Sometimes, another’s perspective helps us see our own more clearly…
When Lao Tsu died, Chin Shih went to
the funeral. He yelled three times and left.
A disciple said, “Were you not a
friend of the Master?”
“Yes.”
“Then is it proper to mourn him in
this way?”
“Yes. When I first arrived, I thought
his spirit was really there. Now I know it
wasn’t. When I went in to mourn, the old
people were wailing as though they had
lost their son. The young ones were crying
as though they had lost their mother.
Since they were all together, they talked
and wept without any control. This is
avoiding heaven, indulging in sentiment,
ignoring what is natural. In the old days,
it was called the crime of violating the law
of nature.
“The Master came because it was
time. He left because he followed the
natural flow. Be content with the moment,
and be willing to follow the flow; then
there will be no room for grief or joy. In
the old days this was called freedom from
bondage. The wood is consumed but the
fire burns on, and we do not know when it
will come to an end.”
from the Chuang Tsu, Inner Chapters