{"id":3251,"date":"2011-06-15T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2011-06-15T05:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=3251"},"modified":"2011-11-29T17:53:23","modified_gmt":"2011-11-29T22:53:23","slug":"playing-with-the-fish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=3251","title":{"rendered":"Tales from the Dao"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Playing With The Fish<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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by Solala Towler<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\nZhuangzi often ridiculed the strenuous efforts of his contemporaries to attain immortality by subjecting themselves to various ascetic practices. At the same time, he was concerned about how the human mind\u2014so vast, so mysterious, yet often so muddled, could ever just relax and be at one with the flow of the Dao.<\/p>\n

In the following story we see him having a little fun with his friend Huizi about how he, Zhuangzi, could ever know what the fish knew and how could he be sure that he did indeed know it. This, of course, applies to most things that we are sure that we know or understand in this constantly shifting and ever transforming experience we call life. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Zhuangzi and his friend Huizi were ambling about in the Garden of Perpetual Harmony one fine day. Their conversation ranged from how lovely the weather had been lately to the art of compounding herbal preparations for longevity. Huizi was of the opinion that one could not only live a long and healthy life by ingesting these formulas, many of which contained poisonous minerals, but could attain immortality. Zhuangzi, on the other hand, was of the opinion that what he called \u201call this grasping after immortality\u201d was a waste of time and utter foolishness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are already immortal,\u201d he would say to his friend. \u201cAs we are all part of the great unending and constantly transforming Tao, our immortality is assured. There is no need to ingest noxious brews or stretch ourselves into strange and painful contortions in order to attain immortality. Just live your life in accordance with the Tao and your immortality will manifest of it self\u201d.<\/p>\n

But Huizi was not convinced. \u201cIf that were true,\u201d he argued, \u201cthen every blockhead that lives is really an immortal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust so,\u201d answered Zhuangzi.<\/p>\n

At one point, when they were crossing the Hao river. Which was spanned by an ancient and lovely moon bridge, Zhuangzi said to his friend, \u201cThese fish we see below us come out and swim about so leisurely. This is the joy of fishes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huizi turned to him and said, \u201cHow do you know what fish enjoy, you\u2019re not a fish!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not me,\u201d answered Zhuangzi, \u201cso how do you know what I know about the joy of fish?\u201d<\/p>\n

“Well,\u201d said his friend, somewhat indignantly. \u201cI am not you and so do not know what you know. But, as you are certainly not a fish, there is no possible way that you can know what fish enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, then,\u201d said Zhuangzi, who was letting his fingers play slowly in the water as little fishes came up to nibble them. \u201cLet us go back to the beginning of our conversation. When you asked me \u2018How can you know what fish enjoy\u2019 you knew that I knew. The reason I know this is by walking over the river!\u201d<\/p>\n

As was the usual case in these kinds of conversations Huizi glared at his friend who stood, languidly moving his fingers in the water and chuckling to himself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[Solala\u2019s collection of Daoist stories, Tales From the Tao<\/em> as well as his new book, Chuang Tzu: The<\/em> Inner Chapters<\/em> are available by writing to him at solala@abodetao.com<\/a> or calling 541.345.8854.]<\/p>\n

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