zhuangzi butterfly dream meaning
Definition & Meaning
Key Takeaway: The Butterfly Dream is the closing passage of the received second chapter of the Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (齊物論).
The Butterfly Dream is the closing passage of the received second chapter of the Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (齊物論). It tells of Zhuang Zhou dreaming that he is a butterfly, waking, and asking whether Zhou dreamed the butterfly or the butterfly dreamed Zhou. The passage leaves that question open rather than stating that reality is an illusion.
Source-based overview: For a fuller, canonical answer to this question, read What Is the Butterfly Dream?.
According to the Tao Te Ching by Laozi and the Zhuangzi, the foundational texts of Taoist philosophy, The Butterfly Dream is the closing passage of the received second chapter of the Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (齊物論).
— Oriens
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Frequently Asked Questions
zhuangzi butterfly dream meaning
The Butterfly Dream is the closing passage of the received second chapter of the Zhuangzi, Qiwulun (齊物論)..
who dreams whom? zhuangzi meaning
It tells of Zhuang Zhou dreaming that he is a butterfly, waking, and asking whether Zhou dreamed the butterfly or the butterfly dreamed Zhou..