dawei

Legge 25 There was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth. How still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere and in no danger (of being exhausted)! It may be regarded as the Mother of all things. I do not know its name, and I give it the designation of the Tao (the Way or Course). Making an effort (further) to give it a name I call it The Great. Great, it passes on (in constant flow). Passing on, it becomes remote. Having become remote, it returns. Therefore the Tao is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; and the (sage) king is also great. In the universe there are four that are great, and the (sage) king is one of them. Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is. Lau 25 There is a thing confusedly formed, Born before heaven and earth. Silent and void It stands alone and does not change, Goes round and does not weary. It is capable of being the mother of the world. I know not its name So I style it 'the way'. I give it the makeshift name of 'the great'. Being great, it is further described as receding, Receding, it is described as far away, Being far away, it is described as turning back. Hence the way is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; The king is also great. Within the realm there are four things that are great, And the king counts as one. Man models himself on earth, Earth on heaven, Heaven on the way, And the way on that which is naturally so. Feng/English 25 Something mysteriously formed, Born before heaven and Earth. In the silence and the void, Standing alone and unchanging, Ever present and in motion. Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things. I do not know its name Call it Tao. For lack of a better word, I call it great. Being great, it flows I flows far away. Having gone far, it returns. Therefore, "Tao is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; The king is also great." These are the four great powers of the universe, And the king is one of them. Man follows Earth. Earth follows heaven. Heaven follows the Tao. Tao follows what is natural. Jonathan Star 25 Something formless, complete in itself There before Heaven and Earth Tranquil, vast, standing alone, unchanging It provide for all things yet cannot be exhausted It is the mother of the universe I do not know its name so I call it ?Tao? Forced to name it further I call it ?The greatness of all things? ?The end of all endings? I call it ?That which is beyond the beyond? ?That to which all things return? From Tao comes all greatness ? I makes Heaven great It makes Earth great It makes man great Mankind depends on the laws of the Earth Earth depends on the laws of Heaven Heaven depends on the laws of Tao But Tao depends on itself alone Supremely free, self-so, it rests in its own nature Flowing Hands 25 Something mysteriously formed, born before Heaven and Earth. In silence and from within the void. Alone and constant, ever present and flowing. It is the Mother of the Ten Thousand Things. I do not know its name, so I call it Dao. For lack of a better word I call it great. Being great it flows. It nourishes the Ten Thousand Things far and away. From whence it came I do not know. Therefore the Dao is great. Heaven is great. Earth is great. The Ten Thousand Things are great. These are the four great powers of the Universe, And one of them is the Ten Thousand Things. Man follows the Earth. Earth follows Heaven. Heaven follows the Dao. Dao is what is natural.

Legge 24 He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretches his legs does not walk (easily). (So), he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self- conceited has no superiority allowed to him. Such conditions, viewed from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or a tumour on the body, which all dislike. Hence those who pursue (the course) of the Tao do not adopt and allow them. Lau 24 He who tiptoes cannot stand; he who strides cannot walk. He who shows himself is not conspicuous; He who considers himself right is not illustrious; He who brags will have no merit; He who boasts will not endure. From the point of view of the way these are 'excessive food and useless excresences'. As there are Things that detest them, he who has the way does not abide in them. Feng/English 24 He who stands on tiptoe is not steady. He who strides cannot maintain the pace. He who makes a show is not enlightened. He who is self-righteous is not respected. He who boasts achieves nothing. He who brags will not endure. According to followers of the Tao, "These are extra food and unnecessary luggage." They do not bring happiness. therefore followers of the Tao avoid them. Jonathan Star 24 On his tiptoes a man is not steady Taking long strides he cannot keep pace To the self-serving, nothing shines forth To the self-promoting, nothing is distinguished To the self-appointing, nothing bears fruit To the self-righteous, nothing endures From the viewpoint of Tao, this self-indulgence is like rotting food and painful growths on the body ? Things that all creatures despise So why hold onto them? When walking the paths of Tao this is the very stuff that must be uprooted, thrown out, and left behind Flowing Hands 24 He who stands on tiptoe can never be stable. He who strides can never maintain the pace. He who makes a show is not enlightened. He who is self-righteous cannot be respected. He who boasts achieves nothing. He who brags will not endure. According to followers of the Dao; “these are excessive food and unnecessary baggage”. They can never bring happiness. Therefore followers of the Dao avoid them.

Legge 23 Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day. To whom is it that these (two) things are owing? To Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth cannot make such (spasmodic) actings last long, how much less can man! Therefore when one is making the Tao his business, those who are also pursuing it, agree with him in it, and those who are making the manifestation of its course their object agree with him in that; while even those who are failing in both these things agree with him where they fail. Hence, those with whom he agrees as to the Tao have the happiness of attaining to it; those with whom he agrees as to its manifestation have the happiness of attaining to it; and those with whom he agrees in their failure have also the happiness of attaining (to the Tao). (But) when there is not faith sufficient (on his part), a want of faith (in him) ensues (on the part of the others). Lau 23 To use words but rarely Is to be natural. Hence a gusty wind cannot last all morning, and a sudden downpour cannot last all day. Who is it that produces these? Heaven and earth. If even heaven and earth cannot go on forever, much less can man. That is why one follows the way. A man of the way conforms to the way; A man of virtue conforms to virtue; A man of loss conforms to loss. He who conforms to the way is gladly accepted by the way; He who conforms to virtue is gladly accepted by virtue; He who conforms to loss is gladly accepted by loss. When there is not enough faith, there is lack of good faith. Feng/English 23 To talk little is natural. High winds do not last all morning. Heavy rain does not last all day. Why is this? Heaven and Earth! If heaven and Earth cannot make things eternal, How is it possible for man? He who follows the Tao Is at one with the Tao. He who is virtuous Experiences Virtue. He who loses the way Is lost. When you are at one with the Tao, The Tao welcomes you. When you are at one with Virtue, The Virtue is always there. When you are at one with loss, The loss is experienced willingly. He who does not trust enough Will not be trusted. Jonathan Star 23 Speak little Hold to your own nature A strong wind does not blow all morning A cloudburst does not last all day The wind and the rain are form Heaven and Earth and even these do not last long How much less so the efforts of man? One who lives in accordance with the Truth becomes an embodiment of Tao His actions become those of Nature his ways those of Heaven It is through such a one that Heaven rejoices that Earth rejoices that all of life rejoices Flowing Hands 23 In Nature nothing is eternal. High winds do not last all morning, heavy rain does not last all day. So why should man be forever talking. In silence, the mind and heart are set at peace. This is natural. Heaven is eternal and so is the Earth, by reproducing its own kind each generation. Man can never make things eternal, he will only just ruin things by interfering. He who follows the Dao, is at one with the Dao. He who is virtuous, is at one with virtue. He who loses the way, feels lost. When you are at one with the Dao, the Dao welcomes you. When you are at one with virtue, virtue is always there in your heart. When you are at one with loss, loss is experienced willingly.

Legge 18 When the Great Tao (Way or Method) ceased to be observed, benevolence and righteousness came into vogue. (Then) appeared wisdom and shrewdness, and there ensued great hypocrisy. When harmony no longer prevailed throughout the six kinships, filial sons found their manifestation; when the states and clans fell into disorder, loyal ministers appeared. Lau 18 When the great way falls into disuse There are benevolence and rectitude; When cleverness emerges There is great hypocrisy; When the six relations are at variance There are filial children; When the state is benighted There are loyal ministers. Feng/English 18 The very highest if barely known. Then comes that which people know and love. Then that which is feared, Then that which is despised. Who does not trust enough will not be trusted. When actions are performed Without unnecessary speech, People say, "We did it!" Jonathan Star 18 When the greatness of Tao is present action arises from one?s own heart When the greatness of Tao is absent action comes from the rules of ?kindness? and ?justice? If you need rules to be kind and just, if you act virtuous, this is a sure sign that virtue is absent Thus we see the great hypocrisy Only when the family loses its harmony do we hear of ?dutiful sons? Only when the state is in chaos do we hear of ?loyal ministers? Flowing Hand's Tranmission 18 When the great Dao is forgotten, human kindness and morals arise. When clever people employ their schemes, the great perversion begins. When the family have forgotten the natural order, filial piety and devotion arises. When the country is in chaos, loyal ministers always appear. Set things in order, be at one with the Dao. For when people are at one, there is no need for such things. Hinton 18 When the great Way is abandoned we're faced with Humanity and Duty.When clever wisdom appears we're faced with duplicity.When familial harmony ends we're faced with obedience and kindness.And when chaos engulfs the nation we're faced with trustworthy ministers. Lin 18 The great Tao fades away There is benevolence and justice Intelligence comes forth There is great deception The six relations are not harmonious There is filial piety and kind affection The country is in confused chaos There are loyal ministers [Lin commentary] When people forsake the great Tao, so that it fades away and perishes in their thoughts, concepts like benevolence, compassion, justice and righteousness appear in the world. When intelligence, book knowledge and cleverness become widespread in the world, we end up with great hypocrisy and deception everywhere When the six family relationships - parent, child, older sibling, younger sibling, husband, wife - are in a state of disharmony, concepts like filial piety, obedience, and the kind affection of parental love become important and significant. When the country is in a state of chaos and anarchy, it becomes crucial to make the distinction between ministers who are loyal, and those who are not.

Legge 19 If we could renounce our sageness and discard our wisdom, it would be better for the people a hundredfold. If we could renounce our benevolence and discard our righteousness, the people would again become filial and kindly. If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers. Those three methods (of government) Thought olden ways in elegance did fail And made these names their want of worth to veil; But simple views, and courses plain and true Would selfish ends and many lusts eschew. Lau 19 Exterminate learning and there will no longer be worries. Exterminate the sage, discard the wise, And the people will benefit a hundredfold; Exterminate benevolence, discard rectitude, And the people will again be filial; Exterminate ingenuity, discard profit, And there will be no more thieves and bandits. These three, being false adornments, are not enough And the people must have something to which they can attach themselves: Exhibit the unadorned and embrace the uncarved block, Have little thought of self and as few desires as possible. Feng/English 19 Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom, And it will be a hundred times better for everyone. Give up kindness, renounce morality, And men will rediscover filial piety and love. Give up ingenuity, renounce profit, And bandits and thieves will disappear. These three are outward forms alone; they are not sufficient in themselves. It is more important To see the simplicity, To realize one's true nature, To cast off selfishness And temper desire. Jonathan Star 19 Abandon holiness Discard cleverness and the people will benefit a hundredfold Abandon the rules of kindness Discard righteous action and the people will return to their own natural affections Abandon book learning Discard the rules of behaviour and the people will have no worries Abandon plots and schemes Discard profit-seeking and the people will not become thieves These lessons are mere elaborations The essence of my teachings is this: See with original purity Embrace with original simplicity Reduce what you have Flowing Hand's Tranmission 19 Give up Sainthood, stop preaching. Let people follow the Dao, and it will be a hundred times better for everyone. If people are at one, there is no need for religion or morality? Give up ingenuity, don't look for profit and bandits and thieves will disappear. It is more important to follow the ways of Nature; to observe its order and workings, to see the simplicity, to realise one's true nature, to cast off selfishness and dispel desire. For here lies the way of Dao. Hinton 19 If you give up sagehood and abandon wisdom people will profit a hundred times over.If you give up Humanity and abandon Duty people will return to obedience and kindness.If you give up ingenuity and abandon profit bandits and thieves will roam no more.But these threeare mere refinements, nowhere near enough.They depend on something more:observe origin's weave,embrace uncarved simplicity,self nearly forgotten,desires rare. Lin 19 Discontinue sagacity, abandon knowledge The people benefit a hundred times Discontinue benevolence, abandon righteousness The people return to piety and charity Discontinue cunning, discard profit Bandits and thieves no longer exist These three things are superficial and insufficient Thus this teaching has its place: Show plainness, hold simplicity Reduce selfishness, decrease desires [Lin Commentary] This chapter presents one of the more difficult teachings to understand, because we have a strong tendency to worship knowledge. We've all been conditioned to believe that knowledge is power, and having more can't possibly be a bad thing. Lao Tzu is uniquely alone among all the ancient philosophers in steadfastly pointing to the pitfalls of knowledge. He saw the link between academic intelligence and scholarly arrogance clearly, and addressed it several times throughout the Tao Te Ching in no uncertain language. One of the problems with knowledge is that we become very good at using it in a crafty and shrewd way to twist the truth. There are examples of this everywhere, and one of them applies to this very chapter. The first two words of this chapter are literally "end sagacity." The meaning is that we should put a stop to this obsession with book smarts and focus instead on the wisdom of living an actual life apart from the books. It is the ancient Chinese equivalent of telling a bookworm to "get a life." But some readers of the Tao Te Ching have such a powerful desire for ever more knowledge that they do not hear this message at all. They interpret "end" to mean "extreme" or "ultimate" so they can change the first line to say something completely different - that if one can gain the ultimate knowledge so that there is nothing more to learn (thus bringing about an end to learning), then people would benefit a hundredfold. In this fashion, they have taken a warning against the disconnect of knowledge from down-to-earth living, and transformed it to a rallying cry to acquire ever more knowledge. The fact that this can happen at all is the very reason why Lao Tzu emphasizes intuitive wisdom and downplays intelligence. As we progress through cultivation, let's keep Lao Tzu's admonition in mind: Knowledge isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but book smarts is a very different thing from street smarts... and school learning can never compare to, or supplant life learning.

Legge 17 In the highest antiquity, (the people) did not know that there were (their rulers). In the next age they loved them and praised them. In the next they feared them; in the next they despised them. Thus it was that when faith (in the Tao) was deficient (in the rulers) a want of faith in them ensued (in the people). How irresolute did those (earliest rulers) appear, showing (by their reticence) the importance which they set upon their words! Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!' Lau 17 The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects. Next comes the ruler they love and praise; Next comes one they fear; Next comes one with whom they take liberties. When there is not enough faith, there is lack of good faith. Hesitant, he does not utter words lightly. When his task is accomplished and his work done The people all say, 'It happened to us naturally.' Feng/English 17 In the highest antiquity, (the people) did not know that there were (their rulers). In the next age they loved them and praised them. In the next they feared them; in the next they despised them. Thus it was that when faith (in the Tao) was deficient (in the rulers) a want of faith in them ensued (in the people). How irresolute did those (earliest rulers) appear, showing (by their reticence) the importance which they set upon their words! Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!' Jonathan Star 17 To know Tao alone, without trace of your own existence, is the highest Next comes loving and praising it Then fearing it Then despising it If one doesn?t trust himself how can he trust anyone else? The great ruler speaks little and his words are priceless He works without self-interest and leaves no trace When all is finished, the people say, ?It happened by itself? Flowing Hand's Transmission: 17 The greatest things in life are rarely realised or known by Men. But Men always know the things they love and treasure, and that which is feared and despised. Having a simple heart one knows how to trust openly. Those who do not trust openly, can never be trusted to have a good heart. When deeds are performed with few words, people can say "we've done it". Hinton 17 The loftiest ruler is barely known among those below.Next comes a ruler people love and praise.After that, one they fear, and then one they despise.If you don't stand sincere by your wordshow sincere can the people be?Take great care over words, treasure them,and when the hundred-fold people seeyour work succeed in all they dothey'll say it's just occurrence appearing of itself. Lin 17 The highest rulers, people do not know they have them The next level, people love them and praise them The next level, people fear them The next level, people despise them The rulers' trust is insufficient, have no trust in them Proceeding calmly, valuing their words Task accomplished, matter settled The people all say, "We did it naturally" [Lin Commentary] At the highest level, the ideal rulers are the ones who are so good at what they do that they can achieve their objectives quickly, silently and effectively. They do not glory in their achievements, so the people are not even aware that such rulers exist. At the next level down, we have rulers whose benevolent actions can be seen, so that people are aware of them. The people feel close to such rulers and they give much praise for the benevolent, positive rule. At the next level down, we have rulers who resort to intimidation and heavy-handed policies. People fear such rulers. At the next level down, we have rulers who are incompetent or seek to deceive the people through trickery. People despise such rulers. They insult the leadership and rise up in opposition. If such rulers cannot have sufficient trust the people, then how can the people have trust in them? The ideal way is to govern in an unhurried, easy manner where rulers greatly values their words. This means they do more and talk less. Because things are done this way, without anyone being aware of all the work that go into governing, when important tasks are completed and major issues are settled, the people all say that they did it themselves, and that it was naturally so. Notes The original Chinese is not gender specific in referring to the ruler. It does not assert in any way that the ruler must be male. Most translators arbitrarily force the gender to either male or female, which distorts the original meaning. Like several other passages from the Tao Te Ching, this chapter seems to be aimed at the ancient kings of China. It is as if Lao Tzu was asked to advise the Emperor on the best way to rule. How can such passages apply to us, who are not necessarily in exalted positions of political power? Do not think of ruling in the literal way that only applies to governance of a nation. Look at your own life and note all the settings and circumstances where leadership plays a role. Most of us will, at some point, start our own families, and we may be called upon to assume the responsibility of leadership in social settings, community activities, or the workplace. The Tao of leadership remains constant in any context. Whether you find yourself having to deal with your children, neighbors or coworkers, you'll find the distinctions in this chapter a useful guide.

Legge 15 The skilful masters (of the Tao) in old times, with a subtle and exquisite penetration, comprehended its mysteries, and were deep (also) so as to elude men's knowledge. As they were thus beyond men's knowledge, I will make an effort to describe of what sort they appeared to be. Shrinking looked they like those who wade through a stream in winter; irresolute like those who are afraid of all around them; grave like a guest (in awe of his host); evanescent like ice that is melting away; unpretentious like wood that has not been fashioned into anything; vacant like a valley, and dull like muddy water. Who can (make) the muddy water (clear)? Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear. Who can secure the condition of rest? Let movement go on, and the condition of rest will gradually arise. They who preserve this method of the Tao do not wish to be full (of themselves). It is through their not being full of themselves that they can afford to seem worn and not appear new and complete. Lau 15 Of old he who was well versed in the way Was minutely subtle, mysteriously comprehending, And too profound to be known. It is because he could not be known That he can only be given a makeshift description: Tentative, as if fording a river in winter, Hesitant, as if in fear of his neighbors; Formal like a guest; Falling apart like the thawing ice; Thick like the uncarved block; Vacant like a valley; Murky like muddy water. Who can be muddy and yet, settling, slowly become limpid? Who can be at rest and yet, stirring, slowly come to life? He who holds fast to this way Desires not to be full. It is because he is not full That he can be worn and yet newly made. Feng/English 15 The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive. The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable. Because it is unfathomable, All we can do is describe their appearance. Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream. Alert, like men aware of danger. Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding like ice about to melt. Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood. Hollow, like caves. Opaque, like muddy pools. Who can wait quietly while the mud settles? Who can remain still until the moment of action? Observers of the Tao do not seek fulfillment. Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change. Jonathan Star 15 The masters of this ancient path are mysterious and profound Their inner states baffle all inquiry Their depths go beyond all knowing Thus, despite every effort, we can only tell of their outer signs ? Deliberate, as if treading over the stones of a winter brook Watchful, as if meeting danger on all sides Reverent, as if receiving an honoured guest Selfless, like a melting block of ice Pure, like an uncarved block of wood Accepting, like an open valley Through the course of Nature muddy water becomes clear Through the unfolding of life man reaches perfection Through sustained activity that supreme rest is naturally found Those who have Tao want nothing else Though seemingly empty they are ever full Though seemingly old they are beyond the reach of birth and death Flowing Hands Transmission 15 The Ancient Master’s were subtle, mysterious, profound and alert. The depth of their knowledge was unfathomable. Likened to the Dao, they were at one. Being at one, all we can do is observe their appearance. Watchful, like men fishing in a stream. Alert, like men aware of the tiger. Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding, like a blade of grass. Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood. Empty, like vessels. Opaque, like muddy pools. Lying still and waiting quietly, who can wait for the mud to settle? Who can wait for the mystery to be revealed? Do not seek fulfilment, but feel the Dao in your heart. By not seeking fulfilment, nothing is changed. The Ten Thousand Things rise and fall without interference. Ni eludication 15 The ancient ones who knew how to live with the subtle essence of the universe were gentle and flexible, profound and indistinguishable. They were too deep to be known, thus we can only describe their appearance. They did not rush into anything, as if fording an icy stream in early winter. They were retiring and hesitant, not assertive, as if they were shy of people. They were reverent in demeanor to everyone, as if meeting honored guests. They did not insist on imposing their views on others or interfering in worldly affairs, as if they were passing travelers. They adapted themselves to a circumstance like melting ice. Simple and genuine, they were like virgin timber. Empty and receptive, they were like a huge cave. Comprehensive and unprejudiced, they were equally kind to all things; like the water of a stream flowing down a mountain, they benefitted all things. Who else could move constantly from the gross and heavy to the light and pure? Who else could evolve steadily from the inert and stagnant to everlasting life? Those who hold fast to the subtle essence of the universe do not desire to extend themselves in climax. Because there is no climax to one's extension and expansion, life is continually renewing itself. Added: Hinton: 15Ancient masters of Wayall subtle mystery and dark-enigma vision:they were deep beyond knowing,so deep beyond knowingwe can only describe their appearance:perfectly cautious, as if crossing winter streams,and perfectly watchful, as if neighbors threatened;perfectly reserved, as if guests,perfectly expansive, as if ice melting away,and perfectly simple, as if uncarved wood;perfectly empty, as if open valleys,and perfectly shadowy, as if murky water.Who's murky enough to settle slowly into pure clarity,and who still enough to awaken slowly into life?If you nurture this Way, you never crave fullness.Never crave fullnessand you'll wear away into completion. Lin: 15 The Tao masters of antiquity Subtle wonders through mystery Depths that cannot be discerned Because one cannot discern them Therefore one is forced to describe the appearance Hesitant, like crossing a wintry river Cautious, like fearing four neighbors Solemn, like a guest Loose, like ice about to melt Genuine, like plain wood Open, like a valley Opaque, like muddy water Who can be muddled yet desist In stillness gradually become clear? Who can be serene yet persist In motion gradually come alive? One who holds this Tao does not wish to be overfilled Because one is not overfilled Therefore one can preserve and not create anew We can learn much from the ancient masters. Their understanding of the Tao was so advanced that it may seem too subtle and profound for us. Rather than to force ourselves to understand them, we can learn by observing and emulating their behavior. They lived life in a cautious way, not given to frivolous or reckless acts. They resolved issues by carefully considering all sides, and would never jump to conclusions. They handled responsibilities with serious regard, and would never do anything in a perfunctory way. This does not mean the masters were uptight. Quite the contrary. They were always relaxed and unattached as they went about their activities. This took nothing away from their serious concern for others and their careful handling of life's challenges. These ancient masters could be relaxed without being lax, and thus achieve excellence effortlessly. They could be unattached without being uncaring, and thus focus on the process instead of the end product. Another defining characteristic of the masters is the simplicity they practiced in every aspect of life. In their words, actions, and surroundings, simple and uncluttered plainness is the rule rather than the exception. By keeping everything simple, they gained peace of mind as well as the joie de vivre. The ancient sages were also known for their openness of mind and heart. They gladly considered new ideas and would never dismiss anything out of hand. They treated everyone, even difficult people, with infinite patience and would never prejudge them. Despite their spiritual and mental refinements, these masters never put themselves on display. They had no interest in showing off their brilliance. Instead, they were humble and fully of self-effacing humor. People who did not know the sages very well would never see through the outward appearance to perceive their high levels of intelligence and capabilities. It was only in the course of time that people gradually saw the true picture, like muddy water slowly becoming clear. The composure and serenity of these masters could be easily mistaken for passivity or apathy. This was because most people could not understand how anyone could embody both tranquility and dynamism simultaneously. The ancient sages did nothing to clarify whatever misconceptions people around them might have. This was because they were never full of themselves. They never assumed they knew it all. Their definite preference was to cultivate quietly to preserve a sense of calmness in everything they did, without drawing attention to themselves, or creating a disturbance.

Legge 14 We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable.' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible.' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle.' With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One. Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure. Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again returns and becomes nothing. This is called the Form of the Formless, and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable. We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back. When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue of Tao. Lau 14 What cannot be seen is called evanescent; What cannot be heard is called rarefied; What cannot be touched is called minute. These three cannot be fathomed And so they are confused and looked upon as one. Its upper part is not dazzling; Its lower part is not obscure. Dimly visible, it cannot be named And returns to that which is without substance. This is called the shape that has no shape, The image that is without substance. This is called indistinct and shadowy. Go up to it and you will not see its head; Follow behind it and you will not see its rear. Hold fast to the way of antiquity In order to keep in control the realm of today. The ability to know the beginning of antiquity Is called the thread running through the way. Feng/English 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; From below it is not dark: An unbroken thread beyond description. It returns to nothingness. The form of the formless, The image of the 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. Jonathan Star 14 Eyes look but cannot see it Ears listen but cannot hear it Hands grasp but cannot touch it Beyond the senses lies the great Unity ? invisible, inaudible, intangible What rises up appears bright What settles down appears dark Yet there is neither darkness nor light just an unbroken dance of shadows From nothingness to fullness and back again to nothingness This formless form This imageless image cannot be grasped by mind or might Try to face it In what place will you stand? Try to follow it To what place will you go? Know That which is beyond all beginnings and you will know everything here and now Know everything in this moment and you will know the Eternal Tao Flowing Hands Transmission 14 Look, it can never be seen, for it has no form. Listen, it can never be heard, it is beyond sound. Grasp, it can never be held, it is intangible. Although it can never be seen, heard or held, its spirit is always there. For it is formed from nothing and so returns to nothing. It is beyond description, But it is the Mother of the Ten Thousand Things. It has no beginning and no end, but it is great. Stay with this (in your heart) the ancient Dao, but move with the present. Knowing the Dao is the ancient beginning of all things. Ni Eludication 14 Look at it, but you cannot see it. Because it is formless, you call it invisible. Listen to it, but you cannot hear it. Because it is soundless, you call it inaudible. Grasp it, but it is beyond your reach. Because it is subtle, you call it intangible. These three are indescribable and imperceptible, but in the mystical moment you see it, hear it and grasp it, the Unseen, Unheard and Unreachable presents itself as the indefinable essence. Confront it, and you do not see its face. Follow it, and you do not see its back. It does not appear bright when viewed at the zenith, nor does it appear dark when viewed at the nadir. There is nothing that can make this subtle essence of the universe distinct. When you try to make it clear to yourself, it evasively reverts to Nothingness. You may call it the Form of the Formless or the Image of the Imageless. Yet the elusive, subtle essence remains nameless. If you hope to meet it, it has no part you can call front. If you hope to follow it, it has no place you can call behind. Yet it can be observed in the constant regularity of the universe. The constancy of the universe of antiquity is the constancy of the present time. If one knows the Primal Beginning, one may thus know the truth of the universal subtle Way.

Legge 13 Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind). What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace? Disgrace is being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour). The getting that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity):--this is what is meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared. And what is meant by saying that honour and great calamity are to be (similarly) regarded as personal conditions? What makes me liable to great calamity is my having the body (which I call myself); if I had not the body, what great calamity could come to me? Therefore he who would administer the kingdom, honouring it as he honours his own person, may be employed to govern it, and he who would administer it with the love which he bears to his own person may be entrusted with it. Lau 13 Favor and disgrace are things that startle; High rank is, like one's body, a source of great trouble. What is meant by saying favor and disgrace are things that startle? Favor when it is bestowed on a subject serves to startle as much as when it is withdrawn. This is what is meant by saying that favor and disgrace are things that startle. What is meant by saying that high rank is, like one's body, a source of great trouble? The reason I have great trouble is that I have a body. When I no longer have a body, what trouble have I? Hence he who values his body more than dominion over the empire can be entrusted with the empire. He who loves his body more than dominion over the empire can be given the custody of the empire. Feng/English 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 or gain. This is called "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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 13. Favor and disgrace come with a warning honor and disaster come with a body why do favor and disgrace come with a warning favor turns into disfavor gaining it comes with a warning losing it comes with a warning thus do favor and disgrace come with a warning and why do honor and disaster come with a body the reason we have disaster is because we have a body if we didn't have a body we wouldn't have disaster thus those who honor their body more than the world can be entrusted with the world those who cherish their body more than the world can be encharged with the world Jonathan Star 13 Be wary of both honour and disgrace? Endless affliction is bound to the body? What does it mean, Be wary of both honour and disgrace? Honour is founded on disgrace and disgrace is rooted in honour Both should be avoided Both bind a man to this world That's why it says, Be wary of both honour and disgrace? What does it mean, Endless affliction is bound to the body? Man's true self is eternal, yet he thinks, I am this body, I will soon die? This false sense of self is the cause of all his sorrow When a person does not identify himself with the body tell me, what troubles could touch him? One who sees himself as everything is fit to be guardian of the world One who loves himself as everyone is fit to be teacher of the world. Flowing Hands transmission 13 Accept disgrace willingly. Accept misfortune as the human condition. What do I mean by "accept disgrace willingly?" Accept being unimportant. Do not be concerned with wealth, titles, loss or gain. If you are not concerned with these, you can always "accept disgrace willingly". What do I mean by "accept misfortune as the human condition?" Without a body, how could there be misfortune! For misfortune arises from having a body Surrender yourself humbly, then you can be trusted to care for all things. Love the world as your own self, then you can truly be trusted to care for all things. Ni elucidation 13 Favor and disgrace are both causes of shock. When one is favored, one is shocked. When one is disgraced, one is also shocked. That is because people forget the unadorned plainness of universal life. If they knew this clearly, then what is meant by saying that favor and disgrace are both causes of shock? Favor is no higher than disgrace. What is meant by saying that the greatest trouble is the strong sense of individual self that people carry in all circumstances? People are beset with great trouble because they define their lives so narrowly. If they forsake their narrow sense of self and live wholly, then what can they call trouble? Therefore, only one who dedicates himself to the wholeness of the world is fit to tend the world. Only one who relinquishes the self can be entrusted with responsibility for the life of the world.

Legge 12 Colour's five hues from th' eyes their sight will take; Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make; The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste; The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange, Sought for, men's conduct will to evil change. Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former. Lau 12 The five colors make man's eyes blind; The five notes make his ears deaf; The five tastes injure his palate; Riding and hunting Make his mind go wild with excitement; Goods hard to come by Serve to hinder his progress. Hence the sage is For the belly Not for the eye. Therefore he discards the one and takes the other. Feng/English 12 The five colors blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavors dull the taste. Racing and hunting 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 12 The five colours make our eyes blind the five tones make our ears deaf the five flavours make our mouths numb riding and hunting make our minds wild hard-to-get goods make us break laws thus the rule of the sage puts the stomach ahead of the eyes thus he picks this over that The five colors make our eyes blind the five tones make our ears deaf the five flavors make our mouths numb riding and hunting make our minds wild hard-to-get goods make us commit crimes thus the rule of the sages favors the stomach over the eyes thus they pick this over that Jonathan Star 12 The five colours blind the eye The five tones deafen the ear The five flavours dull the palate Racing, hunting, and galloping about only disturb the mind Wasting energy to obtain rare objects only impedes one’s growth So the Sage is led by his inner truth not his outer eye He holds to what is deep and not what lies on the surface Added: Flowing Hands: The five colours blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavours dull the taste. For having in excess, dulls the senses. When the senses are dulled, men look for more stimulation. Racing and hunting fever the mind. Precious things cause greed to arise in Men’s hearts. Therefore the Sage is guided by what he feels, and not by what he sees. He lets go of that and chooses this. Ni: The five basic colors can be made into countless combinations to perplex the eyes. The five basic tones can be made into infinite compositions to bewilder the ears. The five basic flavors can be made into numerous stimulations to confuse the tongue. The pursuit of worldly pleasures can make the mind wild and uncontrollable. The one who sees the deep nature of life would rather embrace the simple subtle essence of life.

Legge 11 The thirty spokes unite in the one nave; but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends. Clay is fashioned into vessels; but it is on their empty hollowness, that their use depends. The door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment; but it is on the empty space (within), that its use depends. Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation, and what has not that for (actual) usefulness. Lau 11 Thirty spokes share one hub. Adapt the nothing therein to the purpose in hand, and you will have the use of the cart. Knead clay in order to make a vessel. Adapt the nothing therein to the purpose in hand, and you will have the use of the vessel. Cut out doors and windows in order to make a room. Adapt the nothing therein to the purpose in hand, and you will have the use of the room. Thus what we gain is Something, yet it is by virtue of Nothing that this can be put to use. Feng/English 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 11 Thirty spokes converge on a hub but it's the emptiness that makes a wheel work pots are fashioned from clay but it's the hollow that make a pot work windows and doors are carved for a house but it's the spaces that make a house work existence makes a thing useful but nonexistence makes it work Jonathan Star 11 Wu is nothingness, emptiness, no-existence Thirty spokes of a wheel all join at at a common hub yet only the hole at the center allows the wheel to spin Clay is molded to form a cup yet only the space within allows the cup to hold water Walls are joined to make a room yet only by cutting out a door and a window can one enter the room and live there Thus, when a thing has existence alone it is mere dead-weight Only when it has wu, does it have life

Legge 10 When carrying on your head your perplexed bodily soul Can you embrace in your arms the One and not let go? In concentrating your breath can you become as supple As a babe? Can you polish your mysterious mirror And leave no blemish? Can you love the people and govern the state Without resorting to action? When the gates of heaven open and shut Are you capable of keeping to the role of the female? When your discernment penetrates the four quarters Are you capable of not knowing anything? It gives them life and rears them. It gives them life yet claims no possession; It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude; It is the steward yet exercises no authority. Such is called the mysterious virtue. Lau 10 When carrying on your head your perplexed bodily soul Can you embrace in your arms the One and not let go? In concentrating your breath can you become as supple As a babe? Can you polish your mysterious mirror And leave no blemish? Can you love the people and govern the state Without resorting to action? When the gates of heaven open and shut Are you capable of keeping to the role of the female? When your discernment penetrates the four quarters Are you capable of not knowing anything? It gives them life and rears them. It gives them life yet claims no possession; It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude; It is the steward yet exercises no authority. Such is called the mysterious virtue. Feng/English 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 10 Can you keep your crescent soul from wandering can you make your breath as soft as a baby's can you wipe your dark mirror free of dust can you serve and govern without effort can you be the female at Heaven's Gate can you light the world without knowledge can you give birth and nurture but give birth without possessing raise without controlling this is Dark Virtue Jonathan Star 10 Hold fast to the Power of the One It will unify the body and merge it with the spirit It will cleanse the vision and reveal the world as flawless It will focus the life-force and make one supple as a newborn As you love the people and rule the state can you be free of self-interest? As the gates of Heaven open and close can you remain steadfast as the mother bird who sits on her nest? As your wisdom reaches he four corners of the world can you keep the innocence of a beginner? Know this Primal Power that guides without forcing that serves without seeking that brings forth and sustains life yet does not own or possess it. One who holds this Power brings Tao to this very Earth He can triumph over a raging fire or the freeze of winter weather Yet when he comes to rule the world it’s with the gentleness of a feather Added: FH: Carrying body and soul, can you become like a new born babe? Ever supple and yielding, but with a firm grip on life. Purifying the Primal Vision, can you be without stain? Loving all things, can you rule without cleverness? Can you be like Heaven and play the role of the Woman? Understanding and being open to all things, are you able to do nothing and follow the flow? Giving birth and nourishing, bearing, yet not possessing, working, yet not taking credit, leading ,but not dominating. For this is Primal Virtue. Ni: Can you always embrace Oneness without the slightest separation of body and mind? Can you maintain undivided concentration until your vital force is as supple as a newborn baby's? Can you clarify your inner vision to be flawless? Can you love your people and serve your state with no self-exaltation? As Life's Gate opens and closes in the performance of birth and death, can you maintain the receptive, feminine principle when yin and yang are changing? After achieving the crystal clear mind, can you remain detached and innocent? Give birth to and nourish all things without desiring to possess them. Give of yourself, without expecting something in return. Assist people, but do not attempt to control them. This is how to realize the deep virtue of the universe. Liao: While carrying body and consciousness and embracing the only One Power, can you avoid the separation of body and consciousness? Flowing life energy and become supple, can you be like a new born baby? Washing and cleansing your mind to obtain the true original vision, can you be without containination? Loving all people and governing the country, can you apply no cleverness? Opening and closing of the gates of heaven, can you also coordinate the femal power? Understanding and reaching to everything in the universe, can you exercise no-action? Allowing a thing to emerge, to grow, to nourish it yet not possess it, to work at it yet not control it, lead it yet not dominate it This is called the Great Te.

Legge 9 It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness. When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them safe. When wealth and honours lead to arrogancy, this brings its evil on itself. When the work is done, and one's name is becoming distinguished, to withdraw into obscurity is the way of Heaven. Lau 9 Rather than fill it to the brim by keeping it upright Better to have stopped in time; Hammer it to a point And the sharpness cannot be preserved for ever; There may be gold and jade to fill a hall But there is none who can keep them. To be overbearing when one has wealth and position Is to bring calamity upon oneself. To retire when the task is accomplished Is the way of heaven. Feng/English 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 9. Instead of pouring in more better stop while you can making it sharper won't help it last longer rooms full of treasure can never be safe the vanity of success invites its own failure when your work is done retire this is the Way of Heaven Jonathan Star 9 Grabbing and stuffing ? there is no end to it Sharpen a blade too much and its edge will soon be lost Fill a house with gold and jade and no one can protect it Puff yourself with honour and pride and no one can save you from a fall Complete the task at had Be selfless in your actions This is the way of Heaven This is the way to Heaven FH: 9 Better to stop short than to fill to the brim. Oversharpen a blade and it will soon become blunt. Make a hoard of gold and jade and no one can protect them. Claim wealth and titles and disaster will surely follow. Retire when the work is done. For this is the way of Heaven. Ni: 9 A bow that is stretched to its fullest capacity may certainly snap. A sword that is tempered to its very sharpest may easily be broken. A house that is full of jade and gold cannot remain secure for long. One who proudly displays his wealth invites trouble. Therefore, resign from a high position when your mission is complete. This is the Universal Way of a life of deep virtue.

Legge: 8 The highest excellence is like (that of) water. The excellence of water appears in its benefiting all things, and in its occupying, without striving (to the contrary), the low place which all men dislike. Hence (its way) is near to (that of) the Tao. The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place; that of the mind is in abysmal stillness; that of associations is in their being with the virtuous; that of government is in its securing good order; that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability; and that of (the initiation of) any movement is in its timeliness. And when (one with the highest excellence) does not wrangle (about his low position), no one finds fault with him. Lau: 8 Highest good is like water. Because water excels in benefiting the myriad creatures without contending with them and settles where none would like to be, it comes close to the way. In a home it is the site that matters; In quality of mind it is depth that matters; In an ally it is benevolence that matters; In speech it is good faith that matters; In government it is order that matters; In affairs it is ability that matters; In action it is timeliness that matters. It is because it does not contend that it is never at fault. Feng / English: 8 The highest good is like water. Water give life to the 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 8 The best are like water bringing help to all without competing choosing what others avoid they thus approach the Tao dwelling with earth thinking with depth helping with kindness speaking with honesty governing with peace working with skill and moving with time and because they don't compete they aren't maligned Jonathan Star 8 The best way to life is to be like water For water benefits all things and goes against none of them It provides for all people and even cleanses those places a man is loath to go In this way it is just like Tao Live in accordance with the nature of things Build your house on solid ground Keep your mind still When giving, be kind When speaking, be truthful When ruling, be just When working, be one-pointed When acting, remember ? timing is everything One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things He moves in harmony with the present moment always knowing the truth of just what to do

Legge 7 Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long. The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves. This is how they are able to continue and endure. Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved. Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised? DC. Lau 7 Heaven and earth are enduring. The reason why heaven and earth can be enduring is that they do not give themselves life. Hence they are able to be long-lived. Therefore the sage puts his person last and it comes first, Treats it as extraneous to himself and it is preserved. Is it not because he is without thought of self that he is able to accomplish his private ends? Feng/English 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 fulfillment. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 7 Heaven is eternal and Earth is immortal the reason they're eternal and immortal is because they don't live for themselves hence they can live forever sages therefore pull themselves back and end up in front put themselves outside and end up safe is it not because of their selflessness whatever they seek they find Jonathan Star 7 Heaven is ancient Earth is long-lasting Why is this so? ? Because they have no claims to life By having no claims to life they cannot be claimed by death The Sage puts his own views behind so ends up ahead He stays a witness to life so he endures What could he grab for that he does not already have? What could he do for himself that the universe itself has not already done?

Legge 5 Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with. The sages do not act from (any wish to be) benevolent; they deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with. May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows? 'Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power; 'Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more. Much speech to swift exhaustion lead we see; Your inner being guard, and keep it free. Lau 5 Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs; the sage is ruthless, and treats the people as straw dogs. Is not the space between heaven and earth like a bellows? It is empty without being exhausted: The more it works the more comes out. Much speech leads inevitably to silence. Better to hold fast to the void. Feng/English 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 5 Heaven and Earth are heartless treating creatures like straw dogs sages are heartless too they treat people like straw dogs between Heaven and Earth how like a bellows empty but inexhaustible each stroke produces more talking only wastes it better to protect what's inside Jonathan Star 5 Heaven and Earth have no permanence A man may choose one over another but to Heaven and Earth all are the same The high, the low, the great, the small – all are given light all get a place to rest The Sage is like Heaven and Earth To him none are especially dear or is there anyone he disfavours He gives and gives without condition offering his treasure to everyone The universe is like a bellows It stays empty yet is never exhausted It gives out yet always brings forth more Man is not like this When he blows out air like a bellows he becomes exhausted Man was not made to blow out air He was made to sit quietly and find the truth within

Legge 4 The Tao is (like) the emptiness of a vessel; and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fulness. How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of all things! We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things; we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others. How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue! I do not know whose son it is. It might appear to have been before God. Lau 4 The way is empty, yet use will not drain it. Deep, it is like the ancestor of the myriad creatures. Blunt the sharpness; Untangle the knots; Soften the glare; Let your wheels move only along old ruts. Darkly visible, it only seems as if it were there. I know not whose son it is. It images the forefather of God. Feng/English 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 4 The Tao is so empty those who use it never become full again and so deep as if it were the ancestor of us all it dulls our edges unties our tangles softens our light and merges our dust it's so clear as if it were present I wonder whose child it is it seems it was here before Ti Star 4 Tao is empty yet it fills every vessel with an endless supply Tao is hidden yet it shines in every corner of the universe With it, the sharp edges become smooth the twisted knots loosen the sun is softened by a cloud the dust settles into place So deep, so pure, so still It has been this way forever You may ask, “Whose child is it?”- but I cannot say This child was here before the Great Ancestor

Legge 2 All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is. So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another. Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech. All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement). The work is done, but how no one can see; 'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be. DC. Lau 2 The whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly; the whole world recognizes the good as the good, yet this is only the bad. Thus Something and Nothing produce each other; The difficult and the easy complement each other; The long and the short off-set each other; The high and the low incline towards each other; Note and sound harmonize with each other; Before and after follow each other. Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action and practises the teaching that uses no words. The myriad creatures rise from it yet it claims no authority; It gives them life yet claims no possession; It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude; It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit. It is because it lays claim to no merit That its merit never deserts it. Feng/English 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 one 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. Bill Porter (Red Pine) 2 All the world knows beauty but if that becomes beautiful this becomes ugly all the world knows good but if that becomes good this becomes bad have and have not create each other hard and easy produce each other long and short shape each other high and low complete each other note and noise accompany each other first and last follow each other sages therefore perform effortless deeds and teach wordless lessons they don't look after all the things that arise or depend on them as they develop or claim them when they reach perfection and because they don't claim them they are never without them Jonathan Star 2 Everyone recognizes beauty only because of ugliness Everyone recognizes virtue only because of sin Life and death are born together Difficult and easy Long and short High and low -- all these exist together arrive together Sound and silence blend together Before and after The Sage acts without action and teaches without talking All things flourish around him and he does not refuse any one of them He gives but not to receive He works but not for reward He completes but not for results He does nothing for himself in this passing world so nothing he does ever passes

LIEZI - Chapter 1 Graham Giles: 1.1 Our Master Lieh Tzu dwelt on a vegetable plot in the Chêng State for forty years, and no man knew him for what he was. The Prince, his Ministers, and all the State officials looked upon him as one of the common herd. A time of dearth fell upon the State, and he was preparing to migrate to Wei, when his disciples said to him: 'Now that our Master is going away without any prospect of returning, we have ventured to approach you, hoping for instruction. Are there no words from the lips of Hu-Ch'iu Tzu-lin that you can impart to us? Lieh Tzu smiled and said: 'Do you suppose that Hu Tzu dealt in words? However, I will try to repeat to you what my Master said on one occasion to Po-hun Mou-jên. [A fellow-disciple. Out of modesty, Lieh Tzu does not say that the teaching was imparted directly to himself.] I was standing by and heard his words, which ran as, follows:-- "There is a Creative Principle which is itself uncreated; there is a Principle of Change which is itself unchanging. The Uncreated is able to create life; the Unchanging is able to effect change. That which is produced cannot but continue producing; that which is evolved cannot but continue evolving. Hence there is constant production and constant evolution. The law of constant production and of constant evolution at no time ceases to operate. [The commentator says: 'That which is once involved in the destiny of living things can never be annihilated.'] So is it with the Yin and the Yang, so is it with the Four Seasons. [The Yin and the Yang are the Positive and Negative Principles of Nature, alternately predominating in day and night.] The Uncreated we may surmise to be Alone in itself. ['The Supreme, the Non-Engendered--how can its reality be proved? We can only suppose that it is mysteriously One, without beginning and without end.'] The Unchanging goes to and fro, and its range is illimitable. We may surmise that it stands Alone, and that its Ways are inexhaustible." 'In the Book of the Yellow Emperor it is written: "The Spirit of the Valley dies not; it may be called the Mysterious Feminine. The issuing-point of the Mysterious Feminine must be regarded as the Root of the Universe. Subsisting to all eternity, it uses its force without effort." [The Book of the Yellow Emperor is no longer extant, but the above passage is now incorporated in the Tao Tê Ching, and attributed to Lao Tzu.] 'That, then, which engenders all things is itself unengendered; that by which all things are evolved is itself untouched by evolution. Self-engendered and self-evolved, it has in itself the elements of substance, appearance, wisdom, strength, dispersion and cessation. Yet it would be a mistake to call it by any one of these names. 1.2 The Master Lieh Tzu said: 'The inspired men of old regarded the Yin and the Yang as controlling the sum total of Heaven and Earth. But that which has substance is engendered from that which is devoid of substance; out of what then were Heaven and Earth engendered? ['They were engendered out of nothing, and came into existence of themselves.'] 'Hence we say, there is a great Principle of Change, a great Origin, a great Beginning, a great Primordial Simplicity. In the great Change substance is not yet main est. In the great Origin lies the beginning of substance. In the great Beginning, lies the beginning of material form. ['After the separation of the Yin and the Yang, when classes of objects assume their forms.'] In the great Simplicity lies the beginning of essential qualities. When substance, form and essential qualities are still indistinguishably blended together it is called Chaos. Chaos means that all things are chaotically intermixed and not yet separated from one another. The purer and lighter elements, tending upwards, made the Heavens; the grosser and heavier elements, tending downwards, made the Earth. Substance, harmoniously proportioned, became Man; and, Heaven and Earth containing thus a spiritual element, all things were evolved and produced.' See: https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/50583-liezi-reference-gu-san-fen/ 1.3 The Master Lieh Tzu said: 'The virtue of Heaven and Earth, the powers of the Sage, and the uses of the myriad things in Creation, are not perfect in every direction. It is Heaven's function to produce life and to spread a canopy over it. It is Earth's function to form material bodies and to support them. It is the Sage's function to teach others and to influence them for good. It is the function of created things to conform to their proper nature. That being so, there are things in which Earth may excel, though they lie outside the scope of Heaven; matters in which the Sage has no concern, though they afford free play to others. For it is clear that that which imparts and broods over life cannot form and support material bodies; that which forms and supports material bodies cannot teach and influence for good; one who teaches and influences for good cannot run counter to natural instincts; that which is fixed in suitable environment does not travel outside its own sphere. Therefore the Way of Heaven and Earth will be either of the Yin or of the Yang; the teaching of the Sage will be either of altruism or of righteousness; the quality of created objects will be either soft or hard. All these conform to their proper nature and cannot depart from the province assigned to them.' 1.4 On one hand, there is life, and on the other, there is that which produces life; there is form, and there is that which imparts form; there is sound, and there is that which causes sound; there is colour, and there is that which causes colour; there is taste, and there is that which causes taste. Things that have been endowed with life die; but that which produces life itself never comes to an end. The origin of form is matter; but that which imparts form has no material existence. The genesis of sound lies in the sense of hearing; but that which causes sound is never audible to the ear. The source of colour is vision; but that which produces colour never manifests itself to the eye. The origin of taste lies in the palate; but that which causes taste is never perceived by that sense. All these phenomena are functions of the principle of Inaction. [Wu Wei, Inaction, here stands for the inert, unchanging Tao.] To be at will either bright or obscure, soft or hard, short or long, round or square, alive or dead, hot or cold, buoyant or sinking, treble or bass, present or absent, black or white, sweet or bitter, fetid or fragrant--this it is to be devoid of knowledge, yet all-knowing, destitute of power, yet all-powerful. [Such is Tao.] 1.5 On his journey to Wei, the Master Lieh Tzu took a meal by the roadside. His followers espied an old skull, and pulled aside the undergrowth to show it to him. Turning to his disciple Po Fêng, the Master said: 'That skull and I both know that there is no such thing as absolute life or death. ['If we regard ourselves as passing along the road of evolution, then I am alive and he is dead. But looked at from the standpoint of the Absolute, since there is no such principle as life in itself, it follows that there can be no such thing as death.'] This knowledge is better than all your methods of prolonging life, a more potent source of happiness than any other.' 1.6 In the Book of the Yellow Emperor it is written: 'When form becomes active it produces not form but shadow; when sound becomes active it produces not sound but echo.' [See note on p. 17. This passage does not occur in the Tao Tê Ching.] When Not-Being becomes active, it does not produce Not-Being but Being. Form is something that must come to an end. Heaven and Earth, then, have an end, even as we all have an end. But whether the end is complete we do not know. ['When there is conglomeration, form comes into being; when there is dispersion, it comes to an end. That is what we mortals mean by beginning and end. But although for us, in a state of conglomeration, this condensation into form constitutes a beginning, and its dispersion an end, from the standpoint of dispersion, it is void and calm that constitute the beginning, and condensation into form the end. Hence there is perpetual alternation in what constitutes be timing and end, and the underlying Truth is that there is neither any beginning nor any end at all.'] The course of evolution ends where it started, without a beginning; it finishes up where it began, in Not-Being. [A paradoxical way of stating that there is no beginning and no end.] That which has life returns again into the Lifeless; that which has form returns again into the formless. This, that {p. 23} I call the Lifeless, is not the original Lifelessness. This, that I call the formless, is not the original Formlessness. ['That, which is here termed the Lifeless has formerly possessed life, and subsequently passed into the extinction of death, whereas the original Lifelessness from the beginning knows neither life nor extinction.' We have here again the distinction between the unchanging life-giving Principle (Tao), which is itself without life, and the living things themselves, which are in a perpetual flux between life and death.] That which has life must by the law of its being come to an end; and the end can no more be avoided than the living creature can help having been born. So that he who hopes to perpetuate his life or to shut out death is deceived as to his destiny. The spiritual element in man is allotted to him by Heaven, his corporeal frame by Earth. The part that belongs to Heaven 'is ethereal and dispersive, the part that belongs to Earth is dense and tending to conglomeration. When the spirit parts from the body, each of these elements resumes its true nature. That is why disembodied spirits are called kuei, which means 'returning', that is, returning to their true dwelling-place. ['The region of the Great Void.'] The Yellow Emperor said: 'If my spirit returns through the gates whence it came, and my bones go back to the source from which they sprang, where does the Ego continue to exist?' 1.7 Between his birth and his latter end, man passes through four chief stages-infancy, adolescence, old age and death. In infancy, the vital force is concentrated, the will is undivided, and the general harmony of the system is perfect. External objects produce no injurious impression, and to the moral nature nothing can be added. In adolescence, the animal passions are wildly exuberant, the heart is filled with rising desires and preoccupations. The man is open to attack by the objects of sense, and thus his moral nature becomes enfeebled. In old age, his desires and preoccupations have lost their keenness, and the bodily frame seeks for repose. External objects no longer hold the first place in his regard. In this state, though not attaining to the perfection of infancy, he is already different from what he was in adolescence. In death, he comes to his rest, and returns to the Absolute. 1.8 Confucius was travelling once over Mount T'ai when he caught sight of an aged man roaming in the wilds. He was clothed in a deerskin, girded with a rope, and was singing as he played on a lute. 'My friend,' said Confucius, 'what is it that makes you so happy?' The old man replied: 'I have a great deal to make me happy. God created all things, and of all His creations man is the noblest. It has fallen to my lot to be a man: that is my first ground for happiness. Then, there is a distinction between male and female, the former being rated more highly than the latter. Therefore it is better to be a male; and since I am one, I have a second ground for happiness. Furthermore, some are born who never behold the sun or the moon, and who never emerge from their swaddling-clothes. But I have already walked the earth for the space of ninety years. That is my third ground for happiness. Poverty is the normal lot of the scholar, death the appointed end for all human beings. Abiding in the normal state, and reaching at last the appointed end, what is there that should make me unhappy? ;What an excellent thing it is,' cried Confucius, 'to be able to find a source of consolation in oneself!' 1.9 Tzu Kung was tired of study, and confided his feelings to Confucius, saying: 'I yearn for rest.' Confucius replied: 'In life there is no rest.' 'To toil in anxious planning for the future, to slave in bolstering up the bodily frame--these are the businesses of life.' 'Is rest, then, nowhere to be found? 'Oh yes!' replied Confucius; 'look at all the graves in the wilds, all the vaults, all the tombs, all the funeral urns, and you may know where rest is to be found.' 'Great, indeed, is Death!' exclaimed Tzu Kung. 'It gives rest to the noble hearted, and causes the base to cower.' 'You are right,' said Confucius. 'Men feel the joy of life, but do not realize its bitterness. They feel the weariness of old age, but not its peacefulness. They think of the evils of death, but not of the repose which it confers.' 1.10 Yen Tzu said: 'How excellent was the ancients' view of death!--bringing rest to the good and subjection to the wicked. Death is the boundary-line of Virtue. [That is, Death abolishes all artificial and temporary distinctions between good and evil, which only hold good in this world of relativity.] 'The ancients spoke of the dead as kuei-jên (men who have returned). But if the dead are men who have returned, the living are men on a journey. Those who are on a journey and think not of returning have cut themselves off from their home. Should any one man cut himself off from his home, he would incur universal reprobation. But all mankind being homeless, there is none to see the error. Imagine one who leaves his native village, separates himself from all his kith and kin, dissipates his patrimony and wanders away to the four corners of the earth, never to return:--what manner of man is this? The world will surely set him down as a profligate and a vagabond. On the other hand, imagine one who clings to respectability and the things of this life, holds cleverness and capacity in high esteem, builds himself up a reputation, and plays the braggart amongst his fellow men without knowing where to stop:--what manner of man, once more, is this? The world will surely look upon him as a gentleman of great wisdom and counsel. Both of these men have lost their way, yet the world will consort with the one, and not with the other. Only the Sage knows with whom to consort and from whom to hold aloof.' ['He consorts with those who regard life and death merely as waking and sleeping, and holds aloof from those who are steeped in forgetfulness of their return.'] 1.11 Yü Hsiung said: 'Evolution is never-ending. But who can perceive the secret processes of Heaven and Earth? Thus, things that are diminished here are augmented there; things that are made whole in one place suffer loss in another. Diminution and augmentation, fullness and decay are the constant accompaniments of life and death. They alternate in continuous succession, and we are not conscious of any interval. The whole body of spiritual substance progresses without a pause; the whole body of material substance suffers decay without intermission. But we do not perceive the process of completion, nor do we perceive the process of decay. Map, likewise, from birth to old age becomes something different every day in face and form, in wisdom and in conduct. His skin, his nails and his hair are continually growing and continually perishing. In infancy and childhood there is no stopping nor respite from change. Though imperceptible while it is going on, it may be verified afterwards if we wait.' 1.12 There was once a man in the Ch'i State who was so afraid the universe would collapse and fall to pieces, leaving his body without a lodgment, that he could neither sleep nor eat. Another man, pitying his distress, went to enlighten him. 'Heaven,' he said, 'is nothing more than an accumulation of ether, and there is no place where ether is not. Processes of contraction and expansion, inspiration and expiration are continually taking place up in the heavens. Why then should you be afraid of a collapse?' The man said: 'It is true that Heaven is an accumulation of ether; but the sun, the moon, and the stars--will they not fall down upon us? His informant replied: 'Sun, moon and stars are likewise only bright lights Within this mass of ether. Even supposing they were to fall, they could not possibly harm us by their impact.' 'But what if the earth should fall to pieces? 'The earth,' replied the other, 'is merely an agglomeration of matter, which fills and blocks up the four comers of space. There is no part of it where matter is not. All day long there is constant treading and tramping on the surface of the earth. Why then should you be afraid of its falling to pieces? Thereupon the man was relieved of his fears and rejoiced exceedingly. And his instructor was also joyful and easy in mind. But Ch'ang Lu Tzu laughed at them both, saying: 'Rainbows, clouds and mist, wind and rain, the four seasons--these are perfected forms of accumulated ether, and go to make up the heavens. Mountains and cliffs, rivers and seas, metals and rocks, fire and timber--these are perfected forms of agglomerated matter, and constitute the earth. Knowing these facts, who can say that they will never be destroyed? Heaven and earth form only a small speck in the midst of the Void, but they are the greatest things in the sum of Being. This much is certain: even as their nature is hard to fathom, hard to understand, so they will be slow to pass away, slow to come to an end. He who fears lest they should suddenly fall to pieces is assuredly very far from the truth. He, on the other hand, who says that they will never be destroyed has also not reached the right solution. Heaven and earth must of necessity pass away, but neither will revert to destruction apart from the other. [The speaker means that though there is no immediate danger of a collapse, it is certain that our universe must obey the natural law of disintegration, and at some distant date disappear altogether. But the process of decay will be so gradual as to be imperceptible.] Who, having to face the day of disruption, would not be alarmed? The Master Lieh Tzu heard of the discussion, and smiling said: 'He who maintains that Heaven and earth are destructible, and he who upholds the contrary, are both equally at fault. Whether they are destructible or not is something we can never know, though in both cases it will be the same for all alike. The living and the dead, the going and the coming, know nothing of each other's state. Whether destruction awaits the world or no, why should I trouble my head about it? 1.13 Mr Kuo of the Ch'i State was very rich, while Mr Hsiang of the Sung State was very poor. The latter travelled from Sung to Ch'i and asked the other for the secret of his prosperity. Mr Kuo told him. 'It is because I am a good thief,' he said. 'The first year I began to be a thief, I had just enough. The second year, I had ample. The third year, I reaped a great harvest. And, in course of time, I found myself the owner of whole villages and districts.' Mr Hsiang was overjoyed; he understood the word 'thief' in its literal sense, but he did not understand the true way of becoming a thief. Accordingly, he climbed over walls and broke into houses, grabbing everything he could see or lay hands upon. But before very long his thefts brought him into trouble, and he was stripped even of what he had previously possessed. Thinking that Mr Kuo had basely deceived him, Hsiang went to him with a bitter complaint. 'Tell me,' said Mr Kuo, 'how did you set about being a thief?' On learning from Mr Hsiang what had happened, he cried out: 'Alas and alack! You have been brought to this pass because you went the wrong way to work. Now let me put you on the right track. We all know that Heaven has its seasons, and that earth has its riches. Well, the things that I steal are the riches of Heaven and earth, each in their season--the fertilizing rain-water from the clouds, and the natural products of mountain and meadow-land. Thus I grow my grain and ripen my crops, build my walls and construct my tenements. From the dry land I steal winged and four-footed game, from the rivers I steal fish and turtles. There is nothing that I do not steal. For corn and grain, clay and wood, birds and beasts, fishes and turtles are all products of Nature. How can I claim them as mine? It will be observed that Lieh Tzu anticipates here, in a somewhat different sense, Proudhon's famous paradox: 'La propriété c'est le vol.' 'Yet, stealing in this way from Nature, I bring on myself no retribution. But gold, jade, and precious stones, stores of grain, silk stuffs, and other kinds of property, are things accumulated by men, not bestowed upon us by Nature. So who can complain if he gets into trouble by stealing them? Mr Hsiang, in a state of great perplexity, and fearing to be led astray a second time by Mr Kuo, went off to consult Tung Kuo, a man of learning. Tung Kuo said to him: 'Are you not already a thief in respect of your own body? You are stealing the harmony of the Yin and the Yang in order to keep alive and to maintain your bodily form. How much more, then, are you a thief with regard to external possessions! Assuredly, Heaven and earth cannot be dissociated from the myriad objects of Nature. To claim any one of these as your own betokens confusion of thought. Mr Kuo's thefts are carried out in a spirit of justice, and therefore bring no retribution. But your thefts were carried out in a spirit of self-seeking and therefore landed you in trouble. Those who take possession of property, whether public or private, are thieves. [By 'taking possession of public property', as we have seen, Lieh Tzu means utilizing the products of Nature open to all--rain and the like.] Those who abstain from taking property, public or private, are also thieves. ['For no one can help possessing a body, and no one can help acquiring some property or other which cannot be got rid of with the best will in the world. Such thefts are unconscious thefts.'] The great principle of Heaven and earth is to treat public property as such and private property as such. Knowing this principle, which of us is a thief, and at the same time which of us is not a thief?' [The object of this anecdote is to impress us with the unreality of mundane distinctions. Lieh Tzu is not much interested in the social aspect of the question. He is not an advocate of communism, nor does he rebel against the common-sense view that theft is a crime which must be punished. With him, everything is intended to lead up to the metaphysical standpoint.] See Liezi Introduction and Links: https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/50556-liezi-chapter-introduction/

This is for Kindle only, for the moment... paperback may come later. Have a read here: https://www.amazon.com/Thread-Dao-Unraveling-traditions-Cultivation-ebook/dp/B078J7XRBX/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1514906693&sr=1-1 The philosophy of Lao Zi (c. 550 BC), the great Daoist (Taoist) philosopher and author of the Dao De Jing, is often said to have represented an earlier oral tradition. The works of Guan Zi (aka Guan Zhong, 720-645 BC) may, in fact, be an even earlier record of this oral tradition. Four of the texts in an ancient encyclopedia attributed to Guan Zi bear many similarities to Lao Zi's work, and offer invaluable insights into the esoteric and cultural precedents behind his phrases and teachings. "Thread of Dao" provides an annotated translation of Guan Zi's proto-Daoist texts: Purifying the Heart-Mind (Bai Xin), Art of the Heart-Mind (Xin Shu I&II), and Internal Cultivation (Nei Ye). Dan G. Reid's commentary traces the early Daoist oral traditions that weave throughout these texts, the the Dao De Jing, Heshang Gong's commentary on the Dao De Jing, and the works of other ancient writers, from Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu) to Zen Buddhists. Following this ancient thread reveals the meditation and mindfulness traditions that were quietly imparted through wisdom on government and health preservation. Underlying these writings are subtle teachings on "the art of the heart-mind" — the Sages' technique for self purification, cultivating enlightenment and harmony within, and fostering peace and virtue throughout the world.

For the longest time, the was a Pit so that some topics could remain open but not in public view... Why not create one? That is a kind of compromise to lock vs open.

Sure, I know this as it was likely the most time consuming part of staff... The newer version made it much more difficult but we figured out some methods to determine puppet accounts.

What is the motivation to move a valid member's PPD to disappear? Why not move all threads older than 2 years to be hidden? I hope the latter idea proves a point that this makes no sense. A PPD is more of a members deepest concerns to share but you want to now hide that. I'd worry more about inactive sign ups... in the past, it caused the database to grow to 50,000 members when only about 5,000 posted. This was all removed and cleaned up. I suspect it has now grown to 10,000 or more with most non-members. Go into the members signed up and see who posted or not. The historical handling was to remove anyone who registered but never posted. Otherwise, you start paying for a bigger database for non-existent members. Who is paying that ? Why not maintain it.

Energetically, follow the flow of energy. Humanly, follow the flow of humanness. Earthly, follow the flow of earth. Heaven,ly follow the flow of heaven. Spiritually, follow the flow of the spirit.

The Flowing Hands version (here) is a transmission, or as FH has said, that it is Li Erh's version (laozi) dictated to him in english. If you have ever seen Hua-Ching Ni's version (here), he calls an elucidation more than a translation. A translation would be what you think whereby it is based more exclusively on a particular text version (be it the guodian, mawangdui, heshang gong, wang bi, etc).