Assemble in good faithGathering
After gathering, the harder task is not scattering.
Cui is water collecting in the low ground — everything drifts toward the center. Its key word is borrowing: not faking, but lending, entrusting, giving people a reason to come together. Every group needs a borrowed thing larger than private interest — a vision, a rite, a common rival, a style. Cui teaches convening and warns: gathering is never forever; do the work while assembled.
A line: gathered, yet sighing — assembled but only sighing together; such gathering profits nothing. Numbers are not alignment; without the shared direction, liveliness is just consumption. Before convening, be clear about what the convening is for.
Practice This week convene one small gathering — not work: a meal, tea, talk with a few who matter. See what such a meeting breeds.