21 – The Law – Gnawing – Lightning and Thunder

The wise ones who have come before authored the code of the law to bring Order to where there was Chaos. The intention of the law is to set all persons upon equal footing so that they can be judged without bias. Of course, one must also consider the natural order of things and contemplate whether the law being enforced is the original intention of righteous justice, or the prostitution of some clever minded trickster. Now is the time to analyze our affairs to a hair, leaving no stone unturned and carefully considering every last detail for its potential advantage. We must gnaw the meat to the bone and make soup from what is left. At this junction, the wise man calls in all his cards and uses even the subtlest point to make his case.

1^st – The Law Enforced – Those who are dishonorable in speech and action should have their feet shackled, so as to not cause anymore trouble. We should be firm, enforce our punishment and then turn our attention to other affairs.

2^nd – Lost in the Law – He becomes so engrossed in the details of the work, that he fails to see the greater picture. Such negligence makes a difficult time for all.

3^rd – The Poisoned Law – Staying up all night, studying the texts, a spider creeps up and bites him. This indicates an adversary using the details of the law to bring us harm. Fear not, receive treatment and the poison will be acute.

4^th – The Iron Law – Beating his head against a wall, he achieves nothing but a bloody scalp. There be sunshine on the other side, but perhaps now a different approach is merited.

5^th – The Golden Law – Scouring the texts, he discovers a gold doubloon embedded within the pages, this is all that he will find. Accept the good fortune bestowed and do not press the matter.

6^th – Deaf to the Law – Wearing earmuffs protects from the cold, but a the same time obstructs our hearing. Best now to not put any trust in our own judgment, for we are temporarily muddled.

All Six – Breaking the Law – Every dam must have its release valve as the wise man now goes against convention and does what must be done to let the water flow. Do not get caught!