Accept Difference As Given

According to Chaung Tsu, Sung Chien and Yin Wen:

"accepted difference as given. They discoursed upon the nature of the heart and they sought a unity proceeding from the heart. By such concerns they sought to unite everyone in joyfulness and to harmonise all within the boundaries of the oceans. The greatest desire was to see this achieved everywhere, by their efforts. They could face insults and not be disturbed; they struggled to save the people from warfare; they aimed to prevent aggression and to silence arms and thus to deliver future generations from violence. In pursuit of such ideals, they walked across the whole world, advising the high and teaching the low, and even though the world would not listen, they just continued even more strongly and would not give up. So it is said that high and low were tired of seeing them, but they never gave up putting themselves forward" (Martin Palmer translation, Penguin books 2006, 300).

 

A wonderful excerpt from my friend Ashley, who is writing a paper to be given at the 11th Annual Conference of Daoist Studies in Paris next year. I am also thinking of submitting a paper... watch this space.