A gentle denunciation of ritual etiquettes LO25563

From: ACampnona@aol.com
Date: 11/01/00


Dear Peggy,

Your question is like a bird on my lintel.

Let us hope no-one else reads this...;-)

Tall-in-the-mud and Bold-in-the-Mire were plowing as a team, Confucius
passes by, and sent Dz-lu to ask about the ford. Tall-in-the-Mud said, Who
is that driving? Dz-lu said, It is Kung Chyou. He said, Would that be Kung
Chyou of Lu? He said, It would. He said, Oh, he (italicised) knows the
ford. He asked of Bold-in-the-Mire. Bold-in-the-Mire said, Who are you?
He said Dz-lu. He said, That would be the follower of Kung Chyou of Lu? He
replied, Yes. He said, A thing overflowing -- All Under Heaven is such,
and who is going to change it? Besides, than follow one who only withdraws
from men, why not rather follow one who withdraws from the age? He went of
plowing without further pause.

Dz-lu went and reported it. Our Respected master said consolingly, Birds
and beasts cannot be flocked together with. Were I not a follower of other
men, with whom should I take part? If the world possessed the Way, Chyou
would not be doing his part to change it.

[[Consider that "it is precisely the danger that creates the obligation."
According to my understanding;-) asking about the ford is a covert way to
seek guidance on a way out of the chaos of the times. "Since then
(Confucian times) there has been no-one to ask about the ford." Tau Chyen,
Peachblossom Fountain Preface. ]]

More sagely still for your master's bending ears...

Jye-ye, the Madman (please note there are no brackets nor apology for that
terminology;-) of Chu, passed by Confucius singing,
Pheonix, ho! Pheonix, ho!
How is your virtue now brought low!
You cannot now reprove a past mistake;
You still can overtake a future woe.
Have done, oh! Have done, oh!
Those who now serve, at their own risk do so!
Confucius descended, and wanted to talk with him, but he quickened his steps
and evaded him, and he was not able to talk with him.

It is understood that Confucius wished to ask the reproachful madman..."Do
you want to live forever?"

Well, I wonder Peggy, do you hear the little song the little bird sings
upon my lintel this morning? Are you listening? Do you really want to live
forever? Does the secretary want to live for ever? How shall we all
live-for-ever-together?

Love,

Andrew

Peggy wrote,

>I am assuming that to effectively create and sustain the base for a
>learning organization, rank and status would have to go out the window. A
>secretary (excuse the term) stands as equal a chance of obtaining support
>for her or his learning as an executive, no matter what form or level
>this learning took.

-- 

ACampnona@aol.com

Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>


"Learning-org" and the format of our message identifiers (LO1234, etc.) are trademarks of Richard Karash.