Indeterminacy 27

The Four Mists of Chaos,
the North, the East,
the West,
and the South,
went to visit Chaos
himself.
He treated them all very kindly
and when they were
thinking of leaving,
they consulted among themselves
how they might repay his
hospitality.
Since they had noticed that he
had no holes in his
body, as they
each had (eyes, nose,
mouth, ears, etc.),
they decided each
day to provide him
with an opening.
At the end
of seven days,
Kwang-tse tells us,
Chaos died.

- John Cage

Indeterminacy 24

A Chinaman
(Kwang-tse
tells)
went to
sleep

and dreamt
he was
a butterfly.



Later, when
he awoke,

he asked
himself,

“Am I a
butterfly

dreaming
that I am
a man?”

- John Cage

New stuff

Indeterminacy 88

“Cultivate in yourself a grand similarity
with the chaos of the surrounding ether.
Unloose your mind and set your
spirit free. Be still as if
you had no soul.” These words come towards
the end of one of Kwang-tse’s stories
which, if I were asked, I
would say is my favorite. The Mists
of Chaos had spent much trouble trying to
come in contact with Chaos himself.
When he finally succeeded, he found
Chaos hopping about like a bird and
slapping his buttocks. He phrased
his question, which concerned the
nature of ultimate reality. Chaos
simply went on hopping and slapping his
buttocks and said, “I don’t know.
I don’t know.” On a second occasion,
the Mists of Chaos had at first just
as little satisfaction, but on
pressing Chaos, received the advice
I quoted. In gratitude,
he bowed ceremoniously, spoke
respectfully, and took his leave.

- John Cage

Indeterminacy 21

Kwang-tse
points out
that a beautiful
woman


who gives
pleasure

to men




serves only
to
frighten

the fish


when she
jumps
in the water.

- John Cage