Once, Zhuang Zhou (also known as Zhuangzi), an ancient Chinese philosopher, dreamed that he was a butterfly fluttering about happily. In the dream, he did not know that he was Zhuang Zhou. He was just a butterfly, flitting around, enjoying the beauty of nature.
However, when he woke up, he realized that he was Zhuang Zhou again. But he was unsure whether he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamed of being a butterfly or a butterfly who was dreaming of being Zhuang Zhou.
This dream of Zhuang Zhou is often cited as an example of the philosophical concept of the "transformation of things" (or "the butterfly dream"). It implies that there is a certain ambiguity and fluidity between different states of being and that reality may not be as fixed and stable as we think it is. It also suggests that what we consider to be the "real" world may not be the only reality, and that there may be other, equally valid perspectives and ways of experiencing the world.