Reflections

Primary Sources

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Tao Te Ching 79


When a reconciliation is effected between two parties after a great animosity, there is sure to be a grudge remaining in the mind of the one who was wrong. And how can this be beneficial to the other?

Therefore to guard against this, the sage keeps the left-hand portion of the record of the engagement, and does not insist on the speedy fulfillment of it by the other party. 

So, he who has the attributes of the Tao regards only the conditions of the engagement, while he who has not those attributes regards only the conditions favorable to himself.

In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man.



No comments:

Post a Comment