Shicheng Qi came to see Lao-tsu and asked him, “I heard master, that you are a sage, so I came to see you, not minding the long journey. During the hundred days of the journey the soles of my feet became callous, but I did not stop to rest. Now I see that you…
Received an invitation yesterday to a Christmas service/event at Christ Community Church. An acquaintance here at Starbucks invited me. The printed invitation said there will be festive music, “our traditional giant Christmas tree, and a model train display.” That’s not all – “‘Silent night’ by candle light.” I accepted the invitation without comment. I’ve…
Therefore it is said, ‘Those who know the happiness of heaven are like heaven in their actions during their life and at death undergo transformation like other things. In their stillness they embody yin and in their movement they flow outward as the yang. One who knows the happiness of heaven does not quarrel…
The sages are stillnot because they possessthe aptitude of being still.Nothing can disturb their mind—that is why they are still. When water is still,it reflects the eyebrows and the beard.It is a perfect level and the craftsman takes his rule from it.If still water has this clarity, how much greater is that of the…
A tree of a hundred years is cut and carved into a sacrificial wood vessel decorated with green and yellow. The rest is thrown into a ditch. If we compare the sacrificial vessel with what was thrown away, there is a difference between them in relation to beauty and ugliness. But they have a…
One who knows that he is ignorant is not entirely ignorant. One who knows that he is deluded is not entirely deluded. One who is severely deluded will not become free of delusion. One who is steeped in ignorance will not become discerning. If three men…
“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…
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…
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…
