Saturday 9 February 2008

Death of Zhuangzi

莊子將死弟子欲厚葬之莊子曰吾以天地為棺槨以日月為連璧星辰為珠璣萬物為齎送吾葬具豈不備邪何以加此弟子曰吾恐烏鳶之食夫子也莊子曰在上為烏鳶食在下為螻蟻食奪彼與此何其偏也

As Zhuangzi was about to die, his disciples wanted to prepare a rich funeral. He said : “Heavens and Earth will be my coffins, Sun and Moon my jade disks, Stars and Zodiac my pearls, and all creatures my procession. Aren’t all the instruments of my funeral prepared? What could you add to them?" The disciples said : “we fear that you are eaten by crows and kites.” Zhuangzi said: “over the earth, I shall be eaten by crows and kites, under the earth, I shall be eaten by ants. Take from those to give to these, is it fair?”

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