| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: rule. Ability to know this model and rule constitutes what we call
the mysterious excellence (of a governor). Deep and far-reaching is
such mysterious excellence, showing indeed its possessor as opposite
to others, but leading them to a great conformity to him.
66. 1. That whereby the rivers and seas are able to receive the homage
and tribute of all the valley streams, is their skill in being lower
than they;--it is thus that they are the kings of them all. So it is
that the sage (ruler), wishing to be above men, puts himself by his
words below them, and, wishing to be before them, places his person
behind them.
2. In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: foxes, whose gigantic teeth were too awful even to think about. But
there were other evils that were not so distinct. Hideous and
unimaginable these were, with tales of fish swimming into the area
and never to be heard from again, vague reports of sudden
disappearances, and some hysterical tales, impossible to make sense
of, of leaping shadows, wild splashings, worms flying through the
water, and such like.
The dangers of the rocky beach could not quite be isolated in
the minds of the little fish, so that they felt a general sense of
impending doom whenever they swam more than a few feet from home.
That is why, one day when three little fish met each other suddenly
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain: no fault with him anywhere.
Saturday evening he said to the Judge:
"I've had something preying on my mind, uncle, and as I am going away,
and might never see you again, I can't bear it any longer.
I made you believe I was afraid to fight that Italian adventurer.
I had to get out of it on some pretext or other, and maybe I
chose badly, being taken unawares, but no honorable person could
consent to meet him in the field, knowing what I knew about him."
"Indeed? What was that?"
"Count Luigi is a confessed assassin."
"Incredible."
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