Storied Sounds - The Tao Te Ching & Rain On A Tent (8 Hr)

No earbuds or headphones required.

5 REM cycles. Drift off to sleep to actual field recordings of rain on a tent while hearing a bedtime reading of an iconic spiritual text. These natural soundtracks are more effective than standard noise tracks because they include isochronic tone brainwave entrainment frequencies that match the timing and the frequencies associated with an scientifically demonstrated optimal 8 hours of sleep.

Perfectly timed square waves spanning 10 hz to 1 hz (alpha - theta - delta) influence your brain giving you the best rem cycles and groggy-free waking.

Nature meets science: the Frequency-Following Response (FFR) is the natural tendency of the brain’s electrical activity (brainwaves) to synchronize with the rhythm of external, repetitive stimuli. When the brain is exposed to consistent auditory (isochronic tones) stimulus, the neural ensembles in the cerebral cortex adjust their own electrical oscillations to match the frequency of that stimulus.

Transcript

Let's fall asleep listening to a translation of the Dao Te Ching,

Which is believed to be written in roughly the 4th century BCE.

It's a foundational Chinese text traditionally attributed to the sage Lao Tzu.

The modern scholarship suggests it is a composite work,

Likely written by multiple authors to restore harmony during the Warring States period.

It serves as the primary text of Daoism,

Focusing on Dao,

The Way,

And Te,

Or Virtue.

A way that can be walked is not the way.

A name that can be named is not the name.

Dao is both named and nameless.

As nameless,

It is the origin of all things.

As named,

It is the mother of all things.

A mind free of thought,

Merged within itself,

Beholds the essence of Dao.

A mind filled with thought,

Identified with its own perceptions,

Beholds the mere forms of this world.

Dao and this world seem different,

But in truth,

They are one and the same.

The only difference is in what we call them.

How deep and mysterious is this unity?

How profound,

How great.

It is the truth beyond the truth,

The hidden within the hidden.

It is the path to all wonder,

The gate to the essence of everything.

Everyone recognizes beauty only because of ugliness.

Everyone recognizes virtue only because of sin.

Life and death are born together.

Difficult and easy.

Long and short.

High and low.

All these exist together.

Sound and silence blend as one.

Before and after arrive as one.

The sage acts without action and teaches without talking.

All things flourish around him and he does not refuse any one of them.

He gives,

But not to receive.

He works,

But not for reward.

He completes,

But not for results.

He does nothing for himself in this passing world,

So nothing he does ever passes.

Putting a value on status will cause people to compete.

Hoarding treasure will turn them into thieves.

Showing off possessions will disturb their daily lives.

Thus,

The sage rules by stilling minds and opening hearts.

By filling bellies and strengthening bones.

He shows people how to be simple and live without desires.

To be content and not look for other ways.

With the people so pure.

Who could trick them?

What clever ideas could lead them astray?

When action is pure and selfless,

Everything settles into its own perfect place.

Verse 4 Tao is empty,

Yet it fills every vessel with endless supply.

Tao is hidden,

Yet it shines in every corner of the universe.

With it,

The sharp edges become smooth.

The twisted knots loosen.

The sun is softened by a cloud.

The dust settles into place.

So deep,

So pure,

So still.

It has been this way forever.

You may ask,

Whose child is it?

But I cannot say.

This child was here before the great ancestor.

Verse 5 Heaven and earth have no preference.

A man may choose one over another.

But to heaven and earth,

All are the same.

The high,

The low,

The great,

The small.

All are given light.

All get a place to rest.

The sage is like heaven and earth.

To him,

None are especially dear.

Nor is there anyone he disfavors.

He gives and gives without condition,

Offering his treasure to everyone.

The universe is like a bellows.

It stays empty,

Yet is never exhausted.

It gives out,

Yet always brings forth more.

Man is not like this.

When he blows out air like a bellows,

He becomes exhausted.

Man was not made to blow out air.

He was made to sit quietly and find the truth within.

Verse 6 Endlessly creating.

Endlessly pulsating.

The spirit of the valley never dies.

She is called the hidden creator.

Although she becomes the whole universe,

Her immaculate purity is never lost.

Although she assumes countless forms,

Her true identity remains intact.

Whatever we see or don't see,

Whatever exists or doesn't exist,

Is nothing but the creation of this supreme power.

Tao is limitless,

Unborn,

Eternal.

It can only be reached through the hidden creator.

She is the very face of the absolute,

The gate to the source of all things eternal.

Listen to her voice.

Hear it echo through creation.

Without fail,

She reveals her presence.

Without fail,

She brings us to our own perfection.

Verse 7 Heaven is ancient.

Earth is long-lasting.

Why is this so?

Because they have no claims to life.

By having no claims to life,

They cannot be claimed by death.

The sage puts his own views behind,

So he ends up ahead.

He stays a witness to life,

So he endures.

What could he grab for that he does not already have?

What could he do for himself that the universe itself has not already done?

Verse 8 The best way to live is to be like water,

For water benefits all things and goes against none of them.

It provides for all people and even cleanses those places a man is loath to go.

In this way,

It is just like Tao.

Live in accordance with the nature of things.

Build your house on solid ground.

Keep your mind still.

When giving,

Be kind.

When speaking,

Be truthful.

When ruling,

Be just.

When working,

Be one-pointed.

When acting,

Remember,

Timing is everything.

One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things.

He moves in harmony with the present moment,

Always knowing the truth of just what to do.

Verse 9 Grabbing and stuffing,

There is no end to it.

Sharpen a blade too much and its edge will soon be lost.

Fill a house with gold and jade and no one can protect it.

Puff yourself with honor and pride and no one can save you from a fall.

Complete the task at hand.

Be selfless in your actions.

This is the way of heaven.

This is the way to heaven.

Verse 10 Hold fast to the power of the One.

It will unify the body and merge it with the spirit.

It will cleanse the vision and reveal the world as flawless.

It will focus the life force and make one supple as a newborn.

As you love the people and rule the state,

Can you be free of self-interest as the gates of heaven open and close?

Can you remain steadfast as a mother bird who sits with her nest?

As your wisdom reaches the four corners of the world,

Can you keep the innocence of a beginner?

Know this primal power that guides without forcing,

That serves without seeking,

That brings forth and sustains life,

Yet does not own or possess it.

One who holds this power brings Tao to this very earth.

He can triumph over a raging fire or the freeze of winter weather,

Yet when he comes to rule the world,

It's with the gentleness of a feather.

Verse 11 Wu is nothingness,

Emptiness,

Non-existence.

Thirty spokes of a wheel all join at a common hub,

Yet only the hole at the center allows the wheel to spin.

Clay is molded to form a cup,

Yet only the space within allows the cup to hold water.

Walls are joined to make a room,

Yet only by cutting out a door and a window can one enter the room and live there.

Thus,

When a thing has existence alone,

It is mere dead weight.

Only when it has Wu does it have life.

Verse 12 The five colors blind the eye,

The five tones deafen the ear,

The five flavors dull the palate.

Racing,

Hunting,

And galloping about only disturb the mind.

Wasting energy to obtain rare objects only impedes one's growth.

So the sage is led by his inner truth and not his outer eye.

He holds to what is deep and not what lies on the surface.

Verse 13 Be wary of both honor and disgrace.

Endless affliction is bound to the body.

What does it mean,

Be wary of both honor and disgrace?

Honor is founded on disgrace and disgrace is rooted in honor.

Both should be avoided.

Both bind a man to this world.

That's why it says,

Be wary of both honor and disgrace.

What does it mean,

Endless affliction is bound to the body?

Man's true self is eternal.

Yet he thinks,

I am this body,

I will soon die.

This false sense of self is the cause of all his sorrow.

When a person does not identify himself with the body,

Tell me,

What troubles could touch him?

One who sees himself as everything is fit to be guardian of the world.

One who loves himself as everyone is fit to be teacher of the world.

Verse 14 Eyes look but cannot see it.

Ears listen but cannot hear it.

Hands grasp but cannot touch it.

Beyond the senses lies the great unity,

Invisible,

Inaudible,

Intangible.

What rises up appears bright.

What settles down appears dark.

Yet there is neither darkness nor light,

Just an unbroken dance of shadows.

From nothingness to fullness and back again to nothingness.

This formless form,

This imageless image,

Cannot be grasped by mind or might.

Try to face it.

In what place will you stand?

Try to follow it.

To what place will you go?

Know that which is beyond all beginnings and you will know everything here and now.

Know everything in this moment and you will know the eternal Tao.

Verse 15 The masters of this ancient path are mysterious and profound.

Their inner state baffles all inquiry.

Their depths go beyond all knowing.

Thus,

Despite every effort,

We can only tell of their outer signs.

Deliberate,

As if treading over the stones of a winter brook.

Watchful,

As if meeting danger on all sides.

Reverent,

As if receiving an honored guest.

Selfless,

Like a melting block of ice.

Pure,

Like an uncarved block of wood.

Accepting,

Like an open valley.

Through the course of nature,

Muddy water becomes clear.

Through the unfolding of life,

Man reaches perfection.

Through sustained activity,

That supreme rest is naturally found.

Those who have Tao want nothing else.

Though seemingly empty,

They are ever full.

Though seemingly old,

They are beyond the reach of birth and death.

Verse 16 Become totally empty.

Quiet the restlessness of the mind.

Only then will you witness everything unfolding from emptiness.

See all things flourish and dance in endless variation.

And once again,

Merge back into perfect emptiness.

Their true repose.

Their true nature.

Emerging,

Flourishing,

Dissolving back again.

This is the eternal process of return.

To know this process brings enlightenment.

To miss this process brings disaster.

Be still.

Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity.

Eternity embraces the all-possible.

The all-possible leads to a vision of oneness.

A vision of oneness brings about universal love.

Universal love supports the great truth of nature.

The great truth of nature is Tao.

Whoever knows this truth lives forever.

The body may perish.

Deeds may be forgotten.

But he who has Tao has all eternity.

Verse 17 To know Tao alone,

Without trace of your own existence,

Is the highest.

Next comes loving and praising it.

Then fearing it.

Then despising it.

If one doesn't trust himself,

How can he trust anyone else?

The great ruler speaks little and his words are priceless.

He works without self-interest and leaves no trace.

When all is finished,

The people say,

It happened by itself.

Verse 18 When the greatness of Tao is present,

Action arises from one's own heart.

When the greatness of Tao is absent,

Action comes from the rules of kindness and justice.

If you need rules to be kind and just,

If you act virtuous,

This is a sure sign that virtue is absent.

Thus,

We see the great hypocrisy.

Only when the family loses its harmony do we hear of dutiful sons.

Only when the state is in chaos do we hear of loyal ministers.

Verse 19 Abandon holiness.

Discard cleverness.

And the people will benefit a hundredfold.

Abandon the rules of kindness.

Discard righteous actions.

And the people will return to their own natural affections.

Abandon book learning.

Discard the rules of behavior and the people will have no worries.

Abandon plots and schemes.

Discard profit-seeking and the people will not become thieves.

These lessons are mere elaborations.

The essence of my teachings is this.

See with original purity.

Embrace with original simplicity.

Reduce what you have.

Decrease what you want.

Verse 20 The difference between a formal yes and a casual yeah.

How slight.

The difference between knowing the truth and not knowing it.

How great.

Must I fear what others fear?

Should I fear desolation when there is abundance?

Should I fear darkness when that light is shining everywhere?

Nonsense.

The people of this world are steeped in their merrymaking.

As if gorging at a great feast.

Or watching the sights of springtime.

Yet here I sit without a sign.

Staring blank-eyed like a child.

I am but a guest in this world.

While others rush about to get things done.

I accept what is offered.

Oh,

My mind is like that of a fool.

Aloof to the clamor of life around me.

Everyone seems so bright and alive.

With the sharp distinctions of day.

I appear dark and dull.

With the blending of differences by night.

I am drifting like an ocean.

Floating like the high winds.

Everyone is so rooted in this world.

Yet I have no place to rest my head.

Indeed,

I am different.

I have no treasure but the Eternal Mother.

I have no food but what comes from her breast.

Verse 21.

Perfect action.

True virtue.

Supreme power.

This is how Tao is revealed.

Through those who follow it completely.

Though formless and intangible.

It gives rise to form.

Though vague and elusive.

It gives rise to shapes.

Though dark and obscure.

It is the spirit.

The essence.

The life breath of all things.

But is it real?

You ask.

I say its evidence is all of creation.

From the first moment to the present.

The name has been sounding.

It is the gate through which the universe enters.

The witness by which the universe sees.

How have I come to know all this?

That very name has told me.

That name which is sounding right here.

Right now.

Verse 22.

Surrender brings perfection.

The crooked become straight.

The empty become full.

The worn become new.

Have little and gain much.

Have much and be confused.

So the sage embraces the one.

And becomes a model for the world.

Without showing himself.

He shines forth.

Without promoting himself.

He is distinguished.

Without claiming reward.

He gains endless merit.

Without seeking glory.

His glory endures.

The sage knows how to follow.

So he comes to command.

He does not compete.

So no one under heaven can compete with him.

The ancient saying.

Surrender brings perfection.

Is not just empty words.

Truly surrender brings perfection.

And perfection brings the whole universe.

Verse 23.

Speak little.

Hold to your own nature.

A strong wind does not blow all morning.

A cloud burst does not last all day.

The wind and rain are from heaven and earth.

And even these do not last long.

How much less so the efforts of man.

One who lives in accordance with the truth.

Becomes the embodiment of Tao.

His actions become those of nature.

His ways those of heaven.

It is through such a one.

That heaven rejoices.

That earth rejoices.

That all of life rejoices.

Verse 24.

On his tiptoes a man is not steady.

Taking long strides he cannot keep pace.

To the self-serving nothing shines forth.

To the self-promoting nothing is distinguished.

To the self-appointing nothing bears fruit.

To the self-righteous nothing endures.

From the viewpoint of Tao.

This self-indulgence is like rotting food.

And painful growths on the body.

Things that all creatures despise.

So why hold on to them?

When walking the path of Tao.

This is the very stuff that must be uprooted.

Thrown out and left behind.

Verse 25.

Something formless complete in itself.

There before heaven and earth.

Tranquil.

Vast.

Standing alone.

Unchanging.

It provides for all things.

Yet cannot be exhausted.

It is the mother of the universe.

I do not know its name.

So I call it Tao.

Forced to name it further.

I call it the greatness of all things.

The end of all endings.

I call it that which is beyond the beyond.

That to which all things return.

From Tao comes all greatness.

It makes heaven great.

It makes earth great.

It makes man great.

Mankind depends on the laws of earth.

Earth depends on the laws of heaven.

Heaven depends on the laws of Tao.

But Tao depends on itself alone.

Supremely free.

Self so.

It rests in its own nature.

Verse 26.

The inner is foundation of the outer.

The still is master of the restless.

The sage travels all day.

Yet never leaves his inner treasure.

Though the views are captivating and beg attention.

He remains calm and uninvolved.

Tell me.

Does the lord of a great empire go out begging for rice?

One who seeks his treasure in the outer world.

Is cut off from his own roots.

Without roots he becomes restless.

Being restless his mind is weak.

And with a mind such as this.

He loses all command below heaven.

Verse 27.

A knower of the truth travels without leaving a trace.

Speaks without causing harm.

Gives without keeping an account.

The door he shuts though having no lock cannot be opened.

The knot he ties though using no cord cannot be undone.

The sage is always on the side of virtue.

So everyone around him prospers.

He is always on the side of truth.

So everything around him is fulfilled.

The path of the sage is called.

The path of illumination.

He who gives himself to this path.

Is like a block of wood.

That gives itself to the chisel.

Cut by cut it is honed to perfection.

Only a student who gives himself.

Can receive the master's gift.

If you think otherwise.

Despite your knowledge.

You have blundered.

Giving and receiving are one.

This is called the great wonder.

The essential mystery.

The very heart of all that is true.

Verse 28.

Hold your male side with your female side.

Hold your bright side with your dull side.

Hold your high side with your low side.

Then you will be able to hold the whole world.

When the opposing forces unite within.

There comes a power abundant in its giving.

And unerring in its effect.

Flowing through everything.

It returns one to the first breath.

Guiding everything.

It returns one to no limits.

Embracing everything.

It returns one to the uncarved block.

When the block is divided.

It becomes something useful.

And leaders rule with a few pieces of it.

But the sage holds the block complete.

Holding all things within himself.

He preserves the great unity.

Which cannot be ruled or divided.

Verse 29.

Those who look down upon this world.

Will surely take hold.

And try to change things.

But this is a plan.

I've always seen fail.

The world is Tao's own vessel.

It is perfection manifest.

It cannot be changed.

It cannot be improved.

For those who go on tampering.

It's ruined.

For those who try to grasp.

It's gone.

Allow your life to unfold naturally.

Know that it too is a vessel of perfection.

Just as you breathe in and breathe out.

Sometimes you're ahead.

And other times behind.

Sometimes you're strong.

And other times weak.

Sometimes you're with people.

And other times alone.

To the sage all of life.

Is a movement toward perfection.

So what need has he for the excessive.

The extravagant.

Or the extreme.

Verse 30.

Those who rule in accordance with Tao.

Do not use force against the world.

For that which is forced.

Is likely to return where armies settle.

Nature offers nothing but briars and thorns.

After a great battle has been fought.

The land is cursed.

The crops fail.

The earth lies stripped of its motherhood.

A knower of the truth does what is called for.

Then stops.

He uses his strength.

But does not force things in the same way.

Complete your task.

Seek no reward.

Make no claims.

Without faltering.

Fully choose to do what you must do.

This is to live without forcing.

To overcome without conquering.

Things that gain a place by force.

Will flourish for a time.

But then fade away.

They are not in keeping with Tao.

Whatever is not in keeping with Tao.

Will come to an early end.

Verse 31.

Even the finest warrior is defeated.

When he goes against natural law.

By his own hand he is doomed.

And all creatures are likely to despise him.

One who knows Tao.

Never turns from life's calling.

When at home he honors the side of rest.

When at war he honors the side of action.

Peace and tranquility are what he holds most dear.

So he does not obtain weapons.

But when their use is unavoidable.

He employs them with fortitude and zeal.

Do not flaunt your excellence.

Do not rejoice over victory.

With the loss of others.

Weep with sorrow and grief.

After winning a battle.

Do not celebrate.

Observe the rites of a funeral.

One who is bound to action.

Proud of victory.

And delights in the misfortune of others.

Will never gain a thing.

From this world below heaven.

Verse 32.

Tao is eternal.

One without a second.

Simple indeed yet so subtle.

That no one can master it.

If princes and kings could just hold it.

All things would flock to their kingdom.

Heaven and earth would rejoice.

With the dripping of sweet dew.

Everyone would live in harmony.

Not by official decree.

But by their own inner goodness.

This world is nothing but the glory of Tao.

Expressed through different names and forms.

One who sees the things of this world.

As being real.

And self-existent.

Has lost sight of the truth.

To him.

Every word becomes a trap.

Everything becomes a prison.

One who knows the truth.

That underlies all things.

Lives in this world without danger.

To him.

Every word reflects the universe.

Every moment brings enlightenment.

Rivers and streams are born of the ocean.

All creation is born of Tao.

Just as all water flows back to become the ocean.

All creation flows back to become Tao.

Verse 33.

One who knows others is intelligent.

One who knows himself is enlightened.

One who conquers others is strong.

One who conquers himself is all-powerful.

One who approaches life with force surely gets something.

One who remains content where he is surely gets everything.

One who gives himself to his position surely lives long.

One who gives himself to Tao surely lives forever.

Verse 34.

The great Tao flows everywhere.

It fills everything to the left and to the right.

All things owe their existence to it.

And it cannot deny any one of them.

Tao is eternal.

It does not favor one over the other.

It brings all things to completion without their even knowing it.

Tao nourishes and protects all creatures yet does not claim lordship over them.

So we class it with the most humble Tao is the home to which all things return yet it wants nothing in return.

So we call it the greatest.

The sage is the same way.

He does not claim greatness over anything.

He's not even aware of his own greatness.

Tell me what could be greater than this.

Verse 35.

Hold fast to the great form within and let the world pass as it may.

Then the changes of life will not bring pain but contentment,

Joy and well-being.

Music and sweets are passing pleasures yet they cause people to stop.

How bland and insipid are the things of this world when one compares them with Tao.

One tastes but the sweetness turns bitter.

One sees but the colors grow faint.

One hears but the sound fades into silence.

One may look for fulfillment in this world but his longings will never be exhausted.

The only thing he ever finds is that he himself is exhausted.

Verse 36.

Contraction pulls at that which extends too far.

Weakness pulls at that which strengthens too much.

Ruin pulls at that which rises too high.

Loss pulls at life when you fill it with too much stuff.

The lesson here is called the wisdom of obscurity.

The gentle outlast the strong.

The obscure outlast the obvious.

Hence a fish that ventures from deep water is soon snagged by a net.

A country that reveals its strength is soon conquered by an enemy.

Verse 37.

Tao does not act yet it is the root of all action.

Tao does not move yet it is the source of all creation.

If princes and kings could hold it everyone under them would naturally turn within should a doubt or old desire rise up.

The nameless simplicity would push it down.

The nameless simplicity frees the heart of desire and reveals its inner silence.

When there is silence one finds peace.

When there is silence one finds the anchor of the universe within himself.

Verse 38.

To give without seeking reward.

To help without thinking it is virtuous.

Therein lies great virtue.

To keep account of your actions.

To help with the hope of gaining merit.

Therein lies no virtue.

The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self.

The highest kindness is to give without condition.

The highest justice is to see without preference.

When Tao is lost one must learn the rules of virtue.

When virtue is lost the rules of kindness.

When kindness is lost the rules of justice.

When justice is lost the rules of conduct.

And when the high-blown rules of conduct are not followed.

People are seized by the arm and it is forced on them.

The rules of conduct are just an outer show of devotion and loyalty quite confusing to the heart.

And when men rely on these rules for guidance oh what ignorance abounds.

The great master follows his own nature and not the trappings of life.

It is said he stays with the fruit and not the fluff.

He stays with the firm and not the flimsy.

He stays with the true and not the false.

From ancient times till now the one has been the source of all attainments.

By realizing the one heaven becomes clear,

Earth becomes still.

Spirits gain power and hearts fill up with joy.

By realizing the one kings and lords become instruments of peace and all creatures live joyfully upon this earth.

Without the one heaven has no clarity and would crack.

Earth has no peace and would crumble.

Spirits have no power and would lose their charm.

Without the one hearts would dry up,

Empires would fall.

All things would go lifelessly upon this earth.

Long ago kings and lords called themselves orphans,

Lonely and unworthy.

What honor can there be without humility?

What heights can be reached without being low?

The pieces of a chariot are useless unless they work in accordance with the whole.

A man's life brings nothing unless he lives in accordance with the whole universe playing one's part.

In accordance with the universe is true humility.

So whether you're a gem in the royal court or a stone on the common path if you accept your part with humility the glory of the universe will be yours.

Verse 40 The movement of Tao is to return.

The way of Tao is to yield.

Heaven,

Earth and all things are born of the existent world.

The existent world is born of the nothingness of Tao.

Verse 50 When the best seeker hears of Tao he strives with great effort to know it.

When an average seeker hears of Tao he thinks of it now and again.

When the poorest seeker hears of Tao he laughs out loud.

Tao is always becoming.

What we have need for,

It becomes.

If it could not do this,

It would not be Tao.

There is an old saying The clear way seems clouded.

The straight way seems crooked.

The sure way seems unsteady.

The greatest power seems weak.

The purest white seems tainted.

The abundant seems empty.

The stable seems shaky.

The certain seems false.

The great square has no corners.

The great vessel is never filled.

A beginner may be clumsy,

But after practice what talent!

A large drum may sit silently,

But when banged,

What noise!

Tao lies hidden,

Yet it alone is the glorious light of this world.

Verse 42 Tao gives life to the one.

The one gives life to the two.

The two give life to the three.

The three give life to ten thousand things.

All beings support yin and embrace yang,

And the interplay of these two forces fills the universe.

Yet,

Only at the still point between the breathing in and the breathing out can one capture these two in perfect harmony.

People suffer at the thought of being without parents,

Without food,

Or without worth.

Yet this is the very way that kings and lords once described themselves.

Who knows what fate may bring?

One day your loss may be your fortune.

One day your fortune may be your loss.

The age-old lesson that others teach,

I also teach.

As you plant,

So you reap.

As you live,

So you die.

Know this to be the foundation of my teachings.

Verse 43 The most yielding thing in the world will overcome the most rigid.

The most empty thing in the world will overcome the most full.

From this comes a lesson.

Stillness benefits more than action.

Silence benefits more than words.

Rare indeed are those who are still.

Rare indeed are those who are silent.

And so I say,

Rare indeed are those who obtain the bounty of this world.

Verse 44 One's own reputation,

Why the fuss?

One's own wealth,

Why the concern?

I say,

What you gain is more trouble than what you lose.

Love is the fruit of sacrifice.

Wealth is the fruit of generosity.

Be content,

Rest in your own fullness.

You will not suffer from loss.

You'll avoid the snare of this world.

You'll have long life and endless blessings.

Verse 45 The great perfection seems imperfect,

Yet this world it creates is never impaired.

The great fullness seems empty,

Yet this world it creates is never lacking.

Great truth seems false.

Great skill seems clumsy.

Great eloquence seems like babble.

Keep moving and you'll miss the cold.

Keep silent and you'll beat the heat.

Be tranquil like the rain of spring.

Be pure like the sheen of silk.

Then the great perfection will be perfect and the great fullness will be full.

Verse 46 When Tao is present in the empire,

Men follow their own nature and riding horses work the fields.

When Tao is absent from the empire,

Men go astray and war horses breed on sacred ground.

There is no greater loss than losing Tao,

No greater curse than desire,

No greater tragedy than discontentment,

No greater fault than selfishness.

Contentment alone is enough.

Indeed,

The bliss of eternity can be found in your contentment.

Verse 47 Without going outside,

One can know the whole world.

Without looking out the window,

One can see the ways of heaven.

The farther one goes,

The less one knows.

Thus the sage does not go,

Yet he knows.

He does not look,

Yet he sees.

He does not do,

Yet all is done.

Verse 48 To become learned,

Gain daily.

To obtain Tao,

Reduce daily.

Reduce and reduce again until all action is reduced to non-action.

Then no one is left.

Nothing is done,

Yet nothing is left undone.

One who gives freely and without attachment gets a full life in return.

One who gives with the secret hope of getting is merely engaged in business.

Truly,

They neither give nor receive any of the treasure from this world below heaven.

Verse 49 The sage has no fixed heart of his own.

Those who look at him see their own hearts.

Those who are good he treats with goodness.

Those who are bad he also treats with goodness because the nature of his being is good.

Those who are truthful he treats with truth.

Those who are not truthful he also treats with truth because the nature of his being is truthful.

The sage lives in harmony with all below heaven.

He sees everything as his own self.

He loves everyone as his own child.

All people are drawn to him.

Every eye and ear is turned toward him.

Verse 50 Again and again,

Men come in with birth and go out with death.

One in three are followers of life.

One in three are followers of death.

And those just passing from life to death also number one in three.

But they all die in the end.

Why is this so?

Because they clutch to life and cling to this passing world.

I hear that one who lives by his own truth is not like this.

He walks without making footprints in this world.

Going about he does not fear the rhinoceros or tiger.

Entering a battlefield he does not fear sharp weapons.

For in him the rhino can find no place to pitch its horn.

The tiger no place to fix its claw.

The soldier no place to thrust his blade.

Why is this so?

Because he dwells in that place where death cannot enter.

Verse 51 Tao gives all things life.

Tao gives them fulfillment.

Nature is what shapes them.

Living is what brings them to completion.

Every creature honors Tao and worships Tao,

Not by force,

But through its own living and breathing.

Though Tao gives life to all things,

Te is what cultivates them.

Te is that magic power that raises and rears them,

Completes and prepares them,

Comforts and protects them,

To create without owning,

To give without expecting,

To fill without claiming.

This is the profound action of Tao,

The highest expression of Te.

Verse 52 That which creates the universe is the mother of the world.

By knowing the mother,

One knows her children.

By knowing her children,

One comes to know her.

Such is their unity.

That one does not exist without the other.

Fully embrace your life,

And you will share in the glory of creation.

The mother herself will be your guardian,

And all her creation will be your guide.

Stay with the mother.

Shut the mouth,

Close the gates,

And you are never in trouble.

Abandon the mother.

Open the mouth.

Be busy with others,

And you are beyond all hope of rescue.

Seeing your own smallness is called insight.

Honoring your own tenderness is called strength.

The sun,

In all its glory,

Reveals but a passing world.

Only the inner light illumines eternity.

Only that light can guide us back home.

Have faith.

Follow your own shining.

Be aware of your own awareness.

On the darkest nights,

You will not stumble.

On the brightest days,

You will not blink.

This is called the practice of eternal light.

If I had the least bit of wisdom,

I could follow the path of Tao quite well.

My only fear would be trying to go my own way.

The great path is simple and direct,

Yet people love to take the side routes.

See how magnificent the courts have become.

The women dress in colorful gowns.

The men carry well-crafted swords.

Food and drink overflow.

Wealth and finery abound.

Yet,

In the shadow of all this splendor,

The fields grow barren.

The granaries are all but empty.

I say this pomp at the expense of others is like the boasting of thieves after a looting.

Surely it is contrary to Tao.

Surely it cuts against the grain of the whole empire.

Truth,

Once established,

Can never be uprooted.

Goodness,

Once imbibed,

Can never be stripped away.

A sacrifice to a higher cause is never lost.

An offering to an ancestor never goes to waste.

When a person embodies Tao,

His heart becomes true.

When a family embodies Tao,

It thrives.

When a village embodies Tao,

It is protected.

When a country embodies Tao,

It prospers.

When the world embodies Tao,

It reveals its perfection.

Tao is everywhere.

It has become everything.

We choose.

In a person,

See it as a person.

In a family,

See it as a family.

In a country,

See it as a country.

In the world,

See it as the world.

How have I come to know all this?

Tao has shown me.

Tao has all this.

One who embraces Tao will become pure and innocent,

Like a newborn babe.

Deadly insects will not sting him.

Wild beasts will not attack him.

Birds of prey will not strike him.

He is oblivious to the union of male and female.

Yet his vitality is full.

His inner spirit is complete.

He can cry all day without screaming.

So perfect is his harmony.

So magically does he blend with this world.

Know this harmony.

It brings the eternal.

Know the evil heart.

This is your strength.

Things in harmony with the Tao remain.

Things that are forced grow for a while,

But then wither away.

This is not Tao.

Whatever is not Tao comes to an early end.

One who speaks does not know.

One who knows does not speak.

Shut the mouth.

Close the gates.

Blunt the sharpness.

Loosen the knots.

Temper the glare.

Become one with the dust of the world.

One who knows this secret is not moved by attachment or aversion,

Swayed by profit or loss,

Nor touch,

Yet comes to hold the dearest place in their hearts.

To rule the state,

Have a known plan.

To win a battle,

Have an unknown plan.

To gain the universe,

Have no plan at all.

Let the universe itself reveal to you so.

Because of this,

The more restrictions,

The more poverty,

The more weapons,