Daodejing of Laozi | 
"Wild winds never last all morning
and fierce rains never last all day.
Who conjures such things if not heaven and earth,
and if heaven and earth can't make things last,
why should we humans try?"
- Verse 23
(Hinton translation)
"If you aren't free of yourself
how will you ever become yourself?"
Can I get an Amen up in here?! Getting a Rupaul vibe from Verse 7 ?
The way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.
----
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
pickBeautiful. I wish I had read this years ago so I could keep coming back to it. It reminds me I need to consistently read to feed my soul in this day and age.
Something I came across in my mindfulness/MH reading that made me stop and think🤍
Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living and one of the wonders of the world.
“We shape clay into a pot but the emptiness inside holds whatever we want - we hammer wood for a house but it‘s the inner space that makes it livable - we work with being, but non-being is what we use.”
It's hard to get someone (aka. President Pumpkinhead) to care about nature and the environment, when their idea of the "great outdoors" is a ??? golf course!!
#QuotsyJun20 #nature
@TK-421
pickLove this book; love Stephen Mitchell‘s work. Full review of the Providence Press #letterpress edition on www.thewholebookexperience.com
I have thought about this book my whole life, if only because it seems to have such clear practical insights. Practical in terms of thought, that is. But what is practical thinking? No one knows. As a stoic, I lived to encapsulate the idea of non-action; making everything happen through inaction - it seemed like the best thing to think. Yet now, I return to my own personal childhood because those methods I had as a child are simply more effective.
A new board game just added to our collection - Tao Long: The Way of the Dragon. It's based on Taoist principles of yin and yang, with the dragons of Heaven and Earth seeking to defeat each other in response to fluctuations between the shifting elements. It's beautifully designed. The designers suggest a game takes 20 minutes, but our first one took over an hour. Maybe we'll get faster with practice! 🐉☯️🐉
Day 3: #love
The capacity to love and be loved has profound impacts on our physical and mental health. I am grateful for a life filled with love both given and received: from my husband, daughter, siblings, parents, friends and extended family.
And I‘m pretty sure the 🐈 🐈 love me too. I think. I certainly shower them in love. 😺😽
#gratitude30
#QuotsyOct18 Day 5: I have always understood the truth of this #Teacher appearing/disappearing statement in my gut. It‘s all about timing and the alignment of the stars. When it happens, it shall happen.
"I have three treasures which I hold and keep.
The first is mercy; the second is economy;
The third is daring not to be ahead of others.
Nowadays men shun mercy, but try to be brave;
They abandon economy, but try to be generous;
They do not believe in humility, but always try to be first.
This is certain death."
- Chapter Sixty-Seven
"A tree too big to embrace
Is born from a slender shoot.
A nine-storey tower
Rises from a pile of earth.
A thousand-mile journey
Begins with a single step."
- Chapter Sixty-Four
"Easy promises make for little trust."
- Chapter Sixty-Three
I'm getting more from reading these two different translations of the Tao Te Ching side-by-side than reading either of them separately. The one informs the other very well, the smaller sized book being a more literal, "punchy" translation, the larger a more "literary" feel (with beautiful Chinese calligraphy for every chapter and evocative black-and-white photographs).
"People who are good
I treat well.
People well are not good
I also treat well."
- Chapter 49
It's a goal, at least
This world has no need for weapons,
Which soon turn on themselves.
Where armies camp, nettles grow;
After each war, years of famine.
The most fruitful outcome
Does not depend on force,
But succeeds without arrogance
Without hostility
Without pride
Without resistance
Without violence.
pickCan't really review an ancient text but not having read it in its entirety before it really gave me some food for thought. Hoping to apply such thinking on everyday life.
True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
.
The Tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
Is not the eternal name.
.
😇📚❤️
Well it's not decorated for the holidays, but this is my theology shelf, and the most themed with decorations that I have. #decktheshelves @Tiffy_Reads @JoeStalksBeck
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.
Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
Coming back from my second official day at college!
I'm studying the meaning of life through science and spirituality! Woo! (Even though I'm not religious) woo!
My first reading is the first seven writings in this book (basically the guide to Taoism).
I'm really liking this so far! Their meaning of life is so peaceful and complex. All the notes!!!
"Simplicity. Patience. Compassion."
One must not get too caught up in the hardness of life. We must remind ourselves to be soft.
Reading the Tao Te Ching by the pool.
pickI can't believe I lived my whole life without reading this yet!!! I can't believe how timely it is either, so much about leaders and government, I wish I could send it to Trump. I will be reading this again and again. 5⭐️ (I have the Harper Perennial Modern Classic by Stephen Mitchell with a great set of insights/explanations at the end) Must Read!
pickThe treasure in this book is the commentary that follows the verses of the Tao Te Ching. The commentary is a wonderful addition and reminds me of Marianne Williamson's A Return To Live which is a commentary in A Course in Miracles.
The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.
pickA great read to kick off my New Year! I'm a sucker for philosophy/spirituality books. This book was right up my alley. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. An ancient text with a modern commentary. Recommended for the beginner to seasoned readers of the Tao Te Ching.
Reading Tao Te Ching for the first time. Kind of excited. Happy New Year.
If ever a book made me think about how I act in a different way it was this one. #translatedbooks #somethingforsept #septemberphotochallenge @RealLifeReading
My company subscribes to Blue Ocean Brain. This is one of the quotes for the day. I've been thinking about it a lot. As I've grown older, I've lost touch with the idea of what might be. This hit me hard. I'm printing this out as a reminder to let go. Let's bring excitement and curiosity back!
so-soMixed reviews on this one; best translation I've found (although I couldn't find Sam Hamill version to tag) because he managed to keep the poetry element after translating. I'd say equal parts enlightening, common sense, and unfortunately large parts that I think just continue to resist translation.
