🕊️ The Dream Of The Butterfly

August 25, 2025

TWO-MINUTE MONK
Ancient wisdom for modern life, every Monday.

🧘 Monk Thought

“Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly,
flitting happily about.
He did not know he was Zhuangzi.
Suddenly he awoke,
and he was Zhuangzi again.
But he did not know:
was he Zhuangzi who had dreamt of being a butterfly,
or a butterfly now dreaming he was Zhuangzi?”

— Zhuangzi (4th century BCE)

💡 Monk Light

Most of us live as if reality is fixed, solid, unquestionable.

Zhuangzi cuts through that certainty with a smile:

What if the self you cling to is only a dream?

What if you are more fluid, more free, more fragile than you believe?

This isn’t meant to confuse.

It’s meant to loosen the grip.

The world is less certain than we think.

But in that uncertainty lies wonder, and the possibility of flight.

Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) was an ancient Chinese Taoist sage (4th century BCE).

👣 Monk Move

Today, loosen your certainty about one small thing.

Say softly:

“Perhaps I am the butterfly.”

And let the day feel lighter.

🔐 The Monk Vault is now open.
You can find all the previous posts by the Two-Minute Monk in the Vault. The weekly post from the Monk will always be free but at some point in the future, I will create a small subscription of no more than £2 per month to access the Vault to see previous posts and get extra material. For now, though, the Vault remains open and free. Enjoy!