Zhuang Zhou - Man Quotes

10 Sourced Quotes

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I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.

Zhuang Zhou
Yet the stupid believe they are awake, busily and brightly assuming they understand things, calling this man ruler, that one herdsman – how dense! Confucius and you are both dreaming! And when I say you are dreaming, I am dreaming, too. Words like these will be labeled the Supreme Swindle.

Zhuang Zhou
Those who seek to satisfy the mind of man by hampering it with ceremonies and music and affecting charity and devotion have lost their original nature.

Zhuang Zhou
The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?

Zhuang Zhou
In the days of perfect nature, man lived together with birds and beasts, and there was no distinction of their kind... they were in a state of natural integrity.... When Sages appeared, crawling for charity and limping with duty, doubt and confusion entered men's minds.... Destruction of Tao and virtue in order to introduce charity and duty—this is the error of the Sages.

Zhuang Zhou
Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?

Zhuang Zhou
Calculate what man knows and it cannot compare to what he doesn't know. Calculate the time he is alive and it cannot compare to the time before he was born. Yet man takes something so small and tries to exhaust the dimensions of something so large!

Zhuang Zhou
Everything can be a "that"; everything can be a "this." One man cannot see things as another sees them... Therefore it is said "That" comes from "this" and "this" comes from "that" - which means "that" and "this" give birth to one another.

Zhuang Zhou
All men know the use of the useful, but nobody knows the use of the useless. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so that I can have a word with him?

Zhuang Zhou
How do I know that loving life is not a delusion? How do I know that in hating death I am not like a man who, having left home in his youth, has forgotten the way back?...someday there will be a great awakening when we know that this is all a great dream. Yet the stupid believe that they are awake, busily and brightly assuming they understand things, calling this man ruler, and that man a herdsman- how dense!

Zhuang Zhou