Friday, June 14, 2013

20130615-002

14.
Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond form
Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound
Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible
These three are indefinable
Therefore they are joined in one

From above it is not bright;
Fro below it is not dark;
An unbroken thread beyond description
It return to nothingness
The form of the formless,
The image of imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination

Stand before it and there is no beginning
Follow it and there is no end
Stay with the ancient Tao
Move with the present

Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao

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13.
Accept disgrace willingly
Accept misfortune as the human condition

What do you mean by "Accept disgrace willingly" ?
Accept being unimportant
Do not be concerned with loss and gain
This is call "accepting disgrace willingly"

What do you mean by "Accept misfortune as the human condition" ?
Misfortune comes from having a body
Without a body, how could there be misfortune ?

Surrender yourself humbly;
then you can be trusted to care for all things
Love the world as your own self;
then you can truly care for all things

Monday, June 10, 2013

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12.
The five colors blind the eye
The five tones deafen the ear
The five flavors dull the taste
Racing and hunying madden the mind
Precious things lead one astray

Therefore the sage is guided by what
he feels and not by what he sees
He lets go of that and chooses this

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11.
Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful
Therefore benefit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there

Sunday, June 9, 2013

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10.
Carrying body and soul and embracing the one
Can you avoid separation ?
Attending fully and becoming supple,
Can you be as a newborn babe ?
Washing and cleansing the primal vision,
Can you be without stain ?
Loving all men and ruling the country,
Can you be without cleverness ?
Opening and closing the gates of heaven,
Can you play the role of woman ?
Understanding and being open to all things,
Are you able to do nothing ?
Giving birth and nourishing,
Bearing yet not possessing,
Working yet not taking credit,
Leading yet not dominating,
This is the Primal Virtue.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

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9.
Better to stop short than fill to the brim
Oversharpen the blade and the edge will soon blunt
Amass a store of gold and jade, and no one can protect it
Claim wealth and titles, and  disaster will follow
Retire when the work is done
This is the way of heaven

Thursday, June 6, 2013

20130607-005

8.
The highest good is like water
Water gives life to ten thousand things and does not strive
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao

In dwelling, be close to the land
In meditation, go deep in the heart
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind
In speech, be true
In ruling, be just
In daily life, be competent
In action, be aware of the time and the season

No fight; No blame

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7.
Heaven and Earth last forever
Why do heaven and Earth last forever?
They are unborn,
So ever living
The sage stays behind, thus he is ahead
He is detached, thus at one with all
Through selfless action, he attains fullfillment

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6.
The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother
Her gateway is the root of heaven and Earth
It is like a veil barely seen
Use it; it will never fail

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5.
Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as straw dogs
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs

The space between heaven and Earth is like a bellows
The shape changes but not the form;
The more it moves, the more it yields
More words count less
Hold fast to the center

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4.
The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled
Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things!
Blunt the sharpness,
Untangle the knot,
Soften the glare,
Merge with dust
Oh, hidden deep but ever present!
I do not know from whence it comes
It is the forefather of the gods

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3.
Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling
Not collecting treasures prevents stealing
Not seeing desirable things prevents confussion of the heart

The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies,
by weakening ambitions and strenghtening bones

If men lack knowledge and desire,
then clever people will not try to interfere

If nothing is done, then all will be well

20130606-002

2.
Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness
All can know good as good only because there is evil

Therefore having and not having arise together
Difficult and easy complement each other
Long and short contrast each other
High and low rest upon each other
Voice and sound harmonize each other
Front and back follow each another

Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talking
The ten thousand things rise and fall without cease
Creating, yet not possessing
Working, yet not taking credit
Work is done, then forgotten
Therefore it lasts forever