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The Ambiguity of Text, Birth, and Nature

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Abstract

This essay examines the language of the Heng Xian and suggests that the text purposefully plays with Ru-style rhetoric, particularly that associated with the “Heart Method” for self-cultivation. The playful rhetoric is reminiscent of writings collected in the Zhuangzi and the use of parables associated with fourth century BCE philosopher Hu Shi.

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  1. Modern Languages and Literature, Lehigh University, 9 W. Packer Ave, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA

    Constance A. Cook

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Cook, C.A. The Ambiguity of Text, Birth, and Nature. Dao 12, 161–178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-013-9314-5

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