Tao of the Day

Tao of the Day

Your Daily Dose of Taoism

 

Archive for November, 2009

Chapter Fifty

Humans come and go
Their bodies as the seat of life
Their bodies as the seat of death
Humans get old and decay
Why is that?
It’s because they are already dead, but think that they’re living
There have been stories told and written about people who had found true life
And wandered around the earth
Not afraid of tigers or rhinos
Those who [...]

Chapter Forty-Nine

A wise man has no opinion at all
Therefore he can easily put himself in someone else’s position
He accepts everybody and everything for what it is
In spite of any behaviour
He trusts the honest and the unfair
And naturally they become fair-minded
He trusts the reliable and the unreliable
And naturally all will become reliable
A wise man feels one with [...]

Chapter Forty-Eight

Gathering knowledge makes life more complicated each time one gathers
Gathering wisdom makes life easier each time one gathers
Each time, more and more simple until simplicity is reached
Just by leaving, one man can achieve everything
One who wants nothing anymore, doesn’t feel the need to do a thing, has conquered oneself
One who wants a lot has to [...]

Chapter Forty-Seven

Without leaving my house, I understand the whole world
Without looking outside, I see the perfect order
The more you know, the less you’ll understand
One who is wise doesn’t need to travel
He understands without looking
Does nothing but achieves everything

Chapter Forty-Six

If men lived by their nature
Horses would gallop in the open air
But since men got civilized
Battle horses standing at the frontier
There is no bigger curse than dissatisfaction
Nothing more disastrous than being discontent with life
Nothing more fatal than being eager for possessions
One who knows the peace of satisfaction, is always satisfied

Chapter Forty-Five

Perfection seems unfinished to this world
But it never perishes
Fullness is empty to the world
But it’s inexhaustible
That which is correct, is incorrect to the world
Wisdom seems foolish to the world
Telling the truth a disgrace
Like movement chases away coldness
And rest cools down
Purity and calmness show one the right direction

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Tao of the Day is a site for all things related to the Tao (also spelled Dao). We'll cover the entire Tao Te Ching several times each year, with one chapter being the center of attention each day. You can always comment on past days, but let's try to keep it flowing as the days progress.

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