宠辱若惊，贵大患若身。
何谓宠辱若惊？
宠為下。
得之若惊
失之若惊
是谓宠辱若惊。
何谓贵大患若身？
吾所以有大患者，
為吾有身，
及吾无身，
吾有何患。
故贵以身為天下，
若可寄天下。
爱以身為天下，
若可托天下。
Favour and disgrace are overwhelming.
Treat them as if a great sufferings to yourself.
What are favour and disgrace except trouble and
Read more…Perception
When you look at something, there is central vision and there is peripheral vision. Central vision is clear, bright and colourful. It is the focus of attention. Peripheral vision is vague, evanescent and has no particular edge. When someth
A Chinese Slogan
Fo Tao Li are three Chinese words, none of which have exact equivalents in standard English, except that we have now imported the word Tao itself, and, from sanskrit, ’Buddha’ for Fo.
Li is a key term in Confucianism, meaning correct
Read more…So here is my complete commentary on Chapter four...
LAO TZU: TAO TE CHING: Chapter 4
TEXT:
道 沖 ， 而 用 之 或 不 盈 。
淵 兮 ， 似 萬 物 之 宗 ﹔
挫其鋭，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。
湛 兮 ， 似 或 存 。
吾 不 知 誰 之 子 ， 象 帝 之 先 。
The Tao flows out, and yet use will never exhaust it.
Ho
Liberate Your Mind
To meditate, in standard English, means to think about or reflect upon. The usual usage nowadays is spiritual, so we can say to think about spiritual things or to reflect upon them. It is to muse. The thinking implied in the word m
道 可 道 ， 非 常 道 。
名 可 名 ， 非 常 名 。
The tao that you can tao is not the enduring Tao
Names that you can name are not the enduring Name
無 名 天 地 之 始
有 名 萬 物 之 母 。
Without name is the origin of Heaven and Earth
Having names is the mother of the myriad thi
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: Chapter 3
老 子: 「道 德 經」 : 第 三 章
Text:
不 尚 賢 ，
使 民 不 爭 ﹔
不 貴 難 得 之 貨 ，
使 民 不 為 盜 ﹔
不 見 可 欲 ，
使 民 心 不 亂 。
Not esteeming the clever and good, keeps the people from contention.
Not valuing what is hard to obtain keeps the people from t
TEXT
上德不德，是以有德；
下德不失德，是以无德。
上德无为而无以为
下德无为而有以为。
上仁为之而无以为；
上义为之而有以为。
上礼为之而莫之应，
则攘臂而扔之。
故失道而后德，
失德面后仁，
失仁而后义，失义而后礼。
夫礼者，忠信之薄，而乱之首。
前识者，道之华，而愚之始。
是以大丈夫处其厚，
不居其薄；处其实，
不居其华。故去彼取此。
TRANSLATION
The best virtue (Te) is not virtuous and thus has virtue.
Lesser virtue is not
TEXT
将欲歙之，必固张之；
将欲弱之，必固强之；
将欲废之，必固兴之；
将欲取之，必固与之。
是谓微明，柔弱胜刚强。
鱼不可脱于渊
国之利器不可以示人。
TRANSLATION
If you want to gather, first spread out
If you want to weaken, first strengthen
If you want to abolish, first foster
If you want to take, first give
This is c
TEXT
反者道之动，
弱者道之用。
天下万物生于有，
有生于无
TRANSLATION
Moved by Tao one returns
Used by Tao one is meek
All beings under Heaven are born from desire
Yet desire is born from emptiness.
COMMENTARY
Some translators render the last line “something is born from nothin
Read more…TEXT
昔之得一者，天得一以清；
地得一以宁；神得一以灵；
谷得一以盈，万物得一以生；
候王得一以为天一正。
其致之也，
谓天无以清，将恐裂；
地无以宁，将恐废；
神无以灵，将恐歇；
谷无以盈，将恐竭；
万物无以生，将恐灭；
候王无以正，将恐蹶。
故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。
是以候王自称孤、寡、不谷。
此非以贱为本邪？非乎？
故至誉无誉。
是故不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。
TRANSLATION
昔之得一者，天得一以清
In the past things were at one (with the Tao) ; Hea
TEXT
上士闻道，勤而行之；
中士闻道，若存若亡；
下士闻道，大笑之。
不笑不足以为道。
故建言有之：
明道若昧，进道若退，夷道若纇。
上德若谷；大白若辱；
广德若不足；建德若偷；
质真若渝。
大方无隅；大器晚成；
大音希声；大象无形；
道隐无名。
夫唯道，善贷且成。
TRANSLATION
上士闻道，勤而行之；
When a superior person hears of the Tao, he diligently puts it into practice.
中士闻道，若存若亡；
When a middling
TEXT
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。
万物负阴而抱阳，
冲气以為和。
人之所恶，唯孤、寡、不谷，
而王公以為称。
故物或损之而益，
或益之而损。
人之所教，
我亦教之。
强梁者不得其死，
吾将以為教父。
TRANSLATION
Tao give rise to one, one gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, three gives rise to a multitude.
Everyone puts yin behind and embr
Read more…
TEXT
大道汜兮，其可左右
万物恃之以生而不辞，
功成而不有。
衣养万物而不为主，
常无欲，可名于小；
万物归焉而不为主，可名为大。
以其终不自为大，
故能成其大。
TRANSLATION
Great Tao is a stream that divides and reforms, now left, now right.
All living things rely upon it to grow and thrive and it is there for them.
Good work accomplis
TEXT
知人者智，自知者明。
胜人者有力，自胜者强。
知足者富，强行者有志，
不失其所者久，死而不亡者寿。
TRANSLATION
To understand others is wise, but to know oneself is radiant.
One who wins victories is powerful, but one who conquers himself is stronger.
The contented are rich.
Those who use force are
TEXT
道常无为而无不为。
候王若能守之，
万物将自化。
化而欲作，
吾将镇之以无名之朴，
镇之以无名之朴，
夫将不欲。
不欲以静，天下将自定。
TRANSLATION
Tao is always wu wei and nothing fails to get done
If rulers can hold to it
all living things will transform of themselves.
The urge to change and meddle
I shall subdue by m
TEXT
大道废，有仁义；
智慧出，有大伪；
六亲不和，有孝慈;
国家昏乱，有忠臣。
TRANSLATION
When the great Tao is lost
we have benevolence and appropriateness.
When cleverness springs up
we have great hypocrisy.
When the six relations are on bad terms
we have filial obedience and pare
TEXT
太上，不知有之；
其次，亲而誉之；
其次，畏之；
其次，侮之。
信不足焉，有不信焉。
悠兮，其贵言。
功成事遂，百姓皆谓“我自然”。
TRANSLATION
The master of Tao does not know he has it.
Next to him is the person who relates to it and praises it.
The next best fears it,
then come those who ridicule it.
If there i
TEXT
绝圣弃智，民利百倍；
绝仁弃义，民复孝慈；
绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。
此三者以为文不足，
故令有所属；
见素抱朴，
少私寡欲；
绝学无忧。
TRANSLATION
Give up holiness, abandon wisdom
and people benefit a hundredfold.
Give up humanism (ren), abandon appropriateness (yi)
and people become filial and compassionate.
Give up takin
TEXT
致虚极，
守静笃；
万物并作，
吾以观复。
夫物芸芸，
各复归其根。
TRANSLATION
Considering things completely in the abstract,
with no bias nor personal interest,
I can perceive the repeating patterns
as all things act and grow together,
Though beings are myriad
each returns to
