'heart based', poetry book
'Freedom & Connection', latest song
First Sunday of the Month Writing Session
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道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The named is the mother of all things.
故常無欲，以觀其妙；常有欲，以觀其徼。
Thus, ever desireless, one can perceive the mystery;
Ever desiring, one can see only the manifestations.
此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。
These two spring from the same source but differ in name -
Both are from the mystery.
玄之又玄，衆妙之門。
Mystery of mysteries,
The door to all wonders.
天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。
When the world knows beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
皆知善之為善，斯不善已。
When the world knows good as good,
There arises the recognition of what is not good.
故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，
Long and short define each other,
High and low depend on each other,
高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。
Thus: Being and non-being give birth to each other,
The difficult and the easy complement each other,
Sound and silence harmonize with each other,
Before and after follow each other.
是以聖人處無為之事，行不言之教；
Therefore the sage
Acts without striving,
Teaches without speaking.
萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有。
Things arise, and they do not resist;
They are born, but the sage does not possess them.
為而不恃，功成而弗居。
She accomplishes, but takes no credit.
Because she does not cling to the result,
It never leaves her.
不尚賢，使民不爭;
Do not exalt the worthy, and the people will not compete.
不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜;
Do not value rare treasures, and the people will not steal.
不見可欲，使心不亂。
Do not display what is desirable, and the hearts of the people will not be disturbed.
是以聖人之治，虛其心，實其腹，弱其志，強其骨。
Therefore, in governing, the Sage:
Empties their minds,
Fills their bellies,
Softens their ambitions,
Strengthens their bones.
常使民無知無欲。使夫1知者不敢為也。
When the heart is pure,
All actions stem from purity.
使夫1知者不敢為也。為無為，則無不治。
Act without striving, and all will be well governed.
道沖而用之或不盈。
The Dao is empty, yet inexhaustible when used.
淵兮似萬物之宗。
So deep, it seems to be the source of all things.
挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵。
It blunts the sharp,
Untangles the knot,
Dulls the glare,
And settles into dust.
湛兮似或存。
Clear and still, it seems ever present.
吾不知誰之子，象帝之先。
I do not know whose child it is;
It appears to be older than the Owner of Heaven.
Heaven and Earth are not sentimental;
They treat all things as straw dogs.
聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。
The sage is not sentimental;
She treats all people as straw dogs.
天地之間，其猶橐籥乎？
Is not the space between Heaven and Earth like the wind?
虛而不屈，動而愈出。
Empty, yet never exhausted -
The more it moves, the more it produces.
多言數窮，不如守中。
Too many words lead to exhaustion;
Better to hold to the center.