Nothing is filthier than the dung beetle, yet in one morning it can turn into a cicada and drink the pure autumn dew. Rotten grass has no lustre, yet in one morning it can give birth to the glowworm, which gives out brilliant flashes of light on summer nights.
From this we can know that pure things can emerge from filthy places and brightness is often a product of darkness.
粪虫至秽，变为蝉而饮露于秋风；腐草无光，化为萤而跃彩于夏月。因知洁常自污出，明每从晦生也。
Notes
Dialectical Unity
This passage from Cai Gen Tan (Tending the Roots of Wisdom) shatters rigid notions that “filth remains eternal” and “darkness is perpetual,” revealing transformation as the essence of existence.
Accumulation and Metamorphosis
The dung beetle’s rebirth and rotten grass’s glow are neither random nor instantaneous:
- Cicada larvae endure years underground, silently gathering strength before breaking through the soil;
- Decaying grass nourishes firefly larvae, granting them the energy to shine.
This mirrors human life: All visible “purity” and “light” may stem from unseen “impurity” and “darkness”–hardship, humility, and setbacks. These seeming “defilements” and “shadows” are fertile soil for resilience.
The ultimate wisdom? Never despair over humble origins or present darkness. Impurity holds seeds of purity; darkness incubates sparks of light–what matters is holding faith through metamorphosis, awaiting the moment of blossoming.
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