The Writings of Chuang Tzu (Inner Chapters) · 16 of 57 · tr. James Legge
Book 124 (part 9)
The harmonising of them is to be found in the invisible operation of Heaven, and by following this on into the unlimited past.
It is by this method that we can complete our years (without our minds being disturbed) 1 .
'What is meant by harmonising (conflicting opinions) in the invisible operation of Heaven?
There is the affirmation and the denial of it; and there is the assertion of an opinion and the rejection of it.
If the affirmation be according to the reality of the fact, it is certainly different from the denial of it:--there can be no dispute about that.
If the assertion of an opinion be correct, it is certainly different from its rejection:--neither can there be any dispute about that.
Let us forget the lapse of time; let us forget the conflict of opinions.
Let us make our appeal to the Infinite, and take up our position there 2 .' 11.
The Penumbra asked the Shadow 3 , saying, 'Formerly you were walking on, and now you have stopped; formerly you were sitting, and now you have risen up:--how is it that you are so without stability?' The Shadow replied, 'I wait for the movements of something else to do what I do, and that something else on which I wait waits further p.
197 on another to do as it does 1 .
My waiting,--is it for the scales of a snake, or the wings of a cicada 2 ?
How should I know why I do one thing, or do not do another 3 ?
'Formerly, I, Kwang Kâu, dreamt that I was a butterfly, a butterfly flying about, feeling that it was enjoying itself I did not know that it was Kâu.
Suddenly I awoke, and was myself again, the veritable Kâu.
I did not know whether it had formerly been Kâu dreaming that he was a butterfly, or it was now a butterfly dreaming that it was Kâu.
But between Kâu and a butterfly there must be a difference 4 .
This is a case of what is called the Transformation of Things 4 .' Footnotes 176:1 See pp.
128-130.
176:2 Nan-kwo, 'the southern suburb,' had probably been the quarter where Dze-khî had resided, and is used as his surname.
He is introduced several times by Kwang-dze in his writings:--Books IV, 7; XXVII, 4, and perhaps elsewhere.
176:3 We have the surname of this disciple, Yen ( ); his name, Yen ( ); his honorary or posthumous epithet (Khäng); and his ordinary appellation, Dze-yû.
The use of the epithet shows that he and his master had lived before our author.
176:4 'He had lost himself;' that is, he had become unconscious of all around him, and even of himself, as if he were about to enter p.
177 into the state of Ian Immortal,' a mild form of the Buddhistic samâdhi.
But his attitude and appearance were intended by Kwang-dze to indicate what should be the mental condition in reference to the inquiry pursued in the Book;--a condition, it appears to me, of agnosticism.
See the account of Lâo-dze in a similar trance in Book XXI, par.
4.
177:1 The Chinese term here (lâi) denotes a reed or pipe, with three holes, by a combination of which there was formed the rudimentary or reed organ.
Our author uses it for the sounds or notes heard in nature, various as the various opinions of men in their discussions about things.
178:1 The sounds of Earth have been described fully and graphically.
Themes
◆Fana Annihilationsoteriology
Sufi self-effacement in God — the via by which the lover is unmade as a separate ego and recovered as God's act; specifies the practice/event rather than mystical_union's resulting state.
Footnotes describe a state where one loses oneself and becomes unconscious of surroundings, akin to self-effacement.
All passages →◆Infinite Cosmoscosmology
The doctrine of the universe as boundless and without center or circumference, populated by innumerable worlds — Bruno's rejection of the closed Aristotelian sphere; the divine and the cosmos as ontologically infinite.
The text instructs the reader to make an appeal to the Infinite and take up a position there.
All passages →◆Self Knowledgesoteriology
The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.
The narrator questions whether he is Kâu dreaming of a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of Kâu, probing the nature of self.
All passages →◇Apophatic Theologytheology
Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.
[auto] The method involves negating time and opinion to access the Invisible, aligning with describing the divine through what it is not.
All passages →◇Divine Hiddennesstheology
The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.
[auto] The text refers to the "invisible operation of Heaven" which must be followed rather than directly perceived.
All passages →◇Ein Softheology
The infinite, unknowable aspect of the divine prior to and beyond all emanation; the hidden root from which the Sephirot unfold.
[auto] The passage explicitly directs the reader to appeal to "the Infinite" as a position beyond time and conflict.
All passages →◇Inner Silencepraxis
The practice of stilling the mind and speech to open receptivity to divine knowledge or presence.
[auto] Completing years without minds being disturbed indicates a state of internal stillness and quietude.
All passages →◇Monadcosmology
The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.
[auto] The Infinite serves as the undivided first principle where one takes up their position beyond multiplicity of opinions.
All passages →◇Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
[auto] Taking up a position in the Infinite suggests a merging or alignment with the divine source.
All passages →◇Opposites Transcendedanthropology
The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.
[auto] It explicitly instructs forgetting the conflict between affirmation and denial to appeal to the Infinite beyond binary oppositions.
All passages →◇Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
[auto] The dialogue between Penumbra and Shadow uses riddle-like dependency to illustrate metaphysical truths.
All passages →◇Return To Sourcesoteriology
The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.
[auto] Following the operation into the unlimited past implies a journey back to the origin of existence.
All passages →◇Unity Of Beingtheology
The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.
[auto] The passage advocates harmonizing conflicting opinions through the invisible operation of Heaven, implying a fundamental non-dual reality.
All passages →◇Wu Weipraxis
Effortless action aligned with the spontaneous flow of the Dao; non-coercive, non-striving conduct that yields results without forcing — the sage acts without acting.
[auto] The Shadow's reliance on external movement and the instruction to follow Heaven's operation exemplify effortless action aligned with the Dao.
All passages →Related passages · 19 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 11, Section 1b
“Plotinus says the Godhead is indivisibly divided.
doth not leave Its own Unity, but, even in the act of going forth to all things, remains entirely within Itself through the excess of that all-transcendent Unity: concerning these things ‘t…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and harmony in the universe, with Passage A discussing the transformation of things and the interconnectedness of existence, while Passage B describes the indivisible unity of the Godhead and its pervasive presence in all things. Both texts emphasize the transcendence of ultimate reality and the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
◆neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter I
“Let us then, in the next place, consider the opposing arguments, what they are, and what reason they possess. And if we should discuss some things a little more abundantly, in consequence of speaking freely and at leisure, it is requisite t…”
Both passages explore the interaction between different levels of existence or beings and the human attempt to understand and harmonize with them. They discuss the nature of higher beings or forces and their relationship with humans, albeit from different cultural and philosophical contexts.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 85 (part 1)
“Section 10 10.
But if Matter is devoid of quality how can it be evil?
It is described as being devoid of quality in the sense only that it does not essentially possess any of the qualities which it admits and which enter into it as into a…”
Both passages explore the nature of understanding opposites and the limits of perception. Plotinus discusses knowing good and evil through the Intellectual-Principle and the absence of form, while Zhuangzi uses metaphors and paradoxes to illustrate the transformation of things and the limitations of human understanding.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 120
“Section 17 17. But these Reason-Principles, contained in the Soul, are they Thoughts? And if so, by what process does the Soul create in accordance with these Thoughts? It is upon Matter that this act of the Reason is exercised; and what ac…”
Both passages explore the nature of the soul and its relationship to the universe, discussing themes of creation, order, and the role of reason or principle in governing existence. They both delve into the idea of transformation and the interconnectedness of all things, albeit from different cultural and philosophical perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 253
“Section 1 1. Eternity and Time; two entirely separate things, we explain "the one having its being in the everlasting Kind, the other in the realm of Process, in our own Universe"; and, by continually using the words and assigning every phe…”
Both passages explore the nature of reality and the limitations of human perception and understanding. They discuss the idea of transformation and the difficulty of distinguishing between different states of existence or different perspectives. The passages also share a mystical approach, seeking to transcend ordinary understanding and appeal to a higher or infinite perspective.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 255
“Section 3 3. What, then, can this be, this something in virtue of which we declare the entire divine Realm to be Eternal, everlasting? We must come to some understanding of this perpetuity with which Eternity is either identical or in confo…”
Both passages explore the nature of reality and the limitations of human understanding. Passage A discusses the distinction between Eternity and Time, while Passage B delves into the transformation of things and the uncertainty of perception, both touching on themes of metaphysical inquiry and the pursuit of truth.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 264 (part 1)
“Section 12 12.
We are brought thus to the conception of a Natural-Principle- Time- a certain expanse [a quantitative phase] of the Life of the Soul, a principle moving forward by smooth and uniform changes following silently upon each othe…”
Both passages explore the nature of time and its relationship to a higher, more stable reality. Plotinus discusses the emergence of time from an eternal, divine state, while Zhuangzi uses the metaphor of dreaming to illustrate the fluidity of existence and the difficulty of distinguishing reality from illusion, both touching on the concept of transformation and the nature of being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 272
“Section 6 6. Action, thus, is set towards contemplation and an object of contemplation, so that even those whose life is in doing have seeing as their object; what they have not been able to achieve by the direct path, they hope to come at…”
Both passages explore the concept of vision and contemplation as the source of creation and understanding. Plotinus discusses Nature's vision and contemplation as the origin of material forms, while Zhuangzi describes the transformation of things and the nature of reality through a dream sequence, emphasizing the fluidity of perception and existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 321
“Section 1 1. What, then, will be the Soul's discourse, what its memories in the Intellectual Realm, when at last it has won its way to that Essence? Obviously from what we have been saying, it will be in contemplation of that order, and hav…”
Both passages explore the concept of duality within the human soul or mind, and the unification or harmony of these dual aspects. They discuss the interplay between different facets of consciousness and the nature of perception and memory.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 324
“Section 4 4. In that realm it has also vision, through the Intellectual-Principle, of The Good which does not so hold to itself as not to reach the soul; what intervenes between them is not body and therefore is no hindrance- and, indeed, w…”
Both passages explore the nature of the soul or self in a higher realm of existence, emphasizing the transcendence of time and the unity of experience. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of reality and the soul's connection to it.
9 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 328 (part 1)
“Section 8 8.
But, we need not record in memory all we see; mere incidental concomitants need not occupy the imagination; when things vividly present to intuition, or knowledge, happen to occur in concrete form, it is not necessary- unless…”
Both passages explore the concept of the soul's journey and its connection to higher realms of existence. They discuss the idea of memory and recognition in different states of being, and the potential for the soul to ascend or descend between these states. The passages share a mystical perspective on the nature of reality and the soul's experience within it.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 330
“Section 10 10. The ordering principle is twofold; there is the principle known to us as the Demiurge and there is the Soul of the All; we apply the appellation "Zeus" sometimes to the Demiurge and sometimes to the principle conducting the u…”
Both passages explore the concept of transcending the mundane and focusing on the essential or eternal. Plotinus discusses the soul's rejection of incidental details in favor of higher knowledge, while Zhuangzi's passage delves into the transformation of things and the agnostic perspective on reality, both pointing towards a deeper understanding beyond immediate perceptions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 548
“Section 10 10. In what sense is the particular manifestation of Being a unity? Clearly, in so far as it is one thing, it forfeits its unity; with "one" and "thing" we have already plurality. No species can be a unity in more than an equivoc…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and multiplicity, and the nature of existence. Plotinus discusses the One as a transcendent source of all existence, while the Taoist text explores the transformation and interdependence of things, suggesting a deeper unity beneath apparent diversity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 552
“Section 14 14. Why is Quality, again, not included among the Primaries? Because like Quantity it is a posterior, subsequent to Substance. Primary Substance must necessarily contain Quantity and Quality as its consequents; it cannot owe its…”
Both passages explore the nature of reality and the interplay between different aspects of existence. Passage A discusses the concepts of Being, Motion, and Stability within the context of Intellect, while Passage B examines the harmonization of conflicting opinions and the transformation of things, touching on themes of identity and change. Both texts delve into metaphysical questions and seek to understand the fundamental principles underlying reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 562
“Section 1 1. We have now explained our conception of Reality [True Being] and considered how far it agrees with the teaching of Plato. We have still to investigate the opposed principle [the principle of Becoming]. There is the possibility…”
Both passages explore the nature of reality and the distinction between different realms of existence. Plotinus discusses the distinction between the Intellectual and Sensible realms, while Zhuangzi (the author of Book 124) explores the transformation and interconnection of different states of being, highlighting the fluidity and relativity of existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 572
“Section 11 11. Passing to Quantity and the quantum, we have to consider the view which identifies them with number and magnitude on the ground that everything quantitative is numbered among Sensible things or rated by the extension of its s…”
Both passages explore the nature of reality and the distinction between different realms of existence. Plotinus discusses the Intellectual and Sensible realms, while Zhuangzi (Book 124) delves into the transformation and interconnection of things, highlighting the fluidity of existence and the challenge of distinguishing reality from illusion.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 640 (part 1)
“Section 1 1.
God, or some one of the gods, in sending the souls to their birth, placed eyes in the face to catch the light and allotted to each sense the appropriate organ, providing thus for the safety which comes by seeing and hearing in…”
Both passages explore the nature of unity and reality, with Plotinus discussing the concept of unity as an inherent mental attitude and the Zhuangzi passage delving into the transformation and perception of reality through the famous butterfly dream. Both texts grapple with the nature of existence and the mind's role in perceiving it.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 708
“Section 4 4. The main part of the difficulty is that awareness of this Principle comes neither by knowing nor by the Intellection that discovers the Intellectual Beings but by a presence overpassing all knowledge. In knowing, soul or mind a…”
Both passages explore the concept of transcending the limitations of human perception and understanding to achieve a higher state of awareness or unity. They emphasize the importance of moving beyond ordinary knowledge and intellectual discourse to experience a deeper, more profound reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 716
“Section 11 11. This is the purport of that rule of our Mysteries: Nothing Divulged to the Uninitiate: the Supreme is not to be made a common story, the holy things may not be uncovered to the stranger, to any that has not himself attained t…”
Both passages discuss the limitations of intellectual understanding and the need to transcend it to grasp a higher reality. Plotinus emphasizes the need to go beyond knowing to experience the unity of the Principle, while Zhuangzi illustrates the transformation and the limitations of human understanding through the story of the butterfly dream.