CALL ME MAGGIE

Laozi

  • Daodejing 6

    #6* The Grain God never dies; it is called “the mysterious female”. The door of the mysterious female is called “the root of heaven and earth.” Existing endlessly, use it and never be exhausted. *Translation by LU Wenlong & Keith… Continue reading

    Daodejing 6

  • Daodejing 5

    #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… Continue reading

    Daodejing 5

  • A Mantra on the Way

    After spending the last year translating Dao de Jing with my dear friend and good brother, Lu Wenlong, a new “mantra” or phrase has become a regular part of the day. Dào does; I should not do. In my not doing,… Continue reading

    A Mantra on the Way

  • Daodejing 3

    #3* Do not encourage excellent abilities, [1] [and] keep people from contention; do not value rare goods, keep people from stealing; do not flaunt the desirable, keep people’s hearts undisturbed. Hence, the governance Of the sage Empties their hearts Fills their… Continue reading

    Daodejing 3

  • 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

    Daodejing 4

  • 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

    Daodejing 2

  • Daodejing 1

    My beloved friend, LU Wenlong, has been graciously going through Laozi‘s great work with me. He transliterates directly from the Chinese into the English, and then we dialog for a bit about an expressive translation. In doing this, I have found that many… Continue reading

    Daodejing 1

  • 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

    George Zimmerman, Propriety, and Losing Way

  • 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

    Daodejing 44

  • Daodejing 43

    #43* The softest entity under heaven gallops [1] through the hardest. The intangible Penetrates the solid. [2] Therefore, I know the  the benefit of wú-wěi. [3] The teaching without words. The benefit of wú-wěi: Few under-heaven Keep pace with this. *Translation by LU… Continue reading

    Daodejing 43

  • Daodejing 42

    #42* Dao begets one. One begets two. Two begets three. Three begets 10,000 things. The 10,000 things carry YIN on their backs and embrace YANG. Yin and Yang contest Then blend each with the Other in harmony. People detest most… Continue reading

    Daodejing 42

  • Daodejing 41

    #41* The person having most excellence who hears DAO practices assiduously. The person having average excellence who hears DAO only practices on occasion. The person having least excellence who hears DAO laughs at it. Yet, if DAO were not laughable,… Continue reading

    Daodejing 41

  • Daodejing 40

    #40* The motion of DAO: returning. The usage of DAO: weakening. 10,000 things grow by having. [1] Having generates from not-having . [2] *Translation by LU Wenlong & Keith Wayne Brown, ©2013. [1] Having –> 有 [Yǒu]: to have, to exist. We might put here… Continue reading

    Daodejing 40

  • Daodejing 39

    #39* In the ancient days: grasping one. Heaven grasping one: clear and bright. Earth grasping one, tranquility. Spirit grasping one, effective. [1] River valley grasping one, fullness. 10,000 things grasping one, growth. Kings grasping one, leading under-heaven. Draw this inference: Grasp one. Heaven without clear and bright, splitting open.… Continue reading

    Daodejing 39

  • Daodejing 38 Redux

    With this poem, we begin the Book of DE (the second part of the Daodejing, the poems on virtue or excellence).  #38* Magnificent excellence (DE): Acting without thinking of being excellent. Acting thus is authentic excellence. Debased excellence: Keeping up… Continue reading

    Daodejing 38 Redux

  • Daodejing 37

    #37* The Great Way (DAO): Never doing (WU WEI) but always doing all. If kings can follow this, the 10,000 things will grow and develop spontaneously. During the course of growth and development, whenever arises a desire to do… I… Continue reading

    Daodejing 37

  • Pǔ or the uncarved block

    Very often, translators render the Chinese word Pǔ into English as “the uncarved block.” The term refers to a state of pure possibility (what the Greeks mean by DYNAMIS). This describes the original condition of the mind before the happening of… Continue reading

    Pǔ or the uncarved block

  • Daodejing 36

    #36* To shrink it, expand it. To weaken it, strengthen it. To demote it, promote it. To take it, give it. Call this subtle brilliance: Bending and weakness overcomes rigidity and strength. *Translation by LU Wenlong & Keith Wayne Brown,… Continue reading

    Daodejing 36