Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45

True perfection seems imperfect,
yet it is perfectly itself.
True fullness seems empty,
yet it is fully present.

True straightness seems crooked.
True wisdom seems foolish.
True art seems artless.

The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 44 – Fame or integrity: which is more important?

Tao Te Ching – Verse 44

Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 44 – Fame or integrity: which is more important?”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.
Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle”

Today: “A man has to understand his existence in relationship to the universe” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“A man has to understand his existence in relationship to the universe. Whosoever knows this knows the truth. The whole world around you will be beautiful if you understand that you are you.” Yogi Bhajan

 

Meditation: LA010 – 19780210 – Gobinda – Project to the Infinite

Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores

Tao Te Ching – Verse 3

If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.

The Master leads
by emptying people’s minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 2 – When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 2

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 2 – When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 1 – The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 1

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 1 – The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 60 – Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 60

Governing a large country
is like frying a small fish.
You spoil it with too much poking.
Center your country in the Tao
and evil will have no power.
Not that it isn’t there,
but you’ll be able to step out of its way.

Give evil nothing to oppose
and it will disappear by itself.

(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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Ruling a large country is like cooking a small fish
Using the Tao to manage the world
Its demons have no power
Not only do its demons have no power
Its gods do not harm people

Not only do its gods not harm people
The sages also do not harm people
They both do no harm to one another
So virtue merges and returns

(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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Zero, once realized,
Has no room for the opposites,
And thus is immortal.

(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online

 

Tao Te Ching – Verse 58 – “If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 58

If a country is governed with tolerance,
the people are comfortable and honest.
If a country is governed with repression,
the people are depressed and crafty.
When the will to power is in charge,
the higher the ideals, the lower the results.
Try to make people happy,
and you lay the groundwork for misery.
Try to make people moral,
and you lay the groundwork for vice. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 58 – “If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest””

Tao Te Ching – Verse 54 – Whoever is planted in the Tao will not be rooted up

Tao Te Ching – Verse 54

Whoever is planted in the Tao
will not be rooted up.
Whoever embraces the Tao
will not slip away.
Her name will be held in honor
from generation to generation.
Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 54 – Whoever is planted in the Tao will not be rooted up”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45

True perfection seems imperfect,
yet it is perfectly itself.
True fullness seems empty,
yet it is fully present.

True straightness seems crooked.
True wisdom seems foolish.
True art seems artless.

The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 44 – Fame or integrity: which is more important?

Tao Te Ching – Verse 44

Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?

If you look to others for fulfillment,
you will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
you will never be happy with yourself. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 44 – Fame or integrity: which is more important?”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 38 – The Master doesn’t try to be powerful; thus he is truly powerful.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 38

The Master doesn’t try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.

Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 38 – The Master doesn’t try to be powerful; thus he is truly powerful.”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores

Tao Te Ching – Verse 3

If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.

The Master leads
by emptying people’s minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 2 – When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 2

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 2 – When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.”

Today: “A man has to understand his existence in relationship to the universe” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“A man has to understand his existence in relationship to the universe. Whosoever knows this knows the truth. The whole world around you will be beautiful if you understand that you are you.” Yogi Bhajan

 

Meditation: LA010 – 19780210 – Gobinda – Project to the Infinite