Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happ… - Zhuangzi

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Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now 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.

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About Zhuangzi

莊子 Zhūangzi (c. 369 BC – c. 286 BC), literally Master Zhuang, was a Chinese philosopher, who is supposed to have lived during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Hundred Schools of Thought. His name is also transliterated as Zhuang Zi, Zhuang Zhou, Chuang Tzu, Chuang Tse. Chuang was his surname and Tse indicates master; so he would be referred to as Master Chuang. You will also see his name given as "Chuang Chou" or "Zhuang Zhu", this was his proper name, first and last, not an alternate spelling of "Chuang Tzu" or "Zhuangzi".

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Native Name: 庄子 莊子
Alternative Names: Zhuang Zi Chuang Tzŭ Chuang Tzu Chuangtzŭ Chuangtzu Zhuang Zhou Chuang Chou Master Zhuang Tchouang-tse Chuang-tzu Chuang-tse
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Additional quotes by Zhuangzi

Olet kuullut ihmisten musiikkia, mutta et maan; tai ehkä olet kuullut maan musiikkia, mutta et taivaan.

Quand on a compris ce que sont le commencement, la noblesse, l'intelligence, la transformation, l'infiini, la foi et la sérénité, alors on a atteint la connaissance suprême.

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A fish-trap is for catching fish; once you've caught the fish, you can forget about the trap. A rabbit-snare is for catching rabbits; once you've caught the rabbit, you can forget about the snare. Words are for catching ideas; once you've caught the idea, you can forget about the words. Where can I find a person who knows how to forget about words so that I can have a few words with them?

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