“I should like to hear of the rule of kind and virtuous men,” continued Yuan Feng. “The virtuous men are unmoved. They have no thought. They act without fear. Judgments of right and wrong or good and bad do not occupy them. All within the four seas delight in what they possess and are…
Confucius asked Lao-tsu,“Some men approach the taoas a regimentation to submit to.they say a thing is either admissible or inadmissible;it is so or not so.They are like disputers who claimthat they can distinguish clearlywhat is hard and what is white.Can such men be considered sages?” Lao-tsu replied,they are like the subordinates in a courtwho…
At the ultimate origin of all things, there was nothing; there was nothing that could be named. From this emerged the One, the first existence without form. Then different things were produced receiving what we regard as their attributes. What was formless was divided and then continued to be interconnected. The two processes led…
The tao,how deep and still it is.How clear is its purity. Metal and stone would not reverberate without it.They have the sound within thembut unless they are struck,they produce no sound.Who could determine the characteristics of all things? ~*~ The man of sovereign virtueproceeds unencumberedand is distressed to be preoccupiedwith the…
What is the Tao? There is the tao of heaven and there is the tao of man. Doing nothing and retaining all is the tao of heaven. Straining with action is the tao of man. The tao of heaven is the sovereign and the tao of man is the attendant. The tao of heaven…
Permeating heaven and earth, there is virtue.Operating in all things, there is the Tao. It is the duty of rulers to govern the people.Ability was developed into skill,which led to righteousness;righteousness rose from virtue, and virtue emerged from the Tao.The Tao was aligned with heaven. The ancients who sustained the worlddesired nothing and the…
Undistinguished and yet needed for use—Such are things.Low and yet to be relied upon—Such are people.Hidden and yet necessary to be set forth—Such are the laws.Remote and yet necessary to hold within-–Such is righteousness.Near and yet necessary to extend widely—Such is benevolence.Restrictive and yet necessary to be applied broadly—Such are ceremonies. Placed in the…
The teaching of a great manis like a shadow,following the body,an echo following the sound.All questions find answers in his innermost thought. He abides in silenceand his field of activity is not confined.He guides people to their goalsthrough their movements.His actions leave no traceas he goes forth and returns. His movements arelike the sun–…
Yungjiang implored, “It has been difficult to meet with you. O Heaven! I ask for one more word.” “Ah, your mind needs to be fortified. Do nothing and things will be transformed by themselves. Be indifferent to your body, dismiss your hearing and sight, And forget the external world. Be one with the ultimate…
Cui Qu asked Laozi, “If you do not govern the world, how can you make men’s minds good?” “Take care lest you intervene and disturb men’s minds,” replied Laozi. “The mind, if pushed down becomes despondent; if pulled up, elated. Now elated, now despondent, here it is a captive, and there it is a…
