ALL IS WELL IN THE GREAT MESS An Adaptation of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi with Reflections eBook Scott P Bradley
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All is Well in the Great Mess is an adaptation of the Inner Chapters (1-7) of the Book of Zhuangzi with accompanying commentary. These chapters are thought to be the work of the 4th Century BCE Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). Although traditionally regarded as a Daoist, his philosophy is in fact quite different from that of other proto-Daoist philosophers of his time and what is generally understood as Daoism today. Most significantly, he eschewed all metaphysical speculation in favor of taking our obvious not-knowing as his irremediable point of departure. Nor did he envision any need for the salvation of the individual, humanity or the cosmos. All is ultimately well by virtue of its being at all and we can, therefore, entrust ourselves to whatever the Mystery “is” and to whatever befalls us in life and in death. The apparent messiness of things (from the human point of view) can thus be playfully wandered in without fear of loss. The vicissitudes of life become the opportunity for our soaring freedom, rather than things that impinge upon it. In this way Zhuangzi’s dao affirms all things and all human interpretations of them. Yet, taking human happiness and flourishing as his highest value, he also suggests a path to its fullest realization and critiques those daos that fail to do so. His analysis of the human experience and his suggested response to it presents a non-religious, though deeply mystical, philosophy of life that is as relevant today as it was more than two millennia ago.
Zhuangzi is known for his purposeful ambiguity, playfulness and perplexing irony. This adaptation is an attempt to clarify some of his message and to illuminate the continuity between the many apparently disparate vignettes that make up most of the text. As such, it understands that it is but one possible interpretive exercise and does not believe itself to be definitive. Though the reader will likely find a great deal upon which to ruminate in this adaptation, she or he is also encouraged to grapple with Zhuangzi as found in more literal translations.
ALL IS WELL IN THE GREAT MESS An Adaptation of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi with Reflections eBook Scott P Bradley
I was both surprised and delighted to find that so much of my personal philosophy was already encapsulated in a book. What's more, it was explained in far better terms than I could hope to muster. While it's impossible to know what Zhuangzi believed (or whether he existed at all), the philosophy bearing his name seems to find its fullest expression in this book. There are a myriad ways of interpreting Zhuangzi, and as the author says, he is merely providing his own spin. He makes no claims of truth, and even if I am mistaken about this, it makes no difference. Zhuangzi's philosophy is not dependent on some abstract notion of truth, but rather on non-dependence. Strange and paradoxical though it may be, this philosophy is perhaps the most humane, thankful, joyous, and wonderful philosophy that you will ever encounter. Rather than prioritize some things over others or issue commands for the masses to follow, Zhuangzi affirms all things, allowing them to follow their own daos, or ways.The author is sober, mystical, and playful at the same time, knowing full well that the philosophy he is explaining is intractable to the prodding rational mind. It's not a philosophy that can be understood so much as intuited and, much more importantly, it's a philosophy to be lived. Whatever abstractions of abstractions you have encountered in studying other philosophies, Zhuangzi will ask you to leave them at the door. His philosophy is grounded in reality, that is, it's not grounded at all. Who knows the will of the gods, and who can see naked truth? Nobody, says Zhuangzi. But we do have lives to live, and live we will, but how? Zhuangzi offers no easy answers.
Behind the author's sometimes theoretical-sounding language are ideas that are so simple that they will escape you if you think too hard. Concepts like oneness and non-dependence will have some readers scratching their heads, so a more relaxed second reading of some parts may be necessary. The author does a remarkable job of communicating Zhuangzi's ideas in an intelligible way. I especially appreciated that the author mentioned thankfulness as a part of his personal philosophy, and possibly Zhuangzi's. I have always held thankfulness in high regard, not as an ideal to strive towards, but as a spontaneous feeling that has accompanied so much of my life. You could say that I'm thankful for thankfulness, but I don't care about the existence of a thing called 'thankfulness'. Most philosophies will not give any thought to thankfulness, so I was happy to find it here.
Similarly, I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary about 'carefree and unfettered wandering' and 'being self-so'. Rather than be enslaved to principles or ideals that we cannot achieve, Zhuangzi suggests a simpler, calmer and more humane way. If we cannot be someone else, then perhaps we should be ourselves, adding nothing to the process of life. Note that this is different from philosophies that would have us theorize about what human nature is and then clumsily try to conform to it. Zhuangzi would have us go our own way, whatever it may be. The knowledge of what that way is has no import; the experience of life is what matters to Zhuangzi. We do not debate how to breathe or how to sleep; why should we debate how to live? It would be curious to find our fellow animals, like us, paralyzed by the thought that they're not living 'correctly'. This is all expounded by the author in one way or another, and I include these paragraphs for a general idea of what the author discusses in the book. Or am I rambling? No matter...
I can't think of a more sorely needed philosophy for the modern world. It doesn't prescribe, so it can't injure or contort; it doesn't make claims, so it can't be wrong (or right!). It inspires a sense of joy that doesn't depend on circumstances and an honest, tolerant mindset that affirms those parts of ourselves that are deemed 'wrong' by so many. For being deemed so 'useless' by the logician Huizi, Zhuangzi's philosophy is quite useful indeed; it just finds its uses in the most useless of ways!
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ALL IS WELL IN THE GREAT MESS An Adaptation of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi with Reflections eBook Scott P Bradley Reviews
I've read almost all the translations of the Zhuangzi, but this is now my favourite. It's accessible, funny, and Mr. Bradley gets it. It's a very careful translation presented in a conversational way. The commentaries on the passages are helpful for the beginner and thought provoking for the more expert. I smiled and laughed all the time I was reading the book and occasionally hooted and hollered. The book is for beginners and for scholars in the field and is probably the best book I've read all year.
Zhuangzi is not for the faint of heart. It can be a multi-layered, complex, and challenging read in the original. Scott Bradley makes this remarkable text accessible and most interesting. Outstanding presentation. Wonderful book!
The title and central theme of Scott Bradley’s book, “All is Well in the Great Mess”, is an incredible message that he has unearthed in the writings of Zhuangzi. Though Scott is obviously a well learned and scholarly philosopher, you can sense that his observations on this ancient text have been wrought from a life of personal engagement. With such clarification and impact this exposition embodies Zhuangzi’s writings. This book is a real treat and a must read for those that have an interest in Daoism.
Basho, the great Japanese haiku poet and traveler, never left home without it—it being his copy of the Zhuangzi. You’ll feel the same about Scott Bradley’s adaptation and commentary on the first seven books, the so-called Inner Chapters, of the great classic. This frisky little book is so light and clear and lively; be careful, it will wriggle out of your hands. Bradley’s observations make you want to jump around the room—lucid, nimble, and gratifying. Brook Ziporyn's translation "Zhuangzi The Essential Writings With Selections from Traditional Commentaries" pairs very nicely with Bradley's 'All Is Well.' Highly recommended.
I was both surprised and delighted to find that so much of my personal philosophy was already encapsulated in a book. What's more, it was explained in far better terms than I could hope to muster. While it's impossible to know what Zhuangzi believed (or whether he existed at all), the philosophy bearing his name seems to find its fullest expression in this book. There are a myriad ways of interpreting Zhuangzi, and as the author says, he is merely providing his own spin. He makes no claims of truth, and even if I am mistaken about this, it makes no difference. Zhuangzi's philosophy is not dependent on some abstract notion of truth, but rather on non-dependence. Strange and paradoxical though it may be, this philosophy is perhaps the most humane, thankful, joyous, and wonderful philosophy that you will ever encounter. Rather than prioritize some things over others or issue commands for the masses to follow, Zhuangzi affirms all things, allowing them to follow their own daos, or ways.
The author is sober, mystical, and playful at the same time, knowing full well that the philosophy he is explaining is intractable to the prodding rational mind. It's not a philosophy that can be understood so much as intuited and, much more importantly, it's a philosophy to be lived. Whatever abstractions of abstractions you have encountered in studying other philosophies, Zhuangzi will ask you to leave them at the door. His philosophy is grounded in reality, that is, it's not grounded at all. Who knows the will of the gods, and who can see naked truth? Nobody, says Zhuangzi. But we do have lives to live, and live we will, but how? Zhuangzi offers no easy answers.
Behind the author's sometimes theoretical-sounding language are ideas that are so simple that they will escape you if you think too hard. Concepts like oneness and non-dependence will have some readers scratching their heads, so a more relaxed second reading of some parts may be necessary. The author does a remarkable job of communicating Zhuangzi's ideas in an intelligible way. I especially appreciated that the author mentioned thankfulness as a part of his personal philosophy, and possibly Zhuangzi's. I have always held thankfulness in high regard, not as an ideal to strive towards, but as a spontaneous feeling that has accompanied so much of my life. You could say that I'm thankful for thankfulness, but I don't care about the existence of a thing called 'thankfulness'. Most philosophies will not give any thought to thankfulness, so I was happy to find it here.
Similarly, I thoroughly enjoyed the commentary about 'carefree and unfettered wandering' and 'being self-so'. Rather than be enslaved to principles or ideals that we cannot achieve, Zhuangzi suggests a simpler, calmer and more humane way. If we cannot be someone else, then perhaps we should be ourselves, adding nothing to the process of life. Note that this is different from philosophies that would have us theorize about what human nature is and then clumsily try to conform to it. Zhuangzi would have us go our own way, whatever it may be. The knowledge of what that way is has no import; the experience of life is what matters to Zhuangzi. We do not debate how to breathe or how to sleep; why should we debate how to live? It would be curious to find our fellow animals, like us, paralyzed by the thought that they're not living 'correctly'. This is all expounded by the author in one way or another, and I include these paragraphs for a general idea of what the author discusses in the book. Or am I rambling? No matter...
I can't think of a more sorely needed philosophy for the modern world. It doesn't prescribe, so it can't injure or contort; it doesn't make claims, so it can't be wrong (or right!). It inspires a sense of joy that doesn't depend on circumstances and an honest, tolerant mindset that affirms those parts of ourselves that are deemed 'wrong' by so many. For being deemed so 'useless' by the logician Huizi, Zhuangzi's philosophy is quite useful indeed; it just finds its uses in the most useless of ways!
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