Carlos Book of Change

51.
From the Tao comes all life,
it's nursed by virtue,
shaped by matter,
perfected by environment, by character
The Tao is given reverence and homage to virtue
Under her wings are found growth, shelter, belonging.
To give and not claim, to work for works sake, no wage.
To be a leader, no a butcher
This is a hidden secret of virtue
From the Tao, nursed by virtue, comes all life.

52.
Our being is shared.
Our beginning shared.
To understand the mother is to know the children.
Return. In return there is no risk of harm.
Return, block the passages and shut the door.
By this no wear is used.
Keep open and use without return and at the end it will be spent.
To see small is wise. The weak can be strong.
Search-but return to your sight.
Don't...(pause) bring calamity
This is a way of understanding the changeless.

53.
With a grain of wisdom the great way is available, only fear brings separation
The great way is simple and true, still many deny it.
Court is clean and set and the fields are empty and the stored is weighed
and found wanting.
They make weapons not cures.
Possessions and status they have in excess and yet as for the Tao.

54.
If you plant well, there is not fear of death.
What you hold will not be forgotten
All will know the gifts of sacrifice
Keep virtue and it will keep thee
Keep it in The family and it will keep them together
Keep it in the community and it will grow
Keep it in state and it will over flow
Keep it in the world and it will be universal
Hence...
A person--family--community--state---and world
shall be held by their own
How do I see these things, I pay attention.
Look and Watch

55.
One step to virtue and you are born again
in it, no harm will befall you
young and new, virtue will hold true
unblemished virtue will blossom into it's "perfect integrity"
it's harmony makes it heard.
To know harmony is to know the changeless,
Knowing the Changeless results in insight.
It is said...
"To hasten the growth of life is ominous"
In controlling we find strain, excess, decay...this is opposite of the Tao
and can not last.

56.
There are no words for those who know
For those who do not, words try to explain what is missing
Take a break and be one with
try in the action of try we unite as one world.
The mystical whole, untouchable and attainable,
free from harm and limits
Truly a higher way of action

57.
It is said...
You secure a war by exceptional actions, but to gain the world you must let go.
The more you rule people, the weaker they become.
Confusion dwells where weapons are the focus.
It is said...
The more you grip the more you lose.
be in mind when no conflict exists.
Allow the people to turn home to their own and the people will grow rich
All them to settle in them, not you.
When this happens simplicity is reached.

58.
Sharpness creates the wily and the discontented.
Bad leans on good-good on bad-
bad hides good--where's the end?
Is there a standard right?
All exist in equal amounts--normal, abnormal, auspicious, ominous
There exists a state of constant uncertainty and perplexity.
The idea: remove without harm
turn without disfiguration
lead without demand
show not blind

59.
Be economical in the use of resources let that idea be a home you return to often
To return before straying in a double value of virtue.
To have a double reserve of virtue
YOU CAN DO AND OVERCOME ANYTHING
to overcome such is to reach the invisible height.
to reach is to enter
one born of this will last long.
take root in the tao
the ability to see and live.
dwell here.

60.
It is said.
Ruling a big kingdom is like cooking small fish
When the spirit (tao) is of the Tao is at hand, malice has no hold
The head lives in harmony not in conflict.
with it's parts out of, harmony harms.
All parts in harmony, all benefit.

61.
A great country is like a fertile crescent, a haven an reservoir for life.
Life and death are always in Harmony
Life by meekness can conquer death.
If a great can commit to the small
and the small can submit to the great in the harmony
Both meet with gain not loss.

62.
The Tao is a hidden reserve to all, truly a treasure and safeguard to the needy
It is said...
A good word will find it's own market
What is a gift to another? a good deed on the path of life, there is no stray.
Fame, fortune, let them come with their gifts, offer the Tao.
Where is the value of it?
Seek virtue and you will find it.
The guilty are forgiven, truly this is a hidden treasure.

63.
Practice the non-ado
Work for nothing- enjoy the unenjoyed- BUILD
Defeat injury with kindness, build kindness
solve problems before hand-build
big in the little
the difficult can be made easy by attending to the small beginning
the Sage knows this, and has no problem with the big things.
If you promise lightly you may lack faith
if you think things are easy, you may end in difficulty.
Big thing, small things, in everything
give your all and you will never fail.

64.
It is said
at rest is easy to hold, what produces no new, can be predicted.
fragile is easily shattered
Where there is no sight darkness rules
small is easily discharged
deal with things prior to the need.
plant, grow, and sow peace, and order before confusion sets in.
A tree emerges from seed, towers from dirt and a journey from a step.
fuss and spoil dwell together
clinging will lose, the sage reaches to touch and connect
not cling...
success can being spoil
take heedfulness to begin and patience to end to rid the spoil
the sages heart is desireless
goods have no value
as he unlearns he bids all-return.
he helps others find themselves
he leads by EXAMPLE--NOT FORCE

65.
In the past those who have studied and practiced the tao did not try to enlighten others
but rather the aim was the state of simplicity to keep and share.
To rule is difficult.
Cleverness is malefactor to growth.
Understand this and see the order of things as they are
be true in measure
to think and keep a measure in your mind is called a "mystical virtue"
It leads all to return till all are in harmony.

66.
Why is the sea king?
It lays lowest and is the beginning and the end.
The sage remember and reigns low in speech, encouraging, backing
the Sage leads
when we stand above you see the idea, not the man
They are safe and protected of course,
they push forward with selflessness not greed.

67.
All who see my Tao say it is great and uncommon
it's uncommon-ness allows it to work without reserve.
If it were common it would be weak and easy when you being.
It is not, I keep and cultivate simplicity, faithfulness and mercy
If I have mercy I can be brave.
Because of my faithfulness I can give
because I empty and return I lead
If you're brave before mercy, give without faithfulness and lead without return.
you are courting danger, death even.
Mercy wins wars.
Mercy defends
Mercy can be kept and there you will find rescue and protection with mercy.

68.
A good soldier acts by order not feeling....
A balanced fighter is never angry
Win, do not antagonize
it is said...
The best way to empty a man is to serve him.
This is virtue of non strife
this uses mans abilities
be yoked with virtue.

69.
it is possible to advance without moving
it is possible to display strength without force
it is possible to capture without confrontation
it is possible to weapons not just arms.
it is said...
there is no greater calamity than to under estimate the strength of your enemy
to do so is like a loss of treasure, always be weary of it.
Do not forget in war, the victor is left to rejoice AND grief.

70.
These words can be read, understood and practiced, but not everyone will understand and even fewer will practice.
people don't realize these teachings have a lord and are older than the world .
The less that seek it, the more noble are those who seek it.
The sage wears rage and keeps treasure hidden out of sight.

71.
It is a noble insight to see your knowledge as ignorance.
It's like a mental sickness to think our ignorance is knowledge.
sickness sometimes must pass.
it is said...
only when we are sick our sickness shall we cease to be sick
the sage is not sick because his focus is the sickness not the sick
this is a secret of health.

72.
Accustom to power, dims the light.
Taxing dims the individual effort
Don't show off
Love yourself but worry about
Inside rather than outside

73.
Bravery can sometimes lead to destruction
Daring is not survival or wise.
One will keep. One will kill
Somethings just are.
There can be bravery without death
Response without speaking.
You can lead without summoning
to act precise is always present.
The possibilities are as the sky vast and spread.
Constant
Free
Always present

74.
Death does not scare those prone or born into it.
Frequently looses deaths law and grip sometimes.
killing in nature is cutting down a tree.
NO MATTER THE MOTIVE, death is death
not a tool
Balance is needed.

75.
Pressure causes need and creates lack
Heavy taxing starves
There will always be need
When adding others things can get difficult
You can't see all present motives.
Some make light improperly by the example of "much life:
an example exists...always

76.
With life, as plants, our bodies are soft and supple.
In death we crisp, hard and rigid belong together.
They are like.
Life will find it's company.
An army often topples in, with too much.
They become like wood ready for culling.
Low is the mighty and great!
Humble and weak will be lifted.

77.
Things can be stretched compositly.
The upper is depressed with the lower is up.
The right measure is needed and can be found
an oasis give to all those who take.
Greed takes from the lower and unable.
A heart after charge can benefit everyone around!
Do for No Wage.
work and don't dwell on it.
The blessed have their merits to themselves.

78.
Water can be weak and soft.
Water can overcome anything it has no equal.
Nature expounds examples we rarely immolate the wise see "thirsts" as poison
To lead is to accept fully and entirely.
Truth yields in its own season
(Apply anywhere)

79.
With healing comes scarring.
This is no state to stay in.
The sage knows...keeps tally for oath and claim nothing or anyone.
virtue keeps those who keep it.
virtue reminds to grow
feed never hoard, sow
This isn't a big secret.
Keep virtue
Sow it.

80.
Govern wisely and dwell with content.
There is benefit from mastery NOT machinery.
With a home, few travel away
possessions are stored and used
food and family are enjoyed
time is used to grow both hearth and land
that builds generations to stay and grow
it flourishes over years.


81.
Truth can be bitter
words can be as air and contain anything
try not to argue, it will waste time
be wise not by what you know
those like that are not wise.
treat hoarding as a virus
the more you empty
the more you get.
you can live without harming
the wise will plant-seek-find-sow
not because they are told
because that's who they are...

I was inspired by MarVinKra to compile this into a short booklet.

Formatted with Carlos' permission.

With all my heart - Enjoy !