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Dao-De-Jing - a brief discourse

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  • #16
    After contemplating for some time, watching the dynamics of the thread and reading a few classic commentaries on this chapter, I´d share my opinion here

    Originally posted by Anton S. View Post
    No. 5

    Heaven and Earth are
    not kind:

    thus myriads of creatures
    are treated like straw-dogs

    Wise men are not kind either:
    thus all people
    are treated like straw-dogs

    The Dao cares as much about creatures as you care about dogs made of straw. The sages (while some translators (Thomas Cleary) say here: Rulers) also are equanimous towards people. This Citation of Goenkaji puts it nicely:

    Nature takes no side, nature is impartial.
    You receive fruits according to your deeds.

    ~S.N. Goenka~
    Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

    Heaven and Earth: the space between,
    it's like a bag-pipe!

    Empty, yet not collapsing,
    in motion, and even more productive.
    Space between Heaven and Earth is infinite and empty. Because it´s empty, there is nothing to consume or end, it cannot exhaust. And because it´s empty it is productive (filling the emptiness).


    Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

    Many words refer to exhaustion
    not as good as keeping the center.
    Too much talk will exhaust. Better remain centered.

    Any ideas why Lao Tze discusses these points?

    Best regards, Anton.
    Engage and maintain joyful practice!

    May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

    Anton Schmick
    Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

    shaolinwahnamchina.com
    http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
    http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
    http://kungfu-luebeck.de

    Comment


    • #17
      Nr. 6

      The valley's spirit never dies
      it's called: the mystical female.
      The mystical female's gate -
      it's called:
      Heaven's and Earth's genesis
      Finest threads, yet ubiquitous
      in their use, they are inexhaustible!
      Engage and maintain joyful practice!

      May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

      Anton Schmick
      Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

      shaolinwahnamchina.com
      http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
      http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
      http://kungfu-luebeck.de

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by Anton S. View Post
        The valley's spirit never dies
        it's called: the mystical female.
        The mystical female's gate -
        it's called:
        Heaven's and Earth's genesis
        Finest threads, yet ubiquitous
        in their use, they are inexhaustible!

        Have you ever seen into a valley? What is it´s spirit?

        Empty, no boundaries! Right?

        How does something empty and without boundaries die? How is it born?
        It does neither. That´s why it is the root of Heaven and Earth!

        Because it is the root of myriad things - it is called 玄牝之門 - the gate of mystical female. Female because it gives birth to all things, mystical, because it lies beyond the mind.
        Finest "super-strings" are inexhaustible! Something unborn cannot die. But something born can. We talk about the first category. The unborn generates the born. Things go on infinitely and are interrelated.

        "finest threads"? Shall we speculate about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory


        Hope you enjoy the reading!
        Last edited by Anton S.; 16 February 2014, 09:13 PM.
        Engage and maintain joyful practice!

        May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

        Anton Schmick
        Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

        shaolinwahnamchina.com
        http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
        http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
        http://kungfu-luebeck.de

        Comment


        • #19
          No. 7
          第七章

          Heaven is eternal,
          Earth is enduring.

          Heaven and Earth:
          how can they be
          eternal and also enduring?

          Because they do not
          live for themselves,
          therefore they can live long.

          Therefore:
          wise men put
          themselves last.

          and yet they are ahead
          put out their self-concern
          and yet their
          self-concern is preserved.

          Is it not
          because of no
          private interests, indeed,
          that they can accomplish
          their private interests!
          Engage and maintain joyful practice!

          May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

          Anton Schmick
          Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

          shaolinwahnamchina.com
          http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
          http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
          http://kungfu-luebeck.de

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by Anton S. View Post
            No. 7
            第七章

            Heaven is eternal,
            Earth is enduring.

            Heaven and Earth:
            how can they be
            eternal and also enduring?

            Because they do not
            live for themselves,
            therefore they can live long.
            Heaven and Earth persist. Myriad things (animals, people etc.) are arising and passing away.
            How come myriad things arise and fall apart, yet Heaven and Earth does persist?
            It´s because the persist without interest, they don´t struggle for themselves but always give.

            Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

            Therefore:
            wise men put
            themselves last.

            and yet they are ahead
            put out their self-concern
            and yet their
            self-concern is preserved.
            While small men put themselves first, the wise men put themselves last.
            They are ahead (of the small men). It is due to their selflessness, their self-concern is increased.
            Just like Sky and Earth are enduring through selflessness so the wise men do.

            Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

            Is it not
            because of no
            private interests, indeed,
            that they can accomplish
            their private interests!
            When you are selfish, the private interests cannot be accomplished.
            When you care for others, your own interests will be realized.
            Engage and maintain joyful practice!

            May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

            Anton Schmick
            Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

            shaolinwahnamchina.com
            http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
            http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
            http://kungfu-luebeck.de

            Comment


            • #21
              8
              第八章

              Supreme goodness is like water:
              the water's goodness benefits
              myriads of creatures
              yet not competing;

              It dwells in places
              everyone disdains –
              insofar it comes close to Dao.

              In dwelling, cherish grounding,
              in the heart, cherish profoundness,
              in giving, cherish humanity,
              in talking, cherish sincerity,
              in ruling, cherish order,
              in business, cherish competence,
              in activities, cherish timing.

              For only without competing,
              so you are without blame.
              Engage and maintain joyful practice!

              May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

              Anton Schmick
              Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

              shaolinwahnamchina.com
              http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
              http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
              http://kungfu-luebeck.de

              Comment


              • #22
                Originally posted by Anton S. View Post
                8
                第八章

                Supreme goodness is like water:
                the water's goodness benefits
                myriads of creatures
                yet not competing;
                Supreme goodness benefits myriads of being just as water does benefit them.
                How does water bring benefits? It gives life and stills thirst of myriads of beings. Yet it does not compete with anything. Water does not compete with earth or heaven. It does what it does for the benefit of others. Supreme goodness is like water.

                Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

                It dwells in places
                everyone disdains –
                insofar it comes close to Dao.
                It is dwells in places that everyone disdains. How come? Water does not have preferences where it flows. It just flows - to beautiful and ugly places, into those of light and shadow. Supreme goodness does not choose where to be - it just flows to all creatures, beautiful and ugly, scary and adorable, danger and harmless etc. As Wang Bi mentiones - "water has substance, whereas Dao has none. This is why water comes close to Dao"

                Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

                In dwelling, cherish grounding,
                in the heart, cherish profoundness,
                in giving, cherish humanity,
                in talking, cherish sincerity,
                in ruling, cherish order,
                in business, cherish competence,
                in activities, cherish timing.
                When you dwell - be grounded, do not float in the sky when you dwell.
                In your Shen (which is in your Heart) be profound, not superficial. It means your cognition, awareness and perception better be profound, deep and clear instead of instabile, agitated and unclear.
                When you give, be humane. Do not be inhumane, greedy, angry when you give. Give with an open heart.
                When you talk, be sincere. Do not tell lies, or things you are not sincere about. Do not make false promises.
                When you rule, appreciate the order. Ruling without order is not beneficial.
                In affairs being competent is important.
                and very important - in any action cherish timing!

                Originally posted by Anton S. View Post

                For only without competing,
                so you are without blame.
                Avoiding contention, no one to blame.

                As Wang Bi says: "This states how to be like water and thus how to be with the Dao."

                Be like water my friend!
                Bruce-Lee-Quote-Be-like-Water.jpg
                Engage and maintain joyful practice!

                May all of you get the best benefits from what you do.

                Anton Schmick
                Shaolin Wahnam Germany Nord

                shaolinwahnamchina.com
                http://chikunghamburg.wordpress.com
                http://shaolinwahnam-nord.de
                http://kungfu-luebeck.de

                Comment

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