What does it mean by Wisdom of Nature?
Here is a lovely story which may explain itself what Chuang Tzu
meant of Wisdom of Nature (or natural wisdom of the Great Universe)
Once upon a time a certain skilled carpenter, lets call him Master Shik, he is accompanying several of his disciples in visiting another state. On their journey they come across a very huge tree growing beside a local earth god temple, its tree trunk reaches almost half the mountain top, so high then its branches start spread out, it is ten times higher than the earth temple and its shape can accommodate thousands of cows or carabaos(water buffalo) to rest and or sleep underneath it.
Master Shik's disciples were all astounded by the strange giant tree. But Master Shik did not mind it at all not even bother to look at the tree, he just continue on with his journey without his disciples.
Not soon after his disciples catch-up on him and asked:
"Master since we were with you learning your crafts but we never have seen such a huge tree ever in our lives! Why did you not even pay a little attention to such a wonderful tree, its good quality trunk could be made into a wood craft?
The Master said: "Never mind, its just an ordinary tree-not a much useful tree for me, neither it is a quality tree as well so why waste your time looking at it?"
When evening came the master carpenter had a strange dream, he dreamt that the giant tree spoke to him saying: "During the day why were you talking a lot of nonsense to your disciples that I am a useless ordinary tree. I say you're the one who is useless and ordinary person; why don't you think carefully, if I am useful to you you would have chopped me down. How could I live up to this day and become a giant tree? If you think I am useless; I think otherwise, for me I am more useful than you." after hearing this the master carpenter was so pleased and ask for forgiveness from the tree : "I am very sorry, now I know you're a tree full of great wisdom."
Next morning Master Shik told his disciples about his dream last night. His disciples were very happy to hear it. But one of his disciples suddenly said: "Master, if the tree also considers itself useless why he had to grow along side with the temple and attract the attention of temple goers?"
The Master replied:"That is a good question, but lower your tone otherwise the tree might over hear us again... now let me tell you secretly... A useless tree should not grow anywhere at will, otherwise if he grows in the middle of a road, definitely it will be cut-down sooner or later. That's why it grows beside the temple ground. People will have a second thought, they will believe that the tree is for the temple gods to rest so nobody will dare cut it down!"
The realization is:
Useful or Useless is but a man's judgment, it is the Value of the Opposite/Contrast, in other words what is Useful to me might be Useless to you or others. Therefore the realization of wisdom should above board the Value! If the Purpose of man; if in his life time he is to chase after his ideals or values would be comparable to racing against his own shadow!
He will waste his entire energy for nothing!
Here is another Discourse of Chuang Tze and his good friend Wei Tzu about:
The Happiness of the Fishes in the Pond: "You're not fish how do you know if the fish is Happy?
One day Chuang Tzu and Wei Tzu are strolling on a bridge over a pond of fishes...
Chuang Tzu said: "Ah the little white fishes are so free...How happy are the fishes indeed!"
Wei Tzu said: "Well you're not a fish, how do you know that the fishes are happy?"
Chuang Tzu said; "You're not me how would you know that I do not know the fishes are happy or not?"
Wei Tzu said: "I am not you, definitely I do not know you! But you're not the fish, therefore you won't know either whether the fishes are happy or not?"
Chuang Tzu: " Its not that, let us go back to our original dialogue when you said: "How do you know that the fishes are happy? At that point, you already knew that I know the fishes are happy, therefore you asked me! now I can tell you How do I know why the fishes are happy? Its from the bridge that I realized it!"
The Realization is:
....to be continued...
but try to figure it out if we got the same Realization on this....
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