Chuang Tzu Chapter 1, Section A

[ChiDragon]

Kung fish turned into a Peng Bird:

http://www.tudou.com/playlist/p/l1809135i10338818.html

[Marblehead]

Kung fish turned into a Peng Bird:

http://www.tudou.com/playlist/p/l1809135i10338818.html

 

And the two side borders did not change, and I am sure of this because I was keeping my eyes on them.

[ChiDragon]

And the two side borders did not change, and I am sure of this because I was keeping my eyes on them.

 

I thinking one is looking down, from 90,000 miles high above the sky, it seems nothing to be moving. Besides, it took the Peng bird to fly six months to get to the other border. You didn't wait long enough to see a change...

[ChiDragon]

There is a difference in philosophy between LaoTze and ZhuangTze. LaoTze like to see things microscopically; and ZhuangTze is macroscopically. The good examples are illustrated in Chapter 1 in both of their written texts.

 

LaoTze says: "Wu engendered by you"; from the invisible to the visible(microscopic).

 

ZhuangTze say: "Big Kun fish tunred into a gigantic Peng bird flying 90 thousand sino-miles up; and flew from extreme north to extreme south. Hence, from high above and across looking down, it sees the panorama of the earth. Now it had seen the whole picture; the things are how tiny down below(macroscopic)!"

 

LaoTze's writing style, first thing, is telling the principle. In the other hand, ZhuangTze instead telling the principle he tells a story. He uses a comparison from big to small to point out the big contrast of matters. Something gigantic for his big vision as compared to something small showing a narrow vision, e.g. the dialog between the cicada and the young turtledove.

 

ZhuangTze used the cicada and the young turtledove laughing at the Peng bird in his example is for the above reason. The cicada only lives in the summer and disappeared in autumn; and it never live long enough to see the four seasons on earth. In addition, the young turtledove is only learning how to fly up and down the tree and have a worm for its meal once a day. Thus, it's very contented with the simple daily routine. In the contrary, the peng bird wants to fly high and go across from on side to the other to get a broad view of things.

 

In this illustration, reveals ZhuangTze's broad vision of wisdom. The principle here is suggesting that we should open up our minds and have a broader vision in seeing things instead of just stay in little tiny area with a little knowledge and thinking knew it all.

[Marblehead]

In this illustration, reveals ZhuangTze's broad vision of wisdom. The principle here is suggesting that we should open up our minds and have a broader vision in seeing things instead of just stay in little tiny area with a little knowledge and thinking knew it all.

 

But later on he says that there is no difference between a long life and a short life; between a macro or micro view.

 

However, I agree with what you have said.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Marblehead