Howardism: Thoughts on the Tao Te Ching

Thoughts on the Tao Te Ching

I scarcely remember when I first picked up a copy of the Tao Te Ching, but I fell in love with it within the first few poems. One can certainly see both the vagueness and deepness that helped to birth Zen Buddhism. However, it adds a spiritual dimension that much of Zen ignores.

My two favorite translations of this book couldn't be more different. However, they are both poetic, and I value that considerably.

Lao-tzu's Taoteching: with Selected Commentaries of the Past 2000 Years, by Red Pine
Tao Te Ching : A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way, by Ursula LeGuin

I do not claim to be a scholar of the Tao, but I have had various thoughts and commentaries inspired by one of the poems from the Tao Te Ching.
I'm in the process of updating these, so if you are interested in reading more, please see my old website.

Returning to the Root
A selection from the Tao Te Ching and how I see this poem reflected in the lives of my baby and her great, grandmother.

The Uses of Not
My interpretation of verse 11 of the Tao Te Ching.

Do Without Doing
The sage does without doing, teaches without talking.


	to force it is to harm it to control it is to lose it sometimes things lead sometimes they follow sometimes blow hot sometimes blow cold sometimes expand sometimes collapse the sage avoids extremes avoids extravagance avoids excess —Tao Te Ching, v29 Tr. Red Pine	Thoughts on the Tao Te Ching I scarcely remember when I first picked up a copy of the Tao Te Ching, but I fell in love with it within the first few poems. One can certainly see both the vagueness and deepness that helped to birth Zen Buddhism. However, it adds a spiritual dimension that much of Zen ignores. My two favorite translations of this book couldn't be more different. However, they are both poetic, and I value that considerably. Lao-tzu's Taoteching: with Selected Commentaries of the Past 2000 Years, by Red Pine Tao Te Ching : A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way, by Ursula LeGuin I do not claim to be a scholar of the Tao, but I have had various thoughts and commentaries inspired by one of the poems from the Tao Te Ching. I'm in the process of updating these, so if you are interested in reading more, please see my old website. Returning to the Root A selection from the Tao Te Ching and how I see this poem reflected in the lives of my baby and her great, grandmother. The Uses of Not My interpretation of verse 11 of the Tao Te Ching. Do Without Doing The sage does without doing, teaches without talking.
	2014, Howard Abrams Some rights reserved	Originally written on 8 February 2014. Updated on 8 February 2014.