Tao Te Ching

Every year my birthday comes around and I tend to do one special thing for myself.  I suppose that is a sign that one loves oneself enough, to appreciate the day of birth and recognize it with a gift that is unique to the individual.  It is hard to figure out exactly what to get for a loved one and as much as you want to show your love, truly the person who should know you best is you.  This past year I did a very important thing for myself:  I spent my Birthday exploring Barcelona.  While in Barcelona I gave myself the ultimate gift:  I crossed off visiting the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres off of my bucketlist.  To this day I must say, it is by far one of my greatest achievements of all time.

The year before this past one, I bought myself a few books that I truly wanted, brand new off Amazon.  Oh man oh man when that package came in was I ever excited!  OOOOHH EEEE NEW BOOKIES!  I loved opening the package and seeing that both books had the same shimmery cover and colour scheme, sheek and clean in White, Black & hints of Silver.  Those books were Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu.  I picked out Into the Wild because I have been seriously unhealthily obsessed with the story of Christopher McCandless since I first watched the movie and if I become effected by something so intensely I cannot help but delve deeper and as fully as possible to gain the best understanding of it.  However today I am here to speak about the Tao.

I got the recommendation to read the Tao Te Ching from reading another novel, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey.  While James was in rehab he was given a copy of the Tao I believe from his brother, or perhaps a friend, either way it brought him peace and solitude during a time of dismal decay.  It sparked my curiosity so I made this my second book choice that particular year on my birthday and with further thought into my memory realm I realize it was not the last year but the one before that now about 2 and a half years ago.  I am not yet done the Tao because it is not something that needs to be read all at once.  It is a beautiful picture book with wonderful poems and antidotes that truly put me at a place of complete calmness and tranquillity.  Smooth as Jazz, as I like to say.

Some Excerpts:

ELEVEN

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;

It is the center hole that makes it useful.

Shape clay into a vessel;

It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room;

It is the holes that make it useful.

Therefore profit comes from what is there;

Usefulness from what is not there.

SEVENTEEN

The very highest is barely known by men.

Then comes that which they know and love,

Then that which is feared,

Then that which is despised.

He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted.

TWENTY-TWO

Yield and overcome;

Bend and be straight;

Empty and be full;

Wear out and be new;

Have little and gain;

Have much and be confused.

Therefore wise men embrace the one

And set an example to all.

Not putting on a display,

They shine forth.

Not justifying themselves,

They are distinguished.

Not boasting,

They receive recognition.

Not bragging,

They never falter.

They do not quarrel,

So no one quarrels with them.

Therefore the ancients say, "Yield and overcome."

Is that an empty saying?

Be really whole,

and all things will come to you.

TWENTY-FOUR

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.

He who strides cannot maintain the pace.

He who makes a show is not enlightened.

He who is self-righteous is not respected.

He who boasts achieves nothing.

He who brags will not endure.

According to followers of the Tao.

"These are extra food and unnecessary luggage."

They do not bring happiness.

Therefore followers of the Tao avoid them.

THIRTY

...

Achieve results,

But never glory in them.

Achieve results,

But never boast.

Achieve results,

But never be proud.

Achieve results,

Because this is the natural way.

Achieve results,

But not through violence.

Force is followed by lack of strength.

This is not the way of the Tao.

That which goes against the Tao

comes to an early end.

FORTY-ONE

...

The bright path seems dim;

Going forward seems like retreat;

The easy way seems hard;

The highest Virtue seems empty;

Great purity seems sullied;

A wealth of Virtue seems inadequate;

The strength of Virtue seems frail;

Real Virtue seems unreal;

The perfect square has no corners;

Great talents ripen late;

The highest notes are hard to hear;

The greatest form has no shape;

The Tao is hidden and without name.

The Tao alone nourishes and brings everything to fulfillment.

FORTY-SIX (and 2 haha tool reference)

...

There is no greater sin than desire,

No greater curse than discontent,

No greater misfortune than wanting something for oneself.

Therefore he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.