November 17-C, 2022

It is traditionally held
that Confucius died in 479 BCE.

Some years after he retired 
from government service,
he said,
"Nowadays, no one is interested
in hearing about 
virtue and harmony.
In our society, 
people place more importance
on business advantage 
than on friendship.
Relationships have become shallow,
and everyone is bending
to social and peer pressure
to get approval
or to get ahead."
(From "Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide
to Practical Living," by Eva Wong).

We have motor cars
and aeroplanes,
rocket ships and diesel locomotives,
but the times we live in
are not much different,
in spite of the time that has passed,
since Confucius lived.

And it still comes down to
doing what needs to be done,
when, where and how it needs to be done,
in each situation as it arises,
and letting that be that.
And on to the next situation.

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