Bit by Bit - Chapter 12, Part 17

Trey Smith

When Tzu-kung got back to Lu, he reported the incident to Confucius. Confucius said, "He is one of those bogus practitioners of the arts of Mr. Chaos." He knows the first thing but doesn't understand the second. He looks after what is on the inside but doesn't look after what is on the outside. A man of true brightness and purity who can enter into simplicity, who can return to the primitive through inaction, give body to his inborn nature, and embrace his spirit, and in this way wander through the everyday world - if you had met one like that, you would have had real cause for astonishment. As for the arts of Mr. Chaos, you and I need not bother to find out about them."
~ Burton Watson translation ~

As mentioned in the previous entry of this series, there are those in this world who are a) charismatic and b) too full of themselves. These sorts of people lead many astray. They come in many forms, but they all share one thing in common: While they seek your undying devotion, they concurrently work to elevate themselves by trying to squash your unique identity like a pesky bug.

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