Laozi: Difference between revisions

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52
52 '''Objectivity'''


All things have a beginning
All things have a beginning
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~
~
53
'''Ideology distracts us from basic needs.'''
If I was aware and also knowing,
my only fear would be becoming distracted
by the many branching paths.
My best path is smooth and easy to follow,
My best path is innate action,
yet most choose the many branching paths of knowing.
There is:
corruption of our government,
destruction of the world around us,
and lack of food and housing for the many,
While at the same time, many display their great wealth and power.
Knowing is a form of robbery and is not consistent with my best path.
54
'''Relative Integrity'''
Traditions are well established and are not likely to end.
I am well when I can find my place in the world.
My family is well when they can find their place.
My village is well when it can find its place.
My state is well when it can find its place.
All things are well when they can find their place in the world.
View others as I view myself.
View other families as I would view my own.
View other villages as I would view my own.
View other states as I would view my own.
View all things without knowing how they should be.
This is how I know the nature of all things.
'''55'''
'''Harmony'''
When I have fully found my place in the world,
my sincerity is like a child.
I am impervious to the predatory world I live in.
My muscles are weak yet my grip is firm.
Without knowing sexual union,
I am filled with lust for living.
I yell all day, yet I’m not hoarse.
I feel perfect harmony.
Living harmony is touching the constant.
Living the constant requires insight.
Working to achieve harmony is a burden.
If I try to use my mind to create passion, it is a struggle.
Impatience is inconsistent with Reality.
Being inconsistent with Reality brings things to an early end.
'''56'''
'''Reduce Contrast'''
When I speak I rarely know.
When I know I have no need to speak.
I try to:
put a check on my senses and emotions.
Look outward with diffuse vision.
Mix with the dust.
Make dull the sharp points.
Untangle the complications.
I think of this as blending with the world.
That is why:
No one can become too close to me or too far.
No one can profit from me or be harmed by me.
No one can use me to achieve praise nor be shamed by me.
Thus I find my place in the world.
'''57'''
'''Innate Action'''
When I act with honesty
and simple design.
All things flow smoothly.
I know;
The more rules, the less work gets done.
The more complex the design, the more difficult it is to accomplish.
The more I innovate, the more likely problems appear.
The more restrictions I create, the more often I deviate from them.
That is why I:
work naturally and find little resistance;
enjoy the stillness and let problems solve themselves;
don’t worry about the actions of others and they take care of themselves;
find contentment and it brings simplicity.
'''58'''
'''Finding the Center'''
When I follow a well trod routine, I remain centered.
When I attempt to make the best choices it brings me anxiety.
If I perceive bad fortune, I know the opportunity for good fortune lies within.
When I perceive good fortune, I know bad fortune inhabits that place as well.
What are the limits of “good and bad”?
When honesty is lacking;
centered becomes clever
and clever becomes desperate.
We have been confused for so long.
This is why I remain;
straightforward but not cutting,
honest but not to a fault,
honorable but not dazzling.
'''59'''
'''Caution'''
When I look towards organizing my life, I know caution is best
Only when I look toward Reality from the beginning, can I be respectful.
When I am respectful from the start I find my place in the world,
when I find my place in the world my inspiration is boundless.
Staying connected with the origin of all things tethers me
and helps me to long endure.
I think of this as being well rooted, from where I can observe with clarity.
'''60'''
'''Do not be distracted by the Mysterious'''
When approaching my life I see the need to focus on what is at hand.
If I align myself with Deep Reality I am not overwhelmed by fear of the mysterious.
When I focus on the task at hand,
the mysterious has great power, but it does not hinder me,
nor does the sage within me, cause me harm.
As such, both the sage and the mysterious are honored.
'''61'''
'''Streams flow to ocean'''
It is my inactive state which I always return to.
The passive will eventually overwhelm the active.
The passive state is the foundation of the active state.
It is a place where I find connection to all other things.
Sometimes I find the passive state underlying my active state.
Sometime I need to work to achieve my passive state.
Either way it is the default to which I return,
like the many mountain streams eventually return to the ocean.
In my passive state I can observe the many things that link me to the world around me.
In my active state I seek to serve others.
It is the sleeping state which underlies the waking state.
'''62'''
'''Inclusion'''
Reality is profound and not able to be grasped.
For part of myself it is precious
and for another part of myself it is protective.
Fine words can bring me honor and
noble actions can be looked up to.
But why should we abandon all those things about ourselves
which are not honorable or noble?
When I am being praised or when I am most comfortable,
it is unlikely that I will be open to receiving the profound Reality.
In the past, using the path of Reality
one found what was needed and avoided the greatest pain.
That is why I value the path of Reality so greatly.
'''63'''
Innate Action
I do what comes naturally.
I participate without partisanship.
I experience without stress.
By making the great small
and the many, few.
I respond to resentment with empathy.
I approach great tasks by focusing on what is easy first,
and looking at the minute details.
All difficult things start with the easy and
all existence is built upon minute details.
When I am wise I do not strive to accomplish large tasks,
and in so doing I end up accomplishing large tasks.
When I make promises without consideration,
I am rarely believed.
When I underestimate the task at hand,
I will find it very difficult to accomplish.
When I am wise I do not underestimate difficulty,
and by doing so nothing seems difficult.
'''64'''
'''There is a time for everything.'''
While a thing is secure it can be grasped.
While a thing is young it can be easily handled.
While a thing is fragile it is easy to break.
While a thing is small it is easily dispersed.
If I act in a timely manner,
I will find ease.
A huge tree grows from a tiny seed.
An immense structure begins with a small pile of dirt.
A very long journey begins with the first footstep.
When trying I fail, when holding tightly I lose.
That is why, when I am wise I do not try too hard or hold too tightly.
When I am wise;
I pay attention to process throughout and this helps me reach the end.
I do not want a thing too strongly and do not see great value in things.
I practice innate action and become a model for all others.
'''65'''
'''Embracing innate knowledge.'''
When I can glimpse Reality I never use it to achieve gains for myself.
Instead I use it to confound myself.
It is so easy for me to think I know the correct path forward,
which makes it difficult to hear my innate knowledge.
So if I strongly believe that I know the correct path forward I block out my innate knowledge.
When I remain remember that I don’t know I become in touch with my innate knowledge.
Remaining open to both patterns is TE.
This TE is so deep and profound, at some point it joins with Reality.
'''66'''
'''Non-Contention'''
All streams eventually arrive at the river and the sea.
Their usefulness lies in the lower position.
As such they can support hundreds of valleys.
When I am wise I use speech that places me in the lower position.
When I am leading I place myself behind others.
As such, others are not offended by my leadership
and they do not view me as a burden.
This approach brings with it a sense of gratitude.
It is because I don’t hold on the contention,
that no one bothers to contend with me.
'''67'''
'''Undefined'''
I find Reality as undefined and resembling nothing.
Greatness is drawn only from the undefined.
Anything which is defined becomes a trivial.
I hold on to three treasures:
The first is kindness,
the second is thrift.
And the third is looking towards the natural world to guide me.
When I am kind I can be brave.
When I am thrifty I can be benevolent.
When I let the natural world guide me I find success.
If I were to forsake:
kindness for daring,
thrift for charity,
and find knowledge of action in my thoughts,
This would bring death.
Kindness in conflict brings resolution,
and in defense it brings strength.
Nature rescues all things with kindness as a defense.
'''68'''
When I am learned I am not aggressive.
When I am calm I am skilled in my actions.
When I am not focused on the ending, I can accomplish my tasks.
When I let others take the lead I can work well with them.
I call it the benefit of not competing.
I call it harmonizing with others.
I call it matching Reality.
69
When I work with others I prefer not to act like a ruler.
I practice caution knowing mistakes are part of the process.
I think of this as not being tricked by assuming.
Of holding without effort,
of moving past without rejecting,
of leading without a title.
Acting with aggression leads to turmoil.
With aggression I will lose everything,
it only brings sorrow to my accomplishments.
70




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