Being and Becoming III

Being and Becoming III
by Scott Bradley

So, let's just live. Here's how Confucius suggests we do this:

"When our understanding springs from our genuineness, it may be said to emerge from our nature." (The Heart of Confucius; Archie Bahm)

Ideally, no gap exists between what we believe we should be and who we actually are. We behave as we believe we should, not through the mediation of that belief, but because it is our nature to do so. We act spontaneously. We are genuine just as Tao is genuine.

"When our genuineness is derived from our understanding, it may be said to result from education."

The reality is that there is a gap between how we believe we should behave and how we actually behave. We close this gap by learning what it is that makes us tick, why we behave as we do, and cultivate a genuineness (honesty and sincerity) in ourselves which facilitates growth, a greater approximation of ultimate genuineness.

"From genuineness we may develop understanding and from understanding we may acquire genuineness."

Genuineness cultivates an understanding of genuineness. Understanding cultivates genuineness. Life is this dialectic.

Still, we seek without seeking. We strive without striving. We grow without growing. Just as a tree grows without trying to do so, so do we. Yet there is work to be done, nutrients to absorb and photosynthesis to achieve. The cultivation of character is a natural expression of the dialectical character of life.

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