77 As it acts in the world, the Tao is like the bending of a bow. The top is bent downward; the bottom is bent up. It adjusts excess and deficiency so that there is perfect balance. It takes from what is too much and gives to what isn’t enough. Those who try to…
76 Men are born soft and supple;dead, they are stiff and hard.Plants are born tender and pliant;dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexibleis a disciple of death.Whoever is soft and yieldingis a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken.The soft and supple will prevail. Tao Te…
75 When taxes are too high, people go hungry. When the government is too intrusive, people lose their spirit. Act for the people’s benefit. Trust them; leave them alone. Tao Te Ching, by Lao-tsu, trans. by Stephen Mitchell Scholars Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall observed that much of the Tao Te Ching…
74 If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you aren’t afraid of dying, there is nothing you can’t achieve. Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter’s place. When you handle the master carpenter’s tools, chances are that…
73 The Tao is always at ease.It overcomes without competing,answers without speaking a word,arrives without being summoned,accomplishes without a plan. Its netcovers the whole universe.And though its meshes are wide,it doesn’t let a thing slip through. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu, trans. by Stephen Mitchell This verse, a few lines provides a description…
72 When they lose their sense of awe,people turn to religion.When they no longer trust themselves,they begin to depend upon authority. Therefore the Master steps back so that people won’t be confused. He teaches without a teaching, so that people will have nothing to learn. Tao Te Ching by Lao-tsu, trans….
71 Not-knowing is true knowledge. Presuming to know is a disease. First realize that you are sick; then you can move toward health. The Master is her own physician. She has healed herself of all knowing. Thus she is truly whole. Tao Te Ching by Lao-tsu, trans. by Stephen Mitchell How much is taking…
70 My teachings are easy to understand and easy to put into practice. Yet your intellect will never grasp them, and if you try to practice them, you’ll fail. My teachings are older than the world. How can you grasp their meaning? If you want to know me, look inside your heart. Tao Te…
69 The generals have a saying:“Rather than make the first moveit is better to wait and see.Rather than advance an inchit is better to retreat a yard.” This is calledgoing forward without advancing,pushing back without using weapons. There is no greater misfortunethan underestimating your enemy.Underestimating your enemymeans thinking that he is evil.Thus you destroy…
68 The best athlete wants his opponent at his best. The best general enters the mind of his enemy. The best businessman serves the communal good. The best leader follows the will of the people. All of them embody the virtue of non-competition. Not that they don’t love to compete, but they do it…
