Reading 1

In this reading there were a few concepts that I felt, if taken to heart, could have a true impact on an individuals daily life and way of thinking. The first of those ideas was maturity. Throughout our lives we continuously hear the word “MATURE” and it is drilled into our heads (especially in our youth) that we need to seek maturity, act mature, be mature, make mature decisions, etc, etc. In this reading, the author focuses on the fundamental qualities of a “mature” person and repeats many times over, the spiritual importance of this way of living.

The phrase, “The mature person…” is repeated often and may seem redundant, but if you truly look at the words following this preface, you begin to get an understanding that “maturity” goes far beyond the common definition. I found it interesting that such fundamental, yet highly profound ideals about how to live ones life were established so many years ago and still relevant in beliefs today. The introduction of the passage says it best, “How civilized these ancient Chinese are!”.

One of the “characteristics” of a mature person that stood out to me was, “…the mature person looks into his own heart and respects what is unseen and unheard”. I found this to be interesting because, for me personally, it is a difficult concept to fully accept. To respect what is unseen and unheard cant possibly be easy because it is human nature (or maybe just my human nature) to focus my energy and understanding on things that I can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. I definitely agree that it requires a certain kind of maturity to look past the sensory experience and pay attention to what is happening in ones “inmost self”.

Also, I found that the “golden rule” is written in this passage. The “golden rule”, as my family called it was one we were always taught as kids, and even hung in a frame in our bathroom for a few years. “Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you”. It is compelling that a concept that I was always preached was around so long ago in an ancient religion.

Overall, the passage’s focus on personal serenity and peaceful spirituality really grasped my attention and made me really appreciate the author’s work.