《莊子》中的「自然」可歸納為：境界義、當然義與自是義，其中境界義的「自然」是《莊子》哲學的核心概念。而〈陶淵明集〉中四見的「自然」，雖然有些說法是認為它們的義理內容可與《莊子》境界義的「自然」相互對應，然而本文認為「復得返自然」、「質性自然」與「漸進自然」這三處的「自然」，直接依詩文脈絡來看，應當解釋為：氣性之自由、氣質天性之當然而然，以及漸至單純天然等意思、，它們與《莊子》境界義的「自然」不太相同。至於「神辨自然」中的「自然」，考量到〈神釋〉中的「神」應屬形而下的層次，與《莊子》形而上的「常心」不同，而陶淵明的飲酒及其酒境，又未必可等同於《莊子》的工夫實踐與體道經驗，加上正式歸隱後的陶淵明，其詩文所透露的心境，又常擺盪在無成與通透兩端之間，明顯與《莊子》「真人」形象有所差距。因此，「神辨自然」中的 「自然」，雖帶有「氣化」的內容，然而此一「氣化」應屬「後天型」，而非「先天型」，陶淵明式的委運順化，恐怕帶有相當的自勉自勵的成份於其中，而與《莊子》終有差異。

“Ziren” in Zhuangzi could have three meanings, among which, the “ziren” with the meaning of “jingjie” was the core concept of the philosophyof Zhuangzi. “Ziren” appeared four times in Tao Yuan-Ming's poetry anthology. Although some scholars believed that their argumentation and content could correspond to the “ziren” with the meaning of “jingjie” in Zhuangzi, the study thought “ziren” in “fudefan ziren,” “zhixing ziren” and “jianjin ziren” should be literally interpreted as “a carefree feeling for the satisfaction of sense organs,” “a ‘certainty’ that does not require further interpretation as a matter of course” and “not artificial, but simple and natural,” and their meanings were not exactly the same as the “ziren” with the meaning of “jingjie” in Zhuangzi. In respect to “ziren” in “shenbian ziren,” “shen” in the article of Shenshi of Tao Yuan-Ming was regarded as a physical level, which is different from the metaphysical “changxin” of Zhuangzi. In addition, Tao Yuan-Ming's wine drinking and intoxication experience might not be equal to gongfu and mystical experience of Zhuangzi. Moreover, after Tao Yuan-Ming officially lived in seclusion in the countryside, his mental state revealed in his poetry and literature often swung between the two ends of lamenting over having no scholarly honor and achievements and claiming that he was detached from freedom, and this is different from the image of an “authentic man” who could genuinely transcend both extremities of success and failure stated in Zhuangzi. Therefore, the “ziren” in “shenbian ziren” expounded by Tao Yuan-Ming is probably different from the “ziren” with the meaning of “jingjie” in Zhuangzi.