The Paradox of Mysticism in the Zhuangzi: Oneness, Multiplicity, and the Transformation of Self and Reality
Religions August 27, 2025 Jinjing Zhu
The paper analyzes two allegories in the Zhuangzi—the Huzi and Lady Yu stories—to outline a four-stage mystical process. It begins with a lifeless stage achieved through purgation of self and world, followed by a revitalization where Oneness is experienced both introvertively and as extrovertive truth. Next comes an emptiness that transfigures reality by reconciling things and halting time and motion, culminating in the deconstruction of the transcendental Dao and alignment with the spontaneity of things. Oneness is not the final stage but a step toward reconciling Oneness and multiplicity, eventually leading to its deconstruction and a return to multiplicity. This paradox is central to Zhuangzi's mysticism.