Prince Mu of Zhongshan said to Zhanzi, “My body is here by the streams and the sea, but my mind is in the court of Wei. What counsel could you offer?” Zhanzi replied, “Value your life in the right way. When one values one’s life in the right way, gain will seem insignificant.” Prince…
Virtue dissolves into fame; fame dissolves into excess; schemes arise from a crisis; cleverness from disputes; strife is fueled by obstinate adherence to one’s views. The work of government should be distributed in accordance with the approval of all. In spring, when the rains fall and the sun shines, the grass and trees burst…
All things which have a consciousness depend on their breath. If the breath is not ample, it is not the fault of heaven. Heaven provides breath day and night without ceasing but [humankind] closes up their passages. The womb encloses an empty space; but the mind finds delight in its natural movements. If the…
“〈Tom〉 and 〈Jerry〉 follow the way that cannot be traversed” … Therefore when virtue is encompassed in the unity of the tao and words end where knowledge can go no further, there is completion. The unity of the tao transcends virtue, and what is beyond knowledge cannot be explained by reasoning. To proliferate names…
When those who pursue knowledge do not see the influences of their ideas they are not content. When debaters cannot present their views in an orderly manner they are not content. When a critic finds nothing which can be faulted he is not content. They are all confined by external restrictions. — And further…
Laozi said, “The way to guard life consists in the following: Can you encompass the unity of body and spirit? Can you sustain it? Can you know the fortunate and the unfortunate without relying on the divination of the tortoise shell or the yarrow sticks? Can you rest where you ought to rest? Can…
Nanrong Chu said, “If I lack knowledge, people will say that I am obtuse. If I have knowledge, it brings me distress.If I am not benevolent, then I might harm others; If I am benevolent, I distress myself.If I am not righteous, I might injure others; If I am righteous, I…
Light of the Stars asked Non-being, “Master, do you exist or do you not exist?” Light of the Stars received no reply and, gazing intensely into the appearance of Non-being, saw that it was a deep void. All day he looked at it but could see nothing; he listened for it but could hear…
Confucius and Lao-tsu are reported to have been contemporaries. Both are legendary figures in the cultural/moral ethos for many generations living in China. Both figures are larger than life. In this passage one overhears a conversation between the two. Confucius, author of the legal-ethico composite for China asks Lao-tsu to say more, speak more…
I am confounded, at impasse to understand how the tao can be maintained in view in a 21st century context of technology. Our species has been designated “homo faber” man-the-maker on account of the application of reason for tool making. Untold generations lived upon the earth between “discovery” of methods for making fire, and…
