While trying to find this travelogue blog (couldn't remember the project name), I stumbled onto this one on "How Valid Is Cultural Identity?"
Some interesting passages from the Tao Te Ching (and other sources) sprinkled with the author's thoughts and personal anecdotes in China, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan:
"As long as there is an 'us'(Culture) there will be 'them'(everyone else), as long as there is a 'me' there will be a 'you'. The Taoist acknowledges the duality but does not differentiate. By this it means that he views the world and it's inhabitants with equanimity.
The Sufi teacher, Shaykh Al-Akbar (Abu Ibn Bakr Al Arabi):
There is nothing but totality, there is no split in existence.
And from Chapter 57 of the Tao Te Ching:
If I keep from meddling with people, they take care of
themselves
If I keep from commanding people, they behave
themselves
If I keep from preaching at people, they improve
themselves
If I keep from imposing on people, they become
themselves.
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