Dear HeOteal,
Now you have alerted me to the thought that all I read here may not be true. All fiction is not labelled as such. I know that I have it in me to be quite subtle myself, and if I wanted to I could put on a good act for all of you that would fool most of you. Why should I do that? It would only be to make myself feel superior to those of you who accepted my act.
In fact, I never would do this. I have only one name here, and I always write only what I believe to be the truth. You can trust me. I have always spoken with one voice and you can feel that I care about you all and your lives, as projected through your posts. I have always responded with sincerity, and so has my brother Canuck. I take it then as "shame on you" if any of you have ever tried to have fun with me by getting me to spend my precious time and energy on any foolishness that was just put out to play with me and my feelings and energies.
So far I haven't felt this has happened. Can you imagine that if it ever did, how you might damage my feelings for all Chinese people? I might not think it was just *you* who were dishonest and making play with me. I might think it was a general trait of your society. *Now* what have you done, Charles? You have told me, and also Canuck, that it is indeed a general trait among Chinese people to be dishonest, to enjoy making fools of others, and to take such things lightly. Isn't that so? However, -- lucky you,-- I don't believe it because I have found people here whom I am quite convinced are innocent, truthful and noble. I will only mention three of many: Standly, Feierjanes and Facearmy. I suppose only they know whether my judgement is correct or not, and probably so do you, as you know your own culture and can pick up subtle nuances in it probably better than I can.
Virtues are the same, all over the world. If this behaviour you described is common in China then it is a degenerate thing, and not virtuous. I cannot believe that in your golden periods of culture it was that way, because great civilizations don't thrive on lies and fooling others.
HeOteal, don't think I am referring to your little playing with dear, serious, hard-working Facearmy in this. It was a small and uncalculated thing. I understand that you were frustrated with him, although you didn't take the time to really read the long posts that we both found interesting in the context of our discussions here. Therefore, you could call him "stupid" because he believed that the one who posted them had written them, but you cannot call him stupid for appreciating the great writing and thought that was posted. That writing was far above average, as you said, when you mentioned that such a writer would never be attracted to write in our forum. That writer wrote in great sweeping circles, coming back after exploring fascinating byways to his original statements, having subtly elaborated them when the reader wasn't aware until he had tied it all together. I, like Facearmy, would like to know who the original writer was as she or he was an erudite and talented person who seemed to know both East and West well. I would buy that person's books to have the wisdom ready to hand.
Your little trick on Facearmy, while a little embarrassing to him, is not the issue here. It is the post you just wrote about your "Interesting Finding" that is being discussed. If Canuck and I are too honest, then it is good for us that we have this virtue. If we are quick to defend a person on the Forum who might be hurt, it is good that we have this caring. If we want to keep the Forum in good condition then it is for the benefit of all. If we don't lie, it is good that then you can at least trust us, if no one else here, according to what has been written. I can tell you, I trust a number of people here whom I have found to be intensely genuine, humble and pure-hearted.
That is another word: "genuine," that fits together with the other virtues mentioned. A jewel is most valuable when it is genuine. When it is false it is worthless. Because you say that some of you don't own this jewel yet doesn't mean that you shouldn't aspire to possess it. If you have these negative qualities, then throw away false identities, posing, fooling and lies, and look into your motives for having had them in the first place. :-)
I hope everybody here will consider the purity of their own approach to others. YOu don't need to bare your tender hearts to the darts and spears of others. You don't need to be naive and foolishly trusting. You don't need to be easily cheated. All you need to do is not to speak when you feel the urge to lie, or to fool in a mean way, or to misrepresent. Fooling in a gentle and kindly way, and owning up soon if the other is getting embarrassed, is OK of course. :-)
In fact, we shall see soon enough if Westerners can make out in China. After all, you have joined the World Trade Organization and plenty of Easterners will be dealing with the West, and plenty of Westerners will be dealing with the East. I hope all will do well. We need to learn from each other, but we need to learn the good and noble things the other has to share, and not the ignoble ones, which both sides have.
You shouldn't think all Westerners are like David and I, although many are. We are brother and sister, the lucky products of one excellent set of parents. We are also both Baha'is and strive to be good people because we are trying to help to build a new civilization filled with the virtues again, which needs to be more and more in place as the old one steadily crumbles away.
Work to become virtuous and yet still able to survive well in this world as you do so, a world where there are many who like to make fun of virtues and think they are weakening things, or old-fashioned and not for our time. Be "as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves" as you do it.
So, HeOteal, thanks for opening a new discussion. This is my considered response. What do you think of it? I will have more to say about it in connection with mythology, I think.
Mary
