compete with the vassal states in the Central Plains. In order to prevent the descendants of the nobles who were demoted to common people from uniting and causing rebellion, Wu Qi ordered "the nobles to go to the land of solidity, vastness and emptiness", that is, to evacuate them to border areas, let them open up wasteland, cultivate land, and live a self-reliant civilian life. The Zhuang family is "after King Zhuang of Chu, with the posthumous title as his surname". King Zhuang of Chu came to the throne in 613 BC) and died in 591 BC. It had been more than 200 years since Wu Qi's reform in 591 BC to 387 BC. Thirty years constituted a generation. By Qingzi's ancestors, three generations had already passed, so he was undoubtedly the target of being demoted. When King Chu Mourning died in 318 BC, Wu Qi lost the protection of the royal power and became helpless. The dignitaries who were attacked by him immediately united and attacked the palace to pursue Wu Qi. Wu Qi hugged King Mourning's body and was shot to death by random arrows. The dignitaries who participated in the rebellion committed the "Yizong" crime of harming the king's body. King Chu Su who succeeded him killed "more than seventy families" because of this. . It was probably at this time that Zhuangzi's father and ancestors moved across the border to Mengdi in the Song Dynasty to avoid the disaster of the "Yizong". "According to generally accepted speculation, Zhuang Zhou was born in the Song Dynasty in 369 BC, twelve years after the Duke of Chu rebelled. For a pampered aristocratic family to suddenly become commoners, to live in exile in a foreign country, and to fend for themselves, it must have been a difficult situation to adapt to. Process. It can be imagined that the doctor lived in a turbulent and worrying environment in his childhood. Regardless of the lack of material life, Zhuang Zhou's young mind suffered too much and excessive pressure prematurely. There is no doubt that with such a childhood life experience, it is completely natural for the talented Zhuang Zhou to develop an introverted personality.

The young Zhuang Zhou must have thought about many issues at a very young age. Since his family members had extremely high cultural literacy, he must have read many books under the influence of his ears and eyes. This is the most fundamental reason why Zhuangzi became a thinker, a thinker who was anti-traditional, anti-alienation, irrational, and focused on inner spiritual cultivation.

(2) Zhuang Zhou, who devoted himself to the lacquer garden and worked on his crafts, grew up in depression and unhappiness. He fell into deep confusion about human existence, social norms, and the mysteries of nature, which are the eternal dilemmas faced by mankind. This is a kind of philosopher's worry, a desire to explore the truth, and an impulse for scientific knowledge to decipher the mysteries of nature. However, one cannot live by the truth. In addition to reading and writing, he must find a career that can support his family. A descendant of a nobleman living outside the country had no land to inherit, so Zhuangzi had to rely on handicrafts to make a living. Zhuang was a man of ingenuity and ingenuity. He could weave very fine straw sandals, make top-notch lacquerware at the time, and was proficient in almost all handicrafts such as carpentry, pottery, butchering, washing and dyeing. Sima Qian recorded that "Zhou Chang was a lacquer garden official", which proves that Zhuangzi once served as a minor official in charge of a lacquerware workshop because of his superb skills. Science originates from technology. In the process of practicing handicraft work, Zhuangzi must have a relatively profound understanding and experience of the properties of various materials. Through this experience, he entered the realm of spiritual cultivation and philosophy of "intuitively experiencing the Tao" and "the Tao is indescribable" . In the book "Zhuangzi", Zhuangzi recorded many craftsmen and used them to express his feelings and philosophical conclusions after difficult thinking. For example, Duke Huan of Qi was studying in the hall, while the carpenter was making wheels in the hall. The carpenter stopped what he was doing and asked Duke Huan: "What are you reading?" Duke Huan said casually: "The words of the sage." "Is the saint still alive?" Duke Huan said, "He is already dead." "Then what you read is just the dregs left by the ancients!" After hearing this, Duke Huan was furious and said, "I am studying here, what qualifications do you have to make irresponsible remarks? If you say that you are ugly today, it will be fine, otherwise I will punish you with death." The craftsman came to the hall calmly and said to Duke Huan: "I learned this from making wheels. If the mortise and tenon is loose, it saves effort and is not strong. If it is tight, it won't be hammered in for a long time. I can make the mortise and tenon not strong." Whether it is loose or tight, and then tap it in calmly, it depends on the hand and the heart. Although I can't tell the size of the tightness with my mouth, I know the "number" in my heart, which I can't convey. To my son, my son cannot inherit it from me, so I am still here making wheels for you at the age of sixty. The saint has died, and the most profound truth he realized has also died with him. But when it disappears, what can be expressed in words can only be shallow truths, so I say that the books you read are the dross left by the ancients." Also, Zhuangzi wrote: A butcher was slaughtering a cow for Lord Wenhui. He touched it with his hands, leaned against his shoulders, stepped on his feet, pressed his knees against it, stabbed with the tip of the knife, cut with the blade of the knife, chopped with the root of the knife, and smashed with the back of the knife. It was very rhythmic, as if stepping on "Sang" The movement "Lin" is dancing, seeming to be accompanied by the melody of "The Book of Blindness". Wen Huijun said: "Oh! It's awesome. The skill can be so high!" The butcher put down the knife and replied: "What I like is Tao, which has exceeded the level of skill. I started to learn to butcher cattle, and the cattle are integrated. Three years later, I can see the inner structure of the cow's bones, muscles, and meridians at a glance. Now I don't use my eyes to see. It seems that I am not killing the cow with my hands and feet, but I am paying attention to the natural texture and structure of the cow. When cutting meat and removing bones, the knife follows the natural structure of the cow without encountering any big obstacles. I can easily break down even the joints of the meridians... I have been using this knife for nineteen years. Even though I have killed thousands of cattle, the blade is still as sharp as before. Because there are gaps between the bones, and the edge of the blade has no thickness, the thick blade should be able to penetrate the joints with ease, so I can do it with ease. This knife is still as good as new after nineteen years of use. Although it is easier said than done, when I encounter knotted muscles and bones when killing a cow, I still have to concentrate and concentrate. After identifying the key point, I move the knife slightly and the cow It disintegrated with a crash and was piled on the ground like it was scattered on the mud. At this time, I stood with the knife in hand, looking around, feeling a sense of comfort and satisfaction, so I wiped the knife and put it away." Wen Huijun said: "Okay! After listening to these words, I even understand the principles of health preservation." Zhuangzi also recorded many exquisite skills like this, such as "Big Horse Beating the Hook" and "Zi Qing Cutting the Iron" (Ju, musical instruments. Ancient musical instruments, like bells), "Jin people operate boats" and so on. Most of them are works that express Zhuangzi's feelings in the name of others. They contain a large amount of perceptual experience, intuitive imagination and logical reasoning.

This kind of experience and understanding of craftsmanship has become an inexhaustible source for the logical development of Zhuangzi's philosophical thoughts. He may not have been managing the lacquerware workshop for very long. After Cao Shang went to Qin to receive a reward, he came to see Zhuangzi. He was making straw sandals, probably making a living by making straw sandals again. Therefore, Zhuangzi spent his whole life in poverty. It is reported that he once borrowed grain from the Marquis of Jianhe, and he was also dressed in rags when he met the King of Wei. Although this may also be intended to bring out his inner nobility and show a kind of respect. There is no theory about enduring poverty, but throughout Zhuangzi's life, there is no doubt that he lived a life of indifference and asceticism in poverty.

(3) Make friends with fellow disciples and learn from them. Zhuangzi, who grew up in adversity, has a very high level of understanding. In his observation of nature and his experience of craftsmanship, he discovered universal principles in a philosophical sense. Existence is the so-called "Tao". Where do people come from? Where to go? Zhuangzi’s answer to these eternal questions is: people come from the Tao and return to the Tao. Zhuangzi's Tao provides the most thorough and profound explanation for the origin of the world with Chinese characteristics, and the only explanation comparable to Western ontology. As long as the theory is thorough, it can conquer people. Therefore, although Zhuangzi's theory is in direct opposition to the popular Confucianism at the time, advocating that people should be indifferent to fame and maintain health, it has won the support of many people because of its novelty and the profoundness of its self-justification. Curiosity and adoration. So a set of doctrines that originally belonged to the retreat of the mountains and forests, instead helped its creator to gain fame. Therefore, Zhuangzi also had some disciples and even very high-level friends. The interaction between Zhuangzi and Huizi constituted the most touching scene in Zhuangzi's career. Hui Shi was a top-notch politician and diplomat at that time, and he was also a representative of the famous "contract-different" school. He served as prime minister in Wei for twelve years and actually held power for nearly twenty years. He helped King Hui of Wei "do the law... and make the people good". He advocated "removing respect" and "eliminating troops", and reformed the law to become stronger; He was the actual organizer of the "joint vertical" policy of the six countries in Shandong. Such a man of great influence was the hermit Zhuangzi's only friend in his life. Hui Shi was older than Zhuangzi and died between 314 and 310 BC. When Zhuangzi passed by Hui Shi's tomb, he once said to his disciples: "There are two people in the state of Chu in Ying, and one of them takes a fly's wing. The plaster was smeared on the tip of the nose, and another person swung the ax to chop it down. The ax moved like the wind and chopped down. He closed his eyes and heard a 'pop' sound. The plaster was cut cleanly, but there was no damage to the nose. The two of them were calm and unhurried. After Song Yuanjun heard about it, he summoned the axe-swinging craftsman and asked him to perform it. The craftsman said: "I have such a trick, but my partner has died long ago." '. Since the death of Mr. Hui, I have also lost my opponent in debates like a craftsman. I am afraid that I will never find someone who can understand me to talk to me. "Tan", the sadness of losing a close friend fully illustrates the extraordinary relationship between Zhuang and Hui. The issues that Zhuangzi and Huizi discussed together were wide-ranging and in-depth. The most interesting one was the so-called "Debate on Fish and Music in Haoliang". They were swimming in the Hao River, and Zhuangzi said: "The fish is swimming back and forth, swinging its head and tail leisurely, how happy it is!" Huizi said: "You are not a fish, how do you know that the fish is happy?" Zhuangzi said: " You are not me, so how do you know that I don’t know the happiness of fish?” Keiko said: “I am not you, so of course I don’t know what you are thinking. You are not a fish either, so of course you cannot know the happiness of fish. That’s the end of it! Zhuangzi said: "Hey! Let's think about it again. When you asked me how I knew the happiness of fish, it was already assumed that I knew the happiness of fish. You asked me how I knew it. Now I tell you: "I am I learned about it on the bridge over Haoshui River. "In addition, they also made very profound expositions on axiological, humanistic and ontological issues such as "big and useless" and "human beings are ruthless". Some of them are major philosophical questions that even modern people cannot answer. There is no one-one here. When Zhuangzi's wife died, Hui Shi, as a retired prime minister, personally participated in condolence activities, which is another example of the extraordinary relationship between the two. With such high-level friends, even if he has no fights with others and retreats into the mountains without seeking anything from the world, he will still have a high reputation. Therefore, in the middle period of the Warring States period when private education was prevalent, Zhuangzi must have had many students and admirers, and his students might have served as officials under Hui Shi. Therefore, Zhuangzi did not just retreat into hiding. Instead, under the guidance of the retreat theory, he lived a life of academic research that was indifferent, aloof, self-sufficient, meditative, and writing non-stop.

(4) Smiling proudly as a prince and criticizing reality. The quiet academic career brought infinite pleasure to Zhuangzi. He was infinitely happy that he could understand life, society and nature so deeply, and he was not interested in power, Money has an attitude of being arrogant and even disrespectful. When Hui Shi was the prime minister of the Wei State, Zhuangzi once came to the Wei State. Some people thought that he was here to compete with Hui Shi for the position of prime minister. Hui Shi knew Zhuangzi's ambitions well and didn't take it seriously at all; but he was also afraid that Zhuangzi would go directly to see King Hui of Wei. , argued wildly, which led to death; so people were sent everywhere to look for Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi also heard rumors that Hui Shi was hunting Zhuangzi to prevent him from competing for power. After the two met, Zhuangzi circled around and said: "There is a phoenix bird in the south. It will not eat anything but neem, and it will not drink unless it is a spring of sweet wine. When the bird flew to the north, he saw an eagle on the ground catching a dead mouse. Eat. When the eagle saw the phoenix flying, it screamed in fright and hurriedly hid the dead mouse under its body, for fear that it would be snatched away. "Do you want to scare me with your appearance?" During the reign of King Hui of Wei, he wore a large patchwork shirt and tied straw to his feet with a pair of worn-out shoes. King Hui of Wei saw it and said, "Sir, why are you so tired?" Zhuangzi said, "This is not tiredness, but poverty. Intellectuals have their own ideas for governing the world and cannot implement them. That is called tiredness. If your clothes are torn, that is not called tiredness. , It's just poverty. I'm just born at the wrong time. Haven't you seen those apes jumping up and down on the trees in the forest, looking so leisurely that even the sharpshooters Yi and Peng Meng can't do anything to them? . Once the apes enter the bush, they will look around in fear and tremble; this is not because there is something wrong with their bones and muscles, but because the environment is unfavorable and they cannot use their climbing skills. I'm a rebellious minister, so people like me have to be tired. Haven't you heard that the loyal minister Bigan had his heart ripped out by King Zhou of Yin because of his loyalty? "There was a man named Cao Shang in the Song Dynasty. As a minister, he went to Qin as an envoy and took several cars with him. Because the King of Qin liked him, he gave him another hundred cars. After Cao Shang came back, he teased Zhuangzi and said, "I am not as good as you if you are wearing straw sandals in a shabby house in a back alley and making yourself look sallow and thin all day long. But if you say that you can make him appreciate you as soon as you see the king's face, Giving hundreds of chariots is my strength." Zhuangzi said, "I heard that when the King of Qin was ill, he asked a doctor to give him a reward for curing a sore. For those who licked the hemorrhoids for the King of Qin, he was rewarded with five cars. The more despicable the method, the greater the reward. You probably licked the hemorrhoids for the King of Qin. ! Otherwise, why would you get so many cars? Let’s take it!” This kind of interesting ridicule and sharp sarcasm sharply attacks the worldly outlook on life of fame, wealth, wealth and prosperity, and expresses the pursuit of transcendent values ??and nobility. Aloof, free-spirited and uninhibited personality. As a potential spiritual force, this kind of personality model had a huge psychological impact on the psychology of later generations of feudal literati, and even became a kind of national psychological accumulation. In Zhuangzi's view, there is no absolute truth and justice in social life. Those high-ranking kings and princes, in today's terms, lack "legitimacy". Zhuangzi argued: Those who steal hooks will be punished, and those who steal the country are princes. For example, Tian Chengzi of Qi State usurped the power of Qi State from the Jiang family. However, because he had the backing of force and finance, small countries did not dare to make irresponsible remarks, and large countries did not dare to send troops to conquer. If ministers should be loyal to the king, then King Wu, as a minister of King Zhou of Yin, should not attack King Zhou; Tang of Shang should not attack Jie of Xia. Confucian political and ethical concepts are a set of deceptions that have not undergone rational examination and have no verifiable basis. Politics and ethics, as a kind of social norm, only have relative significance. People are all products of nature and are equal in personality. Everyone should be fully free. No one, including the king himself, has the power to restrict the freedom of others; in Zhuangzi's "Building a Moral Country" In the ideal world of "The World of Perfect Virtue", "inaction" is the basic principle of life, and everyone leads a peaceful and happy life from top to bottom. In today's society, rulers use coercive methods to govern the people for their own selfish desires, making society a mess, forcing people to suffer from hunger and cold, and taking desperate risks. This is entirely the ruler's fault. However, the people who were forced to take risks had to pay the price with blood and lives for their actions; and after the so-called "Tangwu Revolution" also used force to seize power, not only could they not be condemned, but they could also claim the throne in the south. Enjoy the dignity of the world. The so-called winner is a prince and the loser is a thief, which is completely bandit logic. This is the legal absurdity of historical rationality.

Confucianism, on the other hand, goes to great lengths to argue for historical rationality, but to put it bluntly, it is nothing more than aiding the tiger. "Unless a saint dies, thieves will continue." In Zhuangzi's view, legal rule does not require legality verification. Once it is necessary to use the words of a "sage" to justify one's rule, the rule must be illegal. "Sages" use their talents and learning as illegal political arguments, and in fact become accomplices of "thieves who steal the country". This is what Zhuangzi despises.

(5) He will not be an official for the rest of his life and become his own family. Starting from the value assumption of the natural way, Zhuangzi has a basic tendency to deny social reality. In this way, it will be difficult for him to participate in any political activities or even social life. King Wei of Chu heard that Zhuangzi was very talented, so he sent an envoy with heavy gifts to visit Zhuangzi. The envoy said to Qingzi: "If you are willing to serve as a trustee, the state of Chu is ready to let you take on the important task of prime minister." Zhuangzi smiled and said: "You have brought a thousand taels of gold, which is a very heavy gift; promise me Being the prime minister of the Chu State is also a very noble position. However, haven't you seen the cow used as a sacrifice for the king's sacrifice in the countryside? Lingluo, and then led it to the altar of the Ancestral Temple. At this time, the cow wants to run into the wild and eat hay alone to avoid being punished by a knife. Can it still do it? Please go back early. , don't disturb my peaceful life. I would rather play freely in the mud and be happy physically and mentally than let them use the shackles of the prime minister to restrict me." With an attitude and life ambition of being quiet and devoted to academics, Zhuangzi took care of a cultural undertaking that will last forever. In terms of philosophy of life, Zhuangzi provided a set of cultivation methods to alleviate people's spiritual crisis, showing his strong yearning and pursuit of spiritual freedom; in terms of natural philosophy, his insights surprised contemporary theoretical physicists; time and space It is relative. The material world is not composed of inseparable "atoms" and "void" as Westerners imagine. It is likely to be composed like the "qi" ocean envisioned by Zhuangzi, which is an ocean that humans will never be able to understand. Thoroughly understand "Huntun". In terms of epistemology, Zhuangzi's views echo the modernist trend of thought that has been popular in the Western world for a century, especially the existentialist syllables. In the history of Chinese thought, Zhuangzi's thoughts played a role in digesting Buddhist theory. The key role once formed the main theme of metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties and directly affected the entire traditional literature and art. Ye Shi, a thinker in the Song Dynasty, commented on Zhuangzi: "Since the publication of Zhou Zhi's books, there are four kinds of people who are happy and good in the world: those who are good at writing are good at their words, those who seek the Tao are wonderful in their ideas, those who are unscrupulous make them tired, and those who are evil and evil help their desires." Mr. Lu Xun said that Zhuangzi's writing style was unbridled and unbridled, and his manners were all-powerful. None of the pre-Qin scholars could do it first. Mr. Wen Yiduo said that since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the influence of Zhuangzi has always been left in Chinese culture. The contemporary philosopher Jin Yuelin highly praised Zhuangzi's thoughts. He wrote: "Perhaps Zhuangzi should be regarded as a great poet rather than a great philosopher. His philosophy is written in poetic prose, full of pleasing fables, and praises a noble life. The ideal is comparable to any Western philosophy. Its whimsicality sets off the boldness, the statement is clear but not arbitrary, and it is full of vitality and logical. It makes people read it with both emotion and reason. In the doctrine, it can be said that the clarity of Greece seeps into the beauty of Hebrew, and the beauty of Hebrew softens the clarity of Greece. He who is lucky enough to be close to this ideal will be full of fun. Skepticism does not make him bitter, nor does beauty. It made him move forward recklessly." Cui Dahua commented on the historical role of Zhuangzi's thought in national culture in the preface of the book "Study on Zhuangzi: A Historical Investigation of the Origin of a Concept in Chinese Philosophy": "Zhuangzi's thought is the development and evolution of traditional Chinese thought. The most active and enduring conceptual factor in traditional Chinese thought is also the most powerful and positive theoretical factor in understanding and digesting heterogeneous thought and culture. "These comments show that we cannot move from tradition while ignoring Zhuangzi's thought. Enter modern times. (6) Understand life and death, be romantic and optimistic about death. This natural limit of life constitutes the fundamental cause of human tragedy consciousness. Cassirer believes that the fear of death is undoubtedly one of the most common and deep-rooted human instincts. All superstitious activities, myths and even religions are related to human beings' consciousness of death. Zhuangzi's thought provides a unique method for human beings to transcend the fear of death consciousness. On the way to Chu State, Zhuangzi came across an empty skull (dulou, pronounced Dulou).

Zhuangzi hit the skull with a riding whip and asked: "Did you die because you violated the laws of nature? Did you die because your country was ruined and your family was destroyed, and you were tortured with axes? Did you commit a sinful act?" Did you die of shame on your parents and your wife? Did you die of poverty, cold and hunger, or did you die of natural causes?" After he finished asking, Zhuangzi rested on the skull. In the middle of the night, Skull said to Zhuangzi in his dream: "You sound like an eloquent person, but what you talk about are the worries of living people. After death, these problems will no longer exist. Do you want to listen? "Do you listen to the principles of the dead?" Zhuangzi said: "Yes." "After death, there is no king above and no ministers below, and there is no time to worry about life. The world is the spring and autumn, and the happiness is even Your king in the south is afraid that he will not be able to compare with you!" Zhuangzi didn't believe it, so he said: "I asked the ghosts and gods in charge of life and death to restore your appearance, return your muscles and bones, and give back your parents, wife, friends and countrymen. Are you willing to do it?" The skull was very unhappy when he heard it, and frowned and said, "How could I give up something that is happier than being king in the south and go to the world to suffer the pain of trouble and exhaustion?" Here, Zhuangzi said death? Depicted as a matter of supreme happiness. Since death is happier than life, the fear of death naturally disappears. Although this statement cannot be proven, no one can falsify it. However, Zhuangzi's basic idea is not to take pleasure in death, but to "equal life and death." When Zhuangzi's wife died, Hui Shi went to attend condolences. I saw Zhuangzi sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, banging a pot and singing. Hui Shi couldn't stand it any longer, so he said, "Your wife has lived with you all your life and has children for you. She is over seventy years old. Now that she is dead, it's okay for you not to cry, but you still have to knock on the door." Singing in a basin is too much!" When Zhuangzi saw that it was Hui Shi, he replied: "How could I not be emotionless when she just died? Moreover, the material element 'Qi' of the body cannot be seen. The Qi was originally mixed in the underworld, changed into Qi, then took shape, and then transformed into life. Now she has transformed from life to death. This is not true. Is it the same as the change of seasons in spring, summer, autumn and winter? Her body is still lying between heaven and earth, but I screamed and cried beside her. I thought that this was because I didn't really understand the phenomenon of life, so I stopped crying. "In Zhuangzi's view, everything in the world is composed of "Qi". People are no exception. "The life of a person is the gathering of Qi; when it gathers, it leads to life, and when it disperses, it leads to death." Precisely because he is obsessed with such a concept of "one unified world", he naturally has a very romantic and optimistic attitude towards death. When Zhuangzi was about to die, his disciples prepared to give their teacher a grand burial. After Zhuangzi found out, he said in a humorous tone: "After I die, the earth will be my coffin, the sun and moon will be my jade, the stars will be my jewelry and jade, and everything in the world will be my burial objects. Will my burial tools still be there?" Isn't it rich? What else can you add?" The students were dumbfounded and said, "Teacher! If that happens, wouldn't we be afraid that the crows and eagles would eat the teacher?" Zhuangzi said, "Throw it in the wild. If I am afraid of being eaten by crows and eagles, why am I not afraid of being eaten by ants if I am buried in the ground? Why are you so partial when you snatch me from the mouths of crows and eagles and give it to ants?" A wise and thoughtful philosopher said, A master of prose with all manner of manners, with a romantic and optimistic attitude and a fearless mood, calmly walked towards death, towards the infinite nothingness that is so terrifying in the eyes of ordinary people. This is Zhuangzi. According to academic research, Zhuangzi died around 286 BC at the age of eighty-three. There are still Zhuangzi's tomb and other Zhuangzi relics in Minquan County, Shangqiu.