In the previous article we talked about opening up the "inner space".
Zhuangzi makes us realize that life can be a "getaway", which is not a utopia, but in the end I say that things are not so simple, because our little me is stubborn, it will desperately defend its territory, let us return to normalcy, a state of sleep in the eyes of people like Zhuangzi.
In my description of the "small self", many friends may feel that the "small me" seems to be an entity hidden within us, with its own will and pursuit, and in fact it is true.
Of course, in order to make it easier to understand, the "small self" can also be interpreted as the dysfunctional part of the human brain, which has been confirmed by the latest brain science research results.
The world-renowned professor of neurology Antonio D'Amasio, a scholar who focuses on the human brain and its complexity, has made it clear that "the left brain of mankind likes to fabricate storylines that do not correspond to the facts" in order to convince itself and you: everything is in control...
This seems to imply that human beings have been living in self-deception for a long time.
Just because almost all people are like this doesn't mean it's normal.
Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi have a clear understanding of this point, so they put forward the "absolute holy renunciation of wisdom", the real meaning is: to drive out of our lives the "little self" raised by the mind, so as to realize the evolution of human consciousness and achieve a state of life that we have never dreamed of before.
In this realm, our inner essence has always been known, but the ego is not interested, even afraid and resistant, so reading a book like Zhuangzi, one "I" is smiling, and the other "I" is screaming.
That smile is the real "me", because this "I" understand that these statements convey the truth.
The screamer was "Little Me," and he was screaming "This is impossible" or "I don't want this."
Therefore, Zhuangzi's "small and big debate" can actually be understood as our internal controversy, a kind of "heaven and man war" facing eternal and practical problems, so that our understanding of "The Getaway" is not another layer deeper?
Well, let's look at the original text, Zhuangzi wrote:
Xuan and Xue Dove laughed: "I decided to fly and grab the elm, but the time will not arrive, but it is only controlled by the ground, and xi will be ninety thousand miles and south?" ”
Small insects and birds such as the tick, the dove, and the repellent bird did not think much of the "big move" of Dapeng flying to the South Meditation, and they laughed and said, "Xi takes ninety thousand miles and goes south"?
Yes, how good it is to be down-to-earth and comfortable to live, fly so high, so far, why go?
Aren't these voices questioning Dapeng the thoughts of the vast majority of people?
What tao of Lao Tzu and what kind of getaway of Zhuangzi are simply out of reach, and what does it have to do with our real life?
Guo Xiang, the most famous commentator of the "Zhuangzi" of the Western Jin Dynasty, gave a round field to Xue and Xuejiu and wrote this sentence:
If you are satisfied with its nature, although Dapeng cannot be proud of the birds, the birds are not envious of the Heavenly Pond, and the glory is more than enough. Therefore, although the small and the big are special, they are also at ease.
Guo Xiang believes that Dapeng is not necessarily more noble than the little bird, and the little bird does not have to envy the Tianchi of the Roc, as long as it conforms to their respective natures, they are all the same.
This understanding, of course, is in line with our habitual thinking, divided into two, four flat and eight stable.
However, this is Guo Xiang's own opinion, not Zhuangzi's meaning.
Of course, it is only a parable in itself, and there is no need to argue too much about right and wrong.
I would just like to emphasize here that Zhuangzi's "small and big argument" is obviously on the side of "Dapeng".
In other words, he values the high-dimensional life symbolized by the "Roc" rather than the real life symbolized by the insects and birds, so he said:
"Those who are suitable for recklessness, three meals instead, the belly is still true; those who are suitable for a hundred miles, the grain of sustenance; those who are suitable for a thousand miles, gather grain in March." What do you know about the second worm! ”
This passage can be understood as follows: The farther a person goes on the road of exploring his inner nature, the greater the meaning he carries, and the more difficult it is to be understood.
Later, he gave a lot of big and small examples, the meaning is the same, not much to say.
In short, Zhuangzi believes that "small knowledge is not as good as big knowledge, and small years are not as good as big years."
So, what is good about the flashy "big" in the eyes of ordinary people?
Zhuangzi did not say it explicitly, but only said "this small and big argument", and gently turned the page of Dapeng over.
This is very much like the Zen style, always putting the problem out, but not giving a conclusion, and realizing it yourself.
Of course, at the end of "The Getaway", Zhuangzi has an answer, which we will mention later.
Here, I would like to quote a sentence from "The Power of the Moment" to talk about the benefits of "big" and to summarize the section "Pengfei South Meditation".
Eckhart wrote:
"You will realize that you are no longer a meaningless little fragment in this strange universe—a brief wandering between life and death, a taste of joy followed by suffering, and finally a final disillusionment."
The above is the reality that "small" really faces. Next he added:
"In the outer form, you are connected with something very vast, very vast, very sacred."
This of course says "big".
I think that Eckhart said what Zhuangzi deliberately did not say, Zhuangzi's "getaway", his "spiritual contact with heaven and earth alone", is precisely related to something very vast, very vast, very sacred.
Next, Zhuangzi expanded the "small and big debate" to several people in different realms, completely subverting our understanding of the real world.
Please continue reading "Zhuangzi Getaway" No. 5: Three Realms of Life