Chaung-tzu

Chaung-tzu

(Chuang Tzu has a rare position in the history of mystics. All his disciples became enlightened.... he would not leave you unless you had become enlightened. He was so much after you that finally people decided that it was better to become enlightened. Every day new torture... the only way to save yourself is to become enlightened.

-OSHO)

Chuang-tzu

Chuang-tzu was born in today's Ho-nan province, in the village of Wei. He occupied a minor position in the administrative office of Ch'i-yuan. Apparently, he was a contemporary of Mencius, but what is peculiar is, in fact, that these two great polemicists never met each other . Ssu-ma Ch'ien writes about Chuang-tzu:

Chuang had made himself well acquainted with all the literature of his time, but preferred the views of Lao-tzu, and ranked himself among his followers, so that of the more than ten myriads of characters contained in his published writings the greater part are occupied with metaphorical illustrations of Lao's doctrines.

Even more, Chuang-tzu became an indefatigable critic of Confucius and of his disciples. His critical work brilliantly combines satire and sophism.

Chuang was an admirable writer and skillful composer, and by his instances and truthful descriptions hit and exposed the Mohists and Literati. The ablest scholars of his day could not escape his satire nor reply to it, while he allowed and enjoyed himself with his sparkling, dashing style; and thus it was that the greatest men, even kings and princes, could not use him for their purposes.

His attitude towards life at court and, actually, towards everything regarding ceremony and ritual (paramount subjects of Confucians) can also be inferred from the following occurrence related by the same Ch'ien:

Listed, some of his beatitudes ….

Chuang Tzu Story -The Great Tao

The Tao gives birth to all beings,
nourishes them, maintains them,
cares for them, comforts them, protects them,
takes them back to itself,
creating without possessing,
acting without expecting,
guiding without interfering.
That is why love of the Tao
is in the very nature of things.

[Tao (pronounced "dao") means literally "the path" or "the way." It is a universal principle that underlies everything from the creation of galaxies to the interaction of human beings. The workings of Tao are vast and often beyond human logic. In order to understand Tao, reasoning alone will not suffice. One must also apply intuition.]

Chuang Tzu Story - The Empty Boat

Who can free himself of achievement and fame
Then descend and be lost
Amidst the masses of men?

He will flow like Tao, unseen…
He will go about like life itself,
With no name and no home.

Simple is he, without.
To all appearances he is a fool.
His steps leave no trace.

He has no power.
He achieves nothing.
He has no reputation.

Since he judges no one,
No one judges him.

Such is the perfect man.
His boat is empty.

Chuang Tzu Story - Means and ends

The purpose of a fish trap
Is to catch fish,
And when the fish are caught
The trap is forgotten.

The purpose of words
is to convey ideas.
When the ideas are grasped
The words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man
Who has forgotten words?
He is the one I would like to talk to.

( A Parable :

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither
and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my
happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was,
veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was
a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Between a man
and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the
transformation of material things)

Chuang Tzu Story - The need to win

When an archer is shooting for fun

He has all his skill.

If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.

If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind

Or sees two targets –
He is out of his mind.

His skill has not changed,
But the prize divides him.

He cares
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting –
And the need to win
Drains him of power.

Chuang Tzu Story - The Man of Tao

The man of Tao acts without impediment,
He harms no other being by his actions,
Yet he does not know himself
to be kind and gentle.

He does not struggle to make money

And he does not make a virtue of poverty.

He goes without relying on others,
And does not pride himself
on walking alone.

The man of Tao remains unknown.
Perfect virtue produces nothing.
No Self is True Self.
And the greatest man is nobody.

Chuang Tzu Story - When the shoe fits

Chu’i the draftsman
could draw more perfect circles
freehand than with a compass

His fingers brought forth
spontaneous forms from nowhere
His mind was meanwhile free and
without concern with what he was doing

No application was needed
his mind was perfectly simple
and knew no obstacle

So, when the shoe fits,
the foot is forgotten
when the belt fits, the belly is forgotten
and when the heart is right,
for and against are forgotten

No drives, no compulsions,
no needs, no attractions
then your affairs are under control
you are a free man

Easy is right
begin right and you are easy
continue easy and you are right
The right way to go easy
is to forget
the right way
and forget that
the going is easy

(A Parable about Churchman

“A good cook changes his chopper once a year, — because he cuts. An ordinary cook,
one a month, — because he hacks. But I have had this chopper nineteen years, and
although I have cut up many thousand bullocks, its edge is as if fresh from the
whetstone. For at the joints there are always interstices, and the edge of a chopper
being without thickness, it remains only to insert that which is without thickness
into such an interstice. Indeed there is plenty of room for the blade to move about.
It is thus that I have kept my chopper for nineteen years as though fresh from the
whetstone.

“Nevertheless, when I come upon a knotty part which is difficult to tackle, I am
all caution. Fixing my eye on it, I stay my hand, and gently apply my blade, until
with a hwah the part yields like earth crumbling to the ground. Then I take out
my chopper and stand up, and look around, and pause with an air of triumph. Then
wiping my chopper, I put it carefully away.”

“Bravo!” cried the Prince. “From the words of this cook I have learned how to take
care of my life.”

Chuang Tzu Story – The beautiful and Ugly

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and he lets them come;
things disappear and he lets them go.
he has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.

The Tao doesn't take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil. The Master doesn't take sides; he welcomes both saints and sinners.

	[ A Parable …. A certain carpenter Shih was travelling to the Ch’i State. On reaching Shady Circle, he saw a sacred li tree in the temple to the God of Earth. It was so large that its shade could cover a herd of several thousand cattle. It was a hundred spans in girth, towering up eighty feet over the hilltop, before it branched out. A dozen boats could be cut out of it. Crowds stood gazing at it, but the carpenter took no notice, and went on his way without even casting a look behind. His apprentice however took a good look at it, and when he caught up with his master, said, “Ever since I have handled an adze in your service, I have never seen such a splendid piece of timber. How was it that you, Master, did not care to stop and look at it?” “Forget about it. It’s not worth talking about,” replied his master. “It’s good for nothing. Made into a boat, it would sink; into a coffin, it would rot; into furniture, it would break easily; into a door, it would sweat; into a pillar, it would be worm-eaten. It is wood of no quality, and of no use. That is why it has attained its present age.” When the carpenter reached home, he dreamt that the spirit of the tree appeared to him in his sleep and spoke to him as follows: “What is it you intend to compare me with? Is it with fine-grained wood? Look at the cherry-apple, the pear, the orange, the pumelo, and other fruit bearers? As soon as their fruit ripens they are stripped and treated with indignity. The great boughs are snapped off, the small ones scattered abroad. Thus do these trees by their own value injure their own lives. They cannot fulfil their allotted span of years, but perish prematurely because they destroy themselves for the (admiration of) the world. Thus it is with all things. Moreover, I tried for a long period to be useless. Many times I was in danger of being cut down, but at length I have succeeded, and so have become exceedingly useful to myself. Had I indeed been of use, I should not be able to grow to this height. Moreover, you and I are both created things. Have done then with this criticism of each other. Is a good-for-nothing fellow in imminent danger of death a fit person to talk of a good-for-nothing tree?” When the carpenter Shih awaked and told his dream, his apprentice said, “If the tree aimed at uselessness, how was it that it became a sacred tree?” “Hush!” replied his master. “Keep quiet. It merely took refuge in the temple to escape from the abuse of those who do not appreciate it. Had it not become sacred, how many would have wanted to cut it down! Moreover, the means it adopts for safety is different from that of others, and to criticize it by ordinary standards would be far wide of the mark.”) ( A spiritual man might well follow its example of uselessness.” The mountain trees invite their own cutting down; lamp oil invites its own burning up. Cinnamon bark can be eaten; therefore the tree is cut down. Lacquer can be used, therefore the tree is scraped. All men know the utility of useful things; but they not do know the utility of futility.)
	About Chuang Tzu The book, The Chuang Tzu is considered to be one of the first and foremost texts on philosophical Taoism. The Chuang Tzu  tells stories and fables that can get the mind questioning and eventually laughing at the absurdities. Some of the text poses answers to intellectual and spiritual questions about life that seem to ring true no matter who reads them, and they can be applied to any age in history. [ Time For a break... Worse than a clown There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma. Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the master. When the master heard the question, he started laughing loudly. The master then stood up and walked away, still laughing. The young monk was very disturbed by the master's reaction. For the next 3 days, he could not eat, sleep nor think properly. At the end of 3 days, he went back to the master and told the master how disturbed he had felt. When the master heard this, he said, "Monk, do you know what your problem is? Your problem is that YOU ARE WORSE THAN A CLOWN!" The monk was shocked to hear that, "Venerable Sir, how can you say such a thing?! How can I be worse than a clown?" The master explained, "A clown enjoys seeing people laugh at him. You? You feel disturbed because another person laughed at you. Tell me, are you not worse than a clown?"] The Chuang Tzu  is a book that can be read over and over, and with each reading a new insight can be found. If someone reads Chuang Tzu  and comes up with prescriptive Truths from it, then they've lost the humor and dichotomy of Chuang Tzu . Chuang Tzu  is said to have lived from about 370-300 BCE in the city of Meng in the state of Song. Song was located in the eastern section of what's now known as Henan province, near the northeastern border of the state of Chu. Although little is known of his life, it's been stated in the Historical Records of Sima Qian that he once tried his hand as an official at the Lacquer Garden, which possible is the name of a library. He was well educated and had a mastery of the language, as well as having much knowledge of ancient Chinese history. Despite his education, he rejected positions in government. Chuang Tzu  is now regarded as a major player in Taoism ( A little about Tao The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. (Call it as ‘Brahman’  in Indian Mythology.))

Enjoy His Lyrics

Chuang Tzu Story: Do your and step back

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

Chuang Tzu Story:Success and Failure

Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.

What does it mean that success is a dangerous as failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
you position is shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always keep your balance.

What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear?

Hope and fear are both phantoms
that arise from thinking of the self.
When we don't see the self as self,
what do we have to fear?

See the world as yourself.

Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as yourself;
then you can care for all things.

Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Let your heart be at peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return.

Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.

If you don't realize the source,
you stumble in confusion and sorrow.
When you realize where you come from,
you naturally become tolerant,
disinterested, amused,
kindhearted as a grandmother,
dignified as a king.
Immersed in the wonder of the Tao,
you can deal with whatever life brings you,
and when death comes, you are ready.

When the Master governs

the people are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust the people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!"

The Master, by residing in the Tao,
sets an example for all beings.
Because he doesn't display himself,
people can see his light.
Because he has nothing to prove,
people can trust his words.
Because he doesn't know who he is,
people recognize themselves in him.
Because he has no goad in mind,
everything he does succeeds.

About Chuang Tzu

From a literary point of view the Chuang Tzu is one of the richest texts in all of philosophy. At times the language has a diamond-like density in which every word counts. At times it is extended, full of dialogues, parables, stories, examples and images based on the whole of human life from low to high, and on natural phenomena.

Chuang Tzu was a full precursor of scientific pantheism. Like Heraklitus he accepted the reality of constant flux, and the full reality of physical death. Like most Chinese philosophers he did not believe in an afterlife.

He did not believe in any creator God, or any God at all in the Western sense. But he did believe in an underlying Tao, Way or One, from which the Heaven and Earth derived.

This One transfused everything in the universe from the lowest to the highest.
The individual could attain mystical unity with this One by achieving complete emptiness or a timeless state free of worries or selfish desires open to impressions but transcending all individual material objects.

Much of the Chuang Tzu focuses on the benefits of inaction. On this it followed the Tao-te-Ching, but took its philosophy to extremes. People should abandon concern for fame, power and wealth and follow a simple life. They should distrust ethical and political schemes and follow their instincts.

Can’t remain without enjoying these ……….

A good traveler has no fixed plans

and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.

Thus the Master is available to all people
and doesn't reject anyone.
He is ready to use all situations
and doesn't waste anything.
This is called embodying the light.

What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret.

The world is sacred.

It can't be improved.
If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.

There is a time for being ahead,
a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion,
a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous,
a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe,
a time for being in danger.

The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to control them.
he lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of the circle.

Knowing others is intelligence;

knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.

If you realize that you have enough,

you are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.

If you want to shrink something,

you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
you must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to take something,
you must first allow it to be given.
This is called the subtle perception
of the way things are.

[A story from the scripture, as told by Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Prajna

From "Entering the Tao of Sudden Enlightenment" by Ch'an Master Ta-Chu Hui-Hai

A monk once asked: "Is Prajna great?"

The Master answered: "Yes, it is."

The monk asked: "How great?"

The Master answered: "Boundless."

The monk asked: "Is Prajna small?"

The Master answered: "Yes, it is."

The monk asked: "How small?"

The Master answered: "So small you can't see it."

The monk asked: "Then where is it?"

The Master answered: "Where is it not?"

Rainy Day, Sunny Day ]

The soft overcomes the hard.

The slow overcomes the fast.
Let your workings remain a mystery.
Just show people the results.

The gentlest thing in the world
overcomes the hardest thing in the world.
That which has no substance
enters where there is no space.
This shows the value of non-action.

Teaching without words,
performing without actions:
that is the Master's way.

Fame or integrity: which is more important?

Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success of failure: which is more destructive?

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.

True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering.

[ An old  story..

Happiness or Unhappiness

There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, "Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?" These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry. When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, "Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a noodle vendor. You cannot dry noodles without the sun. Now there will be no noodles to sell. What should we do?" As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow every day. Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbors could not console her and jokingly called her "the crying lady."

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, "Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more."

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, "It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her noodles. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of noodles and her business must be very good. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper."

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monks instruction. After a while, she did not cry any more.]

More about Chuang Tzu 

Chuang Tzu was an influential Chinese philosopher. His writing is at once transcendental while at the same time being deeply immersed within everyday life. He is at peace while at the same time moving through the world. There is a deep vein of mysticism within him which is illuminated by his very rational nature. His style of writing with its parables and conversations both accessible while at the same time pointing to deeper issues.

Chuang Tzu took the Taoist position of Lao Tzu and developed it further. He took Lao Tzu's mystical leanings and perspectives and made them transcendental. His understanding of virtue (te) as Tao individualized in the nature of things is much more developed and clearly stated.

He believed in life as dynamic and ever changing, making him akin to both Heraclitus and Hegel in these regards. In general, our contemporary understanding of Taoist philosophy is deeply predicated on a very thorough intermingling of the ideas of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu.

Chuang Tzu believed that life is transitory and that the pursuit of wealth and personal aggrandizement were vain follies, which distracted from seeing and understanding the world and contemplating its meaning. He strove to see nature with new eyes

"Do the clouds make rain? Or is it the rain that makes the clouds? What makes it descend so copiously? Who is it that has the leisure to devote himself, with such abandoned glee, to making these things happen?"

The philosophy of Chuang Tzu runs parallel to what has been said in ‘Baghawat Gita’

We have gathered more about Chuang Tzu for they are more poetic ……..

In the beginning was the Tao.

All things issue from it;
all things return to it.

To find the origin,
trace back the manifestations.
When you recognize the children
and find the mother,
you will be free of sorrow.

Seeing into darkness is clarity.

Knowing how to yield is strength.
Use your own light
and return to the source of light.
This is called practicing eternity.

Prevent trouble before it arises.
Put things in order before they exist.
The giant pine tree
grows from a tiny sprout.
The journey of a thousand miles
starts from beneath your feet.

Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project to completion,
you ruin what was almost ripe.

Therefore the Master takes action
by letting things take their course.
He remains as calm
at the end as at the beginning.
He has nothing,
thus has nothing to lose.
What he desires is non-desire;
what he learns is to unlearn.
He simply reminds people
of who they have always been.
He cares about nothing but the Tao.
Thus he can care for all things.

(The mountain trees invite their own cutting down; lamp oil invites its own burning
up. Cinnamon bark can be eaten; therefore the tree is cut down. Lacquer can be used,
therefore the tree is scraped. All men know the utility of useful things; but they
do not know the utility of futility.)

All streams flow to the sea

because it is lower than they are.
Humility gives it its power.

If you want to govern the people,
you must place yourself below them.
If you want to lead the people,
you must learn how to follow them.

The Master is above the people,
and no one feels oppressed.
She goes ahead of the people,
and no one feels manipulated.

The whole world is grateful to he.
Because he competes with no one,
no one can compete with he.

The Tao is always at ease.
It overcomes without competing,
answers without speaking a word,
arrives without being summoned,
accomplishes without a plan.

Its net covers the whole universe.

And though its meshes are wide,
it doesn't let a thing slip through.

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you aren't afraid of dying,
there is nothing you can't achieve.

[Chuang-tzu on his deathbed…

 King Wei of Chou, having heard of the ability of Chuang-tzu, sent messengers with large gifts to bring him to his court, and promising also that he would make him his chief minister. Chuang-tzu, however, only laughed and said to them: "A thousand ounces of silver are a great gain to me, and to be a high noble and minister is a most honorable position. But have you not seen the victim-ox for the border sacrifice? It is carefully fed for several years, and robed with rich embroidery that it may be fit to enter the Grand Temple. When the time comes for it to do so, it would prefer to be a little pig, but it cannot get to be so. Go away quickly, and do not soil me with your presence.

I had rather amuse and enjoy myself in the midst of a filthy ditch than be subject to the rules and restrictions in the court of a sovereign. I have determined never to take office, but prefer the enjoyment of my own free will.

One last account presents Chuang-tzu on his deathbed. Surrounded by his disciples, he speaks to them in his usual ironical manner, which goes straight to the point.

When Chuang-tzu was about to die, his disciples signified their wish to give him a grand burial. "I shall have heaven and earth", he said, "for my coffin and its shell; the sun and moon for my two round symbols of jade; the stars and constellations for my pearls and jewels; will not the provisions for my interment be complete? What would you add to them?" The disciples replied: "We are afraid that the crows and kites will eat our master." Chuang-tzu rejoined: "Above, the crows and kites will eat me; below, the mole-crickets and ants will eat me; to take from those and give to these would only show your partiality." ]

Men are born soft and supple;

dead, they are stiff and hard.
Plats are born tender and pliant;
dead, they are brittle and dry.

Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible
is a disciple of death.
Whoever is soft and yielding
is a disciple of life.

The hard and stiff will be broken.
The soft and supple will prevail.

As it acts in the world, the Tao
is like the bending of a bow.
The top is bent downward;
the bottom is bent up.

It adjusts excess and deficiency
so that there is perfect balance.
It takes from what is too much
and give to what isn't enough.

Those who try to control,
who use force to protect their power,
go against the direction of the Tao.
They take from those who don't have enough
and give to those who have far too much.

The Master can keep giving
because there is no end to his wealth.
he acts without expectation,
succeeds without taking credit,
and doesn't think that he is better
than anyone else.

Nothing in the world

is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice.

Therefore the Master remains
serene in the midst of sorrow.
Evil cannot enter his heart.
Because he has given up helping,
he is people's greatest help.

True words seem paradoxical.

[ Chuang tzu, is quite enjoyable never get bored about of him

For a change a story of about him…

Chuang’s Death wish

After your reverence passes away, we are planning to have a formal funeral and bury you according to the royal standards as if you are a lord or a premier.”

“How?” Master Chuang asked.

The disciple was much relieved by Master Chuang’s asking how, since he had thought out all the details for the planned burial and funeral.

“Everything will be done according to the royal standards, as if you are a lord or a premier,” The disciple  started to elaborate. “We will select the most desirable place to dig the pit and build the underground chamber with marble stones. We will hire some famous artists to paint the inside walls. The coffin will be made of sandalwood, and inside the coffin will be all sorts of jewels, silver, and gold...”

“That’s not good enough,” Master Chuang said. “I deserve much better.”

Before the puzzled disciples could respond, Master Chuang continued:

“The sky and the earth will be my burial chamber,” Master Chuang said in a low but clear voice. Slowly he opened his eyes. “The mountains, the valleys, and the rivers will be my coffin. The sun, the moon, and all the stars will be buried with me as my burial jewels.”

 “When I am dead,” Master Chuang started slowly, softly, without opening his eyes. “Just throw me in the valley. I mean, leave my dead body anywhere in the mountains.”] 

[ We wiill we continue with a little more. …]

True words aren't eloquent;

eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.

The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.

Chuang is much much more than what we have condensed him here .. 

(Now our Mullah. He cannot be forgotten ..

Three girls and Mulla Nasrudin were brought before the presiding judge. The girls had been arrested for soliciting and the Mulla was arrested for peddling without a license.

"What do you do for a living?" the judge asked, pointing to the first girl. "Your honor, I am a model," she answered. "Thirty days," was the sentence. Then he turned to the second. "What do you do for a living?" he asked. "Your honor, I am a T.V. actress." "Thirty days." Then he turned to the third girl. "What do you do for a living?" he demanded. "To tell you the truth," she answered, "I am a prostitute." "For telling the truth," he said, "I am going to suspend sentence."

Then he turned to Mulla Nasrudin. "And you," he said, "what do you do for a living?" "To tell you the truth," said Nasrudin, twirling his hat in his hands, "I am a prostitute also, your honor."

 

During a play, the curtain fell suddenly and the manager of the theater stepped out before the audience in the last degree of agitation. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I am distressed to have to tell you that the great and beloved actor, Mendel Kalb, has just had a fatal heart attack in his dressing room and we cannot continue.

" Whereupon Mulla Nasrudin rose in the balcony and cried out: "Quick! Give him some chicken soup." The manager, surprised, said: "Sir, I said it was a fatal heart attack. the great Mendel Kalb is dead."

The Mulla repeated: "So quick! give him some chicken soup." The manager screeched in desperation: "Sir! The man is dead! What good will chicken soup do?" And the Mulla shouted back: "What harm?"Mulla Nasrudin: "

 

Did you hear about my wife?" Fareed: "No! What about your wife?"

Nasrudin: "She ran off with my best friend."

Fareed: "What are you talking about? I am your best friend."

Nasrudin: "Not any more."