Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching...
verse for today (*):
48
In pursuit of knowledge,every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering.
(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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Pursue knowledge, daily gain
Pursue Tao, daily loss
Loss and more loss
Until one reaches unattached action
With unattached action, there is nothing one cannot do
Take the world by constantly applying non-interference
The one who interferes is not qualified to take the world
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Learning is addition.
It leads to suffering.
Zero is Infinite subtraction,
Leading to the All of Nothingness.
By inactivity is meant:
Heaven.
Do not attempt interference,
As this has always been unshielded Life.
"Later" and "Before"
Are concepts of the mind not functioning properly.
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*) The
It was written around the 6th century BC by the sage Lao Tzu.
The short text consists of 81 brief chapters, or verses.
Every day we issue a "verse of the day" for contemplation, in two leading English translations, that nevertheless differ substantially, and since December 8th 2013, we have a radically different third translation:
The I Ching is based on the number 2, with its 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 (26) = 64 hexagrams.
The Tao Te Ching is based on the number 3, with its 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 81 chapters.
We now offer it in three translations.
Perhaps, when reflecting on the three interpretations, the true meaning will emerge.
These 81 verses simply rotate; every day the next number, and after 81, number 1 will appear again.
This is done deliberately; if you want to read the complete text, you should purchase the resp. translations by Stephen Mitchell, Derek Lin or Jeremy M. Miller below.
(All three available in Kindle edition as well.)
If you missed yesterday's verse, you can still read it at I Ching Online.NET (version 3), which is always one day behind.
Tao Te Ching
is a Chinese classic.It was written around the 6th century BC by the sage Lao Tzu.
The short text consists of 81 brief chapters, or verses.
Every day we issue a "verse of the day" for contemplation, in two leading English translations, that nevertheless differ substantially, and since December 8th 2013, we have a radically different third translation:
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"Nothingness and Zero" A Post New-Age Approach to Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, published by courtesy of the translator and interpreter. © Copyright 2013 Jeremy M. Miller. All rights reserved. Acknowledgments: The hundreds of prior translations, especially that by Arthur Waley. To Pythagoras, who understood Zero and taught It; and to Chuang Tzu, the ideal poetic student. |
The Tao Te Ching is based on the number 3, with its 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 81 chapters.
We now offer it in three translations.
Perhaps, when reflecting on the three interpretations, the true meaning will emerge.
These 81 verses simply rotate; every day the next number, and after 81, number 1 will appear again.
This is done deliberately; if you want to read the complete text, you should purchase the resp. translations by Stephen Mitchell, Derek Lin or Jeremy M. Miller below.
(All three available in Kindle edition as well.)
If you missed yesterday's verse, you can still read it at I Ching Online.NET (version 3), which is always one day behind.
More books about Tao Te Ching:
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