The four seasons have distinct weather,
but as heaven has no partiality
the year completes the cycle.
The five offices of the government
have distinct duties,
but as rulers have no partiality
the state is governed.

Peace and war have distinct characteristics,
but as a great man does not oppose one against the other
his rule is perfect.
All things have their distinct characteristics,
but the tao has no partiality
and has no name.

Being without a name
it does not act.
Not acting,
there is nothing which it does not accomplish.

Zhuangzi trans. by Hyun Höchsmann and Yang Guorong, Book 25 Zeyang

Sunday morning is mild for the first of March. Thirty two degrees in a Midwestern winter is a “warm” day. As if the seasons have tipped “over”, kaleidoscope-like the pieces tumble over and a new pattern, something never seen before arises, ghost-like from the tumble. Something like that is  my emotional response to the visitation of war upon Iran.

The President of the United States, not satisfied with the Iranian response to his demand that they never develop a nuclear weapon, gave the signal to kill by bombing the head of state including the immediate circle of Iranian leaders. Trump declared that the bombing would continue until there was peace in the Middle East. The President was at Mar-a-Lago his Florida golf resort when the word was given to the Israeli Jets and American Carriers in the area.

He is a man that does not understand the meaning of “no”, – unable to abide a “no” when Iran declined to terminate their nuclear program. Thereby he orders the killing of their leader, the open ended bombing of a country, until they submit. Our “supreme leader” in Mar-a-Lago said that “hopefully” patriotic Iranians would “take-over” the governing of the country…

Something never before seen is bound to arise in Iran. What-is-to-be can never be “friendly” to a country that has bombed them into submission. The pieces tumble but words having distinctions do matter.  Even if the President of the United States is unable to understand, and tolerate being told “no”.

Distinctions: the yin and yang of the tao.