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| "The Butterfly Dream" by Chinese painter Lu Zhi, circa 1550 |
A fellow in a madhouse being asked how he came there? Why, says he, the mad folks abroad are too many for us, and so they have mastered all the sober people, and cooped them up here.
-- Roger L'Estrange
Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.
-- Chuang tzu, circa 300 BC
