A Narrative of Love conversation hosted by Dr Scherto Gill
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In this distinctive double conversation, Theresa Chuang and Chris Zheng bring perspectives rooted in Taoist philosophy, ecology and social enterprise to explore what love means in a Chinese cultural context — and what East and West might offer one another.
Chris observes that Chinese culture is fundamentally about harmony: a relational quality that operates between people, between humanity and nature, and between the visible and invisible dimensions of life. Western culture’s strength, by contrast, lies in its emphasis on love between individuals. The invitation is for each tradition to learn from the other: for China to allow more direct, expressive love, and for the West to deepen its understanding of harmony as a form of love that encompasses whole systems.
Both practitioners are working to bring Taoist principles into mainstream life rather than retreating from society — running social enterprises and NGOs that attempt to embody ecological civilisation in practice, with “head, hand and heart” as their guiding orientation. The conversation reflects on infinite responsibility as an expression of love; on the importance of not mimicking the aggressor in one’s activism; and on the simple, grounding practice of civil diplomacy through designing resilient communities and returning to reverence for the harmony of nature.
This is one of eleven conversations in the A Narrative of Love series, hosted by Dr Scherto Gill in preparation for the 5th Spirit of Humanity Forum, June 2021. The series was sponsored by the Pureland Foundation and the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace (GHFP).