Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching...
verse for today (*):
44
Fame or integrity: which is more important?Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?
If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself.
Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.
(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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Fame or the self, which is dearer?
The self or wealth, which is greater?
Gain or loss, which is more painful?
Thus excessive love must lead to great spending
Excessive hoarding must lead to heavy loss
Knowing contentment avoids disgrace
Knowing when to stop avoids danger
Thus one can endure indefinitely
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Choose: the world or your self; only one.
Choose: possessions in the world or in the heart, only one.
Gain and loss are the two painful sides of the sword
That should have been left alone.
Money-lust creates feelings of poverty.
If one owns things, count that value as the inevitable loss.
Owning Zero, one is content.
The quest of materiality can be stopped and peace restored.
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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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