Who is LieZi 列子?

Liezi (approximately 450 BC – 375 BC), whose given name was Yukou, also written as Yukou or Kou, and styled Yun, was a representative figure of Taoism in the early Warring States period. He was from Putian, Zheng State (now Zhengzhou, Henan Province), and was a descendant of the ancient emperor Lieshan Clan. He was approximately contemporary with Duke Xu of Zheng. He was one of the top ten outstanding figures in the pre-Qin period, and was a thinker, philosopher, litterateur, and educator.

Liezi was an important figure in Taoism who bridged the gap between Laozi and Zhuangzi. He was another representative figure of Taoism besides Laozi and Zhuangzi. His learning was based on that of Huangdi and Laozi, advocating tranquility and inaction, and was in line with the ideas of Laozi and Zhuangzi, being respected as a senior by Taoists. He founded the Pre-Qin philosophical school, the School of Valuing Emptiness (Liezi's School), which had a profound influence on later philosophy, aesthetics, literature, science and technology, health preservation, music, and religion.

He authored "Liezi" in eight volumes. The whole book contains 134 folk stories, fables, myths and legends, etc., with a wide range of themes, and some of them are quite educational.

Liezi was the first to put forward the idea of the four stages of the generation of the universe.

The Theory of the Generation of the Universe
A core concept in the book "Liezi" is "hua" (transformation).
It has multiple meanings, but can mainly be divided into three levels: "sheng hua" (generation and transformation) in the cosmic generation system, "wu hua" (transformation of things) in the epistemological and realm levels, and "jiao hua" (education and transformation) in the political and social theory levels. [7]
The "hua" in the cosmic generation system has two interrelated subject perspectives, the origin and all things; the "hua" at the epistemological level is the basis for the "hua" at the realm level; and the "hua" at the political theory level has distinctive and unique characteristics.
The "Yi Wei" says, "Yi changes into one, and one changes into seven..." When talking about the four stages of Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, and Taisu, it adopted the cosmic generation system of Liezi's theory.

"Valuing Emptiness"
Emptiness means forgetting both existence and non-existence (emptiness), and uniting all differences into one, so it is called emptiness. "Guanzi · Xinshu Shang" says: "A gentleman seems to be ignorant when he stays still", which means reaching the state of extreme emptiness; "When he responds to things, it seems as if he is just following them", which means being timely and appropriate, just like a shadow following the shape and an echo responding to the sound. So when things come, he responds, and when they pass, he lets them go. Letting them go means returning to the state of emptiness. "Wenzi · Jingcheng" says: "As for the wandering of a sage, he acts in the extreme emptiness, roams in the great nothingness, gallops beyond the mundane world, walks through the doorless, listens to the soundless, looks at the formless, is not restricted by the world, and is not bound by customs." The word "valuing" was not taken by Liezi himself, but was a summary of Liezi's theory by scholars during the Warring States period. Liezi believed that nothingness is beyond being valued. Once it is said to be valued, it is already something existing rather than nothing. True nothingness requires forgetting both existence and non-existence (emptiness), and dissolving differences, which is exactly the meaning of emptiness. Once emptiness is thorough, there is no such concept as noble or humble, existence or non-existence (emptiness), etc.

Taking the Tao as the Foundation
Liezi "values emptiness", and its fundamental meaning is close to the thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi, concerning the issue of spiritual realm, and belonging to the knowledge of health preservation and self-governance. Emptiness is the Tao, representing the meaning of being empty and natural, and not being attached or acting. It is not only the origin of the generation of the universe, that is, the basis for the existence and change of all things, but also the fundamental principle that should be followed in health preservation and self-governance. The fundamental spirit of "Liezi" is to dissolve various attachments, reach the realm of nothingness, and achieve the freedom of the soul and the perfection of the existence of life. This fundamental spirit with "valuing emptiness" as the main purpose generally includes several aspects such as taking the Tao as the foundation, regarding all things as one, realizing the truth of the Tao, the state of having no mind, and accepting fate and following the natural order.
Why can the Tao become the origin of the generation of the universe in which all things are generated and transformed? According to the theory of "Liezi", this needs to be considered from the nature of both sides. All things are in the process of eternal circulation and change and belong to limited existences, so they cannot become the basis for the generation and change of all things in the universe. The nature of the Tao is "recurring, its boundary cannot end; solitary and unique, its way cannot be exhausted". In fact, there is no so-called "recurrence" for the Tao. Specific things change recurrently, and the Tao permeates through all things and generates and transforms them. It is related to the "recurrence" of all things, so it is also said that the Tao body "recurs". The Tao body generates and transforms all things, so it can become the basis for the generation and transformation of all things without being restricted by a single form or image. Secondly, every specific thing has its specific function. For example, the sky can "give birth and cover", the earth can "carry and shape", and a sage can "educate and transform". But once there is a specific function, there are limitations, "it can only act according to its own suitability and cannot go beyond its position", for example, the sky cannot "carry and shape", the earth cannot "educate and transform", and a sage cannot "violate what is suitable". Therefore, all specific things can only become the objects to be subsumed. Different from specific things, the Tao is neither yin nor yang, neither soft nor rigid, and does not have specific functions. It is precisely because it does not have specific functions that it can instead become the "generator of life", the "shaper of forms", the "producer of sounds", the "creator of colors", and the "maker of tastes", becoming the essence of all things and having infinite wonderful functions in transforming all things. The Tao exists eternally and has infinite functions, and this is why it can become the basis of all things.
However, if the Tao is only understood as the origin of the generation of the universe, its full meaning has not been exhausted. "Liezi · Tianrui Pian" quotes the words from the Book of Huangdi: "The Valley Spirit never dies, and it is called the Mysterious Female. The Gate of the Mysterious Female is called the Root of Heaven and Earth. It lingers faintly as if it exists, and its use is inexhaustible." "Gu Shen" (Valley Spirit) and "Xuan Pin" (Mysterious Female) are both metaphors for the Tao, expressing the meaning of "emptiness and openness". Emptiness and openness mean having no attachments and taking no action. The Tao body is empty and open, with no attachments and no action, indicating that the Tao is not a physical object or entity, but represents a meaning, representing the reason for the generation and change of all things. It is said that the Tao body is empty and open, without purpose and will. Therefore, "Liezi" further explains the nature of the Tao body with "nature". The so-called "self-generation and self-transformation, self-shaping and self-coloring, self-intelligence and self-strength, self-disappearance and self-resting" shows the meaning of nature. The generation and change of all things are all by themselves, all naturally, and this is the Tao. This shows that there is no ruler above all things at all. Therefore, "It is wrong to think that there is something that generates, transforms, shapes, colors, gives intelligence, and makes things disappear and rest", which means that it is wrong to think that there is a purposeful and willful entity as the source of the generation and transformation of all things.
"Liezi" defines the nature of the Tao body with emptiness and nature, and takes the Tao as the origin of the generation of the universe of all things, which determines a basis for the way of human life existence. It intends to show that the Tao is not only the principle of the existence of all things in heaven and earth, but also the principle of human life existence. The way and goal of life are to achieve unity with the Tao body, reach the realm of emptiness and nature, give infinite meaning to the existence of life, and achieve the freedom of the soul.

Realizing the Tao and Uniting with the Truth
In "Liezi", the Tao, as the essence of all things, is also a method or practice for realizing the Tao and uniting with the truth. To achieve unity with the Tao body, fundamentally speaking, this is not a problem of seeking knowledge, but an activity of spiritual experience. Therefore, logical or conceptual methods cannot be used. "Tianrui Pian" says: "The supreme Tao cannot be sought with emotions." It means that the Tao cannot be realized by using the method of words and concepts. "Zhongni Pian" says: "Those who are good at the Tao neither use their ears, nor their eyes, nor their strength, nor their minds. If one wants to pursue the Tao by using the perception of the spirit, the knowledge of the form, and the intelligence of the mind, it is not appropriate." Whether using the perceptual method of the ears and eyes or the rational method of the mind and intelligence belongs to the logical and conceptual method. "Liezi" believes that it is inappropriate to use this method to seek the Tao.
Realizing the Tao and uniting with the truth is an internal self-experience activity, which determines that it is not outward-oriented, but inward-oriented. In the words of "Zhongni Pian", one should not "focus on external wandering", but "observe internally". "Huangdi Pian" summarizes this "internal observation" method into two types. One is "guarding pure qi": "Unify one's nature, nourish one's qi, contain one's virtue, and communicate with the origin of all things. If one is like this, one's natural protection is complete, and one's spirit has no gaps. How can things invade?" Human nature is innocent, the mind is empty and quiet, and there is natural virtue. Originally, it is one with the great Tao. Therefore, as long as one consciously practices the功夫 of "guarding pure qi", one can preserve one's true nature, nourish one's natural virtue, and maintain the peaceful state of the mind without losing it. The second, borrowing the sayings of Laozi or Zhuangzi, can be called "achieving emptiness" or "sitting in oblivion".
"Huangdi Pian" expounds this method concentratedly through the mouth of Liezi. This method of improving the spiritual realm includes four stages: "The heart dares not think about right and wrong, and the mouth dares not speak of advantages and disadvantages"; "The heart begins to think about right and wrong, and the mouth begins to speak of advantages and disadvantages"; "Following what the heart thinks, there is no right or wrong; following what the mouth speaks, there is no advantage or disadvantage"; "Letting the heart think freely and the mouth speak freely, one does not know whether it is one's own right or wrong, advantage or disadvantage, nor does one know the other's right or wrong, advantage or disadvantage". The so-called "right and wrong" and "advantages and disadvantages" refer to the various entanglements and contradictions faced in life. Humans are different from all things in nature, but are conscious existences. They have knowledge, desires, and various emotional and cognitive activities. It is precisely these emotions and cognitions that make the human heart obsessed with distinctions, deviate from the great Tao, and lose the inherent natural virtue and innocent nature. The methods of "achieving emptiness" or "sitting in oblivion" are, through the process of self-cultivation, continuously transcending "right and wrong" and "advantages and disadvantages", resolving all differences, forgetting the existence of external things and oneself, restoring the unity between oneself and the great Tao, and making the mind return to the state of emptiness, nature, no attachments, and no action.