1 - Marking Out The Path
The Tao that can be spoken
is not the true Tao.
Any name which can be given to it
is not its true name.
That which was before
Heaven and Earth is Tao.
Tao is the mother of all things.
The wise seek its mystery,
and find it made of opposites.
Opposites arise from the same source
and are identical in all but name.
The mystery of opposites is so profound,
to understand it
is to open the door of Tao.
2 - Opposites
When one speaks of beauty
as being beautiful,
ugliness is at once defined.
When goodness is seen to be good,
evil is at once apparent.
So having and not having
mutually give rise to one another,
as do difficulty and ease,
far and near, high and low.
3 - Wu Wei
The Sage is occupied with the unspoken
and acts without effort.
Teaching without verbosity,
producing without possessing,
creating without regard to result,
claiming nothing,
the Sage has nothing to lose.
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 respected by all.
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.
Meditation Cards from:
The Tao Box
Book and 50 Meditation Cards
adapted & interpreted by Priya Hemenway
THE TAO BOX brings the universal text of the Tao Te Ching to readers in a unique new format, illustrated with ancient Chinese artwork.
Fifty meditation cards, each featuring a verse from the Tao Te Ching, are accompanied by a book describing the history of the Tao, ways to use the cards, and interpretations of each verse.
You may learn more about the author and read samples of the book included in The Tao Box on Google Books – just click on Preview this book », when clicking through.
