Tao of the Day

I was talking about #69 and how the USA dropped out of the World Cup losing all their integrity along the way. Stephanie joined me for #50. Virgina took advantage fo Newbie Tuesday and chose #10.
#10 "Authentic Action"
Can you control your mind, so it doesn't wonder?
Can you control your body, so it doesn't wander?
Can you endorse all that you do?
Can you love everyone so as to inspire them?
Can you do all this without interfering and remain unknown?
Can you leave behind knowing and open yourself to understanding?
Can you be like Tao and give birth
Without possessing?
Can you be like Tao and act
Without expecting?
Can you be like Tao and lead
without dominating?
If so, it would be considered great.
#50 "Awareness of Death"
Every being is entrusted with life for a time
However, it is only a prelude to death.
Some live as optimists, embracing life,
Others live as pessimists, embracing death,
Some even live in preservation,
Passively living, advancing toward death.
The Master lives aware of her appointment with death,
This brings her to knowing Real Life.
She cannot be harmed by rhinoceros or man
Her movements flow from her being.
She cannot be fooled by illusion or hallucination
Her actions flow from her being.
She has freed herself of all separateness
Even the distinction between life and death.
#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.

I kicked it all off with an in-depth monologue about #57. Sandy joined me with #9, Julie and I joked around about the World Cup and talked about #13. Jay K then came up and we shared some stories and #70.
#9 "The Danger of Extremes"
Having to prove yourself
Will allow challenges to best you.
Focus your attention on money
And lose sight of what is valuable.
Keep in mind outside influence
And you will be its prisoner.
Do what you do and move on,
It isn't yours anyway.
#13 "Finding Equality at the Extremes"
To succeed and to fail are equally undesirable.
Creation and destruction are equally present within us.
What do I mean by "To succeed and to fail are equally undesirable?"
The more success you have the more you protect it by hiding failure.
The more you associate with failure the more you embody it.
When neither success nor failure is identified as the destination
Being becomes the objective.
What do I mean by "Creation and destruction are equally present within us?"
Having a body and a mind, with which I identify, gets me involved in the manifestation.
The manifestation convinces me of my actions
And so naming them I both create and destroy
Neither of which are unique.
To see yourself with indifference
You will have faith in all things.
To see the world with indifference
You will be able to care for it all.
#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.
#70 "These Teachings"
These teachings are simple and transform lives
Yet mere intellect cannot grasp them.
These teachings are older than life and benefit all things,
Yet people prefer the manifestation.
Very few people will ever truly understand what is written herein
But for those few, these pages will guide them to themselves.
Meanwhile, they will be labeled as course and uncaring
In the manifestation they are seen as dull and disinterested
Yet, in their heart, shines a light for all things.

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.