A Buddhist rant on the nature that is Tao.

[zerostao]

What about Chuang Tzu's story about the dream of a butterfly? You could say that it was a metaphor for existence being illusion-like.

 

 

this inner experience is an interfusion of subject and object. chuanz tzu is the subject and the butterfly is the object.

but, he says, it might be the butterfly that was dreaming of itself as a man,

making the butterfly the subject and chuang tzu as the object.

is it possible to make a distinction between subject and object?

so for me it is not about illusion, but it is an awareness of the identification and the interpenetration of the self and the non-self.

is this one of the keys that helps to unlock the mystery that we call the tao?

[Marblehead]

What about Chuang Tzu's story about the dream of a butterfly? You could say that it was a metaphor for existence being illusion-like.

 

Well shit!!! What can I say as a follow-up after what Zerostao just said? Hehehe.

 

But then if we look at Chuang Tzu's story about forgetting himself while walking in the park and walking on the grass where it was forbidden to walk and was chased off by the grounds-keeper we see that Chuang Tzu really knew that he wasn't a butterfly but it was only a dream that caused him to believe he was.

 

Therefore I suggest that we must understand the difference between our illusions and delusions and our physical reality.

 

Yes, it is nice to dream of being a butterfly living a care-free life, just fluttering around sipping on all the nectar of the gods. But a butterfly's life is so short and extremely limited. Better, I think, to be who and what we are.

[zerostao]

Well shit!!! What can I say as a follow-up after what Zerostao just said? Hehehe.

 

But then if we look at Chuang Tzu's story about forgetting himself while walking in the park and walking on the grass where it was forbidden to walk and was chased off by the grounds-keeper we see that Chuang Tzu really knew that he wasn't a butterfly but it was only a dream that caused him to believe he was.

 

Therefore I suggest that we must understand the difference between our illusions and delusions and our physical reality.

 

Yes, it is nice to dream of being a butterfly living a care-free life, just fluttering around sipping on all the nectar of the gods. But a butterfly's life is so short and extremely limited. Better, I think, to be who and what we are.

perhaps but fluttering around and living care-free is kinda cool.

i may even become a devout student of butterfly palms, who teaches that anyways?!

but was there a reason it is a butterfly that Chaung Tzu dreampt of ?

or the Butterfly dreampt he was chaung tzu?

 

consider the butterfly and the life cycle of a butterfly.

it starts off just the simplest of organisms , left on some leaf somewhere.

then it develops into a wormlike caterpillar munching some leaves and in this

growth cycle it sheds its skin a few times. and when it has experienced the right amount

of growth it becomes a chrysalis ! :)probably doing alot of inner searching but in this stage

doesnt this creature have its armour on and kinda shy away from the world, just trying to blend

into its surroundings un-noticed. but then it decides to open its heart and to grow its wings

and it comes out into the world a fragile and vulnerable creature but it doesnt care

it has become a care free and beautiful being. very in sync with the tao. it belongs and knows its place in the world.

it flutters where it will and fulfils its destiny.

such transforamtion and do we measure everything by the amount of time?

or do we measure by being able to transform fully and reach our destiny?

Edited June 24, 2011 by zerostao

[Marblehead]

i may even become a devout student of butterfly palms, who teaches that anyways?!

 

Wasn't that Cassius Clay? (Sorry. Hehehe.)

 

consider the butterfly and the life cycle of a butterfly.

it starts off just the simplest of organisms , left on some leaf somewhere.

then it develops into a wormlike caterpillar munching some leaves and in this

growth cycle it sheds its skin a few times. and when it has experienced the right amount

of growth it becomes a chrysalis ! :)probably doing alot of inner searching but in this stage

doesnt this creature have its armour on and kinda shy away from the world, just trying to blend

into its surroundings un-noticed. but then it decides to open its heart and to grow its wings

and it comes out into the world a fragile and vulnerable creature but it doesnt care

it has become a care free and beautiful being. very in sync with the tao. it belongs and knows its place in the world.

it flutters where it will and fulfils its destiny.

such transforamtion and do we measure everything by the amount of time?

or do we measure by being able to transform fully and reach our destiny?

 

That read beautifully. Thanks. Yeah, sometimes I get to be a butterfly.

 

Last summer I was sitting out front just looking at the flowers and butterflies and suddenly a female flutters up and lands on my pants leg and immediately following was a male and they mated right there on my pants leg. Such a wonderful experience that was!

 

Chuang Tzu suggests that a long life is no different from a short life. The processes were completed. From creation to destruction. I guess what matters is what we do between the two events. But then, maybe it doesn't matter. I don't know.

 

I'm off to sip some nectar.

[zerostao]

Blast from the past. Ten years gone by. 

Marblehead is off sipping nectar and Vajrahridaya ponders the ever evolving process that is all inclusive.

I miss those two bums. giants among bums, those two.

great respect.

their presence is still felt, 'round here. 

 

edit>> not counting pinned threads, there are currently half a dozen threads on the first page of General discussion ten years old or older! 

Edited August 9, 2021 by zerostao

[doc benway]

Beautiful!

Thanks for sharing this wonderful moment from Bums past.

🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽

[Apech]

13 hours ago, steve said:

Beautiful!

Thanks for sharing this wonderful moment from Bums past.

🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽

 

OMG ten years - where did they go?  Vaj and Marbles two of the greatest.