Professional blog by Juho Kunsola

Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 11. Usefulness of emptiness

Chapter 11. Usefulness of emptiness The thirty spokes of the wheel that are joined in the center are made useful by the hollow in the middle where emptiness reigns. Vessels made of clay are useful because of their hollowness. Doors and windows are of use to the building because they are taken away from the… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 11. Usefulness of emptiness

Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 8. The inexpensive nature

Chapter 8. The inexpensive nature Greatest virtue is like water. Water is good for everything. It can pass through to even the most unreachable places effortlessly. That is why it is like the Tao. It is virtuous like the heart by being deep. By exposing itself it has the virtue of love. It is virtuous… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 8. The inexpensive nature

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

Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 74. The mistake of governance

Chapter 74. The mistake of governance When the people don’t fear death, what use is punishment to scare them? And if they were always kept in the fear of death and I would take to all evil-doers and kill them, would I dare to do it? The great Executioner is always waiting. If someone steals… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 74. The mistake of governance

Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 73. Freedom of action

Chapter 73. Freedom of action Whose bravery manifests itself in defiance, he will be in the hands of death. Whose bravery shows itself in self control, he stays. Thus there are two kinds of bravery, one is unlucky and the other is beneficial. But who can say why one of them receives the damnation of… Continue reading Translation: Tao Te King – Chapter 73. Freedom of action