Zhenren

Zhenren(Chinese:Chân nhân;pinyin:zhēnrén;Wade–Giles:chen-jen;lit.'true/genuine person' or 'person of truth') is a Chinese term that first appeared in theZhuangzimeaning "Taoistspiritual master "in those writings. Religious Taoism mythologizedzhenren,having them occupy various places in the celestial hierarchy sometimes synonymous withxian,whileChinese Buddhismused it to translateArahant"Enlightened One".

Linguistics ofZhenChân

The commonChinesewordzhenChân"true; real; authentic" is linguistically unusual. It was originally written with anideogram(one of the rarest types inChinese character classification) depicting "spiritual transformation". It originated in the TaoistTao Te Chingand does not appear in the earlyConfucianclassics.

Characters

The archaicChinese characterChânwas reduced intoChân,which is theTraditional Chinese character,Simplified Chinese character,and JapaneseKanji.(Note the slight font variation between ChineseChânand JapaneseChân:when enlarged, the Japanese character reveals separation between the central and lower parts.) This modern characterChânappears to derive fromwuNgột"stool" underzhiTrực"straight", but the ancientChânhashuaChủy(a reduced variant ofHóa) "upside-down person; transformation" at the top, rather thanshiThập"10". This antiquatedzhenChânderives fromseal scriptcharacters (4th–3rd centuries BCE). It is tentatively identified in the earlierbronzeware script(withChủyoverdingĐỉnh"cooking vessel; tripod; cauldron" ) and unidentified in the earliestoracle bone script.

Xu Shen'sShuowen Jiezi(122 CE), the firstChinese dictionaryof characters, givessmall seal scriptand "ancient text" forms ofzhenChân,noting origins in Taoism. It definesChânas "Axian(Taoist "transcendent; immortal" ) transforming shape and ascending into Heaven "(Tiên nhân biến hình nhi đăng thiên dã), and interpretsChânas an ideogram withChủy"upside-down person",Mục"eye", and ∟ "conceal" representing thexianplusBátrepresenting the conveyance. In Coyle's interpretation,

The etymological components suggesttransformingto ahigherlevel of character, thus genuineness is to be conceived as fundamentally transformational, that is, as an ongoing process of change. As Wang Bi's (226–249 C.E.) commentary to theYijingsuggests,zhenis in "constant mutation." By envisioning a new image, it appears, withzhen,the writers of theLaoziandZhuangziwanted to distinguish their teaching from others.

Duan Yucai'sShuowencommentary (1815 CE) confirms thatzhenoriginally depicted a Taoistzhenrenand was semantically extended to meanchengThành"sincere; honest; true; actual; real". It explains the ideographic components in Taoistxianterms,ChủyforhuaHóa"change; transformation" (see theHuashu),Mụcfor the "eyes; vision" inneidanpractices, ∟ "conceal" for invisibility; and, it notes three traditionalxianconveyances into the heavens (qi,Chinese dragon,andqilin).

Duan differentiates two semantic sets of words written with thezhenChân / chânphoneticelement and differentradicals.The first words basically meanchongshiSung thật"real; solid; substantial; substantiate; fill out; strengthen".

• tianĐiền / điền"fill in; fill up; stuff; block" (Thổ"soil" radical)
• tianTrấn"weigh down; press upon; control" (Kim"metal" )
• tianĐiền"full; abundant; rumbling sound" (Môn"gate; door" )
• zhenThiến"earplug; earring" (Ngọc"jade" )
• zhenChẩn"fine; close woven; careful" (Mịch"silk" )
• caoorshenThận"careful; cautious; circumspect" (Tâm"heart" )

The second set of words basically meandingĐỉnh"crown (of head); top; tip; summit; prop up; fall down".

• dianĐiên / điên"top of the head; fall on the head; totter; tumble" (Hiệt"head" radical)
• dianĐiên / điên"mountain peak; summit; fall down" (Sơn"mountain" )
• dianĐiên"topple; overthrow; fall" (Nhân"person" )
• dianĐiên"stumble; trip; fall" (Túc"foot" )
• dianĐiên /厧"crazy; demented; epileptic" (Nạch"sickness" )
• zhen槇"tip of a tree; fallen tree" (Mộc"tree" )

Etymology

The modernStandard Chinesepronunciation ofChâniszhēn.ReconstructedMiddle ChineseandOld Chinesepronunciations includetyĕn< *tśyĕn(Bernhard Karlgren),tśiɪn< *tjien(Zhou Fagao),tʃiĕn< *tien(Tōdō Akiyasu), ortśin< *tin.

Tōdō envisions that the original "upside-downzhenren"ideograph pictured a sacrificial victimzhenChân"falling into; fitting into" a burial pit beingtianĐiền"filled in", and proposes anetymonof *TEN"full; stuffed" (expanding upon Duan Yucai's examples above).

Schuessler's etymological dictionarycitesMing- andYuan dynasty-era transcriptions of[tʂin].It suggests etymological connections withTibetanbden pa"true" (seetwo truths doctrine) and possibly ChinesezhēnTrinh"divination, divine; test; verify; faithful; loyal".

Semantics

The root word ofzhenreniszhenChân"true; real; factual; genuine; authentic; actual; really; truly; indeed", which has a special Daoist meaning of a person's "true, original, undamaged character".

TheHanyu Da Zidian,which lists meanings in order of historical development, defines 15 forzhen:

1. Đạo gia xưng "Tu chân đắc đạo" hoặc "Thành tiên" đích nhân.[Taoist term for a person who has "cultivated perfection and attained theTao"or" become axian".]
2. Tinh; thuần.[Jing;essence; spirit; perfection; purity; simplicity.]
3. Bổn lai đích, cố hữu đích.[Original; real; intrinsic, innate, inherent.]
4. Bổn nguyên; bổn tính.[Principle; natural property; natural instincts; natural character; inherent quality; inborn nature.]
5. Chân thật.[Real; genuine; true; authentic.]
6. Chân thành, thành thật.[Sincere; real; honest; true.]
7. Chính.[Correct; right, straight.]
8. Thân.[Body; person; life.]
9. Tiêu tượng. Mô họa đích nhân tượng.[Portrait; portraiture; image.]
10. Cổ đại chỉ thật thụ quan chức vi chân.[Ancient term for a permanent (i.e., not temporary) government position.]
11. Hán tự giai thư đích biệt xưng.[Term forregular scriptinChinese calligraphy.]
12. Chân thiết; thanh sở.[Vivid; clear; distinct; sure; unambiguous.]
13. Cổ châu danh.[Name of Zhen prefecture (Tang dynasty).]
14. Thông "Điền(tián) ". [Used fortián"fill in; stuff".]
15. Tính.[A surname.]

According to this historical dictionary of Chinese characters, the first occurrences ofzhenare in Taoist classics. TheTao Te Chinguses it in meaning 2 and theZhuangziuseszhenin meanings 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8.

ZhenChân"true; real" originally occurs three times in theTao Te Ching(ca. 4th–3rd centuries BCE?), where Coyle says,

[I]t is employed as a special term to contrast with the transitoriness and superficiality of "man-made" formalities. In this novel approach, "genuineness" is not understood as any sort of "unchanging reality," but rather has to do with change and "cultivation." The first time we encounterzhenin theInner Chapters[seeZhuangzi2 below] is in the context of the flux and interrelatedness of life and death, where "genuineness" is something ever-present, yet without any apprehensible fixed "identity".

One of these threezhenusages describesTao"Way" and the other two describeDe"integrity; virtue".

How cavernous and dark! Yet within it there is an essence. Its essence is quite real; Within it there are tokens. (21)

The greatest whiteness seems grimy. Ample integrity seems insufficient. Robust integrity seems apathetic. Plain truth seems sullied. (41)

Cultivated in the person, integrity is true. Cultivated in the family, integrity is ample. Cultivated in the village, integrity lasts long.... (54)

Daoist usages ofzhenrenChân nhân

While theDao De Jinghas the first occurrences ofzhen"true; real; etc.", theZhuangzihas the first recorded usages ofzhenren"true person". Laterzhenrenmeanings are found in Buddhist and other texts.

Zhuangzi

TheZhuangzi(ca. 3rd–2nd centuries BCE) has 66 occurrences ofzhen,19 of them in the compoundzhenren.Burton Watsontranslates it as "True Man", and notes "Another term for the Taoist sage, synonymous with the Perfect Man or the Holy Man." The most descriptivezhenrenpassage repeats it 9 times.

There must first be a True Man before there can be true knowledge. What do I mean by a True Man? The True Man of ancient times did not rebel against want, did not grow proud in plenty, and did not plan his affairs. A man like this could commit an error and not regret it, could meet with success and not make a show. A man like this could climb the high places and not be frightened, could enter the water and not get wet, could enter the fire and not get burned. His knowledge was able to climb all the way up to the Way like this.

The True Man of ancient times slept without dreaming and woke without care; he ate without savoring and his breath came from deep inside. The True Man breathes with his heels; the mass of men breathe with their throats. Crushed and bound down, they gasp out their words as though they were retching. Deep in their passions and desires, they are shallow in the workings of Heaven.

The True Man of ancient times knew nothing of loving life, knew nothing of hating death. He emerged without delight; he went back in without a fuss. He came briskly, he went briskly, and that was all. He didn't forget where he began; he didn't try to find out where he would end. He received something and took pleasure in it; he forgot about it and handed it back again. This is what I call not using the mind to repel the Way, not using man to help out Heaven. This is what I call the True Man....

This was the True Man of old: his bearing was lofty and did not crumble; he appeared to lack but accepted nothing; he was dignified in his correctness but not insistent; he was vast in his emptiness but not ostentatious. Mild and cheerful, he seemed to be happy; reluctant, he could not help doing certain things; annoyed, he let it show in his face; relaxed, he rested in his virtue. Tolerant, he seemed to be part of the world; towering alone, he could be checked by nothing; withdrawn, he seemed to prefer to cut himself off; bemused, he forgot what he was going to say....

Therefore his liking was one and his not liking was one. His being one was one and his not being one was one. In being one, he was acting as a companion of Heaven. In not being one, he was acting as a companion of man. When man and Heaven do not defeat each other, then we may be said to have the True Man. (6,Đại tông sư)

Guo Xiang(d. 312 CE), the earliest knownZhuangzieditor and commentator, explains this passage.

Thezhenrenunifies Heaven and man, and levels the myriad extensions. The myriad extensions do not oppose each other, and Heaven and man do not overcome each other. Thus being vast he is one, being dark he is omnipresent – he mysteriously unifies the other with his own self.

Watson's "True Man of ancient times" and "True Man of old" translategu zhi zhenrenCổ chi chân nhân,which theZhuangziuses 7 times. For instance, this contrast with theshenrenThần nhân"holy person"

Therefore the Holy Man hates to see the crowd arriving, and if it does arrive, he does not try to be friendly with it; not being friendly with it, he naturally does nothing to benefit it. So he makes sure that there is nothing he is very close to, and nothing he is very distant with. Embracing virtue, infused with harmony, he follows along with the world – this is what is called the True Man. He leaves wisdom to the ants, takes his cue from the fishes, leaves willfulness to the mutton. Use the eye to look at the eye, the ear to listen to the ear, and the mind to restore the mind. Do this and your levelness will be as though measured with the line, your transformations will be a form of compliance. The True Man of ancient times used Heaven to deal with man; he did not use man to work his way into Heaven. The True Man of ancient times got it and lived, lost it and died; got it and died, lost it and lived. Medicines will serve as an example. There are monkshood, balloonflower, cockscomb, and chinaroot; each has a time when it is the sovereign remedy, though the individual cases are too numerous to describe. (24)

AnotherZhuangzichapter depictszhenrenas oblivious to punishment.

Governing is a difficult thing. To dispense favors to men without ever forgetting that you are doing so – this is not Heaven's way of giving. Even merchants and peddlers are unwilling to be ranked with such a person; and although their occupations may seem to rank them with him, in their hearts they will never acquiesce to such a ranking. External punishments are administered by implements of metal and wood; internal punishments are inflicted by frenzy and excess. When the petty man meets with external punishments, the implements of metal and wood bear down on him; when he incurs internal punishment, the yin and yang eat him up. To escape both external and internal punishment – only the True Man is capable of this. (32)

Huainanzi

TheHuainanzi(2nd century BCE) mentionszhenren"true person" 11 times. OneHuainanzichapter useszhenrento describe a spiritual state in which "closing the four senses" results in one'sjingTinh"essence" andshenThần"spirit" returning to the ultimate DaoistzhenChân"truth".

Hence the spiritual faculties will be hidden in the invisible world, and the spirit will return to the Perfect Body (or the Perfect Realm).... The spirit fills the eye, so he sees clearly; it is present in the ear, so he hears acutely; it abides in the mouth, and so the person's words are with wisdom; it accumulates in the mind, so his thoughts are penetrative. Hence the closing down of the Four Senses gives the body rest from troubles, and the individual parts have no sickness. There is no death, no life, no void, no excess; in such a condition of spirit, like the diamond, it will not wear away; such are the characteristics of the Perfect Man. (8)

A second chapter useszhenrento describeFu XiandNüwa.

Drifting aimlessly, they led the ghosts and spirits and ascended the Nine Heavens, where they paid court to the Lord as the Sacred Gate and remained reverently silent in the presence of the Great Ancestor. Even then, they would not extol their own merit, or trumpet their own fame. [Rather], they concealed within themselves theTaoof the True Man and thereby followed the unchanging course of Heaven and Earth. How was this [possible]? With theirTaoandTethey communicated with what was on high, whereas their knowledge of factual matters was obliterated. (6)

A thirdHuainanzichapter contains what Le Blanc considers "thelocus classicusfor the True Man's ability to return to the origin. "

He who can return to that which produced [him] as if he had not yet acquired [physical] form, we call him a True Man. The True Man is he who has not yet begun to differentiate himself from the Great Unity (wei shih fen yu t'ai-yi cheVị thủy phân ô thái nhất giả). (14)

Le Blanc describes how theHuainanzisynthesizes the "other-worldly"zhenren"True Man" with the "this-worldly"shengren"Sage"; "In pre-Han works, the expression"chen-jen"seems to be found only in works of Taoist inspiration and always refers to the quasi-mystical and contemplative strand of Taoism."He concludes.

The point of the twoHuai-nan tzufables seems to be that in times of peace the True Man does not reveal his inner greatness. This is a Taoist tenet consistent with the ineffability ofTao.So, petty men of limited scope and skills deride the True Man, who is untrained in any particular skill. But in periods of imminent chaos (the clash of darkness and light, ofYinandYang) the True Man suddenly manifests world-shaking power (universal resonance) and completely overwhelms his detractors.

Chuci

The southernChuci(2nd century CE), which has Daoist elements although not strictly a "Daoist text", useszhenrenin two poems.Yuan you"Far-off journey" contrasts it withxian.

I honoured the wondrous powers of the Pure Ones,
And those of past ages who had become Immortals.
They departed in the flux of change and vanished from men's sight,
Leaving a famous name that endures after them.

Shou zhi"Maintaining Resolution" (in theNine Longingssection) also uses it, translated here as "Immortals".

I visited Fu Yue, bestriding a dragon,
Joined up in marriage with the Weaving Maiden,
Lifted up Heaven's Net to capture evil,
Drew the Bow of Heaven to shoot at wickedness,
Followed the Immortals fluttering through the sky.

Liezi

The DaoistLiezi(ca. 4th century CE) useszhenrenin two chapters. The first usage (3),refers to theZhuangzi(6) sayingzhenrenslept without dreaming.

A dream is something that comes into contact with the mind; an external event is something that impinges on the body. Hence our feelings by day and our dreams by night are the result of contacts made by mind or body. It follows that if we can concentrate the maid in abstraction, our feelings and our dreams will vanish of themselves. Those who rely on their waking perceptions will not argue about them. Those who put faith in dreams do not understand the processes of change in the external world. "The pure men of old passed their waking existence in self-oblivion, and slept without dreams." How can this be dismissed as an empty phrase?

The other chapter usage (8)concerns the politicianZi ChanTử sản(d. 522 BCE). He was able to govern the state ofZhengbut not control his brothers who loved wine and women – but were secretlyzhenren.Zi Chan asks the Daoist sageDeng XiĐặng tíchhow to "save" them, but misunderstands Deng's answer and admonishes his brothers with Confucianist morality and bribes, "Hear my words. Repent in the morning, and in the evening you will have already gained the wage that will support you". His brothers reply,

Long ago we knew it and made our choice. Nor had we to wait for your instructions to enlighten us. It is very difficult to preserve life, and easy to come by one's death. Yet who would think of awaiting death, which comes so easily, on account of the difficulty of preserving life? You value proper conduct and righteousness in order to excel before others, and you do violence to your feelings and nature in striving for glory. That to us appears to be worse than death. Our only fear is lest, wishing to gaze our fill at all the beauties of this one life, and to exhaust all the pleasures of the present years, the repletion of the belly should prevent us from drinking what our palate delights in, or the slackening of our strength not allow us to revel with pretty women. We have no time to trouble about bad reputations or mental dangers. Therefore for you to argue with us and disturb our minds merely because you surpass others in ability to govern, and to try and allure us with promises of glory and appointments, is indeed shameful and deplorable. But we will now settle the question with you. See now. If anybody knows how to regulate external things, the things do not of necessity become regulated, and his body has still to toil and labour. But if anybody knows how to regulate internals, the things go on all right, and the mind obtains peace and rest. Your system of regulating external things will do temporarily and for a single kingdom, but it is not in harmony with the human heart, while our method of regulating internals can be extended to the whole universe, and there would be no more princes and ministers. We always desired to propagate this doctrine of ours, and now you would teach us yours.

Zi Chan is perplexed and speechless, so he goes back to Deng Xi who explains, "You are living together with real men without knowing it. Who calls you wise? [Z]heng has been governed by chance, and without merit of yours."

Wenzi

The little-known Daoist textWenzihas 17 occurrences ofzhenren.For example, this context echoesZhuangzi(6) in definingzhenrenas sleeping without dreaming.

The Way molds myriad beings but is ever formless. Silent and unmoving, it totally comprehends the undifferentiated unknown. No vastness is great enough to be outside it, no minuteness is small enough to be inside it. It has no house but gives birth to all the names of the existent and nonexistent. Real people embody this through open emptiness, even easiness, clear cleanness, flexible yielding, unadulterated purity, and plain simplicity, not getting mixed up in things. Their perfect virtue is the Way of heaven and earth, so they are called real people. Real people know how to deem the self great and the world small, they esteem self-government and disdain governing others. They do not let things disturb their harmony, they do not let desires derange their feelings. Concealing their names, they hide when the Way is in effect and appear when it is not. They act without contrivance, work without striving, and know without intellectualizing.... Therefore real people deliberately return to essence, relying on the support of spirit, thus attaining completeness. So they sleep without dreams and awake without worries.

Later Daoist texts

According to Daniel Coyle,

From the period of the Han to the Six Dynasties thezhenrentook on a more religious significance, becoming one of the linchpins of "Daoism." Movements of alchemy, life-prolonging techniques, and the quest for "immortality" flourished, yet most mystical allusions remained firmly ground in theZhuangzi.From the Zhuangzian perspective, thereligiousexperience (etymologically, that which binds together) becomes a personal rapture that elevates one from the microcosmic to an altogether macrocosmic perspective – a perspective that affirms continuity as the fabric of unity – that somehow binds one to the totality of existence in a personal integration and affirmation of all.

Daoists applied the honorific titleZhenrento their sages. Zhou YishanChu nghĩa sơn(b. 80 BCE) was called Ziyang ZhenrenTử dương chân nhân"True Person of Purple Yang", a name later applied to Zhang ZiyangTrương tử dương,author of theWuzhen pian(notezhen"reality; perfection" in the title).

Miura notes that religious Daoism associated thezhenrenwith thexianren"transcendent; immortal" and quotes theZiyang zhenren neizhuanTử dương chân nhân nội truyện"Inner Biography of the True Person of Purple Yang" (4th century CE) that there are upper, middle, and lower degrees ofxian,withzhenrenoccupying the upper rank in the celestial bureaucracy.

In Daoism,zhenrencan refer to somegods,xian,and even mortals who underwentapotheosis.The term can also refer to beings who were a mixture of one or more of these.

Other usages ofzhenrenChân nhân

After originating in early Daoist texts, thezhenren"true person" was semantically expanded to mean Buddhistarhatand miscellaneous senses such as "honest person".

Buddhist texts

Main article:Arhat

Chinese Buddhists adaptedzhenrenChân nhânto translate theloanwordarhatorarahant"one who has achieved enlightenment", which was also transcribed asaluohanA la hánorluohanLa hán.Buddhist usage contrastszhenren"arhat" withnirenNghịch nhân"contrary person; hateful person; unprincipled person".

The oldest example is theTang dynasty(c. 649) Buddhist dictionaryYiqiejing yinyi"Pronunciation and Meaning in theTripitaka",edited by Xuan YingHuyền ứng.

Chinesezhen"true; etc." was used to translate various other Buddhist expressions.Mantra"instrument of thought" translates as ChinesezhenyanChân ngôn"true words" andJapaneseShingonBuddhism.Tathata"thusness, suchness, the unconditioned, unchanging reality" is ChinesezhenruChân như"true resemblance" and Japaneseshinnyo(seeShinnyo En).

Secular texts

Chinese authors usedzhenren"true person" to name sage-rulers, honest people, a star, an evolutionary term, and proper names.

Zhenrencan mean "heaven-sent ruler". Beginning around the end of the 1st century BCE, says Miura, "the idea spread that azhenrenwho had received the Heavenly Mandate (tianmingThiên mệnh) would appear to renew the world. "Emperor Guangwu of Hanwas called Baishui ZhenrenBạch thủy chân nhân"True Person of the White Water", andCao Caoof theKingdom of Weiwas also called azhenren.TheRecords of the Grand Historian(ca. 100 BCE) may have a classical precedent for this meaning. It records that the "First Emperor"Qin Shi Huang(r. 221–210 BCE) was fascinated with the immortality of thexianand decided to call himselfzhenrenrather than the homophonousChinese honorificzhenTrẫm"(imperial) I, we". The emperor summoned the Daoist practitioner Lu ShengLư sinhwho said, "Thezhenrenenters water but does not get wet, enters fire but does not get burned, flies among the clouds, and has a length of life equal to that of Heaven and Earth ".TheTaipingjingThái bình kinh"Scripture of Great Peace" (6th century CE) contrasts thezhenrenwho rules on earth with ashenrenThần nhân"divine person" who rules in heaven.

Zhenrencan mean "honest person; well-behaved person", nearly synonymous withzhenrenTrinh nhân"person of high moral standing and integrity" andzhengrenChính nhân"honest/loyal man; gentleman". The earliest recorded example is theBook of Han(5th century CE) biography of Yang YunDương uẩn(fl. 1st century BCE). This meaning is expressed in the idiomzhengren mian qian bu shuo jiaChân nhân diện tiền bất thuyết giả"don't tell lies in front of a true/honest person".

AmongTraditional Chinese star names,ZhenrenChân nhânis a literary reference toGamma Ursae Majoris,near theBig Dipper.

In modern Chinese terms ofhuman evolution,zhenrenmeans "true human" as distinct from other primates.

Zhenren is a proper name of characters inChinese folklore(e.g.,Taiyi Zhenren),Chinese mythology(Cihang Zhenren), andChinese literature(Luo Zhenren). Note that JapaneseChân nhâncan be pronouncedshinjinin the Daoist sense and Masato (e.g.,Masato Shimon) or Mahito (Mahito Tsujimura) as agiven name.

Zhenreninterpretations

Generations of Western researchers have struggled with translating and explaining the Daoist technical expressionzhenren.

Translations

Zhuangzitranslators and scholars have variously renderedzhenrenChân nhân.

• "Divine Man" —Frederic H. Balfour
• "true man" —James Legge1891,Fung Yu-lan,Victor H. Mair
• "pure man" —Herbert Giles
• "God's Man" — James R. Ware 1963
• "True Man" — Burton Watson,A.C. Graham1981
• "Perfected Person" — Lee Yearley
• "Perfect Man" — Toshikiko Izutsu
• "realized beings" — David McCraw 1995
• "Authentic Person" —Roger T. Ames,James D. Sellmann
• "Genuine Person" – Coyle 1998

Note the diachronic improvements of thesezhenrentranslations. In Chinese,renNhânmeans "person; people; human" and not "man", which isnanNam"man; male"

Ames explains his rationale for translatingzhenrenas "Authentic Person".

The common translations ofzhenren– "True Man" or "Real Man" – belies the fact that etymologicallyzhenimplies both "authenticity" and "transformation." That is, whatever the human exemplar might be, he or she is one who is able to express personal integrity and uniqueness in the context of a transforming world. The choice of "authentic" to translatezhenis calculated. With the same root as "author," it captures the primacy given to the creative contribution of the particular person. It further registers this contribution as what is most fundamentally "real" and "true." It is because of the primacy of the "authorship" of the "authentic person" in creating human order that "there must be the Authentic Person before there can be authentic knowledge."

Coyle prefers "genuine" over "authentic",

"Authentic person" works well, conveying the idea of "authorship," but it connotes an idea of "human agency" that Zhuangzi is trying to avoid. "Genuine person" seems to work best as it carries the least amount of "philosophical" baggage. Etymologically, "genuine" comes from the Latingenuinus,"natural," which is akin togignere,to beget (possibly an alteration ofingenuus,native, or freeborn), and thus connotes a processionality necessary to any Zhuangzian interpretation.

There are semantic advantages to English translations ofzhenrenas a "Person" who is "Perfected", "Realized", or "Genuine". Another possibility is "Actualized Person" in the psychological sense ofself actualization.

Descriptions

Morgan provides an early description of thezhenren.

[T]he Perfect Man of the Taoist system, always acts in the spirit ofwu wei,of apparently doing nothing. He withdraws from the active arena of affairs and retires into seclusion and does not interfere in public agitations and turmoil; but, as we have already seen, their influence is very effective. The silence they observe carries out the Tao ofwu wei,which is of priceless value. But merely learned persons do not appreciate this method nor understand the value of thewu weimethod: and they engage in purposeless discussions and the vanity of words.

In recent years, scholars of Daoism have been reevaluating thezhenrenideal.

Yearley characterizes thezhenrenin terms of skepticism from a "radical Zhuangzi" framework, intraworldly mysticism, centered responsiveness, the "mind as a mirror" image, subtle detachment, and viewing life as an "esthetic panorama."

Izutsusays "[T]he Perfect Man is in every respect a Perfect image of Heaven and Earth, i.e., the Way as it manifests itself as the world of Being". He analyzes thezhenrenin terms of "unperturbedness", flexibility, andwu wei.

Such being his basic spiritual state, the Perfect Man perceives in the whole world nothing to disturb his cosmic balance of mind, although he does notice accurately all things that happen to him and to others. He does participate in the activities of the world together with all other men, yet at the same time, at the very core of his heart, he remains detached from the clamor and bustle of the world. Calmness and tranquility are the most salient features that characterize both the inside and outside of the Perfect Man.

Fox believeszhenreninspire us to immerse ourselves into the world and not to detach ourselves into the transcendental Dao.

Therefore it can be said that theZhuangzidescribes the behavior and attitude of what we might call the "perfectly well-adjusted person," someone who is perfectly at ease in all situations. It is not clear, however, if Zhuangzi thinks that everyoneshouldbe like this, or that everyonecouldbe like this, or thatanyonecould be like this. To generalize in this fashion would itself be inconsistent with the nonformulaic personality of the text. Instead, the text simply presents us with strange and unsettling, though ultimately fascinating and compelling, stories that disturb our balance and force us to adjust. In this way, reading the text becomes a transformative project in itself.

See also

• Chen Fu Zhen Ren
• Taiyi Zhenren
• Cihang Zhenren

References

• Ames, Roger T.,ed. (1998).Wandering at Ease in the Zhuangzi.Albany NY:State University of New York (SUNY) Press.ISBN9780791439210.
• Coyle, Daniel (1998)."On the Zhenren".In Roger T. Ames (ed.).Wandering at Ease in the Zhuangzi.Albany NY:State University of New York (SUNY) Press. pp. 197–210.ISBN9780791439210.
• The Songs of the South: An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets.Translated byHawkes, David.Penguin. 2011 [1985].ISBN9780140443752.
• Izutsu, Toshihiko (1984). "The Perfect Man".Sufism and Taoism: A Comparative Study of Key Philosophical Concepts.University of California Press.pp. 444–456.
• Le Blanc, Charles (1985).Huai-nan Tzu– Philosophical Synthesis in Early Han Thought. The Idea of Resonance (Kan-Ying). With a Translation and Analysis of Chapter Six.Hong Kong University Press.ISBN9789622091795.
• Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way, by Lao Tzu; an entirely new translation based on the recently discovered Ma-wang-tui manuscripts.Translated byMair, Victor H.New York City:Bantam Books.1990.ISBN9780553070057.
• Miura, Kunio (2007). "ZhenrenChân nhân".In Fabrizio Pregadio (ed.).The Encyclopedia of Taoism.Routledge. pp. 1265–1266.
• Tao, the Great Luminant: Essays from the Huai Nan Tzu.Translated by Morgan, Evan S. Kelly and Walsh. 1934.
• Schuessler, Axel (2007).ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese.HonoluluHI:University of Hawai'i Press.ISBN9780824829759.
• The Complete works of Chuang Tzu.Translated byWatson, Burton.Columbia University Press.1968.

Footnotes

Further reading

• Fischer-Schreiber, Ingrid,1996.Das Lexikon des Taoismus,Goldmann,

External links

• ChânSeal and Bronze Characters,Chinese Etymology
• Chân nhân,Digital Dictionary of Buddhism