「坐忘」見於《莊子‧大宗師》，乃是莊子藉由孔子、顏回之口所傳達的修道境界。透過對外物、自身的忘懷，進而與道冥合，達到「坐忘」境界。達到此一境界的法門，歷來皆以《莊子》原典記載之先忘「仁義」，後忘「禮樂」為是，注家亦據之各抒己見，說明為何忘仁義在先，禮樂在後。近代考據盛行，學者藉由《淮南子》之徵引，並與老子思想相比較，認為忘懷「仁義」、「禮樂」之順序應加以調整。於是學者各抒己見，或以先忘仁義、後忘禮樂為漆園之妙；或謂先忘禮樂、後忘仁義為莊生真意。仁義、禮樂之先後，遂成莊學中又一費解難題。本文針對此問題，整理前人說法，並探討諸家說法之問題，進而輔以其他觀點加以申論。期能就此議題添注新血，以資方家參酌。

The term “Zou Wang”(sitting in meditation and become unaware of this world) was from Zhuang-zi, episode “The Great Master”, it means the specific level of seeking Dao that Zhuang-zi tried to delivered through the tongue of Confucius and Yan Hui. By forgetting the “self” and outer world, one’s mind can be one with Dao, then reach the level of “Zou Wang”. The path of reaching this level was usually considered as forget “benevolence and righteousness” first, and then“ceremonies and music” which written in the original version of Zhuang-zi, the Glossographers (those researchers who make notes on the books) were also
making debate base on this to explain why to forget “benevolence and
righteousness” first, then “ceremonies and music”. As the textual criticism arise,many scholars debating that the order of forgetting “benevolence and righteousness” and “ceremonies and music” should be reverse, by quoting the content of Huainan-zi, and the comparing to the ideology of Lao-tzu.Then the order of “benevolence and righteousness”, “ceremonies and music”became the puzzle of Zhuang-zi researching. This essay will focus on this topic,by reviewing the former theories, and debating the opinions of scholars, then form my own opinion. By doing this way, hope my opinion can make this topic
renew again.