Motif
Noble bird contrasted with scavenging bird
noble_bird_contrasted_with_scavenging_bird
A motif of the Duality and Cosmic Opposition family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
daoist
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Chuang Tzu: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer CHAPTER XVI. / EXERCISE OF FACULTIES. / CHAPTER XVII. / AUTUMN FLOODS.; lines 7443-7488 confidence: high
Chuang Tzŭ describes a southern bird, a kind of phoenix, flying from the south sea to the north sea; it alights only on the wu-t'ung tree, eats only bamboo fruit, and drinks only the purest spring water.
The phoenix-like bird is described as selective in resting, food, and water, while the owl possesses a rotten rat carcass and screeches at the passing bird.
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