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Chuang Tzu: Stories
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From a literary point of view the Chuang Tzu is one of the richest texts in all of philosophy. At times the language has a diamond-like density in which every word counts. At times it is extended, full of dialogues, parables, stories, examples and images based on the whole of human life from low to high, and on natural phenomena.
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The core in Chuang Tzu is the mystical which unfolds in a uniquely fabulist and poetic creativity. Chuang Tzu is a great story-teller and he draws upon the well-spring of traditional fairy-tales and mythology. Indirectly this shows his learning, displayed directly in his polemic attacks on the various philosophical schools, in which he elegantly demonstrates his contemt for the barrenness of the intellect and its inability to grasp the simple but overwhelming message." (p.75)
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Chuang Tzu demonstrates his philosophy in a series of short stories, some of which are nothing less than bizarre. His stories include mythical animals, talking trees and a host of both fictional and real characters, which often included himself. One of Chuang Tzu's favourite stunts was to incorporate Confucius into his stories. These stories usually ended with Confucius being bamboozled or outwitted by a Taoist.
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Chuang Tzu... preferred something more compromising: "When I say you are dreaming, so am I." In other words, we are all dreaming. This is best illustrated in his butterfly dream story. 'The passage:
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Chapter 17 offers the famous anecdote of Chuang-tzu lounging on the river bank when court officials come to persuade him to enter court service. Chuang-tzu refers to the dead sacred tortoise kept in the king's storage box, brought out on ceremonial occasions, contrasted with the tortoise on the riverbank alive and dragging its tail in the mud. He asks the officials whether the tortoise (on the bank -- either himself or one he points out -- would rather be dead and honored or alive and dragging its tail in the mud. The officials answer that the preference would be the latter. With that, Chuang-tzu tells them to go away.
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The Book of Chuang Tzu draws together the stories, tales, jokes and anecdotes that have gathered around the figure of Chuang Tzu. One of the great founders of Taoism, Chaung Tzu lived in the fourth century BC and is among the most enjoyable and intriguing personalities in the whole of Chinese philosophy.
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