TAO PATH - CHAPTER 1-53/81
TAO CALLED TAO IS NOT TAO 道可道 非常道
Talking about a path is not walking that path;
Thinking about life is not living that life.
Directly experiencing life brings unconditional appreciation and unity;
Thinking about life brings conditional judgements and separation.
Free of conditioned thinking, we experience our true nature;
Caught in conditioned thinking, we experience only who we think we are.
Yet both our conditioned nature and our true nature are part of life itself;
Our conditioned experience of living is a gateway to unconditional life.
IS AND ISN'T PRODUCE EACH OTHER 故有無相生
Beauty cannot exist without ugliness;
Virtue cannot exist without vice.
Hard depends on easy,
Long is tested by short,
High is determined by low,
Sound is harmonized by voice,
After is followed by before.
Everything gives rise to its opposite,
therefore we work without conscious effort.
We enjoyed everything and possess nothing.
Accomplishments do not emerge from ego.
Thus it benefit all beings.
DON'T GLORIFY HEROES 不尚賢
If achievement is valued, jealousy will result.
If possessions are valued, hoarding and stealing will result;
Therefore this path is one of contentment and simplicity.
It empties the mind of its chattering and fills the soul with truth;
It frees us from our wanting and returns us to our passion.
No longer needing to have our own way,
we are not fooled by clever plots and plans.
Our actions become focused, pure and effortless.
BOUNTY OF LIFE 道冲
Walking Tao path, one experiences inexhaustible energy;
From what appears an empty void, one finds the bounty of life with a deep tranquility.
HEAVEN and EARTH aren't Kind 天地不仁
Every manifestation has its place and lives its life under the sun.
Life continuously breathes its forms into existence and never depleting itself, always replenishing itself.
The Mother of All 是謂玄牝
Everything that exists was born of the feminine principle within the Tao.
There is no need to weary ourselves
in an effort to find her.
She is ever with us
because she is us.
Heaven is long, Earth is enduring 天長地久
Long and enduring because they do not exist for themselves.
Steps back, but is always in front;
Stay outside, but is always within.
Therefore, when they raise, we watch;
When they pass away, we remain.
Life flows like Water 上善若水
Our true nature is like water.
It does not decide whom to nurture and whom to avoid.
It flows like a river to the ocean, nurturing everything in its path.
This is the nature of the Tao within all mankind.
Heaven's Tao 天之道
Better stop short than fill to the brim;
Over sharpen the blade and the edge will soon be blunt;
Amass a store of gold and jade, and no one can protect it;
Claim wealth and titles, and disaster will follow;
Retire when the work is done.
This the the way of heaven and true contentment.
Intangible and Invisible Within Us 無之以為用
A house is made with walls, doors and windows.
The house becomes a home for people through the quality of life lived within.
We practice with the visible and tangible, but it is the invisible and intangible within us that bring us life.
FIVE COLORS BLIND THE EYES .......五色令人目盲
Five colors blind the eyes;
Five tones deafen the ears;
Five flavors dull the taste;
Racing and hunting madden the mind;
Exotic goods lead one astray.
Outer things exist but do not define us.
Praise and Disgrace are like Fear 寵辱若驚
To desire praise is to fear blame;
To fear blame is to desire praise.
Both are rooted in fear and bound up in desire.
Therefore in this path there is neither praise nor blame.
Love the world as yourself;
the world can be your trust.
ESSENCE OF TAO 是謂道紀
What we are seeking can't be seen, heard or touched.
It is our essential unity beyond the divisions of our senses.
It is not obvious to the mind, but neither is it hidden from the heart.
Meeting it there is no front; Following it there is no back.
Live in the ancient Tao, master the existing present.
Understand the source of all things, this is called the essence of Tao.
Freedom of Enlightenment 微妙玄通
The freedom of enlightenment is hard to describe.
Cautious like crossing a winter stream;
Hesitant like respecting one's neighbor;
Polite like a guest;
Yielding like ice about to melt;
Blank like uncarved wood;
Open like a valley; and
Mixing freely like muddy water.
To experience this enlightenment we sit calmly and wait for the muddy thoughts to settle and our mind to become clear.
Life then lives itself in us.
To Attain Complete Emptiness .......致虛極
Hold fast to stillness, we watch everything come and go in perfect peace.
Living in peace, we open to all life.
Mind opening leads to compassion;
Compassion to nobility;
Nobility to heavenliness;
Heavenliness to Tao.
Being at one with the Tao is eternal.
Great rising and falling 太上下
People only know it exists.
Then they see and praise; soon they fear;
Finally they despise.
Without fundamental compassion for ourselves, we become afraid of our own nature. Being afraid of our own nature, we come to hate ourselves.
Free from self-hate, our actions are not burdened by our need for attention.
A Pretense of Tao Life 大道廢
When the great Tao is forgotten,
Kindness and morality arise.
When wisdom and intelligence are born,
The great pretense begins.
When there is no piece within the family,
Filial piety and devotion arise.
When the country confused and in chaos,
Loyal ministers appear.
Banish learning, discard knowledge; 絕聖棄智
People will gain a hundredfold.
Banish benevolence, discard righteousness;
People will return to duty and compassion.
Banish skill, discard profit;
There will be no more thieves.
It is important to see the simplicity, to realize one's true nature, to cast off selfishness and temper desire.
Confused, confused 沌沌兮
We always strive to make the right choice, and always fear the wrong choice. We pursue what others say is good and avoid what others say is bad. How sad this is for us!
We are urged to be clever and successful and always in control. But this practice asks us to relinquish the illusion of control and to be content with whatever comes our way.
Shadowy and obscure 窈兮冥兮
The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao and Tao alone.
The Tao is elusive and intangible yet within image.
It is dim and dark, and yet within is essence.
This essence is very real, and therein lies faith.
Spare the words is natural way .....希言自然
Silence is the natural way of life.
High wind does not last all morning;
Heavy rain does not last all day;
If heaven and earth cannot make things eternal, how is it possible for man?
He who follows the Tao, is at one with Tao;
He who is virtuous, experiences virtue;
He who loses the way, feels lost.
When you are at one with the Tao,
the Tao welcomes you.
When you are at one with Virtue,
the virtue is always there.
When you are at one with loss,
the loss is experienced willingly.
He who does not trust enough,
will not be trusted.
Tiptoe not steady .........................企者不立
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady;
He who strides can't maintain the pace;
He who makes a show is not enlightened;
He who is self-righteous is not respected;
He who boasts achieves nothing;
He who brags will not endure.
According to Tao, excessive food and extraneous activities inspire disgust.
Therefore, the follower of Tao moves on.
TAO Follows its own NATURE ........道法自然
This path we follow existed before the universe was born.
It contains within itself unchanging tranquility and solitude.
It is present wherever we turn and provides inexhaustible compassion.
Therefore, it is considered to be the mother of the universe.
This is called the Tao from which we come, in which we live, and to which we return.
This path is our true home.
It is home to all things in heaven and on earth.
Gravity is the root of lightness 重為輕根
Stillness is the master of passion.
Therefore whatever we do, we do not abandon ourselves.
Even though the world provides endless worries and distractions, we remain unconcerned and content.
To be light is to lose one's root;
To be restless is to lose one's control.
Crux of Mystery 是謂要妙
This path has no rules, no rituals, and no preconceived notions.
Everything that happens is for a reason;
Everything in our experience instructs us the way;
Everyone we meet becomes our teacher, good and bad alike;
Everyone we meet becomes our student, bright and dull alike.
Know the strength of male, appreciate the care of female 知其雄守其雌
Striving to make our way in the world seems prudent;
Striving to live a life of virtue is approved by all;
Charismatic personalities capture our attention.
However, it's our nature exits beneath us that brings power and purpose to our life.
The world is a spiritual vessel 天下神器
No one can control it. The world is scared and life flows exactly as it should be. Those who control it will fail. Those who grasp it will lose. Therefore, the Sage casts of extremes, excesses and complacency to remain at peace with the world.
Without Tao will soon end 不道早已
The world has no need for weapon which soon turn onto themselves.
The most fruitful outcome does not depend on force;
but succeeds without hostility, pride, resistance and violence.
Going against Tao comes to an early end.
Weapons are ill-omended tools 兵者不祥之器
Weapons of violence are contrary to the common good.
When their use can't be avoided, calm restraint is the best.
Battles are not with enemies, but with beings like ourselves.
Knowing this, we don't rejoice in victory nor take delight in the downfall of others. A great victory is a funeral ceremony.
Tao endures without a name ........... 道常無名
We experience it through our own true nature.
If we hold on to our own true nature,
all external and internal strife fall away.
Goodness is our heart's true nature.
We return to peace like stream and river returning to the sea.
Knowing self is enlightenment ........自知者明
Mastering others takes force;
Mastering self is true strength.
Knowing what is enough is wealth;
We will feel content.
Hold your ground, you will last long.
Die without perishing, your life will endure.
Great Tao flows Everywhere and 大道氾兮
fills the universe;
and all things rely upon it.
It gives us birth and never abandon us.
It nourishes and sustains us,
Yet does not claim to own us.
It does not show greatness,
And is therefore truly great.
Hold on to the Greatest 執大象
All hold on to the greatest path;
For there lie happiness and peace.
Speaking of this path isnn't exciting;
people prefer to look for distraction and listen to empty promises.
This path cannot be seen nor be heard,
yet it cannot be exhausted.
Subtle illumination 是謂微明
To collect, first scatter;
To weaken, first strengthen;
To abolish, first establish;
To conclude, first initiate.
This is called subtle illumination.
Gentleness and flexibility bring the outcomes that force and rigidity fail to achieve.
Our true benefit lies not in our words or argument, but in the depth of our practice.
No desire is tranquillity 不欲以靜
Tao practice is effortless.
If we remain on this path and resist the temptation to control, everything will naturally evolve according to its nature.
I quiet them through nameless simplicity, there is no desire.
No desire is tranquillity.
Goodness without awareness 上德不德
Doing goodness without awareness of its intention is good.
Natural goodness work effortlessly and benefits all.
Contrived goodness requires great effort to accomplish little.
Clatter like stone 落落如石
Follow the path of Tao,
Our horizon becomes expansive;
Our daily life becomes serene;
Our souls becomes inspired; and
Everything around us becomes filled with life.
Noble has humble as its root;
High has low as its foundation.
Too much success is not an advantage;
Do not tinkle like jade or clatter like stone.
Being originates from non-being 有生於無
Return is the motion of Tao;
Yield is the path of Tao.
Everything in this universe depends on everything else;
Our experience of life depends upon our death.
All things originate from being;
Being originates from non-being.
Hidden in Silence 道隠無名
The most pleasing music is hidden in silence;
The most beautiful art begins without form.
The path of Tao being silent and without form, is the path to all beauty and joy.
Tao engenders One; 道生一
One engenders Two;
Two engenders Three; and
Three engenders the ten thousand things.
There is no pain without gain;
There is no fullness without deprivation.
As if no thing enters to no space 無有入無間
The softest this in this universe overcomes the hardest thing.
Thus it does not hold a particular form and able to enter the impenetrable.
This the the path of effortless effort.
Name or body; which is closer? 名與身孰親
Body and possession; which means more?
Gain or loss; which one hurts?
Extreme love comes with a great price;
Excessive possessions entail heavy loss.
Know what is enough, abuse nothing;
Know when to stop, harm nothing.
This path will lead to eternity.
Total calmness is the nature under the heaven ..........清靜為天下正
Great accomplishment seems unfinished;
But its use is continuous.
Great fullness seems empty;
But its use is inexhaustible.
When we see clearly, we act with tranquillity.
With Tao under heaven 天下有道
There is no greater calamity than not knowing what is enough;
There is no greater fault than desire for success.
Thus, knowing that enough is enough is always enough.
To be content with each breath is to be eternally content.
Not doing and nothing left undone 無為而無不為
Allowing things to come and go according to their nature, we gain everything;
Trying to control everything, we gain nothing.
The Virtue of Kindness and Trust 德善德信
Open your heart to all, hold no fixed opinion;
Extend kindness to the kind and unkind alike;
Extend trust to the trustworthy and untrustworthy alike;
Thus kindness and trust become our nature.
Emerge into life, Enter into death 出生入死
Life and death are inseparable;
Each gives way to the other.
Three tenth of the people focus on life;
Three tenth of the people ignore life;
Three tenth of the people don't think of either and just pass by.
Walking this path, we become skillful at living without fear.
Life and death have become one; and death cannot disturb us.
The Virtue of Kindness 是謂元德
Tao express itself in each and every being;
Tao gives us life, but does not claim to own us;
Extend the kindness and expect no return;
This is the virtue of Tao kindness.
Seeing the small is insight ................見小日明
Noticing small and ordinary things is enlightenment;
Treating all beings with kindness is strength.
Great Tao is smooth 大道甚夷
Keeping to the main road is easy,
But people love to be sidetracked;
The Great Tao is very smooth;
But people like rough trails.