An old man sits on a granite step.
He plucks a treasured guitar.
The strings throb with feeling.
He needs no audience to open his heart.

A boy enthusiastically wants to learn his style.
“Style?” asks the man slowly. “My style is
     made of
The long road of life, of heartbreak
And joy, and people loved, and loneliness.
Of war and its atrocities.
Of a baby born.
Of burying parents and friends.
My scale is the seven stars of the dipper
The hollow of my guitar is the space
     between heaven and earth.
How can I show you my style?
You have your own young life.”

Everyone has their own style in life. The old have perspective. The young have vigor. We can learn from each other, but we cannot have what the other generations possess. We are each shaped by our generations, and to transcend the limitations of our time is a rare occurrence indeed.

style
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9

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