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Thursday, 7 April 2005
The Way
Now Playing: (Taoist/ buddhist poem) The Way
Topic: The Way
Hey this is my first blog post so bear with me, I like poetry and found this Buddhist/Taoist poem very interesting, here it is:
The Way
The Way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant Way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.
The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;
The named was the mother of the Ten Thousand Things.
Hence, always rid yourself of desires in order to observe
The secrets of the Way.
But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.
These two are the same
But diverge in name as they issue forth.
Being the same they are called mysteries,
Mystery upon mystery
The gateway of the manifold secrets.
The whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful,
yet this is only the ugly;
the whole world recognizes the good as the good,
yet this is only the bad.
Thus Something and Nothing produce each other.
The difficult and the easy complement each other;
The long and the short offset each other;
The high and the low incline toward each other;
Note and sound harmonize with each other;
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action
And practices the teaching that uses no words.
The Ten Thousand Things rise from it yet it claims no authority.
It gives them life yet claims no possession;
it benefits them yet exacts no gratitude;
It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit.
It is because it lays claim to no merit
That its merit never deserts it.
Not to honor men of worth will keep the people from squabbling; not to value rare goods will keep them from stealing; not to display that which is desirable will keep them from being frustrated.
Therefore in governing the people, the sage empties their minds but fills their bellies, weakens their wills but strengthens their bones. He always keeps them innocent of knowledge and free from desire, and ensures that the clever never dare to act.
Take action by not taking action, and order will prevail
The way is empty, yet use will not drain it
Deep, it is like the ancestor of the Ten Thousand Things.
Blunt the sharp edges;
Untangle the knots;
Soften the glare;
Let your wheels move only along old ruts.
Darkly visible, it only seems as if it were there.
Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the Ten Thousand Things as straw dogs; the sage is ruthless, and treats the people as straw dogs.
Is not the space between heaven and earth like a bellows?
It is empty without being exhausted:
The more it is squeezed the more comes out.
Excessive speech leads inevitably to silence.
Better to hold fast to the void.
Posted by cuinn222
at 8:17 PM EDT
Updated: Thursday, 7 April 2005 8:37 PM EDT
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