Zhuang Zhou (周) | 24 Histories

Overview

Zhuang Zhou was a Philosopher and Hermit.

IdentityUncertain · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Zhuangzi	莊生	Zhuang Sheng
Alternate name	Zhuangzi	莊子	Zhuangzi

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Song 62, passage 120; History of Yuan 171, passage 36
BC 369 to BC 286 BC 369-286
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 166
BC 369 to BC 286 周、賈盪而貢憤
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 201
BC 339 to BC 329 楚威王聞莊周賢
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 38
c. BC 286 清塵
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 14, passage 269
BC 369 to BC 301 與梁惠王、齊宣王同時
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 31

Show 7 more source-backed claims

BC 369 to BC 286 荀卿嫉濁世之政，亡國亂君相屬，不遂大道而營於巫祝，信禨祥，鄙儒小拘，如莊周等又猾
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 86
BC 369 to BC 286 莊周
Directly stated · Book of Liang 52, passage 74
BC 369 to BC 286 莊周
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 181, passage 231; New History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 32
BC 369 to BC 286 莊周偃蹇於漆園
Strongly inferred · jinshu:072:s0083a34
BC 369 to BC 286 莊周有言
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 75, passage 185
BC 369 to BC 286 莊子曰
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 71
BC 369 to BC 286 莊生
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 87

Key source chapters

Career and standing

lacquer garden official of Meng 蒙漆園吏
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 31
lifelong not serving 終身不仕
Never took office · Negated false
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 45

Places and affiliations

Polity Song 宋 · Relation Associated with
Strongly inferred · jinshu:072:s0083a34
Polity Warring States 戰國 · Relation Lived under
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 75, passage 185
At Meng 蒙
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 30
At Qiyuan 漆園 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · jinshu:072:s0083a34

Learning and skills

Belief Laozi's teachings 老子之言 · Relation Adherent of
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 32

Works and attributed material

Cutting Open Boxes 胠篋
Relation Author
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 34
Robber Zhi 盜跖
Relation Author
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 34
The Fisherman 漁父
Relation Author
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 34
writings over 100,000 words 著書十餘萬言
Relation Author
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 33
Zhuangzi doctrines 莊周之說
Relation Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 231
Zhuangzi teachings 莊周之說
Relation Author
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 32

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Quotation · Attributed author · Mode quotation Speaker Sima Jizhu (司馬季主) Source Person Id Zhuang Zhou (周)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 127, passage 71
人情險於山川
Saying · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 75, passage 185
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passages 39-45

Events and relationships

Equated life death and fortune woe yet feared sacrifice and halter
Intellectual · Author
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 201
Lounged
Reclusion · Hermit · At Qiyuan 漆園
Directly stated · jinshu:072:s0083a34
Refused chancellorship
Political · Invitee · With King Wei of Chu (楚威王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passages 38-39, 45
Relation Contemporary of · Person King Xuan of Qi (齊宣王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 31
Relation Contemporary of · Person King Hui of Liang (梁惠王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 31

Assessments and attributes

Assessment doctrines-borrowed-to-exalt-Buddhism · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 231
Assessment held up as a model of not harming oneself by useless grief · Mode quotation Speaker Wei Shu (魏舒)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 87
Assessment railed in reckless essays; brave words chided passion yet still shrank from butchered ox and hated the halter · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 201
Assessment spread discussions of Way and virtue yet returned to naturalness · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 63, passage 143
Assessment with slippery facetiousness disordered custom · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 86

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Jin 41, passage 87; jinshu:072:s0083a34

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

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周、賈盪而貢憤兮，齊死生與禍福，抗爽言以矯情兮，信畏犧而忌服。 Zhuang Zhou and Jia Yi railed in reckless essays, treating life and death, fortune and woe, as one; their brave words chided human passion, yet they still shrank from the butchered ox and hated the halter.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

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夫莊周之釣魚兮，辭卿相之顯位； Zhuang Zhou angled by the river and refused the highest offices;

Book of Later Han, Chapter 75Volume 68: Biographies of Guo, Fu, Xu · 1 passage

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論曰：莊周有言，人情險於山川，以其動靜可識，而沈阻難徵。 The historian comments: Zhuangzi observed that human hearts are trickier than mountain passes—outward motion is easy to read, but what lies hidden resists scrutiny.

Book of Jin, Chapter 41Volume 41 Biographies 11: Wei Shu; Li Xi; Liu Shi; Gao Guang · 1 passage

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舒每哀慟，退而歎曰：「吾不及莊生遠矣，豈以無益自損乎！」 Shu mourned bitterly, then withdrew and sighed, "I am no Zhuangzi; why should I tear myself apart over what cannot help?"

Book of Jin, Chapter 72Volume 72 Biographies 42: Guo Pu; Ge Hong · 1 passage

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若乃莊周偃蹇於漆園，老萊婆娑于林窟，嚴平澄漠於塵肆，梅真隱淪乎市卒，梁生吟嘯而矯跡，焦先混沌而槁杌，阮公昏酣而賣傲，翟叟遁形以倏忽。 As for Zhuang Zhou lounging in Qiyuan, Lao Lai wandering in forest caves, Yan Ping settling into clarity in the dusty market, Mei Zhen hiding among market servants, Master Liang chanting and whistling while lifting his traces, Jiao Xian in muddled stump-like stillness, Ruan Gong drunk and selling pride, and old Zhai vanishing in an instant:

Book of Liang, Chapter 14Volume 14: Jiang Yan; Ren Fang · 1 passage

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莫不締恩狎，結綢繆，想惠、莊之清塵，庶羊、左之徽烈。 All bound favor close and knotted intimacy tight—dreaming of Hui Shi and Zhuang Zhou's clear dust, reaching for Yang and Zuo's bright merit.

Book of Liang, Chapter 52Volume 52: The Self-Sufficient · 1 passage

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莊周、澹臺，達生者也； Zhuang Zhou and Tantai Mieming had attained life;

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 63Biographies of Laozi and Han Fei · 5 passages

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莊子者，蒙人也，名周。 Zhuangzi was a man of Meng, named Zhou.

周嘗為蒙漆園吏，與梁惠王、齊宣王同時。 Zhou once served as an official in Meng's lacquer garden, and was contemporary with Liang King Hui and Qi King Xuan.

楚威王聞莊周賢，使使厚幣迎之，許以為相。 Chu King Wei heard that Zhuang Zhou was worthy and sent envoys with rich gifts to welcome him, promising to make him prime minister.

莊周笑謂楚使者曰：「千金，重利； Zhuang Zhou laughing told the Chu envoy: 'Thousand pieces of gold is heavy profit;

莊子散道德，放論，要亦歸之自然。 Zhuangzi spread out discussions of the Way and virtue in free and unrestrained discourse, yet in essentials he too returned to naturalness.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 74Biographies of Mengzi and Xun Qing · 1 passage

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荀卿嫉濁世之政，亡國亂君相屬，不遂大道而營於巫祝，信禨祥，鄙儒小拘，如莊周等又猾稽亂俗，於是推儒、墨、道德之行事興壞，序列著數萬言而卒。 Xun Qing hated the governance of that turbid age: ruined states and chaotic rulers followed one another, neglecting the great Way while relying on shamans and prayers, trusting in lucky and unlucky omens; he despised narrow-minded Confucians, and men like Zhuang Zhou who with slippery facetiousness disordered custom. Thereupon he traced the rise and fall of the conduct of Confucians, Mohists, and Daoists, arranged them in sequence, and wrote tens of thousands of words before he died.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 127Biographies of Soothsayers · 2 passages

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莊子曰：『君子內無饑寒之患，外無劫奪之憂，居上而敬，居下不為害，君子之道也。』 Zhuangzi said, 'The noble man suffers no hunger or cold within, and fears no robbery or plunder without. In a high position he is respected; in a low position he does no harm. This is the Way of the noble man.'

持不盡索之物，游於無窮之世，雖莊氏之行未能增於是也，子何故而云不可卜哉？ To possess an inexhaustible thing and wander through a boundless world—even the conduct of Master Zhuang himself could add nothing to this. Why, then, do you insist that divination is not a worthy pursuit?

Book of Song, Chapter 62Volume 62 Biographies 22: Yang Xin, Zhang Fu, Wang Wei · 1 passage

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雖假天口於齊駢，藉鬼說於周季，公孫碎毛髮之文，莊生縱漭瀁之極，終不能舉其契，為之辭矣。 Though one had the eloquence of the Qi persuaders, the ghost lore of late Zhou, Gongsun Long's hair-splitting disputations, or Zhuangzi's boundless paradoxes, one still could not justify this appointment.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 181Volume 181 Biographies 106: Chen, Three Li's, Cao, Liu · 1 passage

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華人之譎誕者，又攘莊周、列禦寇之說佐其高，層累架騰，直出其表，以無上不可加為勝，妄相誇脅而倡其風。 Crafty Chinese then borrowed Zhuangzi and Liezi to exalt it further, building tower upon tower until it soared beyond measure, vaunting the supreme and coercing one another to spread the cult.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies of Recluses 14: Zhen Gao, Shi Ang, Cheng Fuyun, Li Zilun · 1 passage

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少以儒學遊河朔，後去為道士，通老子、莊周之說。 Young he studied Confucianism in Hebei; later he became a Daoist versed in Laozi and Zhuangzi.

History of Yuan, Chapter 171Volume 171 Biographies 58: Liu Yin, Wu Cheng · 1 passage

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此理勢之必然，亙萬古而不可易，而莊周氏所謂無所逃於天地之間者也。 This is a necessity of principle and circumstance, unchanging through all ages—what Zhuangzi meant when he said there is no escaping it between Heaven and Earth.