Tao te ching_ annotated & explained - Derek Lin [40]
3 Similarly, those who have some speaking ability seem glib and verbose. They can carry on talking for hours, but the more they talk, the less they convince. The true masters, on the other hand, can express worlds of meaning with a few choice words. They may appear inarticulate to the uninformed, but in fact they possess the height of eloquence.
Test this teaching for yourself. Dedicate an entire day to the practice of minimal speech. Every time you want to say something, either say it with the fewest words possible or say nothing at all. Observe what happens. You may be surprised by how little you really need to talk. (back to text)
46 Annotations
1 When the world follows the Tao, harmony prevails. People know contentment and there is peace between nations. Because there is no war, fast horses no longer have a military function, so they are taken out of the army and redirected to till farmlands so farmers can then plant crops. (back to text)
2 When the world does not follow the Tao, strife prevails. People bicker among themselves, and nations clash endlessly. Because of constant warfare, all the horses are drafted into battle, so that even pregnant mares end up having to give birth on the battlefield.
These are among the most powerful and evocative images from the Tao Te Ching. The peaceful, pastoral scene of horses used for farming contrasts sharply with the misery and suffering of warfare. (back to text)
3 The driving force behind warfare and conflict is excessive desire at the expense of others. That is why there is no greater crime than greed, no greater disaster than not knowing when one has enough, and no greater fault than avarice, or covetousness. Conversely, the satisfaction we can derive from the feeling of contentment—at any level of material possession—is the true and lasting satisfaction. This is the peaceful bliss and self-sufficiency of those who follow the Tao. (back to text)
47 Annotations
1 In ancient times, as today, many people thought they could become enlightened by traveling to places they considered sacred. They visited holy lands; they went on pilgrimages. Unlike them, Tao cultivators recognized that spirituality came from within, and so they did not feel the need to search frantically all over the material world for enlightenment. (back to text)
2 We cannot comprehend the limitless Tao by looking through the limited view of a window. Sages turn their vision inward instead. Within our hearts there is an inner vision, which sees the world through the infinite perceptions of the Tao. (back to text)
3 The knowing in the context of this line is an intuitive understanding, a direct interface with reality, one that is not dependent on the physical senses. It allows us to master wisdom no matter where we happen to be. It informs us that the Tao is not confined to any particular place, so there is no need for us to travel anywhere to gain mastery.
This chapter is sometimes misinterpreted as a teaching against travel, but as we have seen, what it really talks about is traveling for the purpose of gaining spiritual knowledge. As Tao cultivators, we prefer to stick to the original purpose of traveling—going places, seeing sights, and making friends. (back to text)
48 Annotations
1 Both gain and loss in this chapter refer to the complexity of life. When we pursue academic study, the increase of book knowledge leads to more complexity and ever-increasing desires. The more we know, the more we want. (back to text)
2 The essence of the Tao is simplicity, so when we pursue the Tao, we reduce and discard the complexity in our lives. As we streamline and simplify, our desires will also decrease, and we discover that a simple and uncluttered life leads to peace and contentment. (back to text)
3 “Unattached action” is my translation for wu wei, the state where we act without attachments to specific outcomes. I cannot use these characters