Dao de Jing
Personal translations & commentaries on Lao tze’s timeless classic
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2020 — SPRING TCCD-NE Course
My current course in Introduction to Philosophy: Reading schedule, readings, and assignments. If you are not one of my students, you are still welcome to read along with us. Continue reading
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Open Virtue, Closed Propriety: Considerations on Daoism and Bergsonism
No consideration of parallels between Daoism and Bergsonism has been accomplished. Yet there is a profitable comparison to be made between the ancient Chinese philosophy of the Dào Dé Jing and the more contemporary work of French philosopher Henri Bergson.… Continue reading
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Arriving by assistance of the Whole
Most who brag of being self-made—to the point of believing their own rhetoric—sooner or later will find themselves self-unmade. Yet even in this, they will become an unmaking alongside all those of whom they took advantage in Violent Struggle. Continue reading
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The nameless backgrounds the nameable
MWF PHIL 1050.006, 1:00pm, Friday 16 Sep 2016 We took a close look at poem 1 about the Dao (Way), spending time on the (ironic) difference between the Nameless and the nameable. Basically, it is difficult to name the Ultimate Source of Reality… Continue reading
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Of the usefulness of propriety and the uselessness of superheroes
Started off the day asking about why we have such a big proliferation in the stories of superheroes. Finished the day by talking about Dào 38 and touching on a lot of the problems with professional education in the USA. Continue reading
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Dyadic not dualistic
It’s difficult to break out of the Western habitude of dualism. But it is especially important to make the effort when thinking of the Chinese notion of Yin Yang. Rather than another form of dualism in the history of philosophy, it… Continue reading
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Prayer and Thinking
We began with me sharing some ideas about the connection between prayer and thinking. We discussed Poem 27 of the Dào Dé Jing along with some forays into Poem 1. Continue reading
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Taking things for granted
Lecture from Sacred Living Traditions. Following a class exercise asking “What is a chair?”, we had small group discussions on “What is religion?” The basic work was to think through what we take for granted, how we do not ask… Continue reading
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Silencing the Mind Will Be Heeded by the Cosmos
I don’t really think old Laozi actually ever said this. But, it is a great quote. Related articles John Cage: Silence yet not silencing (pilimi200.wordpress.com) Silence the music (sounddesign2013.wordpress.com) Daodejing 1 (keithwaynebrown.com) Daodejing 35 (keithwaynebrown.com) Daodejing 38 (keithwaynebrown.com) Daodejing 71 (keithwaynebrown.com) Continue reading
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Daodejing 10
#10* Body and soul integrated as one. Inseparable? Concentrate Qì [1] for suppleness. Baby-like? Wash and cleanse the profound mirror. [2] Never blemish? Love the people and govern a country. Do doing-without-doing (wěi-wú-wěi)? The door of heaven Opens and closes. Yielding? [3] Brilliantly perceive The… Continue reading
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Daodejing 8
#8* The highest good is like water: Water is good at benefitting the 10,000 things yet never contends. Dwell in the place that the majority dislikes; thus, be close To Dào . Be good at dwelling in place; Be good at… Continue reading
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Daodejing 7
#7* Heaven is eternal; earth is everlasting. The reason why heaven and earth can be eternal and everlasting? Because they do not exist for themselves, [they] thus can live long. Therefore, the Sage makes himself go behind yet he comes… Continue reading
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Daodejing 4
#4* Dao is empty yet when used, it seems never endless. Bottomless, yet it seems like the progenitor of 10,000 things. [Blunt the sharpness, Remove the distractions, Soften the light, Blend with the dust.] [1] Formless, yet it seems like existence.… Continue reading
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Daodejing 2
#2* Under-heaven all know the reason why the beautiful is beautiful: the existence of the ugly; All know the reason why the good is the good: the existence of the bad. Therefore, to-be and To-not-be beget One another, Difficulty and… Continue reading
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George Zimmerman, Propriety, and Losing Way
Got up this morning and began looking through the reactions about the George Zimmerman acquittal. As usual, Charles P. Pierce over at Esquire magazine’s Politics Blog caught my eye… Thought experiments are useless now. Of course, if the races of… Continue reading
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Daodejing 44
#44* Fame or life: Which is dearer? Life or fortune: Which is most valuable? Gain or loss: Which is more harmful? Hence, excessive love Is bound to great cost. Too many possessions Is bound to great loss. Knowing satisfaction, [1] Avoid… Continue reading
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