| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: choice of the former.
73. 1. He whose boldness appears in his daring (to do wrong, in
defiance of the laws) is put to death; he whose boldness appears in
his not daring (to do so) lives on. Of these two cases the one
appears to be advantageous, and the other to be injurious. But
When Heaven's anger smites a man,
Who the cause shall truly scan?
On this account the sage feels a difficulty (as to what to do in the
former case).
2. It is the way of Heaven not to strive, and yet it skilfully
overcomes; not to speak, and yet it is skilful in (obtaining a reply;
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "No, for the gates were locked and the wall was a real wall. So we
came back here again. It isn't far to the city. We can reach it in
two hours after you've had your breakfasts."
Trot went back, and finding the other girls now awake, told them what
Scraps had said. So they hurriedly ate some fruit--there were plenty
of plums and fijoas in this part of the orchard--and then they mounted
the animals and set out upon the journey to the strange city. Hank
the Mule had breakfasted on grass, and the Lion had stolen away and
found a breakfast to his liking; he never told what it was, but
Dorothy hoped the little rabbits and the field mice had kept out of
his way. She warned Toto not to chase birds and gave the dog some
The Lost Princess of Oz |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: part of England do, as well as that.
From hence I stepped up into the country north-west, to see the
ancient town of Wimborne, or Wimborneminster; there I found nothing
remarkable but the church, which is indeed a very great one,
ancient, and yet very well built, with a very firm, strong, square
tower, considerably high; but was, without doubt, much finer, when
on the top of it stood a most exquisite spire--finer and taller, if
fame lies not, than that at Salisbury, and by its situation in a
plainer, flatter country visible, no question, much farther; but
this most beautiful ornament was blown down by a sudden tempest of
wind, as they tell us, in the year 1622.
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