Tao Bible - Matthew 9:2-7

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
~ King James version ~

What do you mean by "Accept misfortune as the human condition"?
Misfortune comes from having a body.
Without a body, how could there be misfortune?
~ from Verse 13 of the Tao Te Ching ~

In the Bible, sin often is equated with disease. If you have the palsy, then it means that your disability is due to some grave transgression of the past (yours OR your ancestors).

Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi saw things differently. As Lao Tzu mentions above, beings tend to suffer as a natural part of the cyclical basis of life. In many of Zhuangzi's stories, it is disfigured people and other beings that he holds up as being sagacious.

In other words, for the most part, a person's disability or infirmity is not due to past transgressions; it's just part of life!

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.