Translator's Notes
{38} Personal name of Confucius.
{9} Lit. "true lord."
{16} See Laotse, Ch. 58.
{43} Because he refused to serve the new dynasty.
{56} See Laotse, Ch. 13.
{67} Lit. "levelling of ranks or distinctions."
{58} The founders of the three dynasties, Hsia, Shang and Chou (2205-222 B.C.)
{35} A water god with a human face and a birds body.
{47} There is an anachronism here for Chuangtse lived to see only the ninth generation of Tiens, At least the number "twelve" must have been slipped in by a later scribe. This evidence is not sufficient to vitiate the whole chapter, as some "textual critics" claim.
{48} Reference to a story. The states Lu and Chao both presented wine to the King of Chu. By the trickery of a servant, the flasks were exchanged, and Chao was blamed for presenting bad wine, and its city Hantan was beseiged.
{7} A sophist and friend of Chuangtse who often carrie九九藏书d on debates with him.
{71} A Neo-Motseanist (of the Sophist school) who lived after Chuangtse. This section must have been added by the latters disciples, as is easy to see from the three stories about Chuangtse which follow.
{36} A monarch of the Shang Dynasty, 1324-l266 B.C.100
{13} Cheng and kuei, lit. "whole" and "deficient."
{34} A semi-mythical ruler, who ruled in 25I4-2417 B.C., shortly before Emperor Yao.
{14} See Laotse, Ch. 42.
{19} An important idea that recurs frequently in Chuangtse, all things are in constant flow and change, but are different aspects of the One.
{18} Personal name of Chuangtse. "tse" being the equivalent of "Master."
{50} See Laotse, Ch. 19.
{45} A mythical ruler.
{24} A well-known historical person, a model minister referred to in the Analects.
{66} Mythical rulers before the Three Kings.
{42} Beginning with this phrase there is a marked change in style and vocabulary in this part.
{5} 2357 B.C.
{15} See Laotse, Ch. 5.
{53} See Laotse, Ch. 1.
{30} With a mans head but a beasts body.
{70} Now a slogan used in China in the war against Japan.
{41} I Yang chu and Motse (Mo Ti).
{52} See Note 40.
{39} Huang-chung and ta-lu: were the standard pitchpipes.
{46} 481 B.C.
{37} A famous sword.
{31} A river spirit.
{62} Great Nebulous is here addressed as "Heaven." See Note 60.
{10} Shih and fei mean general moral judgments and mental distinctions; "right" and "wrong," "true" and "false," "is" and "is not," "affirmative" and "negative," also "to justify" and "condemn," "to affirm" and "deny."
{21} Lit. "regarded as sons (ie. fathered) by Heaven."
{25} Lit. "The outside of frame and bones."
{55} Cf. Laotse, Ch. 80.
{72} Capital of Chao.
{12} The meaning of these two sentences is made clear by a line below. "But if we put the different categories in one. then the differences of category cease to exist."
{29} Mythical emperor (2852 B.C.) said to have discovered the principles of mutations of Yin and Yang.
{11} The followers of Motse were powerful rivals of the Confucianists in Chuangtses days. See the selections from Motse.
{64} This chapter further develops the ideas in Chapter "On Levelling All Things" and contains the important philosophical concept of relativity.
{1} He is reputed to have lived 800 years.
{17} Lit. in the "Palace of Heaven."
{6} Sage emperors/
{59} Signal for attack.
{8} Agitations of the soul (music of Heaven) compared to the agitations of the forest (music of Earth).
{51} See Laotse, Ch. 45.
{20} Best disciple of Confucius.
{68} From here 99lib•neton to the end of this paragraph, most of the passages are rhymed.
{63} See Note 58.
{26} Hueitse often discusses the nature of attributes, like the "hardness" and "whiteness" of objects.
"Wholeness" refers to unspoiled unity of Tao. In the following sentences, cheng is used in the sense of "success " It is explained by commentators that the "wholeness" of music exists only in silence, and that as soon as one note is struck, other notes are necessarily held in abeyance. The same thing is true of arguments: when we argue, we necessarily cut up truth by emphasizing certain aspects of it.
{69} Kuei, a mythical, one-legged animal.
{61} Yin, yang, wind, rain, light and darkness.
{44} Sun Yang, 658-619 B.C.
{3} Philosopher about whose life nothing is known. The book Liehtse is considered a later compilation. See the section "Parables of Ancient Philosophers."
{2}九九藏书网 1783 B.C.
{23} This chapter deals entirely with deformitiesa literary device for emphasizing the contrast of the inner and the outer man.
{57} Laotse, Tan being one of the personal names of Laotse (Li Tan, or Li Erh). "Lao" means "old," while "Li" is the family name.
{4} The wind.
{33} A semi-mythical ruler, who ruled in 2698-2597 B.C.
{22} The first part of this song is found in the Analects.
{28} General attitude of fluidity towards life.
{65} Wei-Lu:, a mythical hole in the bottom or end of the ocean.
{60} Lit. "Heaven."
{27} All of these historical and semi-historical persons were good men who lost their lives, by drowning or starving themselves, or pretending insanity, in protest against a wicked world, or just to avoid being called into office.
{40} Tseng Tsan and Shih Yu:, disciples of Confucius.
{32} A mountain god.
{54} All legendary ancient rulers.
{49} See Laotse, Ch. 36.