Verse Fifty Nine

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From: jimclatfelter
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008

Verse Fifty Nine
Agnieszka Solska, 2005

While ruling the people
And serving heaven
Build up a store.
If you've built up a store
You can adhere to Tao early.
If you've adhered to Tao early
You can amass virtue.
When you've amassed virtue
There is nothing you cannot do.
When there is nothing you cannot do
Your capacity has no bounds.
Having boundless capacity
You're ready to rule the realm.
Leaning on the mother of the realm
You can last through all time.
You've been firmly established.
You have a strong support.
This is the Tao of long life.
This is the Tao of farsightedness.

Verse Fifty Nine
Herrymon Maurer, 1985

In ruling people and serving heaven,
It is best to be sparing.
To be sparing is to yield quickly.
To yield quickly is to double-store virtue.
If virtue is double-stored
Nothing can't be overcome.
When nothing can't be overcome,
No one can know his limits.
When no one knows his limits,
That one can take on the country.
When that one takes on
The mother of the country,
He can last and endure.
Call this having deep roots
And a strong stem:
Living, lasting,
And seeing into Tao.

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From: Janet
Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009

virtue is habitual good action
and by habit, its cumulative
and supports this life.

this habit of living is farsighted
in that living virtuous now
benefits every new day.

something like that.

love,
janet

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From: jimclatfelter
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009

Here are a couple of connections I notice.

Call this having deep roots
And a strong stem:
Living, lasting,
And seeing into Tao.

The Tree of Life experiment again! How nourishing the root is€and how close. How easy to see into Tao, our root.

Having boundless capacity
You're ready to rule the realm.

Could this be the realm of our own lives? Could the rule be to be open to what's present? The Tao is this root and support at center, but it's also the whole of what's given. This is amazing to me. The Tao (my openness) excludes nothing€not even my own negativity at times. It's all operating on its own. All I can do is See and see what it (Tao, life) comes up with next. The rule isn't a rule at all as most people use the word. Living is ruled by a natural spontaneity. All we can do is see it through. I find it exciting and liberating that it works this way. If at times I find it depressing, well, that's part of it too.

I suppose I haven't said it very clearly. I'm just saying that the Tao, the Way, is in charge. It's in charge with awareness and purpose, but not always completely aligned with our own particular purposes. Maybe you can say it better. Maybe you don't agree. ?????

Jim

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From: simon
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009

Quote:
Nothing can't be overcome

I find this to be true and very encouraging...
the no-thing can't be overcome...

Janet, your "virtue-habit" rings true here, (I tend to label it sustained seeing)

Jim, I appreciate the "realm" starting with our own lives, and the Tree of Life does fit here - as it opens the realm from our own lives to everything...

Thank you both, would I have seen this if it hadn't been pointed out?

Simon
PS Jim, I do agree and don't know if I can sy it better!

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From: ja_juan
Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009

Let go and let God.
Trust the tao and cultivate the true virtues.

Do you want your tree been taken care by you or by God?
Rooted in the tao, it will be a miraculous tree.

There is nothing "it" can not do.
(but there are many things "you" can not do).

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