chuang tzu (ritual, hell, theist, spiritual, philosophy)

[d.]

hello all.

i was wondering if you would mind sharing your opinions of the chang tzu?

is it indispensable, or of very little relevance, or something in between? i haven't read it yet, as i'm fairly new to taoism, but it seems like some people hold this in very high regard and others don't. i was just curious what those that have read it think of it.

[michel]

Originally Posted by divine

hello all.

i was wondering if you would mind sharing your opinions of the chang tzu?

is it indispensable, or of very little relevance, or something in between? i haven't read it yet, as i'm fairly new to taoism, but it seems like some people hold this in very high regard and others don't. i was just curious what those that have read it think of it.

Hi divine,

As I notice that this is your first visit here, I thought I would take the opportunity to welcome you to Religious Forums;



I hope that you would feel able to introduce yourself to the other members of the forum, by posting on:- Are you new to ReligiousForums.com?



Please feel free to ask questions, if you have any. You might like to check out our article with links for our newer members; from there, there is also a link to the forum rules which you ought to look at.



This seems to be a site on his phylosophies, if you are interested:- http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/chuang.htm

[d.]

thank you, michel.

i would rather skip the introduction if that's possible - it's really hard for me to do. just a quirk of mine, i guess. i'll do one if i have to, though my first post in the general religious debate (from non-theist to theist) serve as a kind of introduction i think.

[Scarlett Wampus]

That page that Michel pointed out is a good overview, divine.

I didn't like the Chuang Tzu when I first came across it. Much of it seemed obscure or inconclusive. However, over time certain passages really stood out, sometimes for their beauty as much as having anything sensible to to say. Where the Tao Te Ching is concise, sincere and frugal the Chuang Tzu is rambling, humorous and extravagent. It really is a remarkable piece of literature, as brilliant in its imaginative & charming rhetorical style as it is in its poignant philosophy.

My only problem with Chuang Tzu was that he was a ludite, a primitive romantic who shunned technology, society and human knowledge. This comes out in many passages and, while they may make very interesting observations, are very difficult to reconcile with the world as it is today.

[d.]

Originally Posted by Scarlett Wampus

I didn't like the Chuang Tzu when I first came across it. Much of it seemed obscure or inconclusive. However, over time certain passages really stood out, sometimes for their beauty as much as having anything sensible to to say. Where the Tao Te Ching is concise, sincere and frugal the Chuang Tzu is rambling, humorous and extravagent. It really is a remarkable piece of literature, as brilliant in its imaginative & charming rhetorical style as it is in its poignant philosophy.

thank you - this is exactly the kind of answer i was hoping to get. i too have gotten a bit of a negative impression of it. i will read it when i have the time - if not for any other reason because i tend to like anything rambling, humorous and extravagant !

[Master Vigil]

I have read it a few times, and while it appeals to the metaphorical side to me, I enjoy the Tao Te Ching much more. I view Taoism as a philosophy based on simplicity. Chuang Tzu didn't seem simple to me. However, after more reading I found the simplicity within his complexity. Which finally worked for me. However, like good poetry... the poem should evoke a certain emotion whether or not you understand the inner psychological /spiritual workings of the poet. I find that one must understand Chuang Tzu a little more before one can understand his book. But that is just my opinion.