Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy Four  “If men are not afraid to die, It is no avail to threaten them with death.  If men live in constant fear of dying, And if breaking the law means that a man will be killed, Who will dare to break the law?  There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.” This about fear of death and government. Politicians can only push people so … Continue reading If Men Are Not Afraid To Die

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy Three  “A brave and passionate man will kill or be killed. A brave and calm man will always preserve life. Of these two which is good and which is harmful? Some things are not favored by heaven. Who knows why? Even the sage is unsure of this.  The Tao of heaven does not strive, and yet it overcomes. It does not speak, and yet is answered. It does not ask, yet is supplied with all its needs. It seems to have no aim and yet its purpose is fulfilled.  Heaven’s net casts wide. Though its meshes are course, nothing slips … Continue reading Heaven’s Net Casts Wide

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy Two  “When men lack a sense of awe, there will be disaster.  Do not intrude in their homes. Do not harass them at work. If you do not interfere, they will not weary of you.  Therefore the sage knows himself but makes no show, Has self-respect but is not arrogant. He lets go of that and chooses this.” A sense of awe is our most natural sense regarding nature. When in the forests or mountains it can be an overwhelming. When still and quiet, we find that same feeling inside ourselves. That naturalness can then spread … Continue reading The Sage Knows Himself

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy-one “Knowing ignorance is strength. Ignoring knowledge is sickness.  If one is sick of sickness, then one is not sick. The sage is not sick because he is sick of sickness. Therefore he is not sick.” Thinking you’re not ignorant is the classic sign of ignorance. Being able to recognise it is a strength. The play on words here can be confusing and is obviously humour, but when we see so much ignorance making society sick, we may seem to be out of step with others but that does not make us wrong. Continue reading Knowing Ignorance Is Strength

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy  “My words are easy to understand and easy to perform, Yet no man under heaven knows them or practices them.  My words have ancient beginnings. My actions are disciplined. Because men do not understand, they have no knowledge of me.  Those that know me are few; Those that abuse me are honored. Therefore the sage wears rough clothing and holds the jewel in his heart.” The way of nature is simple and that is why everyone misses and are unable to harmonise with it. Our thinking mind is a gift and a curse, it seeks complexity and … Continue reading Those That Know Me Are Few

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Sixty Nine “There is a saying among soldiers:I dare not make the first move but would rather play the guest;I dare not advance an inch but would rather withdraw a foot. This is called marching without appearing to move,Rolling up your sleeves without showing your arm,Capturing the enemy without attacking,Being armed without weapons. There is no greater catastrophe than underestimating the enemy.By underestimating the enemy, I almost lose what I value. Therefore when the battle is joined,The underdog will win.” This is like ‘karate ni sentenashi’ (there is no first attack in karate) … Continue reading Being Armed Without Weapons