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Home Buddhism Meditation Mindful Gardening Tao te Ching - Chapters 1 -10 - Chapters 11 -21 - Chapters 22 -32 - Chapters 33 -43 - Chapters 44 -54 - Chapters 55 -65 - Chapters 66 -76 - Chapters 77 -81 Quotes Poetry Art Links Contact |
T a o t e C
h i n g - C h a p t e r s 4 4 - 5 4
44 Which is more important, your honor or your life? Which is more valuable, your possessions or your person? Which is more destructive, success or failure? Because of this, great love extracts a great cost and true wealth requires greater loss. Knowing when you have enough avoids dishonor, and knowing when to stop will keep you from danger and bring you a long, happy life. 45 The greatest accomplishments seem imperfect, yet their usefulness is not diminished. The greatest fullness seems empty, yet it will be inexhaustible. The greatest straightness seems crooked. The most valued skill seems like clumsiness. The greatest speech seems full of stammers. Movement overcomes the cold, and stillness overcomes the heat. That which is pure and still is the universal ideal. 46 When the world follows the Tao, horses run free to fertilize the fields. When the world does not follow the Tao, war horses are bread outside the cities. There is no greater transgression than condoning peoples selfish desires, no greater disaster than being discontent, and no greater retribution than for greed. Whoever knows contentment will be at peace forever. 47 Without opening your door, you can know the whole world. Without looking out your window, you can understand the way of the Tao. The more knowledge you seek, the less you will understand. The Master understands without leaving, sees clearly without looking, and accomplishes much without doing anything. 48 One who seeks knowledge learns something new every day. One who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day. Less and less remains until you arrive at non-action. When you arrive at non-action, nothing will be left undone. Mastery of the world is achieved by letting things take their natural course. You can not master the world by changing the natural way. 49 The Master has no mind of her own. She understands the mind of the people. To those who are good she treats as good. To those who aren't good she also treats as good. This is how she attains true goodness. She trusts people who are trustworthy. She also trusts people who aren't trustworthy. This is how she gains true trust. The Master's mind is shut off from the world. Only for the sake of the people does she muddle her mind. They look to her in anticipation. Yet she treats them all as her children. 50 Those who leave the womb at birth and those who enter their source at death, of these; three out of ten celebrate life, three out of ten celebrate death, and three out of ten simply go from life to death. What is the reason for this? Because they are afraid of dying, therefore they can not live. I have heard that those who celebrate life walk safely among the wild animals. When they go into battle, they remain unharmed. The animals find no place to attack them and the weapons are unable to harm them. Why? Because they can find no place for death in them. 51 The Tao gives birth to all of creation. The virtue of Tao in nature nurtures them, and their family gives them their form. Their environment then shapes them into completion. That is why every creature honors the Tao and its virtue. No one tells them to honor the Tao and its virtue, it happens all by itself. So the Tao gives them birth, and its virtue cultivates them, cares for them, nurtures them, gives them a place of refuge and peace, helps them to grow and shelters them. It gives them life without wanting to posses them, and cares for them expecting nothing in return. It is their master, but it does not seek to dominate them. This is called the dark and mysterious virtue. 52 The world had a beginning which we call the Great Mother. Once we have found the Mother, we begin to know what Her children should be. When we know we are the Mothers children, we begin to guard the qualities of the Mother in us. She will protect us from all danger even if we lose our life. Keep your mouth closed and embrace a simple life, and you will live care-free until the end of your days. If you try to talk your way into a better life there will be no end to your trouble. To understand the small is called clarity. Knowing how to yield is called strength. To use your inner light for understanding regardless of the danger is called depending on the Constant. 53 If I understood only one thing, I would want to use it to follow the Tao. My only fear would be one of pride. The Tao goes in the level places, but people prefer to take the short cuts. If too much time is spent cleaning the house the land will become neglected and full of weeds, and the granaries will soon become empty because there is no one out working the fields. To wear fancy clothes and ornaments, to have your fill of food and drink and to waste all of your money buying possessions is called the crime of excess. Oh, how these things go against the way of the Tao! 54 That which is well built will never be torn down. That which is well latched can not slip away. Those who do things well will be honored from generation to generation. If this idea is cultivated in the individual, then his virtue will become genuine. If this idea is cultivated in your family, then virtue in your family will be great. If this idea is cultivated in your community, then virtue will go a long way. If this idea is cultivated in your country, then virtue will be in many places. If this idea is cultivated in the world, then virtue will be with everyone. Then observe the person for what the person does, and observe the family for what it does, and observe the community for what it does, and observe the country for what it does, and observe the world for what it does. How do I know this saying is true? I observe these things and see.  Translated by John H. McDonald (1996 - 2003) for the Public Domain. 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