Marblehead Posted October 30, 2016 The marsh pheasant has to take ten steps before it finds something to pick at and has to take a hundred steps before it gets a drink. But the pheasant would prefer not to be raised in a cage where, though you treat it like a king, its spirit would not thrive. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taoist Texts Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) interesting that a bird in a marsh has hard time finding water to drink. unless its not water , maybe there is a pub in hundred steps away. once a marsh pheasant, a butterfly and Zhuan-zi walk into a bar... actually scratch that the original specifically says water Edited October 30, 2016 by Taoist Texts 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 31, 2016 Yeah, freedom requires doing things on our own most of the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taoist Texts Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) and has to take a hundred steps before it gets a drink. Still why? In a marsh water is everywhere. Edited October 31, 2016 by Taoist Texts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawei Posted October 31, 2016 I'm thinking the marsh pheasant is literally caged in this situation... seemingly treated like a [caged] king with his every needed taken care of... he is but feed water less frequently. I see him pacing around the cage waiting for the pampering of water. He'd rather be free in the marsh to take care of himself. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 31, 2016 Still why? In a marsh water is everywhere. Well, maybe the food it prefers is one hundred steps from where the water is. Point being though is that earning one's own life support is more demanding than being continuously provide with the staples of life. Freedom vs slavery. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 31, 2016 And remember, we see also the contrast between a caged bird and a free bird. The physical comforts of life vs the spiritual freedom of self-sufficiency. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted November 1, 2016 (edited) I read it thusly,Ease, literally doing nothing, doesn't make it happy.(IMO, this negates the idea that doing nothing ,, literally,, --is not the way (" doing nothing , leaving nothing undone ") is meant.His existance, freed, makes him "useless" for being eaten. His nature, being unmodifed in the situation of being caged, may have certain advantages or disadvantages , but his or her nature is to be the marsh pheasant living the life of one. It cant help but but follow ,his or her nature, regardless of added difficulty or danger. Its irrational from the perspective of the human for it to fly away, but taking the nature of the Birds view as a starting point , there is rationality in its attempt to be free , it will sustain itself easy enough in the marsh. The food isnt the point either way, its just the nature of birds and people to want to be free , and it doesnt have to serve greater purpose , or even its own 'health and longevity' . Life is not , by bread alone , made whole. Edit for clarity , since I was at a stoplight, didnt want to retype the whole thing , so I just saved it for later, but by the time later came around I was busy with other stuff and so, never really go around to it in the prompt manner in which I had intended it to be responded to. So now Revisiting the post Im shocked at just how mangled I presented it , leaving that standing for all to be discomfitted by.. and post haste I have fixed it up despite some looks by my boss disapproving that Im goofing around on the computer whan theres legit stuff to be done. Though if I wrote it now I might go with Milton ,, The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n. or Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven. Which is all pretty ironic since we had Olive Garden at a lunch meeting today and I had the angel hair pasta.. with chicken! Edited November 1, 2016 by Stosh 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taoist Texts Posted November 1, 2016 The marsh pheasant has to take ten steps before it finds something to pick at and has to take a hundred steps before it gets a drink. But the pheasant would prefer not to be raised in a cage where, though you treat it like a king, its spirit would not thrive. Mair garbled up the original by inserting 'has to' which is not in the original, making up hardship in finding water, without realizing that there should be none in a marsh. He invents a contrast between imaginary hardship in the wild and abundance in a coop. The original has no such contrast. What ZZ is trying to say that although a cooped pheasant is amply provided with water and feed in a coop, he does not need that much since he has all needed food and drink freely available in the wild; He is unhappy in a coop because his spirit has a premonition of how it is gonna end. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
