KEEP THE OLD WARM

The Master said: ‘Riches and honors — these are what men desire, but if this is not achieved in accordance with the appropriate principles, one does not cling to them. Poverty and obscurity–these are what men hate, but if they are not achieved in accordance with the appropriate principles, one does not avoid them. If a gentleman abandons humaneness, how does he make a reputation? The gentlemen never shuns humanness even for the time it takes to finish a meal. If his progress is hasty, it is bound to arise from this, and if his progress is unsteady, it is bound to arise from this. – 夫子 Master Kong (Confucius) The Analects 4:5

Our riches and honor will be lost if we are not correct in our hearts.

We will find poverty and obscurity if we are not correct in our hearts.

Humanness is the path to a stable heart.

If we shun humanness, our progress will be hasty, unsteady, and we shall falter.

But what is humaneness?

Let us call it that which is good. Something strong, yet gentle. Living a just life, yet making hard decisions. Something full of love, yet not sentimental.

How to describe such “goodness”. It is something at our core that we cling to that is helps us to make the hard choice yet the right one.

Humanness is a grace allowing us to navigate any and all difficulties of life and not let our personal shortcomings affect ourselves or others in a negative way.

Humanness is that ideal which we strive for, yet which we can hold true to at any moment.

It is simple, but not easy.

I am no master who can explain what is is, but I think we already know.

Hold true to humanness at all times, and our progress will be steady, gradual, and over time we will build a life worth leaving.