FIGHTING THE RAT - Harnessing Conscience Power

What a terrible dream I experienced last night!’howled Gate-Keeper Yin to his wife. ‘A giant rat would not desist from chasing after me until, finally, with no place to turn, it had me cornered.’
‘Heaven protect us against such things! What did you do?’his spouse enquired earnestly.
‘What could I do but attack it,’ Yin continued. ‘And I fought hard let me tell you, but in the end I was sorely wounded. But then a very strange thing happened. Just as I lay in a defeated crumpled heap of humiliation, expecting the final mortal blow,the rat spoke to me. It said: “You win,” and immediately helped me up, which is when I awoke. What awful misfortune can it possibly foretell?’
‘My old mother was wise,’ answered his wife seemingly calmer in her remembrance of something. ‘She would say: 'When you have a fight with your conscience and get beaten, you win! Maybe that rat was your conscience and you’ve gone and
cornered yourself.’

This was taken from Lesson 8 in Volume II of The Teachings of Billionaire yen Tzu - if you want to read the rest of the story.

Yen Tzu goes on to say ...Conscience is that part of our consciousness that is vital to our development and growth. However, there is conscience and true-conscience. The former is subjective, the latter objective. We often think the function of our subjective, or conditioned, conscience, is to spoil life for those of us who are unlucky enough to be pricked by it. It could be said that, ‘your conscience doesn’t keep you from doing anything; it merely keeps you from enjoying it.’ In this guise it can be likened to an irritating acquaintance that you have periodically to tolerate. All too often we construct an entire framework of intelligent rationa-lies-ations in our attempts to justify actions that contradict our deepest sense of right and wrong.


I love this esoteric thought-provoking material. It sets me up for the day. Yen Tzu's book is timeless and wherever you open it I find words of wisdom to inspire me for that day. Has anyone else read any of his teachings?

Shooting the Monkey - Freedom from the Distracting Ego

Invited to a grand reception Chang did not dress for the occasion. Arriving in his everyday clothes he was treated with disrespect and contempt. No-one paid him any attention and the servants did their utmost to ignore him, not even serving him dinner. Slipping out unnoticed, Chang went home and changed into the finest silk tunic, belt and robes adorned with breath-taking jewellery, a magnificent turban and an expensive overcoat.
Returning to the banquet he was received with open arms. Although all harboured their individual hidden agenda and a little envy, the hosts were delighted to see such a man of obvious importance and asked him to sit with them at the highest table, offering him a plate filled with the choicest delicacies.
Then, much to the bewilderment of the hosts and everyone present, Chang removed his coat and turban, placed them before the plate and said: ‘Eat, my master, eat.’
‘What are you doing?’ one of the astonished hosts enquired.
‘It is my apparel that you are honouring, not me,’ replied Chang...

For the rest of this story you have to read The Teachings of Billionaire Yen Tzu Volume I - Chapter 4.

These Chinese parables really stimulate my thinking. It is so true that people are influenced to judge you by your designer items and not your true colours. It is sad that we cannot be ourselves in certain situations but feel we have to impress our peer group with what we have. If you read the rest of this story you will see how Yen Tzu directs us away from Ego and towards inner harmony.

Taming the Bull - Harmonising Communication

Toeless Wong was crippled for allowing Duke Ling’s prize
bull to run amok in the kilns,’ said Ho Chi, in answer
to his fellow disciple’s question. ‘Indeed, it is said, that he lost
a toe for every one of the ten Imperial vases that were smashed.’
‘In truth it was through having his feet stamped on by the
mighty bull while he bravely fought to recapture it,’ said their
Patriarch, upon overhearing their discourse.
‘By my ancestors,’ exclaimed Ho Chi, ‘what courage!’
‘Indeed yes,’ said Yen Tzu, ‘but fighting yang with yang is
not the way to communicate and overcome.’
‘It is said that yin and yang connect all,’ said Ho Chi, ‘but
please explain how, in the context of such a difficult situation.’
‘The mutual seeking of yin and yang depends on opening and
closing.’ began the Patriarch. ‘Opening and closing are the
natural principles that influence the rise and fall in all of
heaven and earth’s ten thousand things, including man and
beast. Yin and yang should always be harmonious. For the
opposite of one, redresses the balances of the other.

If you want to read the rest of this it comes from The Teachings of Billionaire Yen Tzu

This is Volume One and it is packed with excellent esoteric tales that really get you thinking.
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