When Zhuangzi was about to die, his disciples
signified their wish to give him a grand burial. 'I shall have heaven
and earth,' said he, 'for my coffin and its shell; the sun and moon
for my two round symbols of jade; the stars and constellations for my
pearls and jewels; and all things assisting as the mourners. Will not
the provisions for my burial be complete? What could you add to them?'
The disciples replied, 'We are afraid that the crows and kites will
eat our master.' Zhuangzi rejoined, 'Above, the crows and kites will
eat me; below, the mole-crickets and ants will eat me: to take from
those and give to these would only show your partiality.'
Spec sheet
- Name: Taesun Moon
- Status: Student
- Where: University of Texas at Austin
- What: Linguistics
Output
My father used to say,
"Superior people never make long visits,
have to be shown Longfellow's grave
or the glass flowers at Harvard.
Self-reliant like the cat
that takes its prey to privacy,
the mouse's limp tail hanging like a shoelace from its mouth
they sometimes enjoy solitude,
and can be robbed of speech
by speech which has delighted them.
The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence, but restraint."
Nor was he insincere in saying, "Make my house your inn."
Inns are not residences.