With Christmas in the rearview, it’s time to set our resolutions and prepare for the New Year ahead. Insects are the lasting representation of rebirth and renewal in cultures across the globe, and none are so revered as the cicada. The Ancient Greeks and Romans considered cicadas a symbol of resurrection and immortality, and their euphoric songs a representation of spiritual ecstasy. However, the earliest representation of cicadas in folklore comes from China, where stone carvings of cicadas date to 1500 BCE. According to art historian Jan Stuart, “In general Chinese lore, cicadas are creatures of high status. They are considered pure because they subsist on dew and lofty because of their perch in high treetops. An ancient analogy in China suggests that a high-ranking official should resemble a cicada: residing high, eating a pure diet, and with sharp eyes.”
But one Chinese folktale from the 4th century BCE utilizes the cicada as a reminder to maintain situational awareness and grounding in the present. As told by the Daoist philosopher Zhuang Zi, The Mantis Hunts the Cicada serves as a lesson in mindfulness, to not become so absorbed by what is in front of us that we lose sight of what’s behind us.
The Mantis Hunts the Cicada
Translated by Derek Lin, from his book The Tao of Happiness
One day, Zhuang Zi was walking through the woods near a chestnut orchard. He was enjoying the day and admiring the scenery when he heard a sound from above. He looked up and saw a strange bird flying toward him.
Zhuang Zi had never seen a bird quite like it before, with such a wide wing-span and huge eyes. He was trying to figure out what to make of it when it dipped low and brushed his head as it flew past, much to his surprise.
“What kind of bird is this?” Zhuang Zi asked himself. “It has such large wings but can’t seem to keep itself up in the sky. It has such large eyes but can’t seem to see me in its way.”
Zhuang Zi took out his sling shot and went after the strange bird. He saw it landing on a chestnut tree, so he approached silently, intending to hunt it down.
As Zhuang Zi got closer, he saw an interesting scene unfolding before him. There was a cicada chirping away in the tree, blissfully unaware of a mantis sneaking up on it, ready to pounce. The mantis itself, totally focused on getting the cicada, was also unaware that the strange bird had just landed close to it and was getting ready to snap it up.
Zhuang Zi saw the irony in the situation. The bird was not aware of Zhuang Zi’s approach, just as the mantis was not aware of the bird, and the cicada was not aware of the mantis.
“This is clearly a pattern of the Dao in life,” Zhuang Zi thought to himself. “All living things are looking to gain advantage for themselves, but the process also imposes a burden on them. Generally speaking, the potential gain right in front of you causes you to forget the potential disaster right behind you. The two are connected.
Zhuang Zi targeted the bird and was congratulating himself for his new insight about the Dao when a voice behind him made him jump: “You! What are you doing in my orchard?”
It was the gardener in charge of the chestnut orchard. In going after the bird, Zhuang Zi did not realize he was trespassing on private property. He was so preoccupied that he did not hear the gardener coming up behind him. He dropped his slingshot and made a hasty exit out of the orchard. The gardener, still thinking Zhuang Zi was there to steal chestnuts, continued yelling after him angrily.
This experience had an effect on Zhuang Zi for days. One of his students noticed and asked: “Master, you seem rather unhappy. Is something wrong?”
Zhuang Zi related his experience and sighed. “I was fixated on the external appearance and lost sight of the internal essence. Lao Zi always said that no matter what place you go to or visit, you should always be mindful of the rules of the environment. I forgot all about that when I went into the chestnut orchard.”
The student thought about this and said: “Master, that seems like a minor mistake anyone can make.”
“The issue goes deeper than that,” Zhuang Zi explained. “The cicada, mantis, and bird were all unaware of the danger lurking behind them. This was a great lesson for me, but I did not learn it well enough. I, too, was unaware of the gardener behind me, who thought I was stealing from him. That is why I am unhappy with myself – I can see I still have a long way to go in cultivating the Dao.”
So, as we head into the New Year, focused on our resolutions and reinventions of self, take some time to reflect on that which is behind us. In the words of Zhuang Zi, “Soar far above the fray and see clearly. Pay attention not just to external appearance but also the internal essence. Look ahead of you even as you remain mindful of what is behind you. Journey safely, free from danger – you still have a long way to go.”