Sublime

Veritatis simplex oratio est. The language of truth is simple. Seneca

“That’s right. But Luo Ji’s carefree. Nothing bothers him. Kent, old fellow, do you think what he’s doing is easy? Open-mindedness, is what this is, and anyone who wants to do great things needs to be open-minded. Someone like you won’t accomplish great things.”

Hui-neng says, “When ordinary people teach a dharma, they think there is something learned. Thus, the Buddha tells Subhuti, when the Tathagata teaches a dharma, he does not think anything is learned. Ordinary people teach as if we can understand. Whether he speaks or is silent, the Tathagata is truthful. The words he speaks are like echoes of an

Shi Qiang calmed him with a wave. “Forget it. Just talk about what happens when the two of you are together. The more detailed the better.” Luo Ji’s eyes widened in amazement. “How did you know about the two of us?” Shi Qiang laughed again. Then he looked around. “There wouldn’t happen to be any cigars in this place, would there?”

while a man should, if possible, think like a great mind, he should speak the same language as every other person. Men should use common words to say uncommon things, but they do the reverse.

SU CH’E says, “Confucius relied on kindness and justice, ritual and music to order the kingdom. Lao-tzu’s only concern was to open people’s minds, which he accomplished through the use of metaphor. Some people, though, have used his metaphors to create disorder, while no great problems have been caused by the followers of Confucius.

To most ears, such an admission would sound rude (perhaps even cruel), animalistic and vulgar.