Zhuang Zi (355-275 BC) was a Chinese Taoist philosopher, the most famous follower of Lao Zi. Taoism in Vietnam is sometimes called the Lão– Trang doctrine, that is the teaching of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. A minor mandarin born into a family of small landowners, Zhuang Zi is best known for his masterpiece Nanhua ling, written partly by himself and partly by his disciples.
The book conceives Tao (Đạo) in a different way from Lao Zi, associating Tao with a mystical entity, matter having formed from nothingness. While Tao gives rise to spirit and conscience, the vital force of qi (khí) constitutes the body. Zhuang Zi’s thinking was later developed into a relativistic, agnostic skepticism.
