物化 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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wùhuà 物化

Transformation of Things

事物彼我界限的打破及相互转化,是事物的一种存在状态。“物化”一说出自《庄子·齐物论》。庄子通过“庄周梦蝶”的寓言来说明“物化”的意义。庄子认为,自身与他者、梦与醒以及一切事物之间的界限与区别都可以被破除,从而实现物与物之间的转化与流通。如果执着于彼我的区别,就不能体认“物化”,如在梦中一般;但如果执着于“物化”,同样会跌入梦中。

This is a form of the existence of things when the boundary between things is broken and one thing transforms into another. The term “transformation of things” comes from Zhuangzi, who illustrated the concept in the fable Zhuangzi Dreamed of Becoming a Butterfly. He believed that the boundary and difference between oneself and others, between in a dream and being awake, and between all things can be broken. Consequently, one may achieve the transformation between one thing and another. However, if one holds onto the difference between oneself and the others, one cannot achieve the transformation of things, as if in a dream. If one is bent on transforming things, one may still fall into a dream.

引例 Citation:

◎昔者庄周梦为胡蝶,栩栩然胡蝶也,自喻适志与!不知周也。俄然觉,则蘧(qú)蘧然周也。不知周之梦为胡蝶与?胡蝶之梦为周与?周与胡蝶,则必有分矣。此之谓物化。(《庄子·齐物论》)

(从前庄周梦见自己变成了蝴蝶,翩翩飞舞的一只蝴蝶,遨游各处悠游自在,不知道自己是庄周。忽然醒过来,自己分明是庄周。不知道是庄周做梦化为蝴蝶呢,还是蝴蝶做梦变化为庄周呢?庄周与蝴蝶必定是有所分别的。这就叫做“物化”。)

Once I, Zhuang Zhou, dreamed that I became a flying butterfly, happy with myself and doing as I pleased. I forgot that I was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly I woke up and I was Zhuang Zhou again. I did not know whether Zhuang Zhou had been dreaming that he was a butterfly, or whether a butterfly had been dreaming that it was Zhuang Zhou. There must be a difference between the two, which is what I call “transformation of things.” (Zhuangzi)

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