November 16 Day 320 POOR Chopsticks made from bamboo -- Too poor to afford silverware. Tender bamboo shoots for food -- Too poor to afford meat. Why were...
4711
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 16, 2009 2:17 pm
Nineteen Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom, And it will be a hundred times better for everyone. Give up kindness, renounce morality, And men will rediscover...
4712
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 17, 2009 9:58 am
November 17 Day 321 SELF-SUFFICIENCY Be self-sufficient but not isolated. When the king of China closed the borders, Centuries of stagnation and decadence...
4713
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 17, 2009 1:32 pm
Twenty Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles. Is there a difference between yes and no? Is there a difference between good and evil? Must I fear...
4714
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 18, 2009 10:18 am
November 18 Day 322 DECADENCE Powdered concubine dressed in rich silks -- Feet bound, body soft, lips slack -- Views lotuses through binoculars. A dragonfly...
4715
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 18, 2009 2:28 pm
Twenty-one The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao and Tao alone. The Tao is elusive and intangible. Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image. ...
4716
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 19, 2009 9:59 am
November 19 Day 323 INTENSITY Tao is strangely colorless, Yet intense. It grips like a tidal wave. The old books describe Tao as strangely colorless. What do...
4717
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 19, 2009 1:33 pm
Twenty-two Yield and overcome; Bend and be straight; Empty and be full; Wear out and be new; Have little and gain; Have much and be confused. Therefore the...
4718
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 20, 2009 9:35 am
November 20 Day 324 MOSAIC Tiles of carnelian, lapis, and jade, The muralist sets his picture One centimeter at a time. Every piece alone is precious; Together...
4719
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 20, 2009 2:38 pm
Twenty-three To talk little is natural. High winds do not last all morning. Heavy rain does not last all day. Why is this? Heaven and Earth! If heaven and...
4720
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 21, 2009 10:04 am
November 21 Day 325 MATE Passion is but a prelude to Years of gradual unfolding. Some people mate for life. Perhaps their love affair starts with infatuation,...
4721
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 21, 2009 4:59 pm
Twenty-four He who stands on tiptoe is not steady. He who strides cannot maintain the pace. He who makes a show is not enlightened. He who is self-righteous is...
4722
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 22, 2009 9:59 am
November 22 Day 326 MYSTICISM All mystical traditions are one. They are the seed of all religions. Tao. Zen. Tantra. Yoga. Kabbalah. Sufi. Mystic Christianity....
4723
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 22, 2009 1:48 pm
Twenty-five Something mysteriously formed, Born before heaven and Earth. In the silence and the void, Standing alone and unchanging, Ever present and in...
4724
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 23, 2009 9:36 am
November 23 Day 327 COLORLESS What's the difference between the erotic and spiritual? Temples and lovers are equally gaudy. What's the difference between...
4725
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 23, 2009 1:22 pm
Twenty-six The heavy is the root of the light. The still is the master of unrest. Therefore the sage, traveling all day, Does not lose sight of his baggage. ...
4726
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 24, 2009 9:28 am
November 24 Day 328 PRESENCE Lightning rod at the pinnacle Attracts power by its mere presence. In the same way, we must work For substance and height. If we...
4727
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 24, 2009 2:23 pm
Twenty-seven A good walker leaves no tracks; A good speaker makes no slips; A good reckoner needs no tally. A good door needs no lock, Yet no one can open it. ...
4728
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 25, 2009 9:45 am
November 25 Day 329 UMBILICUS People consider the navel a vestigial nub And think nourishment only comes through the mouth. Not so. Tao is the great mother, ...
4729
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 25, 2009 2:48 pm
Twenty-eight Know the strength of man, But keep a woman's care! Be the stream of the universe! Being the stream of the universe, Ever true and unswerving, ...
4730
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 26, 2009 10:11 am
November 26 Day 330 SENSE Don't be destroyed by knowledge and power. Use common sense to survive. There were once four learned and accomplished men. One day...
4731
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 26, 2009 1:53 pm
Twenty-nine Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? I do not believe it can be done. The universe is sacred. You cannot improve it. If you...
4732
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 27, 2009 9:45 am
November 27 Day 331 SIEVE A coarse sieve catches little. A fine mesh catches more. If you want the subtle, be refined, But prepare to deal with the coarse. The...
4733
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 27, 2009 1:38 pm
Thirty Whenever you advise a ruler in the way of Tao, Counsel him not to use force to conquer the universe. For this would only cause resistance. Thorn bushes...
4734
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 28, 2009 11:07 am
November 28 Day 332 DOVETAIL "Measure twice, cut once," said the old craftsman. Only careful planning and patient skill make a dovetail. Early cabinetmakers...
4735
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 28, 2009 3:17 pm
Thirty-one Good weapons are instruments of fear; all creatures hate them. Therefore followers of Tao never use them. The wise man prefers the left. The man of...
4736
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 29, 2009 10:53 am
November 29 Day 333 DONKEY Dismount your donkey at the summit. Some places in this world are very hard to climb, and people use animals. Each person can only...
4737
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 29, 2009 4:18 pm
Thirty-two The Tao is forever undefined. Small though it is in the unformed state, it cannot be grasped. If kings and lords could harness it, The ten thousand...
4738
Sue in NJ
sue_in_nj
Nov 30, 2009 9:43 am
November 30 Day 334 DIPPER Bamboo dipper, granite basin. Crust of ice over inky reservoir. Moon shimmers in the dipper Until fullness drains away. Some people...
4739
Chris Childs
childschris
Nov 30, 2009 1:57 pm
Thirty-three Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment. Mastering others requires force; Mastering the self needs strength. He who knows he...
