Dao De Jing – Page 3

Transcending the Self: How Seeing the Body as the World Leads to True Wisdom and Leadership

Verse 13 by Lao Zi: 宠辱若惊，贵大患若身。何谓宠辱若惊？宠为下，得之若惊，失之若惊，是谓宠辱若惊。何谓贵大患若身？吾所以有大患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾有何患！故贵以身为天下，若可寄天下；爱以身为天下，若可托天下。 Honor and disgrace are both alarming, and valuing great troubles is like valuing the body. What does it mean that “honor and disgrace are both alarming”? Honor is something beneath you; when you receive it, you are startled, and when you lose it, you are also startled. This is whatContinueContinue reading “Transcending the Self: How Seeing the Body as the World Leads to True Wisdom and Leadership”

Excess and the Wisdom of Simplicity

Verse 12 by Lao Zi: 五色令人目盲，五音令人耳聋，五味令人口爽，驰骋畋猎令人心发狂，难得之货令人行妨。是以圣人为腹不为目，故去彼取此 The five colors make people blind,The five tones make people deaf,The five flavors make people’s mouths numb.Racing and hunting drive people mad,Rare treasures cause people to go astray. Therefore, the sage focuses on nourishing the belly, not indulging the eyes,Thus, he lets go of the superficial and embraces theContinueContinue reading “Excess and the Wisdom of Simplicity”

The Utility of Emptiness: How Absence Gives Function to Form

Verse 11 by Lao Zi: 三十辐共一毂，当其无，有车之用。埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用。凿户牖以为室，当其无，有室之用。故有之以为利，无之以为用。 Thirty spokes share one hub,But it is the empty space that makes the wheel useful.Clay is shaped into a vessel,But it is the empty space inside that makes it useful.Doors and windows are cut to make a room,But it is the empty space that makes the room useful.Therefore, what existsContinueContinue reading “The Utility of Emptiness: How Absence Gives Function to Form”

Living in Harmony with the Dao: Wisdom of the Tenth Verse of the Daodejing

Verse 10 by Lao Zi: 载营魄抱一，能无离乎？专气致柔，能如婴儿乎？涤除玄鉴，能无疵乎？爱民治国，能无为乎？天门开阖，能为雌乎？明白四达，能无知乎？生之畜之，生而不有，为而不恃，长而不宰，是谓玄德。 Carrying the soul and embracing the One, can you not depart from it?Focusing your breath and attaining softness, can you be like a newborn child?Cleansing the deep mirror of perception, can you be without blemish?Loving the people and governing the nation, can you act without force?Heaven’s gate opens and closes—canContinueContinue reading “Living in Harmony with the Dao: Wisdom of the Tenth Verse of the Daodejing”

The Harmony of Striving and Stillness: Reflection on the Ninth Verse of the Daodejing

Verse 9 by Lao Zi: 持而盈之，不如其已；揣而锐之，不可长保。金玉满堂，莫之能守；富贵而骄，自遗其咎。功遂身退天之道。 “To hold and fill to overflowingIs not as good as stopping in time.To sharpen a blade too muchCannot preserve its edge for long. Gold and jade fill a hall,But no one can protect them.Wealth and arrogance bring ruin upon oneself. When the work is done, withdraw—This is the Way ofContinueContinue reading “The Harmony of Striving and Stillness: Reflection on the Ninth Verse of the Daodejing”

Flow Like Water: Wisdom of the Eighth Verse of the Daodejing

Verse 8 by Lao Zi: 上善若水。水善利万物而不争，处衆人之所恶，故几于道。居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，动善时。夫唯不争，故无尤。 “The highest good is like water.Water benefits all things without competing,And it dwells in places that others disdain.Thus, it is close to the Dao. In dwelling, live close to the land.In the heart, keep to the depths.In relationships, be kind.In speech, be truthful.In governance, be just.In action, be capable.InContinueContinue reading “Flow Like Water: Wisdom of the Eighth Verse of the Daodejing”

The Enduring Flow of the Dao: Wisdom from the Seventh Verse of the Daodejing

Verse 7 by Lao Zi: 天长地久。天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。是以圣人后其身而身先；外其身而身存。非以其无私耶？故能成其私。 “Heaven and Earth endure.The reason Heaven and Earth can endureIs because they do not live for themselves;Thus, they can live forever. Therefore, the sage places themselves last,And yet they come first;They put themselves outside,And yet they are preserved. Is it not because they are selflessThat they can achieve theirContinueContinue reading “The Enduring Flow of the Dao: Wisdom from the Seventh Verse of the Daodejing”

The Eternal Flow of the Dao

Verse 6 by Lao Zi: 谷神不死，是谓玄牝。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。绵绵若存，用之不勤。 “The valley spirit never dies—It is called the Mysterious Female.The gateway of the Mysterious Female—It is called the root of Heaven and Earth.Softly, continuously, it seems to remain—Yet its use is never exhausted.” Related verses: Verse 4 by Lao Zi: 道冲而用之或不盈。渊兮似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。 Verse 1 by Lao Zi: 道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。无名天地之始；有名万物之母。故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，衆妙之门。 [Written byContinueContinue reading “The Eternal Flow of the Dao”

Impartiality, Balance, and Simplicity

Verse 5 by Lao Zi: 天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？虚而不屈，动而愈出。多言数穷，不如守中。 “Heaven and Earth are not benevolent;They treat all things as straw dogs.The sage is not benevolent;He treats the people as straw dogs. The space between Heaven and Earth,Is it not like a bellows?Empty, yet it does not collapse,Moving, it produces more. Too many words lead to exhaustion;Better to holdContinueContinue reading “Impartiality, Balance, and Simplicity”

The Subtle Power of the Dao: Source of All and Harmonizer of Extremes

Verse 4 by Lao Zi: 道冲而用之或不盈。渊兮似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。 “The Dao is like an empty vessel;Though used, it is never filled.Profound, it seems to be the source of all things. It blunts sharpness,Unties knots,Softens its brightness,And mingles with the dust. Deep and clear, it seems to exist eternally.I do not know whose child it is,It appears to precedeContinueContinue reading “The Subtle Power of the Dao: Source of All and Harmonizer of Extremes”