Chapter 40

Return is the movement of the Tao.
Yielding is the way of the Tao.

All things are born of being.
Being is born of non-being.

. . .

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

Chapter 39

In harmony with the Tao,
the sky is clear and spacious,
the earth is solid and full,
all creatures flourish together,
content with the way they are,
endlessly repeating themselves,
endlessly renewed.

. . .

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

Chapter 38

The Master doesn’t try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

. . .

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

Chapter 37

The Tao never does anything,
yet through it all things are done.


. . .

Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

chapter 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.

Chapter 35

She who is centered in the Tao
can go where she wishes, without danger.
She perceives the universal harmony,
even amid great pain,
because she has found peace in her heart.

Chapter 34

The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from it,
yet it doesn’t create them.
It pours itself into its work,
yet it makes no claim.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
yet it doesn’t hold on to them.
Since it is merged with all things
and hidden in their hearts,
it can be called humble.
Since all things vanish into it
and it alone endures,
it can be called great.
It isn’t aware of its greatness;
thus it is truly great.


Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

Chapter 33

Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.

Chapter 32

The Tao can’t be perceived.
Smaller than an electron,
it contains uncountable galaxies.

Chapter 31

Weapons are the tools of violence;
all decent men detest them.

Chapter 30

Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
doesn’t try to force issues
or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force there is a counterforce.
Violence, even well intentioned,
always rebounds upon oneself.

Chapter 29

Do you want to improve the world?
I don’t think it can be done.

Chapter 28

Know the male,
yet keep to the female;
receive the world in your arms.
If you receive the world,
the Tao will never leave you
and you will be like a little child.

Chapter 27

A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.

Chapter 26

The heavy is the root of the light.
The unmoved is the source of all movement.

Chapter 25

There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.

Chapter 24

He who stands on tiptoe
doesn't stand firm.
He who rushes ahead
doesn't go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own light.
He who defines himself
can't know who he really is.
He who has power over others
can't empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will create nothing that endures.

Chapter 23

Express yourself completely,
then keep quiet.
Be like the forces of nature:
when it blows, there is only wind;
When it rains, there is only rain;
When the clouds pass, the sun shines through.

Chapter 22

If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight,
let yourself be crooked.
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.

Chapter 21

The Master keeps her mind
always at one with the Tao;
that is what gives her her radiance.

Chapter 20

20 Stop thinking, and end your problems.
What difference between yes and no?
What difference between success and failure?
Must you value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How ridiculous!

Chapter 19

19 Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won't be any thieves.

Chapter 18

18 When the great Tao is forgotten,
goodness and piety appear.
When the body's intelligence declines,
cleverness and knowledge step forth.
When there is no peace in the family,
filial piety begins.
When the country falls into chaos,
patriotism is born.

translated by Stephen Mitchell; HarperPerennial, 1988

Chapter 17

17 When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

Chapter Sixteen

16 Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Let your heart be at peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return.

Another Tao Baby

Juniper Katherine Bunch
February 7, 2007
7lbs 10oz

Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapable as a block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Tao 15

Chapter 15

15 The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.

Chapter 14

14 Look, and it can't be seen.
Listen, and it can't be heard.
Reach, and it can't be grasped.

Chapter Thirteen

13 Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.

Chapter Twelve

12 Colors blind the eye,
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavors numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the heart.

Chapter Eleven

11 We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.

December Gathering

The Taoway Taoists met 12-9-06. We were four at Eden Alley .. books of translations were piled in the center of the table .. a bibliography will gather all titles on one page and be available in 2007 on the blog .. Chapter 10 was read and discussed .. "We truly love talking the Tao. For a moment, we could see with way-up-high eyes -- Earth .. U.S. .. MO .. KC .. Plaza Unity .. Eden Alley .. Golden light at table #16 .. and, we realized we were looking at, us!" anon.

Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things? Tao 10

We stepped back and understood .. for a moment, yes.

Chapter 10

10 Can 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?

Chapter Nine

9 Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Chapter Eight

8 The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to
It is content with the low places that people disdain/
Thus it is like the Tao

Chapter Seven

7 The Tao is infinite, eternal.
Why is it eternal?
It was never born;
thus it can never die.Why is it infinite?
It has no desires for itself;
thus it is present for all beings.

Chapter Six

6 The Tao is called the Great Mother:
empty yet inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.

It is always present within you.
You can use it any way you want.


translated by Stephen Mitchell; HarperPerennial, 1988

Chapter Five

5 The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.

Our First F2F Meeting

What a glorious time we had on Saturday at noon! Thanks for bringing your various translations. You know what I want to do, don't you? Yes you do . . . I want to make a bibliography for the blog: Tao Blog's Bib ! So, next time we meet, please bring the books! We missed the folks who weren’t with us around the table at noon but we're so glad you are a part of our Tao Way. Now, get ready gang, Chapter 5 is coming soon.

Chapter Four

4 The Tao is like a well:
used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void:
filled with infinite possibilities.

. . .

Chapter Three

If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.

Chapter Two

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Tao Baby

Chapter One is all about naming and manifestation. "Naming is the origin of all particular things." Seeing this photo of baby just hours old, naming becomes holy. I introduce Atticus to our Tao study group. He has come from "the darkness. The gateway to all understanding."

Chapter One

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.

Copyright Permission Pending

Folks ... We're waiting for copyright permission from the publisher of Stephen Mitchell's version, Tao Te Ching. With that pending, I think we can proceed with posting the chapters. I'll cut text from the chapters discussed as I add a new entry. That way we are not reproducing the book online. We agree that our blog is for educational purposes only and not for profit. How about posting a chapter a week, say on Fridays? Beginning today, July 21, 2006. I'll post the chapters and all of us can comment. How does this sound to everyone?

Getting the Word Out

How are we going to let more KC folks know about the Tao Study Group blog?

First Post

Folks . . . This is the bare bone template for Tao Way. And, our address is:
http://taoway.blogspot.com

The software is Blogger. It is free, connected with Google and used by many. All Blogger blogs have "blogspot.com" as part of their address. You can read more about it at:
blogger.com

How about everyone try to write a comment to this post? I don't think this is as easy as it sounds. Send me questions: lissalord@myway.com

You will choose a user name and password. Your password is the name that others will see attached to your comments. I am Reflibrarian which is the name I chose for a blog at work. The name sticks! So, select one you like and will not forget.

Question 1: Should we use one specific translation of the Tao (ie: Stephen Mitchell) or use several? I have 5 or 6 different versions and I know you have ones I don't have.

Question 2: Shall we start with one chapter per week?

Invite interested folks to join in. This is going to be a wonderful experience!