Do Not Be Overly Righteous, Nor Overly Wise
Do not be overly righteous, nor make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
By pushing rightness too far, am I tormenting myself and those beside me?
📝Reflection
A startling verse. Scripture says, "do not be overly righteous." This does not commend evil but warns of the danger in rightness pushed to an extreme. One drunk on self-righteousness looks down on others like a judge, and in the end throttles even themselves. This sense of balance meets exactly the Middle Way the Buddha chose by discarding both pleasure and asceticism, and Confucius's doctrine of the mean. As a snake sheds both its old skins, so we let go of both excess righteousness and excess cleverness. True wisdom lies not in extremes but on the middle road that keeps people alive.
🌱Apply It Today
When you feel "I am right" and want to push, ask once: "Does this rightness give life, or does it throttle?"
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
