Tuesday, February 26, 2008

True Tranquility (Derek Lin)

A great Taoist story, translated by Derek Lin:

Once upon a time in ancient China, the Emperor was in his study, looking over volumes of diplomatic documents. He found it hard to concentrate, so he summoned his most trusted Minster. When the Minister arrived, he saw that the Emperor was pacing back and forth, looking irritable.

The Emperor said to him: "I wish to focus on the affairs of the state, but my mind is unsettled and agitated. When I feel like this, I need something I can look at to help me regain tranquility. Go find the best artist in the land and have him create a painting that has the power to calm me down. I want the theme of this painting to be 'True Tranquility.'"


Read the rest and see the rest of Derek Lin's great site Taoism.net.

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