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Chuang tzu writings5/7/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() I’d say the introduction is useful, particularly for individuals without a great deal of background in Taoism. ![]() He offers a few pages of introduction as context for the reader, and then moves straight into 62 lessons of Chuang Tzu. Ironically, some don’t seem to see the irony of rambling on in explication of Taoism-a philosophy that advocates simplicity and rebukes the wordy for their arrogance. Because the lessons are short and-admittedly, in some cases-arcane, there’s a temptation to write in a bunch of explanation and analysis-both to hit a page quota and to prove how smart the translator is. What I like most about this version of Chuang Tzu’s teachings is that Merton doesn’t foul it up with a bunch of analysis. Some may find a fresh fusion in Merton’s approach to Chuang Tzu. Maybe you should and maybe you shouldn’t, but I think Merton did a remarkable job in putting this book together and that there’s a lot to be learned from it. One might ask why a person should learn about Taoism from a Trappist monk any more than one would learn the teachings of St. The Way of Chuang Tzu is Thomas Merton’s take on Chuang Tzu’s lessons of Taoism. ![]()
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