Let Be and Let Alone (2)

1 Indulgence in the visional enjoyment leads to excessive focus on the colors so that the right relation between the color and the vision is neglected — Color serves vision, while vision is a means for human to make living.

2 Also, indulgence in the audio enjoyment leads to obsession with the change of each note so that it is easy to forget that the music serves the sound. Sound is a means by which human made discretion for living in the objective environment.

3 Fuss over benevolence leads to the deviation and loss of personal conducts. It is easy to forget that the benevolence is a means of governance of country instead of the goal.

4 Overemphasis on personal loyalty will infringe many regulations that we should abide by. For example, members of malicious gang take the personal loyalty very seriously. They think that they will do evil for other members, which they call “to be duty-bound not to turn back.”

5 To attach too much importance to the behavior of social etiquette will lead to ossification of behavior, which makes people miss the occasion of expressing their true feeling.

6 Over indulgence in joy will cause sadness, which eventually disturbs the normal life.

7 Moderate sex is a relief of life, which can increase vigor. However, excessive sex does harm to health, distract conduct and break the normal life’s rhythm.

8 In a certain field, addiction to seeking special leadership will cause obsession with the special knowledge and disregard of the perfection of whole cosmos.

9 Attaching too much importance to the knowledge, especially which you think it is right and identify with, will cultivate a habit of rash critique on others.

10 Knowledge always appears variety. Each viewpoint or each standpoint causes its own understanding. It is meaningless to criticize other side in his own viewpoint as nobody actually makes clear the overall aspects.

11 The said eight misconducts are the common phenomena of human habits. If we often remind ourselves to act on the instinct reaction from self-nature and unconsciousness, they will have no severe influence on us.

12 If we disregard our instinct reaction and persist in the eight misconducts that we take as the only guidance, our society will fall in tremendous mess and the scramble will last eternally.

13 Nevertheless, people have a panegyric on the eight phenomena. Therefore, the spirit of this world is distorted. It has become a stubborn disease and beyond cure.

14 It can’t be considered the said phenomena as a simple and emotional problem. People are encouraged to develop specialty. Every year various seminars are held all around the world. The researchers of various specialties do works carefully and continuously in their own fields. Once he succeeds, he receives congratulations from all directions. Assorted awards are set to encourage the development of specialty. All people are crazing to this trend. You see, what can I Chuang Tzu do?

15 Therefore, if a man happens to be appointed to govern a country, he better employs the policy of non-action; because only non-action possibly makes people return to Nature, to live in a peaceful and tranquil life. Also, he who only takes the safe and happiness of his country as his duty can be appointed as the leader of the country; he who only loves his country as himself is competent to be consigned as an official.

16 A man who can control his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and sense to keep out of outward tempts and distractions. He is still as a hill and move as a dragon. He is like a dumb when still, but he is like thunder when speaking. As his intent to do something, Heaven acts to help him. Sitting leisurely here, he seems to do nothing, but all things are accomplished automatically. If he could do so, why would people need the ways of governance?