TEXT
有物混成，先天地生。
寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，
周行而不殆，可以为天地母。
吾不知其名，强字之曰：道，
强为之名曰：大。
大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。
故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。
域中有四大，而人居其一焉。
人法地，地法天，天法道，
道法自然。
TRANSLATION
有物混成，先天地生
There is something confusedly formed,
born before heaven and earth.
寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，
silent, empty, standing alone an
TEXT
曲则全，枉则直，
洼则盈，敝则新，
少则得，多则惑。
是以圣人抱一为天下式。
不自见，故明；
不自是，故彰，
不自伐，故有功；
不自矜，故长。
夫唯不争，
故天下莫能与之争。
古之所谓"曲则全"者，
岂虚言哉？
诚全而归之。
TRANSLATION
Crooked, then whole; bent, then straight;
low, then full; battered, then new;
lacking, then apt; endowed, then perplexed.
Therefore, the
孔德之容，惟道是从。
道之为物，惟恍惟惚。
惚兮恍兮，其中有象；
恍兮惚兮，其中有物；
窈兮冥兮，其中有精，
其精甚真，其中有信，
自今及古，其名不去，
以阅众甫。
吾何以知众甫之状哉？
以此。
TRANSLATION
The appearance of a person of high Te (virtue) is due to nothing except the Tao.
The activity of Tao is vague and indistinct:
so indistinct
Richard Ollier has recently published an essay in the Journal of Global Buddhism "Dharmavidya’s Engagement with Hōnen: How a Contemporary British Pureland Buddhist Teacher Retrieves his Japanese Spiritual Heritage"*
It is a good academic article and,
Read more…TEXT
絕學無憂
唯之与阿，相去几何？
美之与恶，相去若何？
人之所畏，不可不畏?
荒兮!
其未央哉！众人熙熙，
如享太牢，如春登台。
我独泊兮，其未兆；
沌沌兮，如婴儿之未孩；
傫傫兮，若无所归。
众人皆有余，而我独若遗。
我愚人之心也哉！
俗人昭昭⒅，我独昏昏。
俗人察察，我独闷闷。
澹兮，其若海；
飂兮，若无止。
众人皆有以，而我独顽且鄙。
我独异于人，而贵食母。
TRANSLATION
Cut out copying the crowd - no misery!
Between bribery and flattery,
I have recently read an essay about Theravada meditation. Of its type it is an excellent essay. It decribes samatha (calm meditation) and vipassana (insight meditation) and the relations between them, showing how in some schools samatha provides a fo
Read more…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
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
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
The friendly teller of healing tales
holds out a hand, hoists the sails,
temptation is a tender touch,
take a slice, but not too much.
Sages, ages, pirates and souls,
bananas and oranges, roasting hot coals,
wear your best, the tangerine,
say it soft, but s
We are once again at the festive mid-winter season. Throughout history and probably pre-history too, people have celebrated this time as the turning point of the year. The shortest day is just past. From now on the days will get longer as the planet
Read more…There is a form of Zen or Chan meditation that is called silent illumination. It has been said that illumination simply means awareness and that this method is, therefore, that of sitting still in complete awareness, simply allowing life to pass by.
Read more…