<p>Chuang Tzu (pinyin: Zhuangzi) is the name given to an enigmatic Daoist sage who was born around 369 BC at Meng (now in Henan Province), where he worked as a minor official in the city of Qiyuan.&nbsp; The eponymous <em>Chuang Tzu</em> is considered one of the key foundational works of Daoism, exceeding even the renowned <em>Dao De Jing</em> of the equally elusive Laozi.</p>

<p>Dao translates as &lsquo;The Way&rsquo;, both the individual human life-path, and the infinitely complex unfolding of the Universe, whose mechanism and purpose are beyond human logic.&nbsp; Reasoning alone is insufficient and must be leavened with the development of intuition.&nbsp; One must learn to deal calmly with the stormy seas of life, as experience shows that fighting against the Dao only makes matters worse.&nbsp; Daoism enjoins us to non-contention, non-intention, simplicity, humility and wisdom as the path to perfect equanimity amidst the turmoil of existence.&nbsp; Chang Tzu pursues this teaching via humour and historic parable; such tales as the master dreaming he was a butterfly, then awakening and being unsure if he is indeed himself, or a butterfly dreaming he is Chuang Tzu, bring into focus the unreliability of the senses and our own fragile identity.</p>

<p>Composed of 33 chapters, the <em>Chuang Tzu</em> is divided into seven &lsquo;Inner&rsquo; chapters (written by the sage himself), and fifteen &lsquo;Outer&rsquo; chapters which - along with a &lsquo;Miscellany&rsquo; - are mainly the work of his later adherents.&nbsp; Here is wisdom: a deeply esoteric book of many levels, that will repay reading on a regular basis.</p>