stan herman

Another version of this stanza from a contemporary interpretation of Tao: 32. What is in the world has always been in the world. Nothing new is made, only names are changed and viewpoints from which they are seen. Worldly people discriminate endlessly. They judge what is better or worse, invent titles, rank and status, and struggle (or complain) to obtain what they think they do not have. All of this activity is part of the way the world works. Some people mistake their discriminations to be the substance of their lives. To get what they do not think they have, they push against stone walls, exhausting their energy and capacity. Thus, they fail to notice the possibilities that lie beyond their current discriminations. When leaders remember the way of the world they bring wisdom to their leadership. Recognizing the familiar courses and turnings of people's discriminations they compare the present to the past, anticipate points of discord and help people to discover unnoticed harmony. stan

I appreciate the reminder about the great number of translations and interpretations there have been. I also get a smile from the stories about Lao Tzu's birth, especially the one about him being the result of his mother's union with a shooting star, and his having been born with a full head of sparkling white hair. I can't help but think he had a twinkle in his eye as well. stan

I've been trying to sign on to Tao Bums for more than a week. Each attempt to register resulted in "error in user name or password". By email I informed Nina (later Mal) of my problem. Was informed from the site standpoint everything looked ok. Tried a new password--same result, then tried yet another, no better. Wonder, wonder, was Lao Tzu in there gumming up the works for me? Was he sending me a message for my own good, to stay away? Should I? Or should I persevere--was this a test of my will? Was there a stanza in the Tao that instructed, 'Do not surrender'? I couldn't recall that, in fact my recollections were that the Old One would more likely advise "Do surrender". What to do, what to do? Then there it was, right before my eyes it appeared: My problem was the absence of emptiness. I had neglected leaving a space between my first and last user name. Boy, that absence of emptiness can sure be a problem, huh?