Lie Yukou
Liezi (also Liä Dsi, Lieh- tzu or Liä - Tse ,列 子), Master Lie, ( 450 BC ) was a Chinese philosopher of the Daoist direction of the work of The True Book of swelling ground of (translated into German supposed to have written by Richard Wilhelm ), which is also called after him Liezi. Liezi to have led a very retired life, which explains that there are no records of him exist. He should be kept away from all offices have (Book II, 14 ) and even a gift of the Prime Minister refuses to have (Book VIII, 6 ). Richard Wilhelm has been in his introduction points out that of the two protagonists, of which this book is mainly ( Liä Yu Kou Yang Chu ), exist only historical evidence for the latter. A different view, in which the book said to have originated in the time between 300 BC and 300 AD, is represented for example by the Daoist teacher Eva Wong ( in: " The teachings of the Tao ," Ullsteinhaus Verlag).
Recent research, however, go assuming that that book until about 350 BC - has emerged, and even put its existence in question - that is, after his time. Other research does show, however, that the book contains a core which probably comes from Liezi itself and was compiled by his students. In the person of the Zhuangzi Liezi plays an important role, it appears, for example, as Daoist saint ( Zhenren ) that can ride on the wind. Richard Wilhelm, who takes the position of Taoism as a philosophy in his work, comments in his introduction to Liä Dsi:
"The fact that he was so far progressed to the completion of his apprenticeship in the spirituality that he could ride the winds (see II, 3), we must count him not as hard that we would therefore need to doubt its existence, especially since he himself, his suitable statement after, at that time was in the highest stage of ecstasy. "
A first comment was created according to Richard Wilhelm ( Introduction to Liä Dsi ) of Dschang Dschan during Dsin dynasty, which he dated 265-420 AD for the period. After Eva Wong called this dynasty Chin dynasty, which they dated to 317-420 AD, however, in her introduction to the sample texts from Lieh- tzu she does not give this, the author's name to (Eva Wong: " The teachings of the Tao, " Ullstein ). Richard Wilhelm leads in his introduction on to say that the book under Emperor Huan Tsung ( 713-756 ) of the title Chung Hu Dschen Ching ( Book of the swelling ground of truth ) was awarded. 1804, a long-lost comment of Lu Chung Yuan ( Tang Dynasty ) was found in a Taoist monastery in Nanking. For his translation of Richard Wilhelm used this comment, along with a facsimile copy of the Sung Dynasty, as well as a new edition from the year 1877.
Content
The book is a classic of Daoism the most understandable. It contains many fantastic, allegorical stories and parables about life in the Dao and deals with various topics such as magic and witchcraft, legends, myths, philosophical treatises or cosmological speculations.
The wonder and magic stories of the book to have been compiled by Liezis students and later adherents of the doctrine. However, many old folk tales and myths were used, which is why the book is also an important source of ancient Chinese folklore. It is believed that the core of these stories is the magic Taoist mysticism, and that the Daoists of that time were already familiar with meditation techniques by which they changed their state of consciousness.
The central concept of the work makes Ziran (自 然, literally, be of even so, also: Nature), the spontaneity of by which the Dao can be obtained. The book encourages you to be free of knowledge and desires and not to follow reason. By resolution and the task of the ego ( NDE ) can be achieved in meditation a perceived connection with the Dao (see Book I, sections 4, 7 u.8 ). The image of the Daoist saints, which is designed in the other classical books of Daoism, is no different from this. Liezi represents a point of view of quietism and the Taoist humility.
Liezi was the first Chinese philosopher who advocated a cosmogony theory that is only hinted at Laozi. After Liezi the world emerged from the emptiness of the Dao. Similarly, he advocated a doctrine of the infinity of space and time. The cosmological speculations of Liezi are those of Taoism, so goes Liezi from a cyclical cycle of all things, which corresponds to the phases of transformation of Yin and Yang, while only the Dao itself is immutable and indestructible.
Like other classic books of Daoism (eg, the Tao Te Ching and the Huainanzi ) also contains the Liezi a teaching that is aimed at the ideal ruler who will govern by the Wu wei (无 为).
The traditional version of the book is divided into eight chapters. Some passages in the book are taken from the Zhuangzi and the last chapter contains the philosophy of Yang Zhu. Richard Wilhelm translated in his introduction to ' Liä Dsi ' ( Liezi ) is a collection of sayings by the name of Yin Fu Ching, the Book of secret supplements, which he fed writes a very high age, he also dated Liezi before Zhuangzi. Alfred Forke remarks ( ' Literary Zentralblatt for Germany ', No. 43, born 1912): " The Gilessche ( Lionel Giles ) theory that Lieh Tse ( Liezi ) had never existed and his work was a forgery, is rejected and particularly pointed out that the text of the Chuang Tse ( Zhuangzi ) leave very easily be derived from the Lieh Tzu, but not vice versa. contrast, the author is probably in error when he the yin -fu- ching, which he translated into the introduction considers to be an old factory. general it is considered forgery. "