two quotes from The Essential Huainanzi, Chapter Two

03 May, 2026

A collection of quotes from Chapter Two: Activating The Genuine of “The Essential Huainanzi” by Liu An.

• In a dream we become a bird
  and fly into the sky.
  In a dream we become a fish
  and disappear into the deep.
  When we are dreaming, we do not know it is a dream; only after we “awaken do we realize it is a dream. Only when we have a great awakening do we realize that this present moment is the ultimate dream. In the beginning before I was born, how could I have known the joy of being alive? Now in this moment when I have not yet died, how can I know that death is not also joyful?

• Fish forget themselves in rivers and lakes.
  Humans forget themselves in the techniques of the Way.