Chuang Tzu—Part 3

“The Bell Stand”

In ancient China wooden bell stands were gorgeous works of art that supported the magnificent bells that craftsmen forged. Once a cabinet maker was commissioned to carve a bell stand for a particularly beautiful new bell. After he finished the stand, it was celebrated as an exquisite work of art. People who saw it proclaimed that the stand had to be the work of the gods—not mortal man.

When asked about the response of the people to his stand, the cabinet maker replied that he was simply a wood worker, not at all godlike. How had he accomplished this beautiful act? He replied that, when he receives such an auspicious commission, he prepares himself by dropping all distractions, slowing down, meditating, and fasting for a few days.

That clears his mind and focuses him on the task at hand—now no longer aware of any prestige or even of the money involved. Then he fasts and meditates a few days longer, letting go of any thoughts of expectation—of failure or success, or even of having the required level of artistry.

Then, feeling whole and rejuvenated, free from concerns of the outside world, he wanders into the forest, living with the trees for several days. At some point he comes upon the perfect tree, within which he can clearly see the form of a bell stand. With that vision and that perfect tree, he then simply removes the wood that is not essential to the bell stand residing within.

If he has succeeded in revealing—with no effort—the bell stand contained within the tree, he knows that he's followed the Way; he has been led by the Tao. He knows that he's aligned himself with heaven, so those who gaze upon the completed bell stand will be led to think that it has to be the work of immortals, of the gods.

Chuang Tzu Random Samples

• Words are not simply sounds. Words have meaning. And if this meaning is not subject to some accepted definition, does a word serve any function? We believe that our words are different from the chirping of young birds in the nest. What is the difference?
• Chuang fluttered about, from flower to flower, from nectar to nectar, delighted with all around him, existing as a butterfly. Dreaming as a butterfly, he forgot that he was indeed Chuang. He awakened from his dream with a start. “What?”, he cried. “I am me and no longer the happy, carefree butterfly. Am I really Chuang? Or am I the butterfly dreaming I am this Chuang? I cannot be both the butterfly and Chuang, or can I? No, that's not possible, there's a distinction between the two. But what is that distinction?”
• Death: And where were you before you were born? And where will you go when you die? The past stretches back beyond where we can see it; the future extends infinitely beyond our comprehension. I cannot see the beginning. I cannot see the end of things. Without beginning; without end, beyond life, beyond death; joined together in this birth of mine.
• To know what is of use in this world, you must first understand what is of no use.