Tao te ching_ annotated & explained - Derek Lin [54]
2 “Tying knots” was a way for people to record events. It is a general metaphor for simple solutions, which are often the most effective and reliable solutions. (back to text)
3 Food need not be elaborate to be delicious; clothes need not be extravagant to be comfortable. We can use this as an inspiration for simplifying our lives. Do we absolutely need luxuries to be happy? (back to text)
4 To be able to hear your neighbors’ roosters and dogs means you do not live far away from them. Despite the close proximity, there is no friction. People in an ideal community do not bicker.
What can we do if we are in a place with much bickering? We can start by embracing peace and letting go of the need to get back at someone who has wronged us. The transformation from contention to harmony has to begin somewhere; we may as well be the first to move toward the ideal place described in this chapter.
The last line is often misunderstood. Some think it means people in this land do not visit one another. This isn’t quite right, because Tao cultivators are hardly antisocial. When we take the meaning of the entire chapter into consideration, it becomes clear that the last line really means people do not visit trouble upon one another. In this ideal place, petty games of tit for tat simply do not exist. (back to text)
81 Annotations
1 These lines can sometimes be misused. People who like to criticize others may cite these words to justify their behavior. The difference between them and sages lies in intention. Sages speak plainly and truthfully when doing so benefits others without harming them. (back to text)
2 Those who are skillful in the art of living recognize the futility of arguments and refrain from engaging in debates. Sages let actions reveal their virtues; they have no need to explain themselves with words.
Sometimes we think we are helping friends by arguing with them, but because this brings contention into the relationship, it can do more harm than good. People are rarely at their best when a debate causes them to become defensive and stubborn. It would be better for us to leave the matter alone, and wait for the right time to approach the subject. (back to text)
3 When we say “jack of all trades, master of none,” we are describing people who have not achieved excellence in any one thing. It is as if they are digging many shallow wells and not getting much water. The opposite is someone with true mastery of knowledge, someone who has no wish to chase after a broad spectrum of subjects. When we align ourselves with this concept, we concentrate only on a few wells, digging them deeply and getting as much water as we want. (back to text)
4 “Accumulate” refers to worldly goods. We do not need to pursue the accumulation of goods because we can find contentment and abundance in helping and giving. The more we render assistance, the more joyous fulfillment we feel; the more we give, the more we receive. (back to text)
5 The positive, uplifting Tao of Heaven benefits all things. The rain waters all plants; the sun warms everyone. In emulating this, we also seek to benefit all people and refrain from hurting them with criticism or contention. (back to text)
Notes
1. Michael Crichton’s answers to the Amazon.com Significant Seven quiz, accessed January 1, 2006, www.amazon.com/gp/product/0066214130/104-0551459-5998326?v=glance&n=283155.
2. Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (New York: Dutton/Penguin Group, 2005).
3. Tao Te Ching, background information on Wikipedia.org, accessed January 1, 2006, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching.
Acknowledgments
“Drink water, think of the source” is a Chinese saying that reminds us never to forget those who brought us into the world. In honor of this sentiment, I would like to acknowledge first and foremost Kim T. Lin and Jenny Lin, for