I came across a book Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture and now it gives me pleasure in sharing with you some of the key concepts. Here is the first one. #China 1/10
本末：Ben (the fundamental）and Mo（the incidental). the two literally mean the different parts of a plant, namely its root and its foliage. The extended meaning is an important concept in Chinese philosophical discourse. 2/10
The term can be understood in three different ways. 1) Ben refers to what is fundamental or essential, while Mo means what is minor or incidental, two qualities hat differ in value and importance. 3/10
2)Ben refers to the existence of the world in an ontological sense, while Mo represents any specific thing or phenomenon. 4/10
3)In Daoist political philosophy, Ben is a state in which rule is exercised by not disrupting the natural order of the world while Mo refers to moral standards and fundamental principles governing social behavior. 5/10
In any Ben-Mo relationship, Ben is most important and plays a dominant role, while Mo exists thanks to Ben. On the other hand, it is through the vehicle of Mo that Ben exerts its influence. Thus the two, though different, are mutually dependent. 6/10
Citations: 子夏之门人小子，当洒扫应对进退，则可矣，抑末也。本之则无，如之何？ （《论语·子张》）7/10
Zixia’s students can clean, receive guests, and engage in social interaction, but these are trivial things. They have not learned the fundamentals. How can this be sufficient? (Analects) 8/10
崇本以举其末日（王弼 《老子注》）9/10
One should respect, not interfere with, the natural order of the world, and apply this principle when establishing moral standards, social norms, and laws and regulations (Wang Bi: Commentaries on Laozi) 10/10
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