In the previous chapter, Laozi stated that the Dao is invisible and cannot be perceived through ordinary senses. To help people comprehend it, this chapter continues to elucidate the Dao. Throughout history, cultivating the Dao has been regarded as subtle, mysterious, and inscrutable. Its characteristics can be approximately described as: prudence, deliberation, solemnity, serenity, simplicity, vastness, and integration.
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 14
Dao belongs to the metaphysical realm. We cannot perceive it through sight, hearing or touch.
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 12
There exists an maxim: “Humanity’s greatest adversary resides within oneself”. External temptations—sensory desires and transient pleasures—ensnare us effortlessly, eroding our primordial essence. As Laozi warns: “The five hues blind human vision; the five tones deafen human hearing; the five flavors numb human discernment” .
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 11
Being and Non-being arise interdependently, and Non-being holds primacy in shaping Being, as demonstrated in Chapter 11:
“The utility of a vessel lies in its emptiness”.
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 10
The Dao De Jing not only expounds the metaphysical theory of the Dao but also contains invaluable teachings on its applied cultivation. Chapter 10 of the Dao De Jing delineates the essential process of spiritual refinement.
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 9
An ancient Chinese proverb warns: “Fullness begets loss,” a principle that echoes the Daoist axiom from Chapter 40: “The movement of the Dao lies in reversal.” Every phenomenon contains within itself the seeds of its own transformation into its opposite.
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 8
From the very first chapter of the Dao De Jing, Laozi establishes the ineffability of the Dao: “The Dao that can be named is not the eternal Dao.” To facilitate understanding, Chapter 8 employs the metaphor of water, whose virtuous behavior embodies the paradigm of the Daoist cultivator.
“Water benefits all the beings without contention, residing in places disdained by humans.” Its fluid nature manifests dual wisdom: absence of rivalry and freedom from resentment.
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Dao De Jing – Chapter 7
Chapter 7 of the Dao De Jing articulates a fundamental principle of Laozi: “The movement of the Dao lies in reversal.” Every phenomenon inherently contains the seeds of its own negation.
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