hao

This term refers to sounds produced by all things in nature between heaven and earth. Zhuangzi divided sounds into three categories: "human sounds," "terrestrial sounds," and "celestial sounds." According to him, "human sounds" refer to sounds made by a vertical bamboo flute when a person blows air into its top end. "Terrestrial sounds" refer to sounds produced by the earth's apertures when wind blows through them. "Celestial sounds" are not totally different from the above two. They refer to multifarious sounds made naturally by all things in the universe, which are not sounds created by external factors. By defining the "sounds of nature" this way, Zhuangzi meant to minimize the influence of the subjective mind so as to discover and respect the natural state of all things. People of later generations generally use this term to describe a literary work such as a poem or an essay that is written in a smooth way and has the appeal of natural charm. They also use the term "music ofThe way of heaven refers to the basic rule governing the existence and changes of all things between heaven and earth, as opposed to "the way of humans." Ancient Chinese interpreted "the way of heaven" in different ways. First, some believed that "the way of heaven," especially the celestial phenomena relating to the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars, foretell or dictate the success or failure of human affairs. In ancient times, designated officials predicted human affairs through observing celestial phenomena. Second, some believed that "the way of heaven" was the source or the basis of man's moral conduct and of orderly human relations. One should comply with "the way of heaven," in both words and deeds, so should human relations; and people should recognize and develop the moral nature bestowed upon by heaven so as to gain access to "the way of heaven." Third, still others thought that there were no particular correlations between "the way of