›

Chapter of the Week: #81 [Archive]

CarlCarl
edited February 2007 in Taoism and the Tao Te Ching
... naturally.


If we're playing the 'sum it up game' then here's my roll..


Its an illusion that its an illusion.

or is that just a constant that can be named? :P round.. and round.. i'm dizzy.

:roll: Well, that levels out any of the value I inev[chref=5]i[/chref]tably enjoy giving to 'my conclusions'
... oh the irony, oh the mixed bag.

Comments

  • CarlCarl
    edited September 2008
    Each week we address one chapter of the Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching can be obscure, especially if you think you're supposed to understand what it's saying! We find it easier and more instructive to simply contemplate how the chapter resonates with your personal experience. Becoming more aware at this fundamental level simplifies life. This approach conforms to the view that true knowing lies within ourselves. Thus, when a passage in the scripture resonates, you've found your inner truth. The same applies for when it evokes a question; questions are the grist for self realization.

    Chapter 81
    Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words
    are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good. He who knows has no wide
    learning; he who has wide learning does not know.

    The sage does not hoard.
    Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more;
    Having given all he has to others, he is richer still.

    The way of heaven benefits and does not harm; the way of the sage is bountiful
    and does not contend.

    Read commentary previously posted for this chapter.
  • CarlCarl
    edited December 1969
    [[b]Note:[/b] I italicize phrases I borrow from the chapter, and link to phrases I borrow from other chapters to help tie chapters together. While making it more tedious to read, :? the Tao Te Ching is best pondered in the context of the whole.]

    Well first, I hope [i]my words are not beautiful[/i]. I've never been accused of that anyway. Seriously though, what would make [i]beautiful words not truthful?[/i] What are [i]beautiful words[/i] anyway? After all, [chref=2]the whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly[/chref]. Hmm,... let's not go there now.

    As a symptom, seeing certain [i]words[/i] as [i]beautiful[/i] means we are seeing what we 'want' to see. Let's face it, what we love looks [i]beautiful[/i], what we hate looks ugly. So, how really comfortable are we with truth usually? We only see truth when it happens to coincide with what we want (like or love) to see. Generally we want 'truth' to agree with what we [chref=37]desire[/chref] - our expectations. Also, we invariably [chref=71]think that[/chref] the beauty we feel is a property of the object that provokes our experience of beauty. So tell me, when a [i]beautiful[/i] tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see or hear it, does it look [i]beautiful[/i]; does it make any sound?

    It is likely that serious words are more truthful. It is interesting to note that serious in Chinese is [i]renzhen[/i] which literally translates out this way. [i]Ren[/i] = recognize; know; admit; accept as unavoidable; resign oneself to. [i]Zhen[/i] = true; real; genuine; really; truly; indeed; clearly; unmistakably. I have found that each time I finally [i]accept as unavoidable[/i] that which I have long known to be [i]unmistakably true[/i], I am closer to becoming [chref=41]the best student[/chref] of the way. Sure it takes time, but doesn't any good wine?

    How can it be that [i]he who knows has no wide learning[/i]? True [i]knowing[/i] is a matter of perspective and not how [i]wide[/i] our [i]learning[/i] and knowledge. I suspect that even a caveman who [i]knew[/i], would say humanity's nuclear weaponry is symptomatic of our profound [chref=16]ignorance of the constant[/chref]. Alas, [chref=3]clever[/chref] minds [chref=9]filled it to the brim[/chref] with [i]wide learning[/i] are the ones who created them. In a way, experts are fools; the narrow focus required to be an expert blinds us to the 'bigger picture'. The fact that we all play along with such folly indicates we are all 'experts' in our own right. :oops:

    Here's the rough and ready literal translation. It seems to differs from D.C. Lau's above in regard to, '[i]Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more; Having given all he has to others, he is richer still'. [/i]Certainly that's a fine sentiment, but is it what is being said? The Chinese literally says, [i]'already regard oneself recovered. regard together with oneself recovered much'[/i]. For me this means as I come to accept myself as I am, I recovered much. Isn't one difficulty of ours that of wanting to be more than we are, instead of simply wanting to be who we are already. In other words, [chref=15]he who holds fast to this way desires not to be full. It is because he is not full that he can be worn and yet newly made[/chref].

    (Note: These two extras lines < are found in the Ma Wang Dui manuscript. The first, [i]knowing not rich, rich not knowing[/i], reminds me of Christ's view, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God". The second, [i]goodness not much, much not goodness[/i], brings to mind, "less is more".)

    [i]true words not beautiful. beautiful words not true.
    good words not argue. argue words not good.
    knowing not gain. gain not knowing.
    < knowing not rich, rich not knowing
    < goodness not much, much not goodness
    wise man not accumulate.
    already regard oneself recovered.
    regard together with oneself recovered much
    heaven of way benefit and not harm
    wise mand of way does and not contend[/i]
Sign In or Register to comment.