Master Yu and Master Sang were friends.
Once when it rained continuously for ten days,
Master Yu said, “Perhaps Master Sang is unwell.”

He wrapped some rice and took it to his friend.
When he arrived at Sang’s gate, he heard
sounds of singing or wailing accompanied by a lute.
“Father? mother? Heaven? Man?”

The voice seemed about to break
and the words were rushed.
Master Yu entered and said,
“Why are you singing like this?”

“I was thinking how it is that
I have been brought to this extreme predicament
But have not found the answer.
Would my father and mother have wished me
to be so poor?
Heaven covers all without partiality;
earth sustains all.
Would heaven and earth choose to make me so poor?

I have tried to find out who has done this
but cannot find an explanation.

But here I am in this extreme predicament
–it must be fate.

Zhuangzi by Zhuang Zhou trans. by Hyun Hochmann, Yang Guorong, The Great and Honored Teacher.

The story comes at the conclusion of chapter 6. So very human a tale, easy to imagine in any social context. Suppose one of the Starbucks circle were absent for a number of days. I would wonder with concern about his/her well being. I’d reach out to see if they were well. This is such a story.

And if I were the one sidelined by circumstance? Would I predict my response to a change in my life? A serious illness perhaps. Singing or wailing, either would be justified…

Such a bittersweetness. Life.

By constraint of circumstance when we make time to think, to reflect upon the course of our life, to seek a cause – what do we come up with?

Why there’s no explanation at all.

Fate !

Let’s sing! This one is a standard! Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Keke Palmer and Tori Kelly.