Think...

Day 4

Teaching Others

Avoiding distinctions of merit
Prevents quarreling.
Not setting a value on rare things
Prevents theft.
Not overly indulging the senses
Brings peace.
Thus the Sage teaches
By ridding the heart of desire,
By providing nourishment and strength.
Being of non-action,
The Sage is respects by all.

From the Tao Te Ching

Day 5

Tao Is The Source

The Tao is empty;
Its depth is the source of whatever is.
Tao is endlessly creative
And brings balance out of chaos.
It is hidden and present
And is wholly without self-interest.
I know not who gave it birth;
Tao is the most ancient.

From the Tao Te Ching

Day 6

Opinions and Prejudices

Neither Heaven nor Earth have opinions;
For everything is natural.
The wise one knows no prejudice;
Each person is sacred.
The Tao is like a bellows—
Though containing nothing solid,
It does not collapse;
And the more it is set in motion,
The more it produces.

From the Tao Te Ching

Day 7

Origin of Things

Like the river in the valley,
The spirit is never dried up.
Sometimes I call it the Mother-Deep.
The motion of the Mother-Deep
I regard as the origin of Heaven and Earth.
Forever it endures,
Moving without design.


From the Tao Te Ching

Day 8

Endurance

Both Heaven and Earth endure forever.
The cause of their endurance
Is their indifference.
Likewise the Sage is indifferent,
And not being preoccupied with self
Is immortal.
Being unselfish,
Fulfillment is attained.


From the Tao Te Ching

Day 9

TE: Virtue

The greatest virtue is like water;
It is good to all things.
It attains the most inaccessible places
Without effort.
Therefore it is like Tao,
Which has the virtue of adapting itself.
Like the heart, it is virtuous by being deep.
Like speech, it is virtuous when it is quiet
Like choice, it is virtuous in equanimity.
Like a servant, it is trustworthy.
It flows quickly sometimes,
And at others it trickles.
Like action, it has its seasons.
And because it does not strive
It has no enemies.

From the Tao Te Ching

Day 10

Concerning Wealth

It is advisable to refrain from
Pursuing riches.
Continual handling and sharpening
Wears away the most durable things.
If the house is full of jewels,
Who will protect it?
Wealth is a burden
That needs too much care.
To stop when good work is done
Is the way of Heaven.

From the Tao Te Ching

Day 11

Usefulness of Nothing
The thirty spokes of a carriage wheel
Uniting at the nave
Are made useful by the hole in the center
Where nothing exists.
Vessels of molded earth
Are useful by reason of their hollowness.
Doors and windows
Are useful by being cut out.
A house is useful because of its emptiness.
Thus we use what is not
To make use of what is.

From the Tao Te Ching

Day 12

Providing for the Soul
Too much light will blind one’s vision,
Blaring sound will make one deaf,
Excessive tastes will ruins one’s palate.
The chase will make for heedlessness,
And precious things, for temptation.
Therefore does the wise one
Provide for the soul and not for the senses.
Caring for the one
The wise takes the other with both hands.

From the Tao Te Ching

Too much light darkens the eyes. Thanks brother I like that one idea. Great stuff!