The best (man) is like water, water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in (lowly) places that all disdain. That is why it is so near to Tao…
The teaching of Confucius
February 25, 2010 at 6:58 am (Chinese Philosphy)
Confucius said “(a good man) does not worry about not being known by others but rather worries about not knowing them.”
The teachings of Confucius are very relevant to our present world. People of today wants competition, not only in sports but also in business, work, in studies and others. We always want to be recognized, to be always on the top. In every work that we accomplish we want always to be praised by others. We want to impress others. We normally do things for the sake of reward and it is that reward that motivates us to do our best and to work well. This can also be noticed in the seminary. Some of the seminarians are doing things just to impress their formators. We sometimes put others down in order for us to appear good, kind, responsible seminarian in front of our formators. However if our formators are not around we do things for the sake of compliance. It is because no one is watching us or no one will praise our work, no one will recognize what we have done. There is the mentality that we always want to be recognized in all things that we have done.
DUKE HWAN AND THE WHEEL WRIGHT
February 25, 2010 at 6:55 am (Chinese Philosphy)
The world values books, and thinks that in doing it is valuing Tao. But books contain words only. And yet there is something else which gives values to books. Not the words only, nor the thought in the words, but something else the within the thought, swinging it in a certain direction that words cannot apprehend. But it is the world themselves that the world values when it commits them to books: and through the world values them, these words are worthless as long as that which give them value is not held in honor.
