谷神不死，是謂玄牝。玄牝之門，是謂天地根。綿綿若存，用之不勤。 The valley spirit dies not, aye the same; The female mystery thus do we name. Its gate, from which at first they issued forth, Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth. Long and unbroken does its power remain, Used gently, and without the touch of pain. [su_accordion] [su_spoiler title=”Derek Lin” style=”fancy”] […]
Continue readingV. ENERGY
V. ENERGY 1. Sun Tzu said: The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. 2. Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a […]
Continue readingChapter 78 Things to be believed
天下莫柔弱於水，而攻堅強者莫之能勝，其無以易之。弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，天下莫不知，莫能行。是以聖人云：受國之垢，是謂社稷主；受國不祥，是謂天下王。正言若反。 1. There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it; — for there is nothing (so effectual) for which it can be changed. 2. Every one in the world knows that the […]
Continue readingUnderstanding Reality
Understanding Reality By Chang Po-tuan Translated from Chinese by Thomas Cleary I SIXTEEN VERSES REPRESENTING “EIGHT OUNCES” OF YIN AND “EIGHT OUNCES” OF YANG, FORMING “ONE POUND” OF ELIXIR ________ 1 IF YOU DO NOT SEEK THE GREAT WAY TO LEAVE THE PATH OF DELUSION, EVEN IF YOU ARE INTELLIGENT AND TALENTED YOU ARE NOT […]
Continue readingChapter 44 Cautions
名與身孰親？身與貨孰多？得與亡孰病？是故甚愛必大費；多藏必厚亡。知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久。 1. Or fame or life, Which do you hold more dear? Or life or wealth, To which would you adhere? Keep life and lose those other things; Keep them and lose your life: — which brings Sorrow and pain more near? 2. Thus we may see, Who cleaves to fame Rejects what is more […]
Continue readingChapter 42 The transformations of the Dao
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰而抱陽，沖氣以為和。人之所惡，唯孤、寡、不穀，而王公以為稱。故物或損之而益，或益之而損。人之所教，我亦教之。強梁者不得其死，吾將以為教父。 1. The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things. All things leave behind them the Obscurity (out of which they have come), and go forward to embrace the Brightness (into which they have emerged), while they are harmonized by the Breath of Vacancy. 2. What men dislike is […]
Continue readingBotanical Terms
Achene—a small, dry fruit that contains one loose seed and that does not split open spontaneously Acuminate—tapering gradually to a point at the apex Acute—coming sharply to a point at the apex Alternate—arranged singly at different points along a stem or axis Annual—completing the cycle from seed to death in one year of season Apex—the […]
Continue readingChapter 80 Standing alone
小國寡民。使有什伯之器而不用；使民重死而不遠徙。雖有舟輿，無所乘之，雖有甲兵，無所陳之。使民復結繩而用之，甘其食，美其服，安其居，樂其俗。鄰國相望，雞犬之聲相聞，民至老死，不相往來。 1. In a little state with a small population, I would so order it, that, though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a hundred men, there should be no employment of them; I would make the people, while looking on death as a grievous thing, yet not remove elsewhere (to avoid […]
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