To illustrate the origin of hegemonic thinking and identity politics that disrupt dialogues and multilogues and, I would like to propose a fable that is told by a series of twelve pictures, the “Twelve Wolf-Encounter-Pictures” (十二遇狼図), which are accompanied by as many descriptive poems. It is the story of a monkey that grows up in a monkey clan and sees the world through monkey eyes until its world is threatened by an ominous encounter with a wolf.
The idea, story, and poems are created by Gereon Kopf. The poems were illustrated by Amber Takano. I thank Qianran Yang and Irene Lok for checking my Chinese.
The full sequence of twelve images is introduced in the twelve pics are introduced in Gereon Kopf’s article, “Envisioning Multi-Cultural and Multi-Disciplinary Engagement: Lessons from the Twelve Wolf Encounter Pictures,” Culture and Dialogue Vol. 10, No. 1 (July 2022), 60-94 (see PhilPapers). He originally used only 10 images to elaborate the multi-entry approach in “Talking Across the Divide – Discovering our Common Humanity,” and in a chapter of Diversifying Philosophy of Religion: Critiques, Methods, and Case Studies (eds. Nathan Loewen and Agnieszka Rostalska, Bloomsbury 2023).
Figure 1: 猴子嬉树 monkeys playing in the trees
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-1.jpg)
猴在树顶 high up in the trees
相互嬉戲 the monkeys’ play is unencumbered
全無干擾 there is no present danger
這是猿界 it is the monkey world
Figure 2: 練習独立 practicing independence
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-2.jpg)
从树到树 From tree to tree
小猴跳跃 the little monkey jumps
脱离父母 leaving the parents
練習独立 practicing independence
Figure 3: 從樹看狼 seeing the wolf from the safety of the trees
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-3-1024x1024.jpeg)
身处树上 the top of the trees
感到安全 feels peaceful and safe
虽闻狼嚎 even though wolves howl in the distance
猴是树王 monkey is the king of the trees
Figure 4: 猴遇見狼 monkey encounters a wolf
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-4.jpg)
为探新界 to explore new worlds
猴子离树 monkey leaves the trees
忽然之间 when, all of a sudden,
猴遇見狼 a wolf shows up
Figure 5: 狼狩獵猴 wolf chases the monkey
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-5.jpg)
凶残狠狼 the ferocious wolf
追杀小猴 chases the monkey
猴试逃脱 who escapes into the trees
谁又称王 who is the king now?
Figure 6: 舉案齊眉 mutual respect
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-6.jpg)
休戰達成 a truce is reached
各有領域 each has their territory
狼统地面 wolf roams the land
猴统树林 monkey rules the trees
Figure 7: 狼崽出現 enter the wolf cub
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-7.jpg)
狼崽玩耍 the cub plays on the river
試捕倒影 trying to catch his reflection
猴觀而思 monkey watches and wonders
有何不同 are they that different?
Figure 8: 營救狼崽 rescuing the wolf cub
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-7.jpg)
然有一天 then, one day,
河变洪流 the river becomes a torrent
猴来營救 monkey comes to the rescue
共同强大 together they are stronger
Poem 9: 形成共生 monkey and wolf form a symbiosis
狼甚感激 the wolf is grateful
猴也放心 the monkey relieved
雖各有異 though different in species
有共經驗 they share an experience
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/picture-9.jpg)
Figure 10: 一起旅行 travelling together
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-8.jpg)
共同合作 they now work together
互相学習 and learn from each other
拜访狼家 visiting the home of the wolf
猴明狼世 monkey understands the wolf’s world
Figure 11: 看水見狼 looking in the water – seeing the wolf
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-9-1024x1024.jpg)
返回家後 upon returning home
猴飲甘泉 monkey drinks from the spring
猴望水时 in the water, however,
狼脸映出 wolf’s face is reflected
Figure 12: 衆生共存 the co-existence of all beings
![](https://globalcritical.as.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ch18-figure-10.jpg)
在湖底部 at the bottom of the lake
無數面現 numerous beings appear
有帝釋網 it is Indra’s Net
衆生共存 the co-existence of all beings