A perfect example of when having a little bit of knowledge messes you up:
The story is from China, not Japan. I'm certain its elements found their way to Japan, but it seems not to be in the Konjaku Monogatari (or Tales Of A Time Now Past).
And, it seems my paraphrase was not so paraphrasical after all:
Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a f1uttering butterfly. What fun he had, doing as he pleased! He did not know he was Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and found himself to be Zhou. He did not know whether Zhou had dreamed he was a butterfly or a butterfly had dreamed he was Zhou. Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is what is meant by the transformation of things.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Aha!
Date: 2003-12-15 05:20 pm (UTC)The story is from China, not Japan. I'm certain its elements found their way to Japan, but it seems not to be in the Konjaku Monogatari (or Tales Of A Time Now Past).
And, it seems my paraphrase was not so paraphrasical after all:
-Chris "those crazy Taoists" Combs