Ungod Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 Going through some of the books/papers I still have (my library gets smaller and smaller), I stumbled across a funny quote: "Men go out of life and into death. Thirty percent are followers of life, thirty percent of followers of death and thirty percent more who could live hasten towards the place of death. Why so? Because they would augment the richness of life. I am told a man who is good at taking care of his life may travel through the wilderness, without trying to avoid rhinoceroses or tigers, and may enter battles, without being equipped with armour or weapons. The rhinoceros finds no place in which to jab its horn, the tiger finds no place in which to dig its claw, and the sword finds no place in which to thrust its blade. Why so? Because he has no vulnerable point. Thus who he takes no measure whatsoever for life is accomplished at valuing life." Any thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grido Posted July 25, 2014 Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 A few. First - is this MD related? If not I/another mod will move it to offtopic. Second - Why are you reducing your library size? :( Third - 3*30% = 90%, so what description serves for the other 10%? Fourth - "I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free" There is a certain attitude you might face where the environment reacts to your actions towards it. If you act in such a way that you do not believe you will be hurt, and if you have enough faith to sustain this belief, you will indeed not be hurt. Curious phenomenon that it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ungod Posted July 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2014 First - is this MD related? If not I/another mod will move it to offtopic. Offtopic, then. Second - Why are you reducing your library size? :( I have had too many books on too many subjects, so I donated/thrown about 3/4 of my books so far. I still have a huge collection in .pdf files. The numbers are giving me a "headache", too, not only because of the 90% thing, but I wonder if they are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azthor Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 The Speculations on Metaphysics, Polity and Morality of the "Old Philosopher" Lau Tsze - Translation by John Chalmers, A.M. "Men go out of life and into death. The ministers of life are thirteen (the senses, etc.). The ministers of death are thirteen. Human life hastens to the place of death in thirteen ways (by the undue exercise of the senses and limbs). And why is this? It is only because the life men are striving to live is only the gross (physical) life (of intensified activity). I have heard it said, that [sic] a man that is good at taking care of his life may travel over the country without meeting a rhinoceros or a tiger, and may enter an armed host without fearing their steel. The rhinoceros finds in him no place to insert his horn; the tiger finds no place to fix his claw; the weapon finds no place to receive its blade. And why is this? It is because he is beyond the reach of death". (pg. 38). "Three in every ten (the cautious) are the followers of life. Three in every ten (the violent and obstinate) are the followers of death. And three in every ten, while they live, act so as to hasten their death. For why?-they live a life of luxurious opulence". (pg. xx, alternative translation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ungod Posted July 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 (edited) After reading the other translations (thanks), I am more confused. So I take it, if you have 10 different people, 1/3 of them is cautious, 1/3 is violent and 1/3 is carefree. So only one in three is valuing life more than anything... Edited July 31, 2014 by TheRichMerchant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grido Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 One thing is always more dominant than another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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