After Jean-Charles de Borda, 1733-99

Twixt East and West, there is the Twain.

Last year, sat in a bumpy bus

From Dharamshala, India,

I turned to China’s Shangri-La,

In search of Asia’s consensus.

Shǎo shù fú cóng duō shù,* said they

In Mandarin, (such is their way).

So in a word, assume we may,

They’re just like us: it’s yeah or nay!

But at another altitude

They have a different attitude:

Ask ‘yīn’ or ‘yáng’? Oh that’s crazy:

It’s not a duality!

And years ago, up near the sky,

Tibetan monks were heard to sigh,

“To argue thus: ’This right, that wrong?’

Is not the state of a buddha.”

“That doesn’t rhyme!” I hear you shout,

So doubtless I, to my redoubt

Must now return, to western shores,

Wishing you all, Happy Christmas.

* The minority obeys the majority:

少数服从多数

shǎoshù fúcóng duōshù。

I heard this saying in China, as often as on western shores, one hears, ‘Democracy is majority rule.’