Category: Daoism
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Dao De Jing 41 – Different man hear the Dao, descriptions of the Dao
Upper men hear the Dao, act on it diligently; -> what happen upon Dao realization? One becomes a vehicle of it and serve diligently. (see last post how Dao runs in those humble) Middle men hear the Dao, half believe in it; -> one needs more observation, evidence, experiment, experience, or realization. Lower men hear…
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Dao De Jing 40 – Dao moves in reverse direction
The Dao moves in reverse direction; and runs through those humble. -> Ordinary people invest their energy in their “self”, which claim credits from reality about what is happening. The process reverses when we surrender attachment to our selves, and align our live to the universal Dao. When this process starts, Dao starts to move…
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Dao De Jing 38 – High virtue does not necessarily appear virtuous
Dao De Jing Chapter 38 Discussion: Virtue What do you think when hear about the term virtue? kindness, lovingness, flower, incense, and music? Yes, but not limited to them. Laozi describes high virtue is like that of heaven and earth, that virtue supports all lives without anyone purposely acting, they just run according to the universal rhythm,…
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Dao De Jing 35 – Dao and the world in perfect harmony
Abide in the Dao, the whole world follows. (The whole world) follows it without conflict, in perfect harmony. -> Abide in the source, one sees the whole world manifesting. Conflicts are self-based descriptions, when the self is transcended, there is no conflict. Music and fine food stop people. Dao when being spoken, is however tasteless.…
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Dao De Jing 34 – The smallness and bigness of the Dao
The great Dao is everywhere, it can be here and there. -> Beyond boundary and separation, omnipresence. All things rely on It to manifest, but It does not interfere and does not claim credit. -> Everyone has its own course, in accordance to its tendencies and choices. –> If “our source” would interfere “us”, there…
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Dao De Jing 33 – Transcending oneself as the pathway towards wisdom and longevity
Those who understand others is wise, those who understand oneself is enlightened. -> Externally we seek to understand others (e.g. our family, company, country); internally how many seek to understand our own “self”? We might understand our personality, including strengths and weaknesses, but more fundamentally, what is this personality? Where does it come from and how does…
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Dao De Jing 32 – Dao and the world: unnamed vs. the named
Dao does not have a name. It can not be owned or controlled. When one abides in it, all things will follow. -> When the self does not arise, problem does not arise, and the world flows in perfect harmony. Dew falls under the combined effect of heaven and earth, people cannot control it and it…
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Dao De Jing 29 – Proper way/attitude to face the world
When one attempts to manipulate the world, I see him fails. The world is holy, it cannot be manipulated, whose attempt to manipulate it, fail; whose attempt to rule it, lost it. -> The world is a consequence of a multitude of factors, both within and without. How can one’s limited self, with all its…
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Dao De Jing 28 – Know masculine, abide in feminine
Know the masculine, but abide in the feminine, be the most humble of the world. -> Master the self (masculine, active), but abide in reality underneath the self (feminine, passive). Then the self can serve humbly in the world. The most humble always remains with virtue, and eventually return to infant. -> By abiding in…
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Dao De Jing 27 – Interdependency of Sage vs. Layman
Those who master travelling leave no trace, -> When one has been to, and is everywhere, one cannot be traced or described by a particular trace. Those who master talking speaks no fault; -> They communicate perfectly and completely and therefore left no fault. Those who master counting need no tool; -> All is known…
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Dao De Jing 26 – Fallacy of lightness
Weight is the root of lightness, stillness is the ruler of recklessness. -> In the phenomenal world, weight anchors lightness. In the spiritual world, stillness (in and of the center) persists over recklessness. Therefore the Sage at all times stay centered at the weighted wagon. Although in luxury and glamour, (he) remain transcended and nonattached.…
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Dao De Jing 25 – The Big fours
There is existence prior to heaven and earth being born. Quiet and still, independent and unchanging, rotating without end, it is the mother of the world. I don’t know its name, name it as Dao, and remotely name it as Big. -> The nature of the Dao. Big and therefore everlasting, everlasting and therefore far-reaching,…
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Dao De Jing 23 – Welcoming wind and rain
If one would make few speech and stay natural, wind will not blown for whole morning, and rain will not last for whole day. What is like this? The sky and earth. If even the sky and earth could not last (stay in a state) forever, what would be the case for man? -> Even…
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Dao De Jing 16 – Going back to emptiness and stillness
Reach the end of emptiness, abide in the end of stillness. Things manifest, i see coming and going. -> Emptiness here refers to reality beyond form. Stillness here refers to reality beyond mind. When one realizes this reality, one sees things coming and going, fully aware, but not affected by them. Despite of diversity, things all…
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Dao De Jing 14 – Formless and timeless nature of the Dao
Look but could not see, is called ‘Yi’; Listen but could not hear, is called ‘Xi’; Grasp but could not get, is called ‘Wei’. These three qualities alone could not provide an accurate description (of the Dao), therefore we blend them together as one. -> The Dao cannot be seen, cannot be heard, cannot be touched. Its upper part…
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Dao De Jing 8 – Dao is like water
The highest virtue is like that of water. Water benefits everything and does not fight, it positions itself at place everyone dislike, and therefore is close to the Dao. -> As we already discussed, the Dao is everywhere, impartial, and limitless. It represents the source and context of all, and therefore allows for and benefits all…
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Dao De Jing 6 – Feminine Quality of the Dao
The valley-like spirit does not die, it is the mysterious femininity. -> Dao is like a vast valley that is everlasting, Laozi called it the mysterious femininity. Why feminine? In Chinese culture, e.g. Book of Changes, Femininity is associated with giving birth, allowing, and embracing all things, with earth being the most “Yin” and feminine…
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Dao De Jing 5 – Impartiality and endless capacity of the Dao
Heaven and earth do not fixate on benevolent; they deal with all things as if they are grass dogs. The sages do not fixate on benevolent; they deal with people as if they are grass dogs. -> Sun and moon rises and falls impartially, they do not shine over certain country or people just because…
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Dao De Jing 4 – Qualities of the Dao
The Dao is like a vessel; we use it and it has no limit. It is deep, like the source of everything. -> Contrary to the limitation found in forms, which are bound the notions of birth and death (coming into and ceasing to be as describable existence), the Dao is beyond form and therefore has no…