Butterfly Dream

Zhuang Zhou was a famous ancient Chinese philosopher, born around 369 B.C. He was also a thinker, a writer, and a master of Taoism. His thoughts are still not fully understood today.

This shot was inspired by his famous dream experience.

Zhuangzi once dreamt that he had transformed into a butterfly, flying freely and happily. When he woke up, the experience in his dream was still very clear. He could not help feeling confused. Was it he who had become a butterfly in his dream, or had the butterfly become him in its dream? For a while, Zhuangzi could not tell which was real and which was surreal. Dreams can feel real, while real life can sometimes feel like a dream. Finally, Zhuangzi came to the conclusion that everything in the world keeps changing, including life, and that nothing is eternal.

What wisdom that is.

Photography

“Was it he who had become a butterfly in his dream, or had the butterfly become him in its dream?”

I hung the mask on a white wall. The butterfly specimen was glued to a stick, and I had to be very careful not to break its fragile wings. It took me over an hour to set the scene.

I was amazed, almost in disbelief, at how well the outline of the wings coordinated with the shape of the mask.

Note: Some friends have asked what type of butterfly this is and which region it comes from. I am embarrassed to say that I have no idea. Do you know the answer? Why not leave a comment and tell me?