Butterfly Dreaming Integrating

Once upon a time, Chuang Tzu dreamed that he was a butterfly, flying about enjoying itself. It did not know that it was Chuang Chou. Suddenly he awoke, and veritably was Chuang Chou again. He did not know whether it was Chuang Chou dreaming that he was a butterfly, or whether it was the butterfly dreaming that it was Chuang Chou. Between Chuang Chou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is a case of what is called the transformation of things.

From the following website:


http://www.the-philosopher.co.uk/butter.htm


Zhuangzhou's [Chuang Tzu] Dream of a Butterfly

"Zhuangzhou's Dream of a Butterfly" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the chapter "On the Equality of All Things1 " in The Book of Master Zhuang2 . According to this book, Zhuangzi dreamed of changing into a butterfly and fluttering about and even forgetting that he was Zhuang Zhou; but when he woke up, he felt he was Zhuang Zhou again. Then he wondered which was true, Zhuang Zhou dreaming of changing into a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of changing into Zhuang Zhou? In the view of Daoist philosophers and Daoist believers, it is in fact unnecessary to distinguish artificially between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly, because if the mind is in a state of undifferentiated integration of things and self, the great DAO remains in one's heart.

From the following website:


http://www.eng.taoism.org.hk/


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