Chapter 81. Proof of simplicity Honest words are not high and mighty, mighty and high words are not reliable. The man of Tao does not argue. Those who argue are not skilled in the Tao. Those who know it are not scholars. The scholars don’t know it. A wise man does not amass treasures. The… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 81. Proof of simplicity
Category: philosophy
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 2. Becoming perfect
Chapter 2. Becoming perfect When the world speaks of the beauty of beauty then ugliness is defined in the same. When good is seen as good then evil is also immediately clear. Thus being and unbeing both awaken each other; same as difficult and easy, distant and near, high and low, sounding and tinkling, head… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 2. Becoming perfect
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 80. Standing alone
Chapter 80. Standing alone If I had a small kingdom and only ten or hundred able men, I would not use them for government. I would teach the people to view death as a high thing and then they would not go abroad to seek it. Even if they had ships and carriages, they would… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 80. Standing alone
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 79. Keeping promise
Chapter 79. Keeping promise When agreement has been reached after a long dispute, one side always grumbles. And how could this be said a good resolution to an argument? That is why the wise one takes his part of the commitment and does not demand anything else for himself. A just man checks only his… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 79. Keeping promise
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 14. Praising emptiness
Chapter 14. Praising emptiness Smoothness is what cannot be seen when looking at it. Silence is what cannot be heard when listening to it. Rarity is what cannot be touched when trying to do so. As these are inseparable from each other, they can be considered one – Tao¹. It is not lit in height… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 14. Praising emptiness
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 6. The origin of beings
Chapter 6. The origin of beings Like the stream of the valley never dries, so the basic essence of the existing never dries. I call it the Mother-depth. The movement of the Mother-depth I call the parturient of the heaven and the earth. Forever it stays, and moves without destination¹. Mr. Ervast: “This reminds us… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 6. The origin of beings
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 5. Value of emptiness
Chapter 5. Value of emptiness Not heaven nor earth have special preference; they consider all humans and beings as holy sacrificial figures.¹ A wise one makes not differentiation; he considers all humans as beings made for holy purposes. Heavenly space is like bellows; even if it doesn’t contain anything solid, it never collapses onto itself… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 5. Value of emptiness
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 78. Embracing the truth
Chapter 78. Embracing the truth Nothing in this world is as weak and bendable like water is, yet for breaking down the mighty there is nothing like it. There is no choice to be made here. The whole world knows that the soft can wear the hard down and that the weak wins the strong,… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 78. Embracing the truth
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 76. The danger of power
Chapter 76. The danger of power When a human is born he is delicate and weak, when dying he is stiff and powerful. The same is with all things. Trees and sprouts in their early growth are soft and flexibile, but when they are dying they are dried up and tough. Their hardness and stiffness… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 76. The danger of power
Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 75. The evil of greed
Chapter 75. The evil of greed The people suffer hunger because those above them set heavy tax burdens on them. This is the cause of their lacking. The people are hard to govern because of the commanding nature of those who are above them. This is the source of confusion. People despise death because enduring… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 75. The evil of greed