Conformity, Envy or Empathy & Love

Any locale is to be interpreted for what it is: not real, not making true sense.

All the locale experiences are just that, scenarii to be acted upon, then, closed.

Games all, out of which some are "Jeux interdits", the dialogue of war & peace.

Yet through not engaging the apparent realness of such circumstances can I find peace while wars are raging.

I should remain utterly focused on the true nature of the Self.

Card from the Osho Zen Tarot

《道德經》第80章

小國寡民。使有什伯之器而不用；使民重死而不遠徙。

雖有舟輿，無所乘之，雖有甲兵，無所陳之。

使民復結繩而用之，甘其食，美其服，安其居，樂其俗。

鄰國相望，雞犬之聲相聞，民至老死，不相往來。

― James Legge (Standing alone)

In a little state with a small population, I would so order it, that, though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a hundred men, there should be no employment of them; I would make the people while looking on death as a grievous thing, yet not remove elsewhere (to avoid it).

Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they should have no occasion to don or use them.

I would make the people return to the use of knotted cords (instead of the written characters).

They should think their (coarse) food sweet; their (plain) clothes beautiful; their (poor) dwellings places of rest; and their common (simple) ways sources of enjoyment.

There should be a neighbouring state within sight, and the voices of the fowls and dogs should be heard all the way from it to us, but I would make the people to old age, even to death, not have any intercourse with it.

Dào De Jing Chapter 80 — Herman Ould

Picture my little country with its few inhabitants.

Maybe there are contraptions in it for reducing labour to a tenth, a hundredth, but why should they be used?

I would have my people take death seriously and not go abroad to seek it, though they are ready enough to die twice over to defend their homes.

Maybe there are boats and carriages in my little country, but why should people travel in them?

Maybe there are weapons and armour, but these are kept in the background, unused.

I would let my people jog their memories with knotted cords and not depend on writing.

I would have them satisfied with their food; their clothing should be pleasant; their homes comfortable; and they would take delight in the performance of the daily round.

The neighbouring country might be so near that my people would hear the cocks crow and the dogs bark over there, but old age might come and even death itself, and yet my people would have felt no need to cross the border.

80 ― Arthur Waley

Given a small country with few inhabitants,

He could bring it about that through

There should be among the people contrivances requiring ten times,

A hundred times less labour, they would not use them.

He could bring it about that the people would be ready

To lay down their lives and lay them down again in defence of their homes,

Rather than emigrate.

There might still be boats and carriage,

But no one would go in them;

There might still be weapons of war,

But no one would drill with them.

He could bring it about that

“The people should have no use for any form of writing save knotted ropes,

Should be contented with their food, pleased with their clothing,

Satisfied with their homes,

Should take pleasure in their rustic tasks.

The next place might be so near at hand

That one could hear the cocks crowing in it, the dogs barking;

But the people would grow old and die without ever having been there”.