True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.
The Tao nourishes by not forcing.
By not dominating, the Master leads.
Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchel
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Layer upon layer
She finds deep in her own experience the central truths of the art of living, which are paradoxical only on the surface: that the more truly solitary we are, the more compassionate we can be; the more we let go of what we love, the more present our love becomes; the clearer our insight into what is beyond good and evil, the more we can embody the good. Until finally she is able to say, in all humility, "I am the Tao, the Truth, the Life." S. Mitchell
Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell, Harper & Row, 1988. In keeping with copyright law only the chapter under study is fulltext. All other chapters show only the first stanza.
Study Group Contac: Lissa Lord:lissalord@gmail.com
Tao in WordLayers
Layer upon layer
It is Tao 81! For years I have been studying the chapters of the Tao through various translations. Whenever, and this is absolutely the truth, I was in crisis or trouble, the very chapter I was studying at the time gave me substance to dwell on in relation to my life happenings. The writings of the Tao are my stability. The many translations made this a fact, a fulfillment of expectation. In 2001, I bought my first Tao translation, Stephen Mitchel, and began taking classes. Today, I have done two complete studies of the Tao. I think I'll take a break or try to read something else now that I have a pretty good foundation. I'm going to take classes in Buddhism at Unity Temple on the Plaza---this is where I first studied the Tao. Amazing.
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