Zhuangzi "small And Large" Research

The argumentation over Smallness and Bigness is the first topic of the book Chuang-tzu and the core subject of "The Happy Excursion". However, in the history the understanding and interpretation on this topic is complicated and in discord, which leads to some misunderstandings on the topic. The exordium of this paper focuses on the different points among scholars, and reviews the related researches in modern times.The straight matter of this paper is divided into the following three chapters:Chapter I first analyzes the style consciousness and language feature of Chuang Tzu, and clarifies the intention of the fable of kun-peng (a large fish and a large bird) as belittling Smallness and canonizing Bigness. Then the chapter explains that the basic meaning of the argumentation over Smallness and Bigness is an argumentation over flunky and sage, which intends to belittle the flunky and canonize the sage. At last the chapter gives more evidence about the conclusion above from other chapter of Chuang-tzu besides "The Happy Excursion"Chapter II mainly proves that the Smallness and Bigness in "On the Equality of Things" is related to things. And the idea of being equivalent between Smallness and Bigness means a reasonable behavior over things, and a wisdom of breaking the selfish intellectuality. In the opinion of Chuang Tzu, only when one achieves being equivalent to things, one can be a sage with the tolerance that "Heaven and Earth and I came into existence together, and all things with me are one". In this sense, the idea of being equivalent between Smallness and Bigness in "On the Equality of Things" is the reasonable extension of the idea of belittling Smallness and canonizing Bigness in "The Happy Excursion".In the end, based on the meaning of the argumentation over Smallness and Bigness which is considered as belittle the flunky and canonize the sage, Chapter III explains the thought that one should be moralized from a flunky to a sage is the proper part and the tenet of the argumentation over Smallness and Bigness. At last this chapter analyzes the way of to be a sage, which is called the fast of heart and sitting in forgetfulness by Chuang Tzu, and indicates that the key point of the way is to keep an open mind of things and an reasonable attitude everywhere.