Tzu, Chuang Books

The Inner Chapters

Zhuangzi, Chuang-Tzu

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

An almost correct translation, but not really enjoyable to read 2 out of 5 stars.
51 of 55 people found this review helpful.

HISTORY OF BOOK TITLED: ZHUANGZI

The present version of the ancient Taoist book on philosophy titled Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) was edited by Kuo Hsiang around 300 CE. He edited an earlier version consisting of 52 sections down to 33 sections, the omitted 19 sections were considered inferior and of a spurious nature. The 33 sections were divided into the inner chapters (seven sections), outer chapters (15 sections) and miscellaneous chapters (11 sections.).

The inner chapters the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) are considered to be the most authentic chapters and most likely to have been written by Zhuangzi or at least written by a brilliant and keen mind. (The inner chapters probably date to around the second century BCE.) The inner chapters contain all the important ideas and are consistently brilliant. The outer and miscellaneous chapters are more uneven and sometimes contain excellent pieces of philosophical writing and others times are the work of a feeble scribbler--to quote the famous Chinese translator Arthur Waley.


QUALITY and READABILITY of GRAHAM'S TRANSLATION

From the above, one can see why the late sinologist Angus Graham wisely chose to only translate the inner chapters of Zhuangzi. However, at least two things are essential for a good translation, capturing the meaning and getting the flow. If a translation sounds awkward or is not otherwise enjoyable to read it is not a successful translation.

This translation is more suitable for a scholar as it is uses terminology that is technically precise, but arcane and awkward in many places. The style of this translation is very academic. It is written by a scholar who appears to subscribe to the notion that any word that is close enough in meaning is the word to use regardless of how it sounds to the reader or what images it invokes in the reader's mind. If one has handy a good English dictionary and is willing to read Graham's end notes the meaning will become clear, but this kind of reading is not an enjoyable experience as the wit, energy and spirit of Chuang Tzu is diminished by this style of translation.

The more I translate Chuang Tzu, the less I like Graham's translation. His translations often significantly differ from Watson's and others translators. He makes many unusual translation choices.

I recommend that unless you are writing an academic paper on Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), are a philologist, or are taking a class on Chinese philosophy to skip this translation. (Note, Angus Graham also wrote a second book detailing his translation notes for this book. Again this is only suitable for a scholar, not for the non academic.)


ALTERNATE AVAILABLE TRANSLATIONS

Burton Watson's translation is superior in capturing the exuberance of Chuang Tzu. The few "mistakes" Watson makes are inconsequential as he truly captures the essential meaning and the spirit and the flow of the writing. I highly recommend Burton Watson's translation in either his book: The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu (a full translation) or his smaller paperback: Chuang Tzu--Basic Writings. (This last is a subset of the most interesting and best written parts of Chuang Tzu, and it includes all the inner chapters.)

If one wants a more poetic translation suitable for random daily study or meditation then one should seriously consider Thomas Merton's translation of selected passages of Chuang Tzu. They are very well done. And despite the fact that Thomas Merton did not know Chinese, pretty faithful to the original text. The only drawback to his book--and this is its strength as well--is that the selections tends to be short and sometimes he omits passages that are logically and thematically connected and hence probably should not have been omitted. With few exceptions Thomas Merton's selections are the cream of Chuang Tzu. Very occasionally, Merton adds in something that is not in the original Chinese, but he does it so skillfully that it reads like something that Chuang Tzu could and even should have written.

I have read (and am inclined to agree) that Arthur Waley's selected translations of Chuang Tzu in his book: Three Ways of Thought are the best written, however Waley only translated some of Chuang Tzu.


COMPARISON BETWEEN GRAHAM'S and WATSON'S TRANSLATION

The late Angus Graham was a respected sinologist, so it is surprising that his translation is flawed, both in its readability and in my opinion in the accuracy of the translation itself. Compare Graham's translation of chapter three, section three, with Burton Watson's.

Graham's

My life flows between confines, but knowledge has no confines. If we use the confined to follow the unconfined, there is danger that the flow will cease; and when it ceases, to exercise knowledge is purest danger.
...
Three years more and I never saw an ox as a whole. Nowadays, I am in touch through the daemonic in me, and do not look with the eye. With the senses I know where to stop, the daemonic I desire to run its course. I rely on Heaven's structuring, cleave along the main seams, let myself be guided by the cavities, go by what is inherently so.


Watson's

Your life has a limit but knowledge has none. If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger. If you understand this and still strive for knowledge, you will be in danger for certain!
...
After three years I no longer saw the whole ox. And now---now I go at it by spirit and don't look with my eyes. Perception and understanding have come to a stop and spirit moves where it wants. I go along with the natural makeup, strike in the big hollows, guide the knife through the big openings, and follow things as they are.

Editorial Review:

The Inner Chapters are the oldest pieces of the larger collection of writings by several fourth, third, and second century B.C. authors that constitute the classic of Taoism, the Chuang-Tzu (or Zhuangzi). It is this core of ancient writings that is ascribed to Chuang-Tzu himself.

Tao - The Way - Special Edition

Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu

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Editorial Review:

Lao Tzu was the father of Taoism. In his Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu outlined the basic concept of Tao. Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu were Lao Tzu's most important followers who expounded and expanded the basic principles set forth by Lao Tzu. Together, the sayings of these three sages, which make up this volume, are the foundations for the philosophy of Tao.

The translations of the works of these ancient Chinese sages by Lionel Giles and Herbert Giles are very highly regarded and considered by many to be the definitive English translations. Lionel's translation of The Sayings of Lao Tzu (1905), taken from the Tao Te Ching and logically re-ordered, is remarkable for its clarity of expression, particularly given the complexity of the subject. Herbert's translation of The Sayings of Chuang Tzu, presented here, with an introduction by Lionel, was originally published as Musings of a Chinese Mystic (1906). Lionel's translation of The Sayings of Lieh Tzu was originally published as The Book of Lieh Tzu, or Teachings in Taoism (1912).

Individually the works of these Chinese sages are classics. Together, they are a master resource of the history of Tao.

Zhuangzi (Longman Library of Primary Sources in Philosophy) (Longman Library of Primary Sources)

Chuang Tzu, Hyun Hochsmann, Yang Guorong, Daniel Kolak

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Editorial Review:

Part of the “Longman Library of Primary Sources in Philosophy,” this edition of Chuang Tzu is framed by a pedagogical structure designed to make this important work of philosophy more accessible and meaningful for readers. A General Introduction includes biographical information on Chuang Tzu, the work's historical context, and a discussion of historical influences. Annotations and notes from the editor clarify difficult passages for greater understanding. A bibliography gives the reader additional resources for further study.

Chuang Tzu: Mystic, Moralist, And Social Reformer

Chuang-Tzu

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Zhuangzi (Library of Chinese Classics: Chinese-English edition: 2 Volumes) (Library of Chinese Classics)

Zhuangzi, Chuang-Tzu

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Zhuangzi, also known as The Holy Canon of Nanhua, is a Taoist classic written by the Warring States period philosopher Zhuangzi and his students. The book is composed of 33 chapters including 7 Inner Chapters, 15 Outer Chapters, and 11 Miscellaneous Chapters.

In this book, Zhuangzi inherited and developed Laozi's viewpoint of "the ways of Tao being conditioned by the self-so. "Taking Tao as the origin of the world, he held that Tao is self-sufficient and eternal whereas the difference between things is relative. To correspond with this world outlook, Zhuangzi advocated an outlook on life of "non-action in face of nature, "which recommended maintaining personal freedom of body and mind, and of attaining a spiritual plane of complete liberty and of harmony between man and nature.

Before being translated into modern Chinese, the original Chinese text of the present edition has been checked and punctuated with reference to Guo Qingfan's A Vatiorum Zhuangzi. The English translation, which is its latest complete edition, has been accomplished with reference to the existing complete as well as selected English translations of the book.

Teachings and Sayings of Chuang Tzu

Chuang Tzu

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Editorial Review:

Generally regarded as one of the foremost works of philosophy in any language, this important book by a brilliant Chinese philosopher and one of Taoism's founding fathers has exerted a profound influence on Chinese thought and led to the development of Zen Buddhism. This new edition contains a number of the most relevant and accessible selections from that great classic.

Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters

Chuang-Tzu, Chuang Tzu

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Brilliantly written 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Chuang Tzu's literary themes and format of choice differ considerably from those of the more famous Lao Tzu; his prose anecdotes are more accessible than Lao Tzu's didactic verse, yet often deeper as well, and are worthy of examination even by those with no particular interest in Taoist philosophy.

How accurate is this work as translation? Not being familiar with the original Chinese, I can't say -- but the English phrasings are extraordinarily effective in their own right, far clearer and more beautiful than those in another, more popular version that I've seen.

Editorial Review:

David Hinton's compelling new translation of Chuang Tzu's Inner Chapters makes these ancient texts from the Golden Age of Chinese philosophy accessible to contemporary readers. Standing alongside the Tao Te Ching as a founding text in the Taoist tradition, Chuang Tzu is believed to be the work of a Chinese sage by the same name. Many contemporary thinkers trace Zen back to these Taoist roots, roots at least as deep as those provided by Buddhism.160 pp.

Chuang Tzu: A new selected translation with an exposition of the philosophy of Kuo Hsiang

Chuang-tzu

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Unique material 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a competent translation of the inner chapters of the Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi). Maybe it's an interesting contrast to other modern translations, like Watson's, but that's not why this book stands out.

The commentary by Kuo Hsiang (spelled Guo Xiang elsewhere) is what makes this book stand out. This is the only source I know that presents Kuo's commentary, or even part of it, directly in the Chaung Tzu text on which it comments. Those two things together give this book its real value: Kuo's own text, and its original context.

Kuo Hsiang was a later Taoist author. Like any other commentator, he presented at least as many new ideas as discussions of old ones. He stressed an ever-changing holism, in which each part is necessary and gives rise to all other parts. Each part fills the role required of it, engenders whatever must come next, and passes away in its time.

Kuo was also an educated man in a Confucian society, and seemingly tried to resolve relaxed, egalitarian Taoism with rigid, hierarchical Confucian thought. He calls on The Way to explain the priveleges proper to a prince and the subservience proper to lower people - if either stepped out of their assigned roles, it would threaten the functioning of the whole world. Fung goes even farther in his commentary on Kuo. Fung likens the natural forces of change to Marxist historical necessity, and cites passages justifying the state's existence as an accord with nature.

This is the best presentation I know of the Kuso Hsiang commentary. It's not complete, though, and does add a good bit of the modern commentator's own thought. Despite those problems, I'll stick with this Kuo Hsiang until I see a better one.

//wiredweird

Chuang Tzu: A new selected translation with an exposition of the philosophy of Kuo Hsiang

Chuang-tzu

By: Gordon Press Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $119.98

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( T ) -> Tzu, Chuang
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Unique material 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a competent translation of the inner chapters of the Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi). Maybe it's an interesting contrast to other modern translations, like Watson's, but that's not why this book stands out.

The commentary by Kuo Hsiang (spelled Guo Xiang elsewhere) is what makes this book stand out. This is the only source I know that presents Kuo's commentary, or even part of it, directly in the Chaung Tzu text on which it comments. Those two things together give this book its real value: Kuo's own text, and its original context.

Kuo Hsiang was a later Taoist author. Like any other commentator, he presented at least as many new ideas as discussions of old ones. He stressed an ever-changing holism, in which each part is necessary and gives rise to all other parts. Each part fills the role required of it, engenders whatever must come next, and passes away in its time.

Kuo was also an educated man in a Confucian society, and seemingly tried to resolve relaxed, egalitarian Taoism with rigid, hierarchical Confucian thought. He calls on The Way to explain the priveleges proper to a prince and the subservience proper to lower people - if either stepped out of their assigned roles, it would threaten the functioning of the whole world. Fung goes even farther in his commentary on Kuo. Fung likens the natural forces of change to Marxist historical necessity, and cites passages justifying the state's existence as an accord with nature.

This is the best presentation I know of the Kuso Hsiang commentary. It's not complete, though, and does add a good bit of the modern commentator's own thought. Despite those problems, I'll stick with this Kuo Hsiang until I see a better one.

//wiredweird