「莊周夢蝶」出自《莊子.齊物論》,後世詮釋大多著重於夢中的虛實不分。然而寓言最後云:「周與蝴蝶,則必有分矣。此之謂物化。」明指兩者必有所分。若然,為何「必有分」?「物化」所指為何?既然周蝶必有分,則如何「化」之?郭象以「自喻適志」注解,釋周蝶各適其性,以「物化」為物之消亡。成玄英承郭象,解「物化」為事物的自然變化。郭注成疏,影響後世、當代詮釋以及英文譯本。本文認為〈齊物論〉明指大覺者方知大夢,周與蝶必有分的寓意,在於蝴蝶為「夢」,莊周為「覺」。夢中周蝶無所分,此為事物的「變化」;於夢中覺醒,遺忘自我,為形體的「消化」;至於夢醒而覺,周蝶二分,是為境界提昇的「進化」。物我關係之變化、消化與進化,即為「物化」,寄寓於「莊周夢蝶」之中。
The fable of "Zhuang Zhou dreams of being a butterfly" comes from Zhuang Zi (莊子) Chapter Two: "Discussion of the Equality of Things"(齊物論). Most of the interpretations of later generations focus on the distinction between fiction and reality in the fable. The last two sentences in the fable "Zhou and butterfly, there must be a difference between them, which is called the Transformation of Things(物化)." It shows that the two are different. That being the case, why there must be a difference between both of these? Since Zhuang Zhou and Butterfly must be different, so how do they "transform"? Guo Xiang(郭象) distinguished Zhuang Zhou from the butterfly with "satisfying my own thoughts," and said "Yesterday's dream has disappeared today." He interpreted "Transformation of Things" as the demise of things. Cheng Xuan Ying(成玄英) directly denied the original text and said "Transformation of Things" as the natural change of things with "life and death are the changes of things." Their annotations influenced the later generations, contemporary interpretations, and English translations. This article believes that "Discussion of the Equality of Things" clearly refers to the great enlightened man who knows the great dream, and the implication that Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly must have a part is that the butterfly is a "dream" and Zhuang Zhou is a "awareness". Butterfly and Zhuang Zhou seem to be indistinguishable in the dream, which is the "change" of all things. The process of waking up from the dream is a training to forget oneself, which is the "digestion" of the body. As for waking up from a dream, Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly are divided into two, which is the "evolution" for the improvement of the realm. The relationship between all things and me is change, digestion and evolution, which is "Transformation of Things". These three meanings are in the fable of "Zhuang Zhou Dreams of Being a Butterfly".