Zhuangzi: Oblivion and happiness

Abstract

From the perspective of our time, it is difficult to guess what Zhuangzi wanted to tell us with the expression “zuo wang 坐忘”. Different angles of looking at the world give us pictures of different worlds. In the text “Zhuangzi: Oblivion and Happiness”, I will try to shed light on the various possibilities that the term “zuo wang 坐忘” offers us. In this light, the possibility opens up to understand to what extent it is the path to our happiness. At the same time, numerous philosophical questions arise: the relationship towards the body, self, dao, de, towards dream, reality, the cultivation of one’s being, wisdom, etc.

Keywords

• dao (dao道)
• sitting in oblivion (zuo wang 坐忘)
• sameness of things(qiwu 齐物)
• body-self (shen身)
• the void (wu 无)