3.3 Confucius said, “A man who is not benevolent, what can he have to do with ritual? A man who is not benevolent, what can he have to do with music?
In making a sacrifice, it is important not to have an indecisive mind. Such a mind can inflict a great deal of shame on your spirit of self-sacrifice.
“The Tiger of Zhao Cheng (The Repentant Tiger)” is a story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai (Liaozhai Zhiyi), recounting a tale of filial piety, vengeance, and forgiveness. Set in Zhao Cheng, the story revolves around an elderly woman and her son.
My brother-in-law’s grandfather Master Song Tao, a local recipient of a government stipend for bachelors of letters, was lying sick in bed one day when an officer bearing a summons and leading a white-blazed horse came to him and said, ”You are requested to be present at the examination.”
The Dao, due to its all-encompassing and formless nature, cannot be grasped through the perception of concrete forms. We learn to cultivate the Dao by emulating the sages.
Superior Virtue is the Dao itself — undivided, complete, and beyond notions of “virtue” or “gain.” It embodies true integrity without striving. It acts without acting, flows without intention, merging seamlessly with the rhythm of ziran. No analysis taints its purity, no agenda mars its perfection. “Superior Virtue does not claim virtue, thus it…