NO MAN CAN UNDERSTAND THE PROFOUND AMPLITUDE OF A SAGE's PAIN or spiritual sublime grace ... ' ~ fmoesf

NO  MAN  CAN  UNDERSTAND THE PROFOUND  AMPLITUDE  OF  A  SAGE's PAIN OR  SPIRITUAL  SUBLIME  GRACE. ' ~ fmoesf


The Vinegar Tasters” by Qing dynasty painter Zhu Jianqiu (諸健秋)
This is the message of the artwork entitled 'Vinegar Tasters'  [Buddha,  Lao Zi  and Confucius]

" Three men are standing around a vat of vinegar. Each one has dipped his finger into the vinegar and has tasted it. The expression on each man's face shows his individual reaction. Since the painting is allegorical, we are to understand that these are no ordinary vinegar tasters, but are instead representatives of the "Three Teachings" of China, and that the vinegar they are sampling represents the Essence of Life. The three masters are Confucius, Buddha, and Lao Zi, author of the oldest existing book of Taoism. The first has a sour look on his face, the second wears a bitter expression, but the third man is smiling.

To Confucius, life seemed rather sour. He believed that the present was out step with the past, and that the government of man on earth was out of harmony with the Way of Heaven, the government of, the universe. Therefore, he emphasized reverence for the Ancestors, as well as for the ancient rituals and ceremonies in which the emperor, as the Son of Heaven, acted as intermediary between limitless heaven and limited earth. Under Confucianism, the use of precisely measured court music, prescribed steps, actions, and phrases all added up to an extremely complex system of rituals, each used for a particular purpose at a particular time. A saying was recorded about Confucius: "If the mat was not straight, the Master would not sit." This ought to give an indication of the extent to which things were carried out under Confucianism.

To Buddha, the second figure in the painting, life on earth was bitter, filled with attachments and desires that led to suffering. The world was seen as a setter of traps, a generator of illusions, a revolving wheel of pain for all creatures. In order to find peace, the Buddhist considered it necessary to transcend "the world of dust" and reach Nirvana, literally a state of "no wind." Although the essentially optimistic attitude of the Chinese altered Buddhism considerably after it was brought in from its native India, the devout Buddhist often saw the way to Nirvana interrupted all the same by the bitter wind of everyday existence.

To Lao Zi, the harmony that naturally existed between heaven and earth from the very beginning could be found by anyone at any time, but not by following the rules of the Confucianists. As he stated in his Tao Te Ching, the "Tao Virtue Book," earth was in essence a reflection of heaven, run by the same laws - not by the laws of men. These laws affected not only the spinning of distant planets, but the activities of the birds in the forest and the fish in the sea. According to Lao Zi, the more man interfered with the natural balance produced and governed by the universal laws, the further away the harmony retreated into the distance. The more forcing, the more trouble. Whether heavy or light, wet or dry, fast or slow, everything had its own nature already within it, which could not be violated without causing difficulties. When abstract and arbitrary rules were imposed from the outside, struggle was inevitable. Only then did life become sour.

To Lao Zi, the world was not a setter of traps but a teacher of valuable lessons. Its lessons needed to be learned, just as its laws needed to be followed; then all would go well. Rather than turn away from "the world of dust," Lao Zi advised others to "join the dust of the world." What he saw operating behind everything in heaven and earth he called Tao (DAO), "the Way."

A basic principle of Lao Zi's teaching was that this Way of the Universe could not be adequately described in words, and that it would be insulting both to its unlimited power and to the intelligent human mind to attempt to do so. Still, its nature could be understood, and those who cared the most about it, and the life from which it was inseparable, understood it best.

Over the centuries Lao Zi's classic teachings were developed and divided into philosophical, monastic, and folk religious forms. All of these could be included under the general heading of Taoism. But the basic Taoism that we are concerned with here is simply a particular way of appreciating, learning from, and working with whatever happens in everyday life. From the Taoist point of view, the natural result of this harmonious way of living is happiness. You might say that happy serenity is the most noticeable characteristic of the Taoist personality, and a subtle sense of humor is apparent even in the most profound Taoist writings, such as the twenty-five-hundred-year-old Tao Te Ching. In the writings of Taoism's second major writer, Zhuang Zi, quiet laughter seems to bubble up like water from a fountain.

In the painting, why is Lao Zi smiling? After all, that vinegar that represents life must certainly have an unpleasant taste, as the expressions on the faces of the other two men indicate. But, through working in harmony with life's circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others may perceive as negative into something positive. From the Taoist point of view, sourness and bitterness come from the interfering and unappreciative mind. Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet. That is the message of The Vinegar Tasters. ''
Credit   @   http://www.edepot.com/taoism_3-vinegar-tasters.html

In the painting, why is Lao Zi smiling? After all, that vinegar that represents life must certainly have an unpleasant taste, as the expressions on the faces of the other two men indicate. But, through working in harmony with life's circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others may perceive as negative into something positive. From the Taoist point of view, sourness and bitterness come from the interfering and unappreciative mind. Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet. That is the message of The Vinegar Tasters. ''


It is said that due to their truthfulness, Lao Tze's phylosophical  concepts  have transcended the time-space reality.

However, I  would respectfully ask Master Lao Tze many questions about the "sweetness of veniger " today as a consequence of a poisoned environment ( poisoned sweet veniger / life)  , that he was not able to forsee and analyze. It is why many of his concepts may be related only to his historical time and are invalid in the present. 
 The Master said :  
A person of great virtue is like the flowing water. 
Water benefits all things and contends not with them. 
It puts itself in a place that no one wishes to be and thus is closest to Tao. 
A virtuous person is like water which adapts itself to the perfect place.
His mind is like the deep water that is calm and peaceful. 
His heart is kind like water that benefits all. 
His words are sincere like the constant flow of water. 
His governing is natural without desire which is like the softness of water that penetrates through hard rocks.
His work is of talent like the free flow of water. 
His movement is of right timing like water that flows smoothly. 
A virtuous person never forces his way and hence will not make faults. Tao Te Ching - Lso Tzu


... but water like all the other elements of nature, is poisoned too! ~ fmoesf  


●' The character and the activity of information contributes fundamentally to the quality of substance'. - David Bohm

A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake." ~ Confucius

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." ~ Confucius

●' See a person's means … Observe his motives. Examine that in which he rests. How can a person conceal his character? ' ~ 孔夫子 [ K'ung-fu-tzu ( Confucius ) ]

●' The Superior Man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior man is partial and not all-embracing. '
~ 孔夫子 [ K'ung-fu-tzu ( Confucius ) ]

● If you see what is right and fail to act on it, you lack courage. ' ~ 孔夫子 [ K'ung-fu-tzu ( Confucius ) ]