Chuang Tzu's dream

One morning, Chinese mystic Chuang Tzu was sitting in his bed. He looked very sad. His disciples had never seen him so sad. And never after waking up had he remained in his bed, sitting. What had happened? Was he sick?

They gathered around and asked him, 'Master, what is the matter?' He said, 'The matter is really difficult, I cannot solve it; perhaps you may be of some help. In the night, I dreamt that I had become a butterfly, and I was moving from one flower to another flower.'

The disciples said, 'This is nothing to be sad about. In dreams, we all do strange things; and this is not a bad thing, to be a butterfly.' He said, 'The problem is, now I am awake and I am wondering whether Chuang Tzu dreamt that he is a butterfly, or now the butterfly has gone to sleep and is dreaming she is Chuang Tzu.' Both are possible. If Chuang Tzu can dream he is a butterfly, what can't a butterfly dream she is Chuang Tzu?


The disciples remained silent. Chuang Tzu was pointing towards a phenomenon that all religions teach - everything is a dream. The butterfly is a dream, Chuang Tzu is a dream. Then what is real? And, in this dream, don't get disturbed. Whether you are a camel, a donkey or a monkey - it doesn't matter. What matters is that you accept it without any resentment so that you can reach one day the real world of God.

(Abridged from 'From Death to Deathlessness, Talk #13', courtesy: Osho International Foundation, www.osho.com)