庄周梦蝶.note¶
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庄周梦蝶 Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream
昔者庄周梦为蝴蝶，栩栩然蝴蝶也。自喻适志与！不知周也。俄然觉，则蘧蘧然周也。不知周之梦为
蝴蝶与？蝴蝶之梦为周与？周与蝴蝶则必有分矣。此之谓物化。（《庄子 · 齐物论》）
“Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself
and doing as he pleased. He didn’t know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was,
solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn’t know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a
butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be
some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things. (2, tr. Burton Watson 1968:49)”
Zhuang Zhou Meng Die isn’t just a chengyu, but also a philosophy concept developed by the Taoist
philosopher, Zhuangzi. Through the story of dreaming of being a butterfly, Zhuangzi poses a
philosophical question: how does one understand reality? If the dream feels real enough, nobody
could know whether he was in a dream or awake.
Throughout history, Chinese intellectuals have interpreted this story and used it in their writings. One
of the most famous comments on it is by 张潮 Zhāng Cháo, a Qing dynasty writer: “ 庄周梦为蝴蝶，庄
周之幸也；蝴蝶梦为庄周，蝴蝶之不幸也 (Zhuāngzhōumèng wèi húdié, zhuāng zhōu zhī xìngyě;
húdié mèng wèi zhuāng zhōu, húdié zhī bùxìng yě) 。 ” Meaning, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a
butterfly, ’twas Zhuangzhou’s fortune; butterfly dreamed it was Zhuangzhou, ’twas the butterfly’s
misfortune.”
"(I) Zhuangzi once dreamed I was a butterfly, a butterfly fluttering about..., not knowing about Zhuangzi.
Suddenly I woke up, glad to find I was still Zhuangzi. (But) I didn't know whether I had dreamed that I was a
butterfly, or was a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi. There must be a difference between Zhuangzi and a
butterfly, and this is what is called "material transformation."
Thus a gentleman who can attain the Dao shrinks that which has been created beyond objective existence,
(instead) using his spirit to guide his life force, wandering pleasantly in a broad, quietly empty place, going
along with all the changes in heaven and on earth, and being of one substance with the Universe. This pleasure
is not the sort an ordinary bumpkin can know; (only) men of distinction attain it.
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