202503211334 The fish trap exists because of the fish

The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you’ve gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you’ve gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words, so I can talk with him?¹

A quote from the foundational Taoist text Zhuangzi (historically romanized Chuang Tzŭ). As with many Taoist quotes and ideas, there is no single, correct meaning here. This quote describes the ability for meaning to be present in the absence of words or human labels. It also is a reminder that meaning is not the words themselves and words describe the important underlying meaning. 202503301254 The map is not the territory.