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Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Miscellaneous Chapters -> Ze-yang -> 4.5

惠子Huizi, having heard of this counsel, introduced to the king Dai Jin-ren,
who said,
'There is the creature called a snail;
?」 does your majesty know it?'
:「。」I do.
'On the left horn of the snail there is a kingdom which is called Provocation,
and on the right horn another which is called Stupidity.
These two kingdoms are continually striving about their territories and fighting.
The corpses that lie on the ground amount to several myriads.
。」The army of one may be defeated and put to flight, but in fifteen days it will return.'
:「The king said, 'Pooh!
that is empty talk!
The other rejoined,
'Your servant begs to show your majesty its real significance.
?」When your majesty thinks of space - east, west, north, and south, above and beneath - can you set any limit to it?'
:「。」'It is illimitable,' said the king;
and his visitor went on,
'Your majesty knows how to let your mind thus travel through the illimitable,
?」 and yet (as compared with this) does it not seem insignificant whether the kingdoms that communicate one with another exist or not?'
The king replies,
。」 'It does so;'
and Dai Jin-ren said, finally,
'Among those kingdoms, stretching one after another, there is this Wei;
in Wei there is this (city of) Liang;
and in Liang there is your majesty.
?」Can you make any distinction between yourself, and (the king of that kingdom of) Stupidity?'
To this the king answered,
。」 'There is no distinction,'
and his visitor went out, while the king remained disconcerted and seemed to have lost himself.


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