The stonecutter

Originally posted by Nordlys
Just about anything can spur a Christian fundamentalist to attack people with xyr pious mumbo jumbo.

They give true Christians a bad name. Haven't they heard of the world church?

Dao de jing

Chapter 38

A truly good man is not aware of his goodness,
And is therefore good.
A foolish man tries to be good,
And is therefore not good.

A truly good man does nothing,
Yet leaves nothing undone.
A foolish man is always doing,
Yet much remains to be done.

When a truly kind man does something, he leaves nothing undone.
When a just man does something, he leaves a great deal to be done.
When a disciplinarian does something and no one responds,
He rolls up his sleeves in an attempt to enforce order.

Therefore when Dao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is kindness.
When kindness is lost, there is justice.
When justice is lost, there ritual.
Now ritual is the husk of faith and loyalty, the beginning of confusion.
Knowledge of the future is only a flowery trapping of Dao.
It is the beginning of folly.

Therefore the truly great man dwells on what is real and not what is on the surface,
On the fruit and not the flower.
Therefore accept the one and reject the other.

Originally posted by huckleberryhound
There once was a stonecutter who was dissatisfied with himself and his position in life.

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house, and through the open gateway, saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stonecutter. He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchan ...[text shortened]... ught. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter.

Moral of the story: If you become a wealthy head of state, don't wish to be the sun.