Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and tither… To all intents and purposes a butterfly, I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly — unaware that I was myself. Soon, I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again…
Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.
One who dreams does not know they are dreaming. Only when they awaken do they know they have dreamt. But there is also The Great Awakening, and then we see that everything here is nothing but a great dream.
Of course, the fools believe that they are already awake — what foolishness! Confucius and you, both of you, are dreams. And I, who tell you this, am also a dream.
The perfect one uses their mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing. It receives, but does not keep.
The effect of life in society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are, by causing us to become obsessed by what we are not. When people do not ignore what they should ignore, but ignore what they should not ignore — this is known as ignorance.
Do not struggle. Go with the flow of things, and you will find yourself at One with the mysterious unity of the universe.
Perfect happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it — yet our opinions have no permanence. Like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away.
Your preciousness lies in your essence. It cannot be lost by anything that happens.
Do not seek fame. Do not make plans. Do not be absorbed by activities. Do not think that you know. Be aware of all that is, and dwell in the Infinite.
Wander where there is no path. Be all that Heaven gave you, but act as though you have received nothing. Be empty, that is all.