导考网短评:
中国先秦诸子的哲学思想、儒道佛三家的哲思妙论至今读来仍充满睿智,予人启迪。这些中国文化的思想精华,对于许多外国人来说也同样充满吸引力。英文版“中国智慧”丛书面向国外读者,用当代人的视角探索孔子、老子、孙子、孟子
中国先秦诸子的哲学思想、儒道佛三家的哲思妙论至今读来仍充满睿智,予人启迪。这些中国文化的思想精华,对于许多外国人来说也同样充满吸引力。
英文版“中国智慧”丛书面向国外读者,用当代人的视角探索孔子、老子、孙子、孟子、庄子等文化先贤传奇跌宕的人生;用生动的故事和白描的手法,诠释他们的智慧思想;通过中外历史文化纵横比较,表现中国文化的传承以及中国传统文化与西方文化之间的相互影响。
“中国智慧”丛书包括:《一代宗师—孔子》《亚圣—孟子》《兵圣—孙子》《千年道德经—老子》《天地逍遥游—庄子》。本套丛书的特色,就是突出了古代先贤的智慧思想和当代中国社会的关联性,因此每一个先贤人物读起来都是那样平和亲近。书后附各位先贤经典语录,深入浅出的演绎,非常适合外国人阅读和理解,可作为他们了解中国文化的敲门砖。
《天地逍遥游——庄子》,向国外读者介绍战国中期道家学派的代表人物,著名的思想家、哲学家和文学家,道家学说的主要创始人之一——庄子的生平及其经典语录。庄子生平只做过地方漆园吏,因崇尚自由而不应同宗楚威王之聘。他是老子思想的继承和发展者。后世将他与老子并称为“老庄”。其代表作品为《庄子》,名篇有《逍遥游》、《齐物论》等。
Thepre-QinConfucianphilosophyandTaoism,arefullofwisdom,givingmoderntimepeopleprofoundinspirationandenlightment.TheyrepresenttheessenceoftheChineseculture.
TheWisdomofChinaisaseriesforforeignreaders.TheytellofthelivesandwisdomofancientsagesincludingConfucius,LaoTzu,SunZi,MenciuandChuang-tzu.FromthesereadersareexpectedtotheculturalwisdomoftheChinese.
Asthebooksaretreatedwithlivingstories,readerswillfeelclosetothetimesagesandfinditeasytounderstandtheirphilosophies.AsurveyamongthepotentialreadersshowthesebooksareeasytounderstandandthebestchanneltounderstandaculturalChina.
TheseriesbooksincludeCONFUCIUS:APhilosopherfortheAges,LAOTZU:TheEternalTaoTeChing,MENCIUS:ABenevolentSaintfortheAges,SUNTZU:TheUltimateMasterofWar,ZHUANGZI:EnjoymentofLifeinanUntroubledState.Forthecompilationofthesebooks,theauthorswenttohometownsofthesesagesandhitnumerousbooksinlibrary.Manyoftheircontentsareavailabletoreadersforthefirsttime.
IfLaoTzuisthefounderandultimatesourceofTaoism,Zhuangziisakeythinkerwhocarriedforwardalocalphilosophyofreligion,andformedauniqueandpowerfulsystemofthought,whichretainsitsconsiderablepowertodayinthemodernworld.
CONTENTS
Preface
Zhuangzi’sBirthandDeath
‘TaoTeChing’and‘NanHuaJing’
Cross-CulturalEchoes:ZhuangziandSpinoza
FounderofChineseLifePhilosophy
TheSeparationofTaoismandConfucianism
HunDun:HighestRealmofIdealism
‘Zhuangzi’:ACriticalBook
TheOrientalGreatMaster’sKeenInsightintoLife
QuotationsfromZhuangzi
Cross-CulturalEchoes:ZhuangziandSpinoza
Inthe1650s,aJewinaremotevillagesouthofAmsterdam,begantowritehismostimportantbookEthics.Someyearsbefore,hehadbeenexcludedfromthelocalJewishsynagogue,andwasexpelledfromtheJewishquarter.Hehadbeenforcedintoalifeofseclusion.
ThispersonwasSpinoza,thefamousDutchphilosopher.Spinozawasbornintoarichfamily,butfromthestartwassomewhatofablacksheepunlikehispeers.Howdidhemakealivingafterleavinghome?Intheend,hefoundajobgrindingopticallenses.HecouldneverimaginethataChinesephilosopherwholivedmorethan2,000yearsagohadhadaverysimilarexperience.TheChinesephilosopherhadchosenanevenlowerandmoreinconspicuousprofession-thatofmakingstrawsandals!
ThisphilosopherwasZhuangzi.
ZhuangzilivedinmuchgreaterpovertythanSpinoza,andheoftensufferedfromhunger.EspeciallyafterhegaveuphispostasQiyuanli,heoftenhadliterallynothingtoeat.
Onetimewhenhehadrunoutofgrain,afrustratedZhuangzithoughtofJianhehou,thelocalofficialinchargeofwaterconservancy.ItissaidthatZhuangzihadhadalotofcontactwithJianhehouduringtheperiodwhenheservedasQiyuanli.
Jianhehouwasrelativelywelloff.Therefore,Zhuangzihopedtoaskforsomeemergencyfood.ZhuangzidressedinragsandwalkedtothefrontgateofJianhehou’smansion.Jianhehousaid:“Noproblem!Icanlendyou300taelsofgoldwhenmysalaryispaidintheautumn.”
RealizingJianhehouwasunwillingtogivehimanyfood,Zhuangziwasveryangrybecausehisfamilyfacedstarvation.Hesaid:“Jianhehou,youlikedlisteningtomyfablessomuchinthepast.Now,I'lltellyouanotherstory.”
Preface
IntheChristianBible,angelswithwingsontheirshouldersactasGod’sassistants;theChineseoftenpicturesuchromanticimageryasakindofbutterfly,akindofbeautifulinsect.
Onedaymorethan2,300yearsago,ayoungmannamedZhuangZhoudreamedofabutterfly.Inthedream,hetravelledinaleisurelymannerandintheendconfusedhisownidentitywiththatofthebutterfly,somuchsothatwhenhewokehethoughthewasstillthebutterfly.“ZhuangZhouDreamingofaButterfly”istheearlieststoryinvolvinghumansandbutterfliesinChina.
Perhapsitwasthisdreamthatactivatedanewphilosophicaldirection-atranscendenceofthesecularworldwhichaddedinvisiblewingstoimagination,soastomakeit“fly”higherandwider.Sincethattime,anotherhighpointwasreachedinthehistoryofChinesephilosophyandthought.
ThathighpointwasthelifeandworkofZhuangzi,agiantofTaoismwhofollowedLaoTzu.JustasConfucianismisinseparablefromthedoctrinesofConfuciusandMencius,sotooLaoTzuandZhuangziembodytheveryessenceofTaoisminChina.IfLaoTzuisthefounderandultimatesourceofTaoism,Zhuangziisakeythinkerwhocarriedforwardalocalphilosophyofreligion,andformedauniqueandpowerfulsystemofthought,whichretainsitsconsiderablepowertodayinthemodernworld.