There is a story repeated in the Zen tradition, perhaps originating from the works of Chuang-Tzu.
An emperor finds a rooster to send it to fight, and finds the best trainer in all of China. After months, the rooster is finally ready to fight, and it is so strong and so patient that no other cock can bear to stand in the same ring. The rooster never has to fight.
One famous saying from the New Testament states “The meek shall inherit the earth.” We might think that it means that the world will belong to passive people, but that is not the case.
A better translation might be “The merciful will inherit the earth.” One must be strong in order to be merciful - to control great power and at once great restraint, and even compassion.
For the transcript: Tempered Strength A Beautiful Thought
