Seed for world change #13

#13 for October 15-17

大道之行也，天下为公；选贤与能，讲信修睦；故人不独亲其亲，不独子其子；
使老有所终，壮有所用，幼有所长；鳏寡孤独废疾者，皆有所养；男有分，女有归；
货恶其弃于地也，不必藏于己；力恶其不出于身也，不必为己；是故谋闭而不兴，
盗窃乱贼而不作，故外户而不闭，是谓大同。

Dà dào zhī xíng yě, tiān xià wèi gōng; xuǎn xián yǔ néng, jiǎng xìn xiū mù; gùrén bùdú qīn qí qīn, bù dúzǐ qí zi; Shǐ lǎo yǒu suǒ zhōng, zhuàng yǒu suǒ yòng, yòu yǒu suǒ cháng; guān guǎ gū dú fèi jí zhě, jiē yǒu suǒ yǎng; nán yǒu fèn, nǚ yǒu guī; Huò è qí qì yú de yě, bùbì cáng yú jǐ; lì è qí bù chū yú shēn yě, bù bì wéi jǐ; shì gù móu bì ér bù xīng, Dào qiè luàn zéi ér bù zuò, gù wài hù ér bù bì, shì wèi dà tóng.


The World of Datong

When the Great Dao (Tao, perfect order) prevails, the world is like a Commonwealth 
State shared by all, not a dictatorship.
Virtuous, worthy, wise and capable people are chosen as leaders.
Honesty and trust are promoted, and good neighborliness cultivated.
All people respect and love their own parents and children, as well as the parents and 
children of others.
The aged are cared for until death; adults are employed in jobs that make full use of 
their abilities; and children are nourished, educated, and fostered.
Widows and widowers, orphans and the old without children, the disabled and the 
diseased are all well taken care of.
Every man and woman has an appropriate role to play in society and in the family.
They hate to see resources lying idle or cast away, yet they do not necessarily keep 
them for themselves.
They hate not to make use of their abilities, yet they do not necessarily work for their 
own self-interest.
Thus intrigues and conspiracies do not arise, and thievery and robbery do not occur;
therefore doors need never be locked.
This is the ideal world – a perfect world of equality, fraternity, harmony, welfare, and 
justice.  This is the world called "Datong."

-- Record of Rites, Book 9, by Confucius, 551 BCE.

From http://www.taousa.org/index_english.htm