Monthly Archives: October 2006

Good weapons are instruments of fear; all creatures hate them. Carrying on with the idea of Thirty, Lao Tsu makes it clear that weapons and war are never prized by one who follows The Way. Living as I do in … Continue reading →

Whenever you advise a ruler in the way of the Tao, Counsel him not to use force to conquer the universe. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I have found many connections between the truths of Taoism and the … Continue reading →

Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency. I think in considering Chapter Twenty-Nine that we can divide it into two parts comprised of two stanzas each. I’ll address the second part first. The quote above sums up this second … Continue reading →

Be the valley of the universe! Being the valley of the universe, Ever true and resourceful, Return to the state of the uncarved block. We have heard mention of the valley spirit from Lao Tsu before. The valley spirit represents … Continue reading →

The still is the master of unrest. The practice of meditation is the training of the spirit in stillness. No matter how many times I try, I have never been able to still my mind in meditation. It’s almost as … Continue reading →

Something mysteriously formed, Born before heaven and earth. In the silence and the void, Standing alone and unchanging, Ever present and in motion. Twenty-five is one of the most overtly poetic chapters of the Tao Te Ching. Even in translation … Continue reading →

When I read Chapter Twenty-Four, the picture that comes to mind for me is of The Asshole-in-Chief, G.W. Bush, standing on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf a few weeks after the start of the war in Iraq saying … Continue reading →

If heaven and earth cannot make things eternal, How is it possible for man? It is only our grasping nature that demands the universe stand still for us. Change is so clearly the norm in the universe. It is interesting … Continue reading →