Why does Zhuang Zi use so many parables and stories?
To directly state truths would be to bind them, to limit their essence. The Dao itself cannot be captured in words. Therefore, I employ stories and analogies as pathways, not destinations. These seemingly fanciful tales are like rafts to cross a river; once you reach the other shore, you can leave the raft behind. They invite you to shift your perspective, to see the world from different angles, and to understand that rigid definitions and fixed opinions often obscure the deeper, ever-changing reality.