Text size
Excerpt
Therefore every addition to or deviation from nature belongs not to the ultimate perfection of all. He who would attain to such perfection never loses sight of the natural conditions of his existence. With him the joined is not united, nor the separated apart, nor the long in excess, nor the short wanting. For just as a duck's legs, though short, cannot be lengthened without pain to the duck, and a crane's legs, though long, cannot be shortened without misery to the crane, so that which is long in man's moral nature cannot be cut off, nor that which is short be lengthened. All sorrow is thus avoided.
Source Chuang Tzu, chapter 8, §2 · 📖 Read the full passage
✨ To meditate on today
According to Chuang Tzu, each being has its right form, long or short, and forcing it to be something else, like lengthening the duck's legs or shortening the crane's, only creates suffering. Today, accept one of your traits that you would like to change, and treat it gently, as a natural part of you.
Receive a lesson of this teaching every day by email or Telegram
Subscribe for free →