If a man steps on a stranger's foot
in the marketplace,
he makes a polite apology
and offers an explanation:
"This place is so crowded."

If an elder brother
steps on his younger brother's foot
he says, "Sorry,"
and that is that.

If a parent
treads on his child's foot
nothing is said at all.

The greatest politeness
is free of all formality.
Perfect conduct is free of concern.
Perfect wisdom is unplanned.
Perfect love is without demonstrations.
Perfect sincerity offers no guarantee.
        oshobob  The Living Workshop                                
                                    The Empty Boat--Chinese
 Apology is needed because there is no relationship, the other is a stranger.
Explanation is needed because there is no love. If there is love then there is no need
for an explanation, the other will understand. If there is love, there is no need for
apology, the other will understand – love always understands.

So there is no higher morality than love, there cannot be. Love is the highest law, but if
it is not there then substitutes are needed. Stepping on a stranger's foot in the
marketplace an apology is needed, and an explanation also...

                                                                                                     --Osho
                                                                                         The Empty Boat, ch. 4
talks on Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi)
庄子的故事

by Osho (Aoxiu)
作者: 奥修
next chapter
道歉

如果一个人在集市上踩了陌生人的脚，
他有礼貌地道歉，
还作出解释：
“这地方太挤了。”

如果哥哥踩了弟弟的脚，
他说：“对不起，”
事情就这样了。

如果父母踩了孩子的脚，
根本就不说什么。

最大的礼貌不拘形式。
完美的行为是不顾虑。
完美的智慧是不筹划。
完美的爱不加证明。
完美的忠诚不作什么保证。
The Empty Boat
mp3 audio clip in standard Chinese, by a native speaker
from the People's Republic of China.

text in simplified Chinese, the form used throughout
mainland China.
Chapter 4
Apologies