#26*

Heaven is the root of lightness.
Tranquility masters recklessness.

Therefore the Sage travels all day
careful to abandon nothing.
Even in the face of luxury,
like the swallow he flies undistracted.

Why is the King with 10,000 chariots
reckless with his kingdom?

When lightness loses its root,
recklessness loses the kingdom.

*Translation by LU Wenlong & Keith Wayne Brown, ©2013.

Keith "Maggie" Brown Avatar

Published by

3 responses to “Daodejing 26”

  1. Daodejing 25 | Reason & Existenz Avatar

    […] Daodejing 26 (keithwaynebrown.com) […]

  2. Daodejing 27 | Reason & Existenz Avatar

    […] Daodejing 26 (keithwaynebrown.com) […]

Leave a reply to Daodejing 25 | Reason & Existenz Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.