Laotzu (laozi) and one big tree

[Mig]

Thanks Rara, in the beginning the curiosity was about the translation of this story to see if it was close to the original then it was to understand the morality or the purpose of the story. The use of the word of use and useless can be quite misleading so I am trying to figure out a different way to interpret the story.

[Marblehead]

2 hours ago, Mig said:

Thanks Rara, in the beginning the curiosity was about the translation of this story to see if it was close to the original then it was to understand the morality or the purpose of the story. The use of the word of use and useless can be quite misleading so I am trying to figure out a different way to interpret the story.

When I consider the concept of useful/useless I restrict it to only myself.  That is, what might be useless to me might be very useful to someone else and what might be useful to me might be useless to someone else.

 

Then too, included in this is the concept of letting other people use us.  They use us until we have become useless to them and then they discard us like a piece of trash.  To remain useless to others allow us to live our life the way we want to.

 

[cold]

6 minutes ago, Marblehead said:

When I consider the concept of useful/useless I restrict it to only myself.  That is, what might be useless to me might be very useful to someone else and what might be useful to me might be useless to someone else.

 

Then too, included in this is the concept of letting other people use us.  They use us until we have become useless to them and then they discard us like a piece of trash.  To remain useless to others allow us to live our life the way we want to.

 

 

Some gems in the above words ... gleaned by earnest effort !

[Mig]

1 hour ago, Marblehead said:

When I consider the concept of useful/useless I restrict it to only myself.  That is, what might be useless to me might be very useful to someone else and what might be useful to me might be useless to someone else.

 

Then too, included in this is the concept of letting other people use us.  They use us until we have become useless to them and then they discard us like a piece of trash.  To remain useless to others allow us to live our life the way we want to.

 

 

Could you give examples of useless or useful like in this context or the story of the big tree? I understand the no use of the tree but the use of others as shade, I find that very general and not specific enough. So it is the same for many other things, I think of a banana tree, some don't produce bananas and they are only for decorations and can be used for another purpose. I can't see that dichotomy necessary as it is not all absolute and it is not all general. Living in society I have the impression we are in the hole to be used one way or another and will never stop. The typical answer is you have to work so you are not used but then we fall into the desires, the monies, the food, etc. to live and you have to work to get it what you need.