• Dao De Jing – Chapter 50

    From the moment of birth, humans enter the cycle of mortality. For most ordinary people, there was originally an equal chance of embracing vitality or succumbing to death. However, their subjective survival efforts—defying objective natural laws—paradoxically heighten their likelihood of demise. Only a few who skillfully navigate the dynamics of life and death can…

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 49

    The sage has no invariable mind of his own; he makes the mind of the people his mind.To those who are good (to me), I am good; and to those who are not good (to me), I am also good; – and thus (all) get to be good. To those who are sincere (with…

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 48

    He who devotes himself to learning (seeks) from day to day to increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Dao (seeks) from day to day to diminish (his doing).He diminishes it and again diminishes it, till he arrives at doing nothing (on purpose). Having arrived at this point of non-action, there is…

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 47

    Without going outside his door, one understands (all that takes place) under the sky; without looking out from his window, one sees the Dao of Heaven. The farther that one goes out (from himself), the less he knows.Therefore the sages got their knowledge without travelling; gave their (right) names to things without seeing them;…

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 46

    When the Dao prevails in the world, they send back their swift horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Dao is disregarded in the world, the war-horses breed in the border lands.There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one’s lot; no fault greater than…

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 45

    Who thinks his great achievements poorShall find his vigour long endure.Of greatest fulness, deemed a void,Exhaustion never shall stem the tide.Do thou what’s straight still crooked deem;Thy greatest art still stupid seem,And eloquence a stammering scream. Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under…