There is a Chinese proverb which says "One dog barks at something, and a hundred bark at the sound."
"Men of stamina, knowing the way of life,
Steadily keep to it;
Unstable men, knowing the way of life,
Keep to it or not according to occasion;
Stupid men, knowing the way the way of life,
And having once laughed at it, laugh again the louder.
If you need to be sure which way is right, you can tell by their
/laughing at it.
They fling the old charges:
'A wick without oil,'
'For every step forward a step or two back.'
To such laughers a level road looks steep,
Top seems bottom,
'White appears black,'
'Enough is a lack,'
Endurance is a weakness,
Simplicity a faded flower.
But eternity is his who goes straight round the circle,
Foundation is his who can feel beyond touch,
Harmony is his who can hear beyond sound,
Pattern is his who sees beyond shape;
Life is his who can tell beyond words
Fulfillment of the unfulfilled.
— The Way of Life by Laotzu, Witter Bynner (translation)
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Another perfect thought provoking entry. Thanks Jim for taking the time to post these wonderful quotes and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing Laotzu to the fore.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting a better comprehension of the wisdom of the Asian martial arts from this verse. The warrior disciplines himself not only physically but also spiritually, gaining the stamina to go straight round the circle, to feel, hear, see, and tell what lies beyond words.