“How do I know that enjoying life is not a delusion? How do I know that in hating death we are not like people who got lost in early childhood and do not know the way home?”
Context: How do I know that enjoying life is not a delusion? How do I know that in hating death we are not like people who got lost in early childhood and do not know the way home? Lady Li was the child of a border guard in Ai. When first captured by the state of Jin, she wept so much her clothes were soaked. But after she entered the palace, shared the king's bed, and dined on the finest meats, she regretted her tears. How do I know that the dead do not regret their previous longing for life? One who dreams of drinking wine may in the morning weep; one who dreams weeping may in the morning go out to hunt. During our dreams we do not know we are dreaming. We may even dream of interpreting a dream. Only on waking do we know it was a dream. Only after the great awakening will we realize that this is the great dream. And yet fools think they are awake, presuming to know that they are rulers or herdsmen. How dense! You and Confucius are both dreaming, and I who say you are a dream am also a dream. Such is my tale. It will probably be called preposterous, but after ten thousand generations there may be a great sage who will be able to explain it, a trivial interval equivalent to the passage from morning to night.
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
Zhuangzi 38
classic Chinese philosopher -369–-286 BCRelated quotes
“You know how I'm smart? I got people around me who know more than I do.”
Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies (2001 ed)
Fall River Bishop da Cunha has challenges to face, but don’t expect him to make headlines along the way https://www.heraldnews.com/article/20160325/NEWS/160327607 (March 25, 2016)
"Secret O' Life"
Song lyrics, JT (1977)
"Lawyers, Guns And Money" · YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP5Xv7QqXiM
Excitable Boy (1978)
“How do we know? I don't know.”
Interview with Sacha Baron Cohen (as Ali G), on Da Ali G Show
2000s
“Don't know how it all got started, I don't know what they do with their lives…”
Song lyrics, Blood on the Tracks (1975), Tangled Up In Blue
Hard Headed Woman
Song lyrics, Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
“How do I know that the dead do not regret their previous longing for life?”
Context: How do I know that enjoying life is not a delusion? How do I know that in hating death we are not like people who got lost in early childhood and do not know the way home? Lady Li was the child of a border guard in Ai. When first captured by the state of Jin, she wept so much her clothes were soaked. But after she entered the palace, shared the king's bed, and dined on the finest meats, she regretted her tears. How do I know that the dead do not regret their previous longing for life? One who dreams of drinking wine may in the morning weep; one who dreams weeping may in the morning go out to hunt. During our dreams we do not know we are dreaming. We may even dream of interpreting a dream. Only on waking do we know it was a dream. Only after the great awakening will we realize that this is the great dream. And yet fools think they are awake, presuming to know that they are rulers or herdsmen. How dense! You and Confucius are both dreaming, and I who say you are a dream am also a dream. Such is my tale. It will probably be called preposterous, but after ten thousand generations there may be a great sage who will be able to explain it, a trivial interval equivalent to the passage from morning to night.