Chuang Tzu: Letter H

I thought that section “H” from the reader in Chuang Tzu’s part was very interesting and related to the tree section we talked about in class. In the tree section, we talked about how the lack of perfection of the tree allowed it to live a long peaceful life rather than being cut down and used for something “useful” (according to us humans). In the turtle excerpt, Chuang Tzu was asked by the king, through his officials, whether he would like to serve on the administration. Chuang Tzu brought up the story of the ancient tortoise that was said to be thousands of years old and kept in the palace. He asked the officials if they thought the turtle would rather be kept in the palace to be admired for years to come or out living its own life in the mud of the pond. The officials answered that the tortoise would probably prefer to be left in the mud, and Chuang Tzu said, “Go away! I’ll drag my tail in the mud!” (86). Chuang Tzu would rather continue on with his peaceful life that he had chosen for himself, rather than take part in the honor of advising the king. This connects directly to conversations we had in class about would we rather be happy with a life that may be considered less, or be stressed out with a higher title and more honor. Something for us to continue to think about and discuss.