---
title: "Liezi 列子 – English Interpretation | Daozang"
url: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/"
canonical: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/"
lang: "en"
edition:
  - "Source: Kanripo (Kyoto University)"
  - "Daozang section: 洞神部"
  - "Kanripo ID: KR5c0124"
  - "Base edition (Kanripo): tls"
  - "Size: 8 volumes · 70,229 characters"
source: "Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学）"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# 《列子》

Dongshen 洞神部 · 8 volumes · 70,229 characters

另有[张湛注本](https://daozang.app/text/KR5c0125/)（四库全书本）。

## Introduction

### What this book is

《列子》 (Liezi, “The Book of Master Lie”) is a Daoist classic centered on Liezi. Through exchanges between characters, fables, and discussions, it addresses the generation of Heaven and Earth, the transformations of the myriad things, and ways of conducting oneself in the world. This site classifies it in the Dongshen section of the Daoist Canon. Traditionally, 《列子》 is associated with pre-Qin Daoist thought; the received text combines philosophical discussion with fable narratives.

### Authorship and date

Tradition holds that this book was written by Liezi of the Warring States period, but details of Liezi’s life are unknown, and the authorship and composition of the received text are also disputed. Scholars generally believe that the received text was arranged in later generations and that its date of composition is difficult to establish with certainty; it is not yet possible to conclude that the entire book was written directly by Liezi himself.

### Structure

The book has eight juan and approximately 70,229 characters. Its parts are marked in sequence by their titles, beginning with “Tian Rui, First.” The opening recounts Liezi’s plan to travel to the State of Wei and his disciples’ questions about the Way, leading into the generation and transformation of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things. It also discusses the formation of Heaven and Earth through stages such as “Taiyi,” “Taichu,” “Taishi,” and “Taisu.”

### Core ideas

The opening presents an unceasing process of generation and transformation, discussing the formless and the formed, yin and yang, the four seasons, and how Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things come into being. The book also uses expressions such as “Valley Spirit” and “Mysterious Female” to present reflections on origins and transformation. The discussions in its various chapters do not all take the same perspective; when reading, it is advisable to understand them in their specific contexts and not to reduce their different expressions to a single system.

### How to read it on this site

The base text for this edition on the site comes from Kyoto University’s Kanripo Chinese Classics Repository; a Zhang Zhan annotated edition is also available (the Siku Quanshu edition). The original text and the vernacular interpretation are presented paragraph by paragraph for comparison. The page allows readers to switch between traditional Chinese and foreign-language interpretations. Since the book is fairly long, reading it by juan is convenient.

本站编辑整理；原文据 Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ KR5c0124

## About this edition

- **Source**: Kanripo (Kyoto University)
- **Daozang section**: 洞神部
- **Kanripo ID**: [`KR5c0124`](https://github.com/kanripo/KR5c0124)
- **Base edition (Kanripo)**: `tls`
- **Size**: 8 volumes · 70,229 characters

## Contents (8 volumes)

- [Vol. 1](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/1/index.md)
- [Vol. 2](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/2/index.md)
- [Vol. 3](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/3/index.md)
- [Vol. 4](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/4/index.md)
- [Vol. 5](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/5/index.md)
- [Vol. 6](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/6/index.md)
- [Vol. 7](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/7/index.md)
- [Vol. 8](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/juan/8/index.md)

---

原文底本：Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学），CC BY-SA 4.0。  
Source text: Kanripo Chinese Classics Repository (Kyoto University), CC BY-SA 4.0.  
HTML version: https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5c0124/