Ancient Wisdom

'Shunyu Kun' said: "Is it the rule that males and females shall not allow their hands to touch in giving or receiving anything?" Mencius replied: "It is the rule." ' Kun ' asked: "If a man's sister in law be drowning, shall he rescue her with his hand or not?" Mencius said: "He who would not rescue a drowning woman is wolf." 'For males and females not to allow their hands to touch in giving and receiving is the general rule, when a sister-in-law is drowning, to rescue her with the hand as a peculiar expediency." ' Kun ' said: "The whole empire is drowning. How strange it is that you will not rescue it!" Mencius answered: "A drowning empire must be rescued with right principles, as a drowning sister-in-law has to be rescued with the hand. Do you wish me to rescue the empire with my hand?"

Once upon a time there was a fox who met a young rabbit in the woods. The rabbit said: "What are you?" The fox said: "I am a fox, and I could eat you up if I wanted to." 'How can you prove that you are a fox?" asked the rabbit. The fox didn't know what to say, because in the past rabbits had always run from him without such enquiries. Then the rabbit said: "If you can show me written proof that you are fox, I'll believe you." So the fox trotted off to the lion, who gave him a certificate that he was a fox. When he got back to where the rabbit was waiting, the fox started to read out the document. It is also pleased him that he dwelt over the paragraph with lingering delight. Meanwhile, getting the gist of the message from the first few lines, the rabbit ran down a burrow and was never seen again. The fox went back to the lion's den, where he saw a deer talking to the lion. The deer was saying: "I want to see written proof that you...

Since Israel-Palestine war started, I have been immersing myself daily in this conflict, absorbing reactions from around the globe through various media. This has led me to ponder deeply about the root cause of the conflict and think out of the box, particularly from a professor's perspective, as we are often at the forefront of such global issues. My reflections on this brutal event of the 21st century have revealed the harsh reality of human nature, unmasking the cruel animal instincts that life underneath." Suppose I were a professor of International Law or International Relations at a global university, I would keep aside all textbooks of International Law and International Relations and tell students: "Place no faith in any treaty or international law. There is no law that exist except one law-"Might is Right.' Memorise this principle. Don't waste your time on it.  It is the old doctrine. Artificial Intelligence and Robots will further reinforce this pow...

A guest passing the night at the 'Mulla's house called out to him to give him the taper which was at his right side, as the night-light had gone out. Unto whom the 'Mulla' promptly answered, in a voice slightly roughened by irritation and sleep: "How can I know which is my right side in the dark?"