"Well then," said the Lord of the River, "if I recognize the hugeness of heaven and earth and the smallness of the tip of a hair, will that do?"Go here to read the introductory post to the chapters of the Book of Chuang Tzu.
"No indeed!" said Jo of the North Sea. "There is no end to the weighing of things, no stop to time, no constancy to the division of lots, no fixed rule to beginning and end. Therefore great wisdom observes both far and near, and for that reason recognizes small without considering it paltry, recognizes large without considering it unwieldy, for it knows that there is no end to the weighing of things.
"It has a clear understanding of past and present, and for that reason it spends a long time without finding it tedious, a short time without fretting at its shortness, for it knows that time has no stop. It perceives the nature of fullness and emptiness, and for that reason it does not delight if it acquires something nor worry if it loses it, for it knows that there is no constancy to the division of lots. It comprehends the Level Road, and for that reason it does not rejoice in life nor look on death as a calamity, for it knows that no fixed rule can be assigned to beginning and end.
~ Burton Watson translation via Terebess Asia Online ~
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Chapter 17, Part 3A - Chuang Tzu
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I often say I like to take a very long view of things. This is a perfect explanation of my position.
ReplyDeleteHmmm....
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand:
Therefore great wisdom observes both far and near, and for that reason recognizes small without considering it paltry, recognizes large without considering it unwieldy, for it knows that there is no end to the weighing of things
and on the other...:
Judge not, lest ye be judged. For as you judge so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.