Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Bit by Bit - Chapter 11, Part 8

Trey Smith

In ancient times the Yellow Emperor first used benevolence and righteousness to meddle with the minds of men. Yao and Shun followed him and worked till there was no more down on their thighs, no more hair on their shins, trying to nourish the bodies of the men of the world. They grieved their five vital organs in the practice of benevolence and righteousness, taxed their blood and breath in the establishment of laws and standards. But still some men would not submit to their rule, and so they had to exile Huan Tou to Mount Ch'ung, drive away the San-miao tribes to the region of San-wei, and banish Kung to the Dark City. This shows that they could not make the world submit.
~ Burton Watson translation ~
It is impossible to make anyone else think or believe as you do. Sure, you can force them to act or comport themselves in a particular manner, but you can't truly put your experience in their heads.

To view the Index page for this series, go here.

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