Chuang Tzu Story - Autumn floods

Discussion in 'Spiritual Stories' started by garry420, Jan 21, 2016.

  1. garry420

    garry420 Well-Known Member

    Chuang Tzu told the story
    of the autumn floods:

    The autumn floods had come.
    Thousands of wild torrents
    poured furiously into the
    Yellow River.
    It surged and flooded its banks until,
    looking across,
    you could not tell an ox from a horse
    on the other side.

    Then the River God laughed,
    delighted to think
    that all the beauty in the world
    had fallen into his keeping.

    So downhill he swung,
    untill he came to the ocean.
    There he looked out over the waves
    towards the empty horizon in the east,
    and his face fell.

    Gazing out at the far horizon,
    he came to his senses
    and murmured to the Ocean God:
    “Well, proverb is right:
    ‘He who has got himself a
    hundred ideas,
    he thinks he knows more than anybody else.’
    Such a one am I.
    Only now do I see
    what they mean by expanse!”

    The Ocean God replied,
    “Can you talk about the sea to a frog in a well?
    Can you talk about ice to a dragonfly?
    And can you talk about the Way of life
    to a doctor of philosophy?”
     

Share This Page