– by Liu Zongyuan (Tang Dynasty) In the wilds of Yongzhou, there lives a strange snake: black-bodied with white markings. Any grass or tree it touches withers and dies; if it bites a person, nothing can save them. Yet, once captured and dried, it becomes a potent medicine – capable of curing leprosy, paralysis,…
This chapter uses the metaphor of ”drawing a bow” to reveal the dynamic equilibrium of natural law, critique humanity’s exploitative logic of ”reducing deficiency to replenish excess,” and propose the sage’s wisdom and principle.