Ahh, another discovery that not only provides me a copy of the Eight Lectures of the I Ching by Hellmut Wilhelm but also two more major lectures by Richard Wilhelm.
In the introduction there are two quotes I wish to pass along. When discussing the comparison of Chinese culture to the world of cultures Wilhelm said, "A comparison of different cultures will give us the possibility of recognizing the human basis and to elevate it to conscious awareness. This, together with the preservation of individual particularities, will become increasingly a source of strength." "A world of sharply delineated individuals (leading a specific life, as do plants in the forrest), without negating in difference that which is held in common."
Then Wilhelm quotes T'ao Yuan-ming from his death poem, " … I have gone happily to draw water from the brook and have sung as I walked under a load of firewood. … As prong gave way to autumn, I have busied myself in my garden. … I have rejoiced in my books and have been soothed by my zither. Winters I have warmed myself in the sun, summers I have b ached in the brook.
Men fear to waste their lives, concerned that they may fail to succeed. They cling to the days and lament passing time.
Aware of my destined end, of which one can not be ignorant, I find no cause for regret in this present transformation."
I find these comforting and relevant in today's hectic speedy overwhelming life. It speaks of that life and then more. Coming from such a source relates the constancy of life and its fullness within change.
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