Zhuangzi - Escape the Cage

A marsh pheasant walks ten steps for a bit of food, a hundred steps for a drink of water. It does not seek to be raised in a cage. Even though it might grow robust in captivity, that is not good.
~ from Chapter 3, Thomas Cleary translation ~

Upon reading this brief snippet from Chapter 3, two things immediately came to mind.

First, I thought about the modern zoo. Humankind has been destroying so much critical habitat left and right that we're getting to the point in which some species can ONLY survive in artificial environments. On the one hand, a zoo does afford a species the chance to continue. On the other hand, such species are no longer free to lead lives according to their internal nature.

For me, this begs a difficult question: Is it better to let them die out or to allow them to live as a caricature of their former selves? I still haven't decided which option is the most in keeping with the Way.

The other thought that came to mind concerns we humans. People who choose to lead sheltered lives imprison themselves. By attempting to protect themselves from the "dangers" of the world around them, they unwittingly live like a caged animal divorced from their own internal nature.

In order to live as we are meant to live, we must embrace life with both hands. We must place ourselves in the position to fall and, when we invariably do, we must pick ourselves up and keep on heading forward. It is only by stumbling and falling that we can glean wisdom from our experiences.

The person who never stumbles nor falls may escape the scrapes and cuts, but they concurrently miss out on the great joys and loves. By keeping their heart under wraps, it is never extended far enough to be embraced by another.

To read more musings about the Zhuangzi, you can visit the index page for this ongoing series.