Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi, also known as Chuang Tzu or Zhuang Zhou, was a Chinese philosopher in the fourth century BCE. His study and interpretation of Taoism is considered the most comprehensive and influential of the time, and his eponymous work Zhuangzi is considered one of Taoism’s definitive texts.

The philosopher’s beliefs can most simply be summed up in the modern phrase “go with the flow.” Building on Lao Tzu’s belief of inaction, Zhuangzi felt that humans’ pursuit should never go against the universe’s inherent procession — that things should be left to follow their own course. A truly virtuous person, he said, should be free from the limitations of circumstance, personal belongings, traditions, and ambition. His teachings had a major influence on the development of Chinese Buddhism as well as on centuries of Chinese art and literature.

Despite his image as a great and wise teacher, Zhuangzi was also seen as an unpredictable and unkempt eccentric — though with a good sense of humor about it all. When faced with his own death, Zhuangzi did not believe that burying his body should be prioritized over leaving it out to let nature take its course. Above ground with the buzzards or below with the worms, he believed, is all the same.