Tao Te Ching
Stephen Mitchell
Language: English
Pages: 128
ISBN: 0060812451
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Lao-tzu's Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living, and one of the wonders of the world. In eighty-one brief chapters, the Tao Te Ching looks at the basic predicament of being alive and gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit. This book is about wisdom in action. It teaches how to work for the good with the effortless skill that comes from being in accord with the Tao (the basic principle of the universe) and applies equally to good government and sexual love; to child rearing, business, and ecology. Stephen Mitchell's bestselling version has been widely acclaimed as a gift to contemporary culture.
ligence of the universe in the same way that an athlete or a dancer trusts the superior intelligence of the body. Hence Lao-tzu’s emphasis on softness. Softness means the opposite of rigidity, and is synonym ous with suppleness, adaptability, endurance. Anyone who has seen a t’ai chi or aikido master doing not-doing will know how powerful this softness is. Lao-tzu’s central figure is a man or woman whose life is in perfect harmony with the way things are. This is not an idea; it is a reality; I
heaven, nothing is better than moderation. Only he who is moderate can prepare in advance. He who prepares in advance accumulates a reserve of te [virtue or power; the Tao as it informs things and acts in the world]. He who accumulates a reserve of te overcomes all obstacles. He who overcomes all obstacles has no limits. He who has no limits can possess a country. He who possesses the mother of a country can keep it for a long time. This is called having deep roots and a strong stem, long life
you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original oneness? Can you let your body become supple as a newborn child’s? Can you cleanse your inner vision until you see nothing but the light? Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will? Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course? Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things? Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, acting with no expectations,
point to the Tao seem monotonous and without flavor. When you look for it, there is nothing to see. When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear. When you use it, it is inexhaustible. 36 If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given. This is called the subtle perception of the way things are. The soft overcomes the
teach, ‘Mind is Buddha’?” Ma-tsu said, “To stop a baby from crying.” The monk said, “When the crying has stopped, what then?” Ma-tsu said, “Then I teach, ‘Not mind, not Buddha.’” The monk said, “How about someone who isn’t attached to either?” Ma-tsu said, “I would tell him, ‘Not beings.’” The monk said, “And what if you met a man unattached to all things: what would you tell him?” Ma-tsu said, “I would just let him experience the great Tao.” In fact, the truth is right before our eyes; right