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This refers to a worldview or lifestyle that seeks to reconcile differences and contradictions among things. In “On Seeing Things as Equal”, Zhuangzi（369？-286 BC） analyzes the unpredictable nature of the world to reveal that different or opposing things are inherently interconnected. In striving to understand the world, one should therefore first of all identify the interconnectedness among all things in the world, see all as equal, and abandon personal preferences, likes and dislikes. In this way, one’s heart can be above all material things and free from their constraints and influences, and the differences and contradictions among things will no longer burden one’s mind or one’s life.
Wu (物) usually denotes an existence in the universe that has a form or an image. In general, the word has three different meanings. First, it refers to any concrete existence, encompassing all natural and man-made objects, all organisms and human beings. Second, it covers interpersonal matters and activities such as taking care of one’s parents, entering politics, or managing state affairs. In this sense, wu means “matter.” Third, the word sums up all existing physical and social matters, generally called “everything.”
The term refers to a Daoist way of breaking away from the difference and opposition between one’s self and the universe. It comes from the book Zhuangzi, which elaborates its meaning in a dialogue between Confucius (551-479 BC) and Yan Hui (521-481 BC). In Zhuangzi’s (369?-286 BC) view, status and etiquette norms in the human world caused divisions and antagonisms and hence created constraints on people. One should forget status and norms and furthermore forget one’s own physical existence and intellect to cast off the differences between one’s self and the universe and thus be free from the constraints and influence of external factors.
The term refers to a state of mind that is completely empty and void. It originates from the book Zhuangzi, in which the meaning of the term was explained by Confucius (551-479 BC) to Yan Hui (521-481 BC). Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC) believed that one’s ears and heart distinguish between oneself and others and between right and wrong, while qi (气 vital force), shapeless and empty, exists in everything and does not come into conflict with anything. Therefore, one’s mind should be empty like qi when coming into contact with external things so that one will not be different or clash with them. When one’s mind roams beyond physical things, freeing itself from the constraints and influence of other things, it maintains a state known as the “pure state of mind.”
Void and peace mean that all distractions, such as desires and rational thoughts, should be dispelled to attain peace and purity of the soul. The idea of void and peace was first proposed by Laozi and Zhuangzi（369？-286 BC）, the founders of Daoism, and then used by Xunzi （313？-238 BC） to refer to a state of mental concentration. Such a state of mind is similar to the psychological conditions in appreciation of works of literature and art, which are characterized by being totally free from the awareness of oneself and the outside world, and free from any urge and desire. Therefore, thinkers and literary critics of earlier times used this term to explain the state of mind in literary and artistic creation and appreciation. It stressed the need for spiritual freedom in artistic creation, suggesting that this is an important precondition for reaching the highest level of aesthetic appreciation.
The term refers to a state of mind totally free from all constraints. It was first proposed by Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC) in one of his most well-known essays. According to him, people’s minds can go beyond predicament in a way that their bodies cannot, so mentally they can be independent of material concerns and free of all worries. Guo Xiang (?-312) of the Western Jin Dynasty had a new definition of the term: By acting in accordance with its own nature, everything can be free of troubles and worries.
This is a form of the existence of things when the boundary between things is broken and one thing transforms into another. The term “transformation of things” comes from Zhuangzi, in which the author Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC) illustrated the concept in the fable Zhuangzi Dreamed of Becoming a Butterfly. He believed that the boundary and difference between oneself and others, between in a dream and being awake, and between all things can be broken. Consequently, one may achieve the transformation between one thing and another. However, if one holds onto the difference between oneself and the others, one cannot achieve the transformation of things, as if in a dream. If one is bent on transforming things, one may still fall into a dream.
This is a famous statement made by Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC)on how beauty is relative. Originally it meant there was no difference between a beauty and an ugly person, because they both came from and reflected Dao. The character 厉 (lai) meant 癞 (lai, covered in scabs) in ancient Chinese. Whether a person is beautiful or ugly is but a subjective perspective in the mind of the beholder. Besides, beauty can turn into ugliness, and vice versa. Zhuangzi, from the perspective of the origin of all things, stressed that beauty and ugliness are both in accord with Dao and are inherently the same. This idea has encouraged later literary critics to look at all things, including literary works, from the perspective that opposite things complement each other.
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