• Authenticity Beyond Speech, Fame and Worldly Fortune

    This commentary on Zhuangzi ‑ Xu Wugui covers multiple fables, including the Ying man and carpenter Shi anecdote. It values authentic inner nature over rhetoric, warning against obsession with worldly fame and fortune.

  • Ganjiang and Moye

    Ganjiang (Gan Jiang) and Moye (Mo Ye) were a married couple and renowned master swordsmiths from the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period. They once forged sharp swords for the King of Wu. Later, they were commissioned by the King of Chu to cast swords, a task that took three years…

  • 不食周粟 (Bù shí Zhōu sù)

    This entry explains idiom “Bu shi zhou su”, originating from Records of the Grand Historian. Based on Bo Yi and Shu Qi’s story, it symbolizes moral integrity: refusing benefits from a regime deemed unjust, with nuanced positive‑critical readings.

  • Guzhu

    Guzhu (孤竹, also written as “觚竹”) was an ancient state during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It is first mentioned in oracle bone inscriptions (甲骨文) from Yinxu (殷墟) and bronze inscriptions (金文) from the Shang dynasty. It was a vassal state of the Zi surname (子姓) and Mo clan (墨氏), with its capital located…

  • Cultivating the Inner Life - The Art of Nourishing Life

    This commentary on Zhuangzi ‑ Gengsang Chu explores nourishing inner life. Through Gengsang Chu and Nan Rong Chu’s dialogue, it advocates infant‑like simplicity, transcending inner‑outer fetters to align with the Dao.

  • Where Is the Dao?

    This commentary on Zhuangzi ‑ Zhi Bei You unpacks three key fables. It argues the Dao permeates all things yet transcends words and intellect, with all phenomena transforming from the single universal qi.