Wen Tzu - Verse 161, Part III

from Verse One Hundred Sixty-One

Laws are the plumb lines of the land, the measures used by human leaders, the established rules regulating the unruly. After laws have been established, those who conform to them are rewarded, while those who do not live up to them are punished. Even if people are rich and noble, their rewards are not lessened, and even if people are poor and lowly, their punishments are not to be increased; those who violate the laws are to be punished without fail even if they are good people, while those who conform to the law are to be considered innocent even if they are good-for-nothings. For this reason impartiality is practiced and private wishes are blocked.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Let's look at the intersection between humankind and nature* in relation to the above passage.

There are principles that we refer to as the laws of nature. Said principles are impartial. The sun shines and the rain falls on the good, the bad and the ugly. People who try to manipulate nature -- regardless of their stated intentions or their intrinsic worth as human beings -- typically fail to succeed in their endeavors. People who align their thoughts and actions in step with the principles of nature -- again regardless of their stated intentions or their intrinsic worth as human beings -- typically are rewarded.

[*Note - Of course, humankind is part of nature. I'm using the word here in the more common way that most people speak about it.]

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.