Over the course of three years, a certain resident of the Song kingdom carved for his king from jade a leaf of the Chu tree, so perfect - in teeth and with a stem, in veins and hairs, so complex and shiny that it could not be distinguished from real leaves of the Chu tree, even when mixed with them. This man was fed by the Song kingdom for his skill.
Hearing about this, teacher Le Tzu said:
- If Heaven and Earth, giving birth to things, created one leaf in three years, then there would be very few plants with leaves. Therefore, a wise person does not rely on knowledge and skill, but on the natural process of development.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru