In Yangli, in the State of Song, there lived a man named Hua Zi, who, in middle age, suffered from forgetfulness. He forgets by evening what he picked up in the morning, and by morning what he was given in the evening; while out walking, he forgets to walk, and while indoors, he forgets to sit; he cannot recall the past, nor will he remember the present later. The whole family was deeply distressed. They sought treatment far and wide, but neither the diviner’s omens, nor the shaman’s prayers, nor the doctor’s medicines proved effective. Later, a Confucian scholar from the State of Lu offered his services, claiming he could cure the illness. No one knew what method the scholar employed, but he did indeed cure Hua Zi’s forgetfulness.
However, upon his recovery, Hua Zi felt no joy; on the contrary, he flew into a rage. He banished his wife, punished his son, and drove out the Confucian scholar. His neighbours asked him why he was so angry. Hua Zi replied: ‘In the past, when I was forgetful, my mind was empty and void; I did not know whether heaven and earth existed or not—how carefree and untroubled I was! Now that my memories have suddenly returned, the worldly worries of the past decades—life and death, gain and loss, sorrow and joy, likes and dislikes—are once again swirling in my mind, entangling me in a tangled web of thoughts. Not only that, but I fear that the life and death, gain and loss, sorrow and joy, likes and dislikes of the future will likewise disturb my peace of mind. Will I ever be able to find even a moment’s respite from such thoughts again?”
Origin: “Lie Zi: King Mu of Zhou“
#54 健忘的快乐
宋国阳里地方有个叫华子的人，中年时得了健忘症。早晨拿的东西到晚上就忘了，晚上给的东西到早晨就忘了；在路上忘记行走，在屋里忘记坐下；现在记不起从前，以后又记不得现在。全家人对此都感到非常苦恼。他们到处求治，可是史官的占卜、巫师的祈祷和医生的医药都没有办法。鲁国有个儒生自荐说能治好他的病。没有人知道儒生用了什么方法，但他把华子的健忘症治好了。
然而，病好后的华子没有感到高兴，反而大发雷霆，赶走妻子，惩罚儿子，拿起武器驱逐了儒生。邻居们问他为什么生气，华子回答说：“过去我健忘，脑子里空空荡荡的，不知天地是有还是无，我是多么自在逍遥！如今突然恢复了以往的记忆，数十年来的存亡得失、哀乐好恶等人间烦恼，又会在我心里纷纷扰扰、千头万绪地缠绕起来。不仅如此，我更怕将来的存亡得失、哀乐好恶又会像这样扰乱我的心境，再求片刻的淡忘，还能得到吗？”
出自《列子 周穆王》