本文從《淮南子》所論「身體」組成要素切入，探究形軀意義之「身體」的基本主張，並揭示其宇宙論意義。另試於宇宙萬物之「化」的背景下，釐清「身體」乃至「養生」作為的正面意義。本文認為《淮南子》之「身體」為造化者所施之「化」的片段環節，亦為天人之聯繫中介。然而身體的出現、變化乃至消逝，幾無人為掌控之餘地，因此，世俗意義的「養生」殊為無謂。《淮南子》特謂的「養生」，僅限縮在排除外物對欲望之牽引以避免對「性命之情」（「化」之本然狀態）的悖離，以及使人之意識常保一種與造化者之「神」相聯繫的狀態，從而讓生命之一切活動呈現為「化」之本然與真實。其次，《淮南子》所論之「身體」尚有積極意義。帝王在天地間居於一種關鍵地位，帝王之「養生」透過「返性」使神入舍，從而恢復與造化之聯繫，並促使萬物一仰於大化的流行，此所謂「至人之治」。

Huainanzi puts the most attention on the components of the body-mind, spirit, qi and form-bestowing them with profound theoretical meanings, and this article is to demonstrate how these components relate to one another and, furthermore, reveal their cosmological meanings. We argue that the views about “body”, though looking passive, are actually quite positive, and “body” is a sort of unity between heaven and man; however, such a positive aspect is extremely obscure and even slightly religious. Meanwhile, though the views of the body revealed in such chapters as “Searching out Dao,” “Seminal Breath” and “Spirit Beginning of Reality” seemly suggest the insignificance of life, they actually contain many theories about the improvement of health. This article is meant to make a survey about the views on body in Huainanzi and explain the how the futility of life relates to the improvement of health.