#5*
Heaven and earth
have no mercy,
treating the 10,000 things
as straw dogs;
the Sage has no mercy,
treating people as straw dogs. [1]
The space between
Heaven and earth
Just like a bellows!
Empty but never
Exhausted; work it
And some more comes out.
More words speed up failure,
No comparison with keeping still. [2]
*Translation by LU Wenlong & Keith Wayne Brown, ©2013.
[1] A kind of offering used by the ancient Chinese for the purpose of a sacrifice ceremony. Usually these were discarded and trampled upon after the ceremony.
[2] 守中: Shǒu zhōng a term meaning “keeping the middle”, so stillness captures both making no sound and having no motion.
Related articles
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- Daodejing 4 (keithwaynebrown.com)
- Daodejing 1 (keithwaynebrown.com)
- Daodejing 38 Redux (keithwaynebrown.com)
CALL ME MAGGIE 
I bow to the divine spark within you brother. You walk the beauty way I honour your path.
Namaste _/|\_