The Nanhua Zhenjing 南华真经 Zhuangzi

Nanhua Zhenjing (The Pure Classic of Nanhua) refers to Zhuangzi. In the first year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (742), an imperial edict conferred upon Zhuangzi the title of "Nanhua Zhenren" (the True Person of Nanhua), and the book Zhuangzi was thus venerated as Nanhua Zhenjing. It is regarded by Taoism as one of the four true classics of the "Four Masters" (Zhuangzi, Wenzi, Liezi, and Kang Sangzi or Geng Sangzi), and its position in Taoist classics is second only to Laozi's Daode Zhenjing (The Pure Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue).

Nanhua Zhenjing is divided into the Inner Chapters, Outer Chapters, and Miscellaneous Chapters. What Taoists value most lies in the Inner Chapters, while the Outer and Miscellaneous Chapters are mostly extensions and elaborations of the Inner Chapters. The book inherits Laozi's teachings, delves into the profound mysteries of the Dao, explores the subtle relations between heaven and humanity, and its core focus is on the way of spiritual cultivation, centered on philosophy of life with occasional forays into political discourse. In expounding philosophical cosmology, ontology, epistemology, theory of life, and theory of mind and nature, it is more profound and systematic than Laozi's work, and is universally recognized by both Chinese and foreign scholars as a world philosophical masterpiece. Its prose is vast, unrestrained, bizarre, and ethereal, earning admiration from literati of all dynasties.

Nanhua Zhenjing holds that the "Dao" is "with feeling and trustworthiness, yet without action and form." It "is self-originated and self-rooted; before heaven and earth existed, it has inherently existed since ancient times" (The Great and Venerable Teacher), and it can "enliven ghosts and deify emperors, generate heaven and earth," serving as the true ruler of all things. It advocates the equality of self and others, right and wrong, big and small, life and death, nobility and inferiority; it promotes being free from self, merit, fame, and dependence, with the spirit uniting solely with the Dao, roaming beyond material things, and attaining the spiritual state where "heaven and earth are born with me, and all things are one with me." It demands adapting to the times and following the natural course, emptying oneself to respond to the world—such are the true persons, the perfect persons, and the divine persons. It cherishes the memory of the rule of virtue and the simplicity of ancient times, while regarding benevolence, righteousness, rituals, and music as deviations from nature.

In terms of aesthetics, it puts forward that "heaven and earth possess great beauty but do not speak" (Wandering on the Way North), advocating nature. Through the fable "Butcher Ding Dismembers an Ox," it expounds the idea of advancing from "skill" to "Dao," touching upon the artistic conception. The book's accounts of the ways to nourish the spirit and cultivate truth, such as "sitting in forgetfulness," "mind fasting," "nourishing qi," "upholding the one," "guarding the mind," and "preserving form and restoring essence," are quite essential, and Taoism has adopted many of them as key methods for immortal cultivation. Its descriptions of immortals and divine beings, as well as its words on cultivating truth and prolonging life, are all revered by Taoism.

Zhuangzi did not attract much attention in the Han Dynasty. It was not until the rise of Xuanxue (Neo-Taoism) in the Wei and Jin dynasties that it was regarded as one of the "Three Mysteries" (the Dao De Jing, Zhuangzi, and Yijing), and the study of Zhuangzi began to flourish from then on. Before the Wei and Jin dynasties, scholars spoke of "Huang-Lao" (Huangdi and Laozi); after that, "Lao-Zhuang" (Laozi and Zhuangzi) were mentioned together. Since the Tang Dynasty, when Zhuangzi was venerated as Nanhua Zhenjing, it has been increasingly valued by Taoism, and commentators have begun to multiply.