CALL ME MAGGIE

Taoism

  • 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

  • Daodejing 35

    #35* Grasping the appearance: all will come along following without quarrel. Tranquility Peace Quietude Sweet music and good food catch the passersby (like bait). When the Great Way (DAO) is spoken: dull and tasteless. Seeing it: not enough to be… Continue reading

    Daodejing 35

  • Daodejing 33

    #33* Knowing others: lucidity. Knowing self: brilliance.† Defeating others: strength. Defeating self: discipline. Contentedness: wealth. Perseverance: will. Never losing self: endurance. Dead yet unforgotten: longevity. †The characters translated in these two lines both contain the glyph for sun. Lucidity is… Continue reading

    Daodejing 33

  • Daodejing 32

    #32* DAO (the Great Way) always and forever without name. Simple and small. Nothing under-heaven can rule over the Great Way. If Kings obey this, all under-heaven will follow them spontaneously. Heaven and earth† join together: sweet dew will fall… Continue reading

    Daodejing 32

  • Daodejing 31

    #31* Powerful weapon: inauspicious instrument. The person on the Way disapproves of such instruments. Such are disgusting. The worthy person in daily life respects the Left as place of honor.† The person in time of war regards the right as… Continue reading

    Daodejing 31

  • Daodejing 30

    #30* The minister who relies on the DAO never threatens all under heaven with violence. Surely such an action must lead to retaliation. Wherever troops walk, weeds grow After the time of war, must come the time of famine. The… Continue reading

    Daodejing 30

  • Daodejing 29

    #29* Desiring to possess all under heaven by force I think this never works. All under heaven is sacred. It cannot be taken over by force. It is uncontrollable. Possessiveness destroys; Control loses. Hence, the sage “does nothing” (wu wei)†… Continue reading

    Daodejing 29

  • Carrying Over Laozi

    The translation of Daodejing proceeds apace. Dear Wenlong works harder than ever to help me understand the simultaneous complexity and simplicity of Laozi. The term “to translate” literally mean to move something from one place to another or to carry… Continue reading

    Carrying Over Laozi

  • Daodejing 27

    #27* The one who masters walking leaves no footprints. The one who masters speaking makes no slips of the tongue. The one who masters counting needs no tally tools to count. The one who masters shutting the door needs no… Continue reading

    Daodejing 27

  • Daodejing 26

    #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… Continue reading

    Daodejing 26

  • Daodejing 25

    #25* There is a thing born of Nature before Heaven & Earth. Soundless, formless Independent, unchanging Always turning, never stopping. Regard it: the Mother of All. I do not know its name, reluctantly I call it the Great Way (Dao).… Continue reading

    Daodejing 25

  • Daodejing 24

    #24* A show-off never learns A know-it-all never shines A braggart never achieves A boaster never gets ahead All of this is most unnecessary Seen from the viewpoint of the Way The person on the Way avoids all of this… Continue reading

    Daodejing 24

  • Daodejing 23

    #23* Speak rarely like Nature. Typhoons do not blow all morning. Thunderstorms do not last all day. Who makes the typhoon to blow and storm to thunder? Heaven and earth. If even Heaven and Earth cannot sustain things for long,… Continue reading

    Daodejing 23

  • Daodejing 22

    #22* Sacrifice the part & save the whole. Bend that to make this straight. Hollow that to make this full. That withers, this blooms. Lose that, gain this. Determined then, confused now. Thus the sages insist on the one as… Continue reading

  • Daodejing 21

    #21 Great excellence relies only on the Great Way (DAO) How does Great Way make the way? Indefinetely & vaguely. Though indefinite & vague, there are images. Though indefinite & vague, things do happen. Too small to see & too… Continue reading