Hanshan Deqing, Wang Fuzhi, and Lin Yunming on Zhuangzi: Impressions of Carefree Wandering

This book provides a glimpse into 17th-century Zhuangzi (莊子; ca. 4th through 3rd century BCE) studies by introducing the works of Hanshan Déqing (憨山德清; 1546-1623), Wáng Fuzhi (王夫之; 1619-1692), and Lìn Yúnmìng (林雲銘; 1628-1697), which give a sense of diverse approaches to Zhuangzi during this period.

The three commentators represent three distinct orientations as reflected by their respective roles, with Hanshan Déqing being a Buddhist monk, Wáng Fuzhi a philosopher, and Lìn Yúnmìng a literary critic. Their understanding of "carefree wandering" (逍遙遊) is spelled out, followed by a complete translation of the Péng-bird 鵬 passage through their eyes. The author concludes how this amounts to a conception of human flourishing.

This is the first monograph on Zhuangzi studies of any of these three thinkers in English. General readers or specialists of ancient Chinese philosophy can gain insight into how Zhuangzi was read in culturally relevant contexts.