Zhuangzi told stories to try and share the wisdom of the Universe. Do not directly read the story as it is. Try to see the wisdom of the unspoken. Master Lu will share his insights during the first call.
We are reading from the book, Zhuangzhi Speaks by Tsai Chih-Chung and highly suggest you read pages 2-4 before reading other parables.
The Summer Cicada and the Wonder Tortoise, Page 5
Here is a recap of the story for those who do not have the book:
Once, there was a man named Peng Zu, known throughout the land for his long life.
He lived to be over eight hundred years old, and people said he was the longest-lived man in history. To most, such a life seemed beyond imagination—an eternity!
Once, there was a man named Peng Zu, known throughout the land for his long life.
He lived to be over eight hundred years old, and people said he was the longest-lived man in history. To most, such a life seemed beyond imagination—an eternity!
But Zhuangzi smiles and reminds us: even eight hundred years is nothing when compared to the great cycles of Heaven and Earth. To Nature, the life of Peng Zu is as brief as a summer afternoon.
He continues with a story.
The summer cicada lives only a few weeks. It hatches, sings through the heat, mates, and dies before the season turns. To the cicada, summer is forever—it knows nothing of spring’s birth or autumn’s decline.
Then there is the Wonder Tortoise of the distant mountains, whose back carries markings of Heaven and whose lifespan spans ten thousand years.
The tortoise has seen rivers change course, mountains wear down, and generations of humans rise and fall.
To the tortoise, the entire life of Peng Zu—those eight hundred years that men call “eternity”—passes in the blink of an eye, as brief and noisy as the cicada’s song.
Hui Shi’s Giant Gourd, Page 8-9
Here is a recap of the story for those who do not have the book:
Zhuangzi’s friend Hui Shi once came to him complaining:
“The King of Wei gave me some seeds of a giant gourd. I planted them, and they grew enormous—big enough to hold five bushels!
But when I tried to use them as water containers, they were too big and too weak to hold anything.
When I tried to make them into ladles, they were too heavy to lift.
So I smashed them to pieces—what a waste!”
Zhuangzi laughed and replied:
“You, my friend, are clumsy in using what you have!
Why didn’t you think of tying the gourds together to make a raft and float down the rivers and lakes? Instead, you complain that such a large gourd was useless.
Clearly, it’s not the gourd that’s useless—it’s you who cannot use its greatness!”
The Song Family’s Secret Formula
Here is a recap of the story for those who do not have the book:
A man from the state of Song learned a secret family formula for making a special ointment that could prevent chapped hands.
The Song family used it for generations to protect their hands while washing silk, and it helped them earn a modest living.
One day, this man taught the formula to someone else, who then used it in a completely different way—to train soldiers for winter warfare.
The ointment protected the soldiers’ hands from the cold and water, allowing them to defeat their enemies.
The new owner of the formula was rewarded with a noble title and great wealth, while the Song family had only ever used it to make silk.
