When the wealthy are in prosperity,

while the farmers are losing their lands.

When the politicians waste huge budgets on military mechanisms.

When the upper class is consumptive and irresponsible.

And when the empty-handed have no place to demand their rights from this injustice,

it means the situation has deviated from harmony with Tao.

Dear friend! Wisdom and sagacity do not come to me with my hands, feet, and the souls of distant friends! Basically, wisdom and sagacity are not something that sticks to you! When you don't follow it, it will appear by itself. Now they say like this, but you do your own work, think better than everyone, basically only you are good, but you also know yourself and the friends who have different sources of sagacity. Well, let it be.

#

The melancholy November and the affectionate December of 1399 solar year.

Two thousand years ago, Lao Tzu wrote this concept of "the way and the path."

Six hundred years after that, Jesus was just born into the world.
Some excerpts from this ancient book:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Man is born soft and tender;
at death, he is hard and stiff.
When plants are born, they are tender and pliant;
at death, they are brittle and dry.
Therefore, whoever is stiff and hard is a disciple of death;
whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life.
The hard and stiff will be broken;
the soft and supple will prevail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ancient sages
did not try to educate the people;
rather, they taught them ignorance with kindness.
When the people think they know the answers,
it is difficult to guide them.
When they know that they do not know,
they can find the way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you want to improve the world?
I don't think such a thing is practical.
The world is sacred.
It cannot be improved.
If you try to do this,
you will destroy it.
If you treat it like an object,
you will lose it.

Sometimes you are ahead of others,
sometimes you are behind.
Sometimes you are in motion,
sometimes you are at rest.
Sometimes you are strong and powerful,
sometimes you are tired and helpless.
Sometimes you are safe,
and sometimes you are in danger.

The sage sees everything as it is,
without trying to control it.
He allows everything to follow its natural course
and remains in the center of the circle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ignorance is true knowledge.
The pursuit of knowledge is a disease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those who know remain silent,
those who do not know speak.
Close your mouth,
turn off your mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All rivers flow into the sea,
because the sea is lower than they are.
Lowliness gives power to the sea.
If you want to give peace to the people's lives,
place yourself lower than them.
If you want to lead the people,
learn how to follow them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>>>>>
Some say that my teachings are meaningless.
Others think they are wonderful but impractical,
but for those who look within,
these meaningless teachings are full of meaning,
and for those who act on them, this wonderfulness
takes root in the depth of their hearts.
I only teach three things:
simplicity, patience, and kindness.
These three are the most precious treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts,
you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you are in harmony with the way things are.
Kind to yourself,
you are at peace with all beings in the world.

  It is by being alive to difficulty that one can avoid it.

As much as I wished to pen a review for Tao Te Ching, I had given up the idea of writing a review a couple of days ago. There have been too many changes in the past few days, and I couldn't muster the will to write as I had originally intended. To find a little peace, I opened my journal to write, and my eyes landed on the last line I had written, the line I quoted from Tao Te Ching. Miraculously, it soothed the tremors in my mind.

Whether Lao Tzu was a real person remains uncertain. D. C. Lau, whose excellent introduction and notes I cannot praise enough for the ease of understanding they provide to a layperson, speculates that this may just be an anthology of aphorisms. Lau frequently reveals the synthesis behind his interpretation, giving the reader a sense of mystery. The mystery behind the origin adds to the charming quality of this work. It is very kind, and this kindness cannot be attributed to anyone in particular.

Perhaps this work is more of a guide to governance than a comprehensive philosophical treatise. Since this work dates back to the Warring States period, it is also possible that any work of philosophy could not ignore the demands of the time. The main subject is that of 'the way'.

  The way that can be spoken of (1)
Is not the constant way
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name

There is an allure to something as pervasive and fleeting as the Tao, in theory. In practice, accepting the idea is a daunting task. Some ideas undermine conventionally held notions of strength by revealing its limitations.

  A man is supple and weak when living, but hard and stiff when dead. Grass and trees are pliant and fragile when living, but dried and shrivelled when dead. Thus the hard and the strong are the comrades of death; The supple and the weak are the comrades of life. (182)

Therefore a weapon that is strong will not vanquish; (183)
A tree that is strong will suffer the axe.

Reading Guha's India after Gandhi makes me think that any organized society in the present day can only thrive by suppressing the individual to some extent. However, the lofty ideas of Tao Te Ching speak of a different kind of leader who could ask, Even if a man is not good, why should he be abandoned? There is a significant gap between the leaders sought today and what Tao Te Ching recommends, and it seems unattainable. Nevertheless, it is a vision that helps us see the pitfalls of the kind of leaders upheld today.

  The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects. (39)

When his task is accomplished and his work done (41)
The people all say, ‘It happened to us naturally.’

This is a book of ideas, and although I cannot fully understand several of them, I hope to contemplate them often.

--
July 11, 2015

Truth is simple and of harmony.

It is like the Tao, which represents the fundamental principle or way of the universe.

The simplicity of truth means that it is not complicated or convoluted.

It can be easily understood and grasped by those who are open-minded and willing to seek it.

Harmony, on the other hand, implies a state of balance and unity.

Truth is in harmony with the natural order of things and with the laws of the universe.

When we embrace the truth, we are able to find inner peace and harmony within ourselves.

We are also able to live in harmony with others and with the world around us.

In a world that is often filled with chaos and confusion, the pursuit of truth and harmony is more important than ever.

By seeking the simple truth and living in harmony with it, we can create a better world for ourselves and for future generations.

Well, what can I say then?

I truly like this translation. It unfolds in a smooth style that, to my mind, emphasizes the spiritual essence of the book. I have to admit that I'm still a die-hard fan of Torode. However, I also have a strong desire to find a copy of the Barnes and Noble version. The reason is that the language in it forms the quote, "The five colors make us blind" - so simple, direct and yet full of profound depth.

Perhaps I should stop right there. After all, I don't want to risk being one who "does not know." :-)

I can't believe this book was written 2000 years ago!

The wisdom and knowledge written in this text are like the pen of a philosopher and even the expression of psychologists in the past two centuries. Mature and yet civilized.

A superficial and passing glance at this book may create a kind of illusion and even a poetic expression in the mind of the reader. But it has already given the answer itself:

Some say my teachings are meaningless. Others consider it wonderful but impractical.

But for those who look inside, these meaningless teachings are full of meaning.

And for those who act on it, this wonderfulness takes root deep within them.

I only teach three things: simplicity, kindness, and compassion.

These are the three most precious treasures.

Simplicity in actions and thoughts leads you back to the source of existence.

Kindness with friends and enemies - both achieve harmony with everything.

Compassion with oneself and all the beings in the world is to be at peace and in love. (From the text of the book - page 67)

It is better to read it carefully once a year and each time compare our personal interpretation of Tao or Dao with the past years and our old way of thinking.

I have to say that from now on, I will also buy the book to interpret it!

¡Qué belleza de libro! De verdad, léanlo. This book is truly a masterpiece. The moment you open it, you are greeted with a world of wonder and imagination. The author's writing style is captivating, drawing you in and making you feel as if you are a part of the story.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique personalities and flaws. You find yourself rooting for them, sharing in their joys and sorrows. The plot is engaging and full of twists and turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Whether you are a fan of fiction or non-fiction, this book has something for everyone. It is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story and wants to be transported to another world. So, don't hesitate, pick up this book and start reading. You won't be disappointed!

This is an exquisitely beautiful book that is best consumed in small amounts, much like homeotherapy.

Allow the profound wisdom and sagacity within its pages to gradually seep into your very soul over time. As you do so, you will be able to fully enjoy the peaceful and calming feeling that this remarkable book bestows upon you.

For those who are attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the Middle Kingdom (and by that, we mean China, not the fictional Middle Earth that some crazy millennials might think!), and for those seeking true relaxation, there are very few books that are more perfectly suited than this one.

It is truly a must-have for anyone with an interest in Chinese culture, history, or simply a desire to find inner peace and tranquility.

A short read but it is truly worth taking the time with.

I really relished the process of mulling over the short passages. I took the time to re-read them carefully and truly think about the profound meanings that the words held. There were so many incredibly great lines within it, which were full of inspiration.

It will likely confuse those people who are only looking for face-value prose. However, for the deep thinkers, this piece will really pose a challenge to them. It will make them think about life in all its intricacies and question their own nature. It is indeed a great read.

Highly recommend this for the more spiritually inclined individuals, or those who are in search of purpose or the meaning of life. It has the potential to offer valuable insights and food for thought to such readers.

I had read passages from this book before with a different translation and it seemed like a passing thing. But with the commentary and explanation of Firas al-Suwaah on the text, it was completely different, especially in the first chapters of the book which explained the Tao and the partial harmony of opposites between the Yang and the Yin and the emergence of everything from them.

Any simple presentation of this book or explanation of the meaning of the Tao would not be sufficient.
One of the very important experiences that I have recently gone through. This book truly offers a profound exploration of ancient wisdom. The concept of the Tao is complex and multi-faceted, and Firas al-Suwaah's insights bring a new level of understanding. It's not just about reading the words; it's about delving deep into the philosophy and trying to apply it to our lives. The harmony between the Yang and the Yin is a fundamental principle that governs the universe, and understanding this can help us make sense of the many contradictions and dualities we encounter. Through this book, I have gained a new perspective on life and a greater appreciation for the wisdom of the past.

It has been a truly enlightening experience.

\\"If you realize that all things change, there's nothing you will try to hold on to.\\"

Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess
acts but doesn't expect.

The Tao Te Ching is a profound work that clarifies the concepts of Taoism, an ancient school of philosophy that still holds great relevance in today's world. Dating back to the 6th century BCE, it was created by Lao Tzu and has been passed down through the generations.

This book is not meant to be read just once. It is something that one should keep coming back to from time to time. It is like a beautiful poetry that nourishes the soul and mind. It offers deep insights into the nature of things, teaching us to let go of attachments and expectations.

\\n  You might like to check out more similar books here.\\n

Dear friends, this precious book, written by the wise man named <Lao Tzu>, lived in China during the great time of <Confucius>... The story of his life in China is more like a legend... But what is important is the beautiful and profound words that have been left by this wise and enlightened man for us to remember.

Here, for you dear sages, I will write down some selected writings from this book.

-----------------------------------------

Failure is an opportunity... If you hold others accountable, there will be no end to holding others accountable... The enlightened man acts according to his responsibilities and corrects his mistakes... He accomplishes what is necessary and asks nothing of others.

*******************

Man is born soft and tender, and at the time of death, he becomes dry and hard... When plants emerge from the soil, they are soft and flexible, and at the time of death, they become dry and brittle... Therefore, whoever is hard and dry, his death is near, and whoever is soft and flexible, he is full of life... Hard and dry breaks... Soft and flexible remains.

*******************

The attempt to control the future is like wanting to become a master carpenter in one night... When you hold the tools of carpentry in your hands, you may even cut off your own hands.

*******************

Rivers flow into the sea because the sea is lower than them... The lowness of the sea gives it power... If you want to give peace to the lives of the people, place yourself lower than them... If you want to lead the people, learn how to follow them.

*******************

Governing a large country is like frying a small fish... By over-manipulating it, you will surely ruin the work... Provide a reason for the bad to oppose you... The bad will disappear on its own.

*******************

I only teach three things: simplicity, moderation, and kindness... These three are the most precious treasures... Be simple in actions and thoughts; you will return to the source of existence--- Be moderate with friends and enemies; you will achieve harmony with everything--- Be kind to yourself; you will be at peace and in harmony with all the beings in the world.

--------------------------------------------

I hope this review has been useful for you Iranian sages.

<Be victorious and be Iranian>