Day 24: Some Tao

Sometimes I forget of my greatness, then I read a passage of the Tao and its passages remind me of it.

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.

Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching

'All things are born from it, yet it doesn't create them.' It means we have the same qualities or proprieties of the Tao since we are born from it.

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.

A good example of non-being is a cup, what makes the cup usable is the empty space within it. How can you use a cup that is already full? So we have to become empty, then we are use-full, on full use.

'Return is the movement of the Tao.' So we have to become like a child again, it was born without a mind.

47
Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.

The more you know,
the less you understand.

The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing.

'The Master arrives without leaving,' because we are already our own Masters.

'Without looking out your window, you can see the essence of the Tao.' Because it is the I that is the essence of the Tao.

56
Those who know don’t talk.
Those who talk don’t know.

Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.

Be like the Tao.
It can’t be approached or withdrawn from,
benefited or harmed,
honored or brought into disgrace.
It gives itself up continually.
That is why it endures.

No point of going about talking about the Tao all the time. I don't try to outsmart everyone. This passage more or less says 'chill out'.

So I recommend everyone to read more of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, this translation is by Stephen Mitchel which is very good.