The last two paragraphs of "The Theory of Things" do not seem to be connected with the previous paragraphs, that is, the paragraph about shadows and the final paragraph of Zhuang Zhou Mengdie. It is for this reason that these two paragraphs are somewhat difficult to understand.

In fact! The whole article is incoherent, and it is all the great power of later generations to organize and edit Zhuangzi's articles together.

The paragraph about the shadow is particularly in line with Zhuangzi's style of writing, which is sharp, profound, and straightforward.

And putting this paragraph in the "Theory of Things" can also be linked to what the context wants to express, but it hides the metaphorical meaning that Zhuangzi wants to express. Originally! What Zhuangzi wants to express is very straightforward and clear. But after such a change, it has changed a little.

Maybe? This passage is in Zhuangzi's original work, as in "The Thief" and other articles.

Maybe? It is precisely because of the mention of Confucius, the later sage Confucius, as well as Confucian culture, as well as the criticism of the vulgar people in some passages, that later generations did not dare to say that Zhuangzi wrote it, but feared that Zhuangzi would be attacked because of it.

Consequences of the attack! Maybe you're going to be blocked! Book burning is an example of this, and when it hinders the development of mainstream culture, it is normal to ban it. Another example is: overthrow the hundred schools of thought and respect Confucianism!

To put it more bluntly, when it hinders the interests of certain people in power, it will be blocked, not whether there is a problem with academic thought itself.

After all! In later generations, Confucianism became the mainstream culture, and only a few people learned Taoism and really understood Taoism. In addition, some people deliberately misinterpret Taoism and smear Taoism, so that Taoism has been marginalized.

The original text of this paragraph reads as follows:

The two asked Jing and said: "The son is okay, and the son will stop today; Sit, get up; How unremarkable? Jing said: "I am waiting for the evil? What I am waiting for is evil? What do I do for snakes, worms, and wings? That's why it's evil! Bad sense, so not! ”

Two of them: The faint shadow on the periphery of the shadow.

Jing: Tong "shadow", shadow.

The meaning of this passage is:

The shadow of the shadow asked the shadow, "You were walking so well, why did you stop now; You were sitting there just now, why are you standing up again now? You shadow, why don't you have your own discipline? ”

The shadow replied, "I am the shadow, and there is a shadow when the sun shines." When the angle of sunlight changes, or if things move, I change and move with them, so why don't I have discipline?

You're going to say I'm not disciplined, then! The thing I rely on is not disciplined? If you want to say that the things I rely on have no discipline, then! Sunshine it hasn't been temperate yet!

Shall the thing on which I depend be like the scales of a snake and the wings of a cicada? Growing on the sun's body? That's it! I can't see my shadow anymore.

How do I know why this is the case, how I am a shadow? How do I know why this is the case, and what is wrong with me being a shadow? ”

In the traditional interpretation, it is generally interpreted as dependence. The shadow of the shadow is attached to the shadow, the shadow is attached to the object, and the thing is attached to the sun.

So what does the sun attach to?

Arrange this text in the "Theory of Things", and it becomes explained in this way.

So? What does the sun attach to?

There is no need to explain superfluously, but to understand it in conjunction with the above, what it means is: the sun is attached to the sun, and the sun is attached to the Tao. Because! The Tao is the origin of all things. Because of the Word, there is everything. And there was the sun, and the earth, and everything that was on the earth.

This explanation is reasonable, but! In the chapter "The Theory of Things", the later editors and arrangers did not exactly mean this, but also had a deeper metaphor, which was very vaguely implied, which was also what Zhuangzi might want to express in the original work.

Later generations of editors were powerful, and in order to prevent articles and academic ideas from being blocked, they hid the metaphor even deeper.

In fact! The metaphor is that the world is so vulgar, like a shadow! Imitating others, imitating others, without one's own brain, without going through one's own brain.

The world is a shadow, or a shadow of a shadow. The shadow of the shadow depends on the shadow and exists, and the shadow depends on others and other things. Other people and things are dependent on the sunlight and exist.

The world is a shadow, so? Who is the sunshine?

Sunshine is the one we cling to!

Who are the people to whom we are attached?

The people to whom we are attached are Confucianism or Mohists and the Hundred Schools of Thought, the ones who teach us how to live.

The world is a shadow, or a shadow of a shadow. We are all shadows, or shadows of shadows, all dependent on others. We are all shadows, we don't have ourselves, we exist dependent on others.

We are all shadows, we don't have our own discipline, we do what others do, we walk when others go, and we stop when others stop!

We are all shadows, so we have no brains and are attached to others! Because we are shadows, we are attached to others.

Why do we want to be shadows?

Why are we shadows?

Because! We don't have thoughts!

Because! We don't understand life, we don't have a correct outlook on life, the world, and the universe. None of us have thought about life through our own minds, and we don't know why we are alive. When we live, we are completely imitating others, just like shadows, we imitate how others live, others walk and we go, others stop and we stop.

To further speak:

Others pursue to be a big official, no matter whether the official serves the people or not, as long as he is a big official, it is their pursuit. So! I'm going to be a big official, too.

This is the life of a shadow!

Others do whatever it takes to make money, then! I'm going to do whatever it takes to make money. Just like the telecommunications or fraud in some places, it is shameful to be unable to defraud money! Earning money is the goal, and earning money is our life. No matter what means you use, if you can make money, it means that you have the ability!

This is the life of a shadow!

Others pursue a full house of children and grandchildren, and there will be genealogical inheritance for generations to come. So! I also want future generations, and genealogy.

This is the life of a shadow!

Others think that a lifetime is a happy life, even if it is murder and arson, even if it is death, it is necessary to have a happy life and die happily. So! I want to be like that, even if I'm just an adult, even if I'm just becoming a father...... Life is just a happy picture, what is death? Aren't all people like that? Isn't it?

This is the life of a shadow!

I also want to do beauty when others do beauty, I also want plastic surgery for others, I want to augment breast augmentation for others, and I also want to take off my pants and sell forks if others exchange their youth for money, and I will do the same to others......

This is the life of a shadow!

Others say that we were created by God, then! We are God's creation; Others say that we were created by the Jade Emperor, then! That's how we got here. But just don't jump out of this circle and think carefully: Was this world created by God or created by the Jade Emperor? Were we human beings created by God, the Jade Emperor, or some other god?

How did God and the Jade Emperor come about?

Without thinking through your own brain, what others say is what it is, and that is the life of a shadow!

Most people in the world are shadows, attached to the shadows of others, not themselves! When others don't exist, they disappear!