One of the notable aspects of Eastern thought and philosophy is how it fosters a sense of stability and maturity after more than four thousand years of continuous history. 
It embraces the idea that humans are greater than any concept they might create, that we are guided more by our passions than by strict principles. Compromise becomes a means of living alongside neighbors with differing views, opening us to see things from new or shared perspectives.
I believe the best teachers share lessons through personal experiences, especially when they come from unexpected places or challenge the usual way of looking at things that seem obvious but aren’t. It’s that moment of clarity and calm in a situation that brings the answer we’ve been searching for.
Beyond the analogies and connections found in Lieh Tzu, we should align ourselves with the core divine principles of the cosmos or universe. This divine essence is best reflected in the actions we take and the legacy we leave for others. But first we ask ourselves, “who are we to do that”?
It is this connection that transcends the present and is why it becomes essential that we both connect to the eternal with talents we are here to explore and add to, or as Confucius would tell us that we are to live with the ideal of “compassion and human heartedness”. Symbolism and its contrasts are often found throughout history, especially in war, as described by Sun Tzu in *The Art of War*, written over two thousand years ago.
War can dismantle established norms, but today it can also serve as a metaphor for refining traits within us that may lead to success. That the best wars are not in the physical sense but are either won or lost before the battle begins. 
One key element is learning to see things as they truly are, not just how we wish them to be. After reading the translated Art of War, Napoleon of France remarked “In war, three-quarters turns on personal character and relations; the balance of manpower and materials counts only for the remaining quarter”. That life shapes the essence of our personal character, teaching us to uncover the root causes and underlying contradictions of how things come about or happen. Often, what we believe to be our strengths turn out to be our greatest weaknesses, while perceived weaknesses we work to develop can become our greatest strengths.
My travels with Lieh Tzu / Interpolations along the Way
Chapter Eight – Explaining Conjunctions
139. When a yellow Mare becomes a great Horse
Duke Mu of Chin exclaimed to his friend Po‑lo, ah, what I wouldn’t give for a great horse. You know the kind I am looking for. The one who raises no dust when he runs and leaves no tracks so that no one can follow. Yes, Po‑lo said, I see. 
The duke continued: “I am in need of such a horse, you know that a good horse can be identified by its shape and look, its bone and muscle. But who knows, the great horses of the world may be extinct, vanished, perished or just lost waiting to be found. You are getting on in years, is there anyone in your family whom I can send to find me such a horse.”
Po‑lo answered that his sons all had lesser talents. They can pick a good horse, but not a great one. But there is a man I know who carries and hauls firewood for me. His name is Chiu fang‑Kao. He is certainly my equal. I suggest that you send for him. Duke Mu found the man and explained what he wanted and sent him away to find such a horse. The duke was full of anticipation and could hardly wait for the man’s return. Finally, after three months the man returned and reported that such a horse had been found in She‑Chiu. The one I have chosen is a yellow mare. The duke sent someone to retrieve it and when the man returned, he discovered the horse to be a stallion and black. Shocked, he sent for Po‑lo.
The duke chided Po‑lo: “He’s no good, this man you sent to me to find me horses. He cannot even tell one color from another, mare from stallion. What can he know about horses?”
Po‑lo breathed a sigh of awe and exclaimed: “So now he has risen to this. It is just this that shows that he is worth a thousand, ten thousand, and any number of people like me! What such a man as Kao observes is the inner most native impulses behind the horse’s movements.
He grasps the essence and forgets the dross, goes right inside it and forgets the outside. He looks for and sees what he needs to see. In the judgment of horses of a man like Kao, there is something more important than horses.”
Of course, the Duke had to confess that the horse upon further inspection did prove to be a great horse. And upon thinking the matter through he realized that he had never seen the method one used in picking a good horse himself. He had only learned to appreciate greatness, after others had discovered it for him. The duke wanted to appreciate the greatness found in a superior horse, he had just not yet discovered it and concluded:
“When is a yellow mare a great horse, but when it turns out to be a black stallion.” 8/16/95
Number one hundred thirty-nine of one hundred fifty-eight entries.
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