Explanation Of Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Three “Knowing others is wisdom;Knowing the self is enlightenment.Mastering others requires force;Mastering the self needs strength.  He who knows he has enough is rich.Perseverance is a sign of willpower.He who stays where he is endures.To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.” One of the most quoted chapters and mostly self explanatory. Looking inwards and discovering mindfulness is how we master the illusory self and discover who and what we really are. When we know that we are wise to others and our own demons. Having the willpower to not … Continue reading Mastering The Self Needs Strength

Tao Te Ching Part Thirty One  “Good weapons are instruments of fear; all creatures hate them.Therefore followers of Tao never use them.The wise man prefers the left.The man of war prefers the right.  Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not a wise man’s tools.” Any person seeking peace and harmony with the Tao will abhor weapons and war because their only purpose is disharmony, causing pain and death. “He uses them only when he has no choice.Peace and quiet are dear to his heart,And victory is no cause for rejoicing.If you rejoice in victory, then you delight in killing;If … Continue reading Victory Is No Cause For Rejoicing

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Twenty Eight  “Know the strength of man,But keep a woman’s care!” Have a ‘soft front and a strong back’ “Be the stream of the universe!Being the stream of the univere,Ever true and unswerving,Become as a little child once more.” Return to what you were before you were born and the mind you had as a little child before society gave you an identity. “Know the white,But keep the black!” Understand and maintain the balance between yin and yang. “Be an example to the world!Being an example to the world,Ever true and unwavering,Return to … Continue reading Know The Strength Of A Man But Keep A Woman’s Care

Tao Te Ching Part Twenty Six  “The heavy is the root of the light.The still is the master of unrest.  Therefore the sage, traveling all day,Does not lose sight of his baggage.Though there are beautiful things to be seen,He remains unattached and calm.  Why should the lord of ten thousand chariots act lightly in public?To be light is to lose one’s root.To be restless is to lose one’s control.” To be rooted and still means that we remain with the Tao and that we’re not distracted by shiny objects remaining unattached and calm. To be attached to wealth and worldly … Continue reading The Still Is The Master Of Unrest

Explanation of Tao Te Ching Part Twenty Five  “Something mysteriously formed,Born before heaven and Earth.In the silence and the void,Standing alone and unchanging,Ever present and in motion.Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things.I do not know its nameCall it Tao.For lack of a better word, I call it great.” Trying to put what is infinite and immortal into words means that we have look it through many different ‘windows’ to give the reader a ‘glimpse’ of what it is or at least plant a flag at the destination so we realise where we are when we get there. … Continue reading Something Mysteriously Formed

Tao Te Ching Part Twenty Four  “He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.He who strides cannot maintain the pace.He who makes a show is not enlightened. “ In the current zeitgeist we are constantly encouraged to do more than we think we can. “No pain, no gain” in the gym. To go further than we think we can at work, in business. We admire the people who ‘heroically’ push themselves further than anyone else. The idea of pacing ourselves or having the patience to pick the right timing, and practice self care is not respected. “He who is self-righteous … Continue reading He Who Stands On Tiptoe Is Not Steady