Tao of the Day

Today words were perticular and I stated by going over #1. Loyce joined me for #3, Marianne for #63, Jya K chose #51 and I went over a few different numbers with Johnny but focued on #15.
#1 "Expressing Tao"
Words are particular,
They cannot express Tao.
To have a name is to be limited to manifestation
That which is nameless is the source of manifestation.
Self-referential, those who name, name themselves.
Want to experience the depth of the mystery? Stop identifying.
Want to experience the shallowness of the manifestation? Differentiate.
Either way no one can tell,
The difference is in your experience.
#3 "Inspiring Strong People"
Praising the status one can achieve
Will chastise those who don't achieve it.
Praising a possession that can be owned
Will condemn those who don't own it.
When nothing arouses competition
People will be at peace.
The Master leads by not defining status or possession.
She weakens the ambition of those around her
Which toughens their resolve to be as they are.
By individuals releasing their ambition,
Everything falls into place.
#15 "Ancient Tao"
The Ancient Masters" ability to comprehend the mystery
Was so profound and subtle that they were misunderstood.
One could only describe how they must have appeared.
Careful as someone hearing the ice crack midway through crossing a lake;
Observant as someone surrounded by toxic threats;
Courteous as a guest in awe of her host;
Unpretentious as a felled branch in a wood;
Vacant as someone staring into space;
Dull as a man with nothing to boast about.
Can you be still, adding nothing until the mud settles
And it gives you the opportunity to see clearly?
Can you be still until, on its own accord,
The next action presents itself to you?
The Master has no need for herself.
She doesn't seek or expect attention.
Not needing to appease herself
She has no requests.
#51 "The Cycle"
Life is a gift received from Tao,
It sustains all things as part of that gift.
Everything emerges perfect, unconscious, and free
Harmonizing with all things,
Completely maturing in its own time.
All things exist, and are nurtured through Tao,
It fosters and provides for them completely.
Tao does not possess or interfere
Each expressing and maturing in their own nature.
When their experience is complete
Tao receives them again.
#63 "Problems are no Problem"
Be still and you will act without doing,
Be still and your work will happen regularly.
Be still and your senses will engage the subtle.
Similarly engage a stranger as the multitude.
See the majesty of mountains in a grain of sand.
The Master knows greatness cannot be grasped.
Remaining still, she allows greatness to flow through her.
With no desire to achieve it, her stillness guides her,
Making subtle movements the difficult seems easy.
She knows that all of life is not without its problems
So problems turn out to be no problem at all.

Today I got to talk wiht Cici abdout #32, Stephanie, chose #25, and Marianne selected #43 afterwhich Melissa and I spoke about #11.
#11 "Emptiness is Valuable"
Spokes, tire, rim, and hub all make a wheel,
Yet it is the space where the axel goes that makes it worthwhile.
Clay is formed into a vessel,
A vessel"s function is to hold things,
Thus its form includes emptiness.
A house can be built
But if it were solid, it would be useless.
It is easy to see structure,
But structure is there to expose the value of emptiness.
#25 "I Call it Tao"
Before the manifestation of heaven there is void
It is still and has no form.
Inexhaustible it reaches everywhere
It is at the core of everything.
Since names became important
It has been called Tao.
It flows among manifestation without resistance
Inside, outside, conscience and subconscious.
Tao is great.
Universes are great.
Planets are great.
Beings are great.
These four are all great and follow the law of their principle;
All beings follow their planet,
Planets follow their universe,
Universes follow Tao,
Tao follows only its nature.
#32 "It is Not What You Can See"
So subtle is Tao it has never been seen
And yet nothing that can be seen is without it.
When beings can remain centered in Tao
All that they perceive is in harmony.
As that harmony inspires actions,
Those actions will have names,
Know that those names are provisional.
If those actions inspire institutions to form,
Know where their reach should end.
Inspired actions, although they may have names,
Those names needn't be taken too seriously.
Tao is behind it all
Even if you cannot see it.
#43 "Be Silent and Learn"
The flexible will outlast the ridged.
The gentle will outlast the hard.
Tao, which has no structure, has penetrated all
Even that which has no space to enter.
Through this I see that unforced action, and silence are the only path to completeness.
Action, free of expectation and desire,
This is the lesson of the nature of things.
Listen to your nature, be silent and learn.

Today got a little emotional at times but I started with talking a bit about #57 when Sandy joined for #11 and Melissa chose #68. Jay K wrapped it al up with #38
#11 "Emptiness is Valuable"
Spokes, tire, rim, and hub all make a wheel,
Yet it is the space where the axel goes that makes it worthwhile.
Clay is formed into a vessel,
A vessel"s function is to hold things,
Thus its form includes emptiness.
A house can be built
But if it were solid, it would be useless.
It is easy to see structure,
But structure is there to expose the value of emptiness.
#38 "Dissolution of Tao"
Masters have nothing to prove
Making their power self-evident.
Others continue to grasp at power
Thus they never have enough.
Masters needn't do a thing
In so doing nothing is disregarded.
Others are constantly doing
Leaving everything else still to be done.
The kind man does, and in so doing reveals all that remains undone.
The just man does, and in so doing reveals all that still needs to be done.
The moral man does and when there is no support will use force to gain consensus.
When Tao is lost, we lean on etiquette.
When that fails, we turn to morality.
When morality dissolves, we teach ritual.
Those who have only known ritual
Are filled with shadow and ignorance.
Therefore, the Master concerns herself
With the substance not the shadow.
She has no destination,
Only to reside within herself
Not the manifestation.
#57 "Laws are All in the Heart"
Tao governs all things by discarding objectives.
Never possessing or interfering,
All things only need abide the law in their heart,
In this way they are free from desire.
When Tao is ignored, objectives rule the day.
Rules are created that make people expend energy to get around them.
Intelligence is praised and rewarded while products become more demonic and intrusive.
Weapons are paraded, fear spreads, and the hearts of all things close off.
As litigation becomes a national focus politicians and criminals multiply.
The Master needn't engage these traps
She is quiet, and people follow their light
She is peaceful, and people are compelled to be honest
She does nothing, and all things flourish together.
Have no desire and all things will achieve primal existence.
#68 "Do What you Love to Do"
Great athletes love to play, not win
Great fighters love to fight, not be angry
Great generals love to strategize, not destroy
Great employers love to employ, not be a boss.
Great musicians love to play, not perform.
They are not attached to identities or outcomes,
They simply dance with what they love to do.
This is in harmony with Tao.

I started talking about #69 and conflict resolution and was joined by Dayo and the conversation went ver gender sideways with #6.
#6 "The Great Feminine"
Everything is born from the feminine,
Even Heaven and Earth.
The Feminine that births is a Mother,
She nourishes and supports without possessing.
Despite your awareness of it
You are using it right now.
#69 "An Invitation to Conflict"
In conflict the Master will never host aggression.
She would much prefer to be the guest
And relinquish space, rather than claim it.
This allows the host space to exhaust themselves
Without the Master having to weaponize anything.
Wanting to control through aggression is foolish
This underestimates conflict and its results.
When you choose to conflict with another
You look down on them and lose the 3 lessons. (Verse 67)
By creating an enemy, you become an enemy.
When two forces oppose each other
The one who relinquishes prevails.

Today I had a great group of contributers starting with the 3 Js: Julie, Jay K, and Johnny, selecting #53, #43, and #21 respectively. Marianny joined for the randomly selected #16 and Susan for #74.

#16 "Stillness and Integration"
Being empty of mind is of the utmost importance
And it is to be guarded with fervor.
We have all seen states of action arise,
And always beyond it returns stillness.

When any state of action is complete
It naturally returns to stillness.
This allows integration of what arose from action
Which is the natural cycle of maturation.

If stillness and integration cannot be achieved
Constant action will lead to anxiety and wild movements.
Yielding to stillness makes one impartial,
And all particular things fall away,
Then when it is time to die
One can be impartial to that as well.

#21 "Tao is not Temporary"
The Master is at peace knowing she is of manifestation
And that manifestations are always temporary.
Knowing this, she always follows Tao.

How can she be at peace knowing she is temporary?
Because she doesn't cling to her life or ideas
And still she is fulfilled.

Tao cannot be fathomed or known; how can she follow it?
She allows it to lead her from moment to moment.
Tao is, and is always,
Even before the manifestation of time and space.
Tao is beyond both temporary and forever.

How do I know this to be true?
The evidence is within me as it is within you.

#43 "Be Silent and Learn"
The flexible will outlast the ridged.
The gentle will outlast the hard.
Tao, which has no structure, has penetrated all
Even that which has no space to enter.

Through this I see that unforced action, and silence are the only path to completeness.

Action, free of expectation and desire,
This is the lesson of the nature of things.
Listen to your nature, be silent and learn.

#53 "Tao is Easy"
There is nothing simpler than to walk the way of Tao
The only thing you'd fear is getting sidetracked
And yet many people think there is an easier way.

They pacify themselves with possessions and entertainment
Distracting themselves enough to never see their bankrupt lives.
They continue to acquire and convince others to join them in struggle.
Everyone eating and drinking yet consumed by starvation and thirst.

Excess is a thief, and the victim is the true self.
This is not easy, this is not Tao.

#74 "Don't Cut Yourself"
People are not naturally afraid to die
It is what we are born to do.

Fear of death is important if you want to rule over the people
However, you must artificially instill this fear into their hearts.
To accomplish this you kill as an example to control the masses.

Since the beginning of time there has been one executioner,
Trying to take its place will lead to nothing good.
As a novice with a master carpenter's tools
You're going to cut yourself.