I found this on Pat Cadigan's blog Ceci N'est Pas Une, http://tinyurl.com/j835slj
One night, Confucius had a dream about chopsticks.
In the dream, he was transported to Hell where he saw multitudes of people sitting at enormous tables set out with wonderful foods of all kinds. There was so much food that the tables groaned under the weight and the various aromas were mouth-watering, promising incredibly delectable flavours. But the people sitting at the tables had not touched any of it--they had been told they could eat as much as they liked but only if they ate with chopsticks that were five feet long. None of them could figure out how to eat with five-foot-long chopsticks, so all they could do was stare hopelessly at this amazing feast and cry in hunger and misery.
Then Confucius was taken to heaven where he again saw multitudes of people sitting around enormous tables laden with glorious foods. They had also been told they were allowed to eat only if they used the five-foot-long chopsticks. But, these people were not crying with hunger and frustration--they were eating their fill, talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves.
Because in heaven, they were feeding each other.
Simplistic, isn't it?
C must have been a truly remarkable person, to travel all over China and cause people to behave civilly... and still honored today, no less...
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much is due to his followers. How many great ones were ignored because they didn't have the right followers?
Deletei guess that's back to the "great man" vs. "social inevitability" controversy over what causes the major events in history... like: if Hitler appeared in 1850 instead of the twentieth c., would WW2 have happened? or would it have happened anyway, with someone else being a major motivator...? one of those unanswered questions that are forever being resolved absolutely about every twenty years or so... haha... hope you're having a nice day with good cheer. i went out into the garage and finished putting the components on thus completing my latest project: converting an $1800 bicycle(donated by my daughter) into a $50 one speed junker; it rides pretty good, but not up hills of which we have nothing but around here; i'll just take it down into town to ride... the main thing is it's light: about ten lbs. or so... later....
DeleteMudpuddle,
DeleteYes, that's certainly part of the controversy--the times or the person.
It's one of many which is finally and completely "resolved" every decade or so.
That's an interesting project you are involved in.
Cool story. The solution was indeed simple - can't believe they didn't think of it. I actually thought in the very beginning that it was going to go a different route and speak of over-indulging while others are going hungry.
ReplyDeletemadamevauquer,
DeleteMaybe that's why they are in hell--because cooperation and helping others never occurs to them.
Simplistic or not, that is a great parable.
ReplyDeleteIt is striking that thousands of years later, it is still relevant.
Brian Joseph,
DeleteYes, it points out the sad conclusion that human nature hasn't changed in thousands of years. We may have progressed in our physical state and in knowledge, but our moral and ethical conduct have shown no improvement at all.
R.T.,
ReplyDeleteSee you there.
R.T.,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, I can how that would fit in with The Golden Rule.