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”
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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”
The Harmony of Opposites: The Way of Balance
Verse 2 by Lao Zi: 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已。皆知善之为善，斯不善已。故有无相生，难易相成，长短相较，高下相倾，音声相和，前后相随。是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教；万物作焉而不辞，生而不有。为而不恃，功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。 “When the world recognizes beauty as beauty, ugliness arises.When the world recognizes good as good, evil arises. Thus, being and non-being produce each other;Difficult and easy complete each other;Long and short contrast with each other;High and low lean on each other;Sound and silence harmonize with each other;Front and back followContinueContinue reading “The Harmony of Opposites: The Way of Balance”
The Ineffable Way: Essence and Manifestation
Related Post: Finding Order in the Timeless Flow of the Dao 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。 “The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao;The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;The named is the mother of all things. Therefore,ContinueContinue reading “The Ineffable Way: Essence and Manifestation”
Exploring Taoism
Years ago, I was gifted a truly stunning book—this translation of the Daodejing. It’s not just a translation; it’s an experience. The pages are filled with beautiful Chinese calligraphy, breathtaking photographs, and thoughtful English translations with commentary. Ever since, I’ve been itching to dive deep into the text and, if possible, try my hand atContinueContinue reading “Exploring Taoism”
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