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By Deng Ming-Dao SEGMENTATION AND TRANSLATION See this block of text? It’s the arrangement of the first chapter of the Dàodéjīng before the last hundred years. If you open an old Chinese version of the Dàodéjīng, each chapter will be a block of text. No punctuation, word spacing, capital letters, or paragraphs. Distinguishing between single words and compound terms remains as much of a problem today as it was in ancient times. Imagine reading chapter 1 without the punctuation added in the early twentieth century. Reading the Dàodéjīng in its old form thus began with a practice called segmentation. You can find red dots, hóngdiǎn, 紅點, in the margins of used books, indicating where past readers began dividing, deciding, and decoding. This practice was called “sentence division,” jùdòu, 句讀, and is still done today when reading the received classics—and with only partial consensus: “Many researchers have tested Chinese native speakers’ word segmentation; a common finding is that participants can only reach about 75% agreement, and have difficulties replicating their own previous segmentation.” (Zhang, 2024) Even after the segmentation process, the text continues to challenge modern readers. The Dàodéjīng lacks plurality; past, present, or future tense; pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions; gendered nouns; or punctuation, word spacing, or paragraph indents. Sentences might not have a subject. Verbs lack conjugation. Moreover, Chinese ideograms are sometimes used singly and sometimes combined to make compound terms. Lǎozì may employ a compound term in one case and then use those constituent words separately in other cases. For example, line 71.1 uses the word for “know,” zhī, 知, four times: 知不知上不知知病. This translates to: “know don’t know superior; don’t know, know sick.” Bùzhī, 不知, means “not know.” Otherwise, zhī, 知, should be read as a single word. If you combine the issues of segmentation with the multiple-meanings of words, you can see that no single, absolutely “right” version is possible. Reading the Dàodéjīng in Chinese is like getting a box of ideograms on tiles, and then trying to assemble them as if it was a Scrabble game. This makes translation an interpretive as much as a critical process. Of course, everybody today will use the punctuated versions, but it’s worth remembering that segmentation is arbitrary and once had to be provided by each reader. Nevertheless, gaining the wisdom of the Dàodéjīng is well worth the effort! That's why it's survived for 2,600 years and has spread around the world.

Many of you know I don't post much these days, I just try to keep to myself, teach meditation to those who are interested and treat patients. Sadly, one of my students developed a massively superiority complex and I want to squish this drama before it can start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H9TghyCOwk The above video is him explaining how it took him only 3 months to faqi, misleading everyone through his completely skewed timeline. He is not only lying to everyone, he is offering teaching which he has no authority to do and posting videos that he was expressively asked not to. He is currently regularly seeing brother wu and made it clear that he only cares about his own financial gain and getting a return on his investment. He outright feels that anything he learned can be taught without repercussion and WITHOUT PERMISSION. He is not authorised to teach anything from Authenticneigong or Gengmenpai, the school of the late Master Jiang Feng headed now by Master Wu (Brother wu to me). I had to step in with this comment on his video. "I think I will just step in here before this turns into a unnecessary battle. Stephen started training with me in April 2022 ( I can prove this ), he took my seminar and did the practices that I teach. I took him on trips to get his health sorted, which was desperately needed. The reason it was free with Brother Wu, from gengmenpai, is because the blockages he had were already resolved on the trips with me. He didn't take 3 months to faqi, it took much longer, was completely and totally assisted. Don't take my word for it, take his own video recommendation for my teaching. This is where his dantian was activated in Nov 2022, this is why his progress was so good. Don't be a chump, give thanks and credit where it is due. This already puts his at training for 6 months, not 3 and his eventual assisted faqi came much later still. Also Stephen, Master Jiang specifically asked not to post his videos online, he doesn't want his face online and this is another thing you didn't respect or do. I am asking you now, to show some respect and do what is right. Take down all the videos you were not allowed to post, stop teaching practices you have no authority to teach." He has been lying about who who learned from and who helped him get there, he has been posting videos he has no permission to do, he has been teaching practices which he has no permission to do and has started attacking my student base for calling him out on his lies. Anyone in our discord can see old messages and Stephen posted often of his training, how grateful he was be learning and how he could feel the results, something very different from his recent online videos where he is trying to claim to be a messiah. Unfortunately my comments on his videos can easily be deleted so made this post to warn newcomers to not fall for these lies and definitely don't train with someone who is a beginner themselves. When things eventually go wrong, he was no way of helping you. Hope this helps people not fall into the trap of believing the delusions of a man who clearly does not respect the traditions of internal practices and lineages.

My 2025 started off rough, by spring I attempted a move. Didn't work out. Late summer, tried another move, didn't go as planned, yet, worked out in other ways. Fall has been good. Beginning this winter much better than a year ago. Reflecting on 2025, personally,,, new found direction. Looking at 2026, looking forward. Knowing, things continue to change. I learned a new way to offer Cheers, salut, etc And to all ya'lls bums, I raise my glass sans clinking Formidable!!

Happy New Year to you Luke, and to the rest of you Bums. May 2026 bring out the best in us!

After many years of practice, the slow spiraling movements of tai chi become part of one´s personality; the habit of deep diaphramatic breathing results in a remarkable steady calm. No doubt this explains why Dao Bums forum members are unfailingly peaceful, remarkably free from the pugilistic impulses that characterize interaction in other corners of the intrawebs. Our tendency towards good cheer and amiability was especially apparent in that area of the site, now defunct, known as "Current Events." Did we always agree with one another? We did not. But even when we found ourselves at extreme idiological odds, we never failed to recognize the humanity and basic good will of our fellows. On that rare occasion when a post resulted in passing annoyance, we looked inward: what unresolved issue within us was responsible for this prick of discontent? Such is the way of the refined heart. And so, with all the gratitude and warm fuzzies I can muster, I raise my glass to you my fellow Bums. May you saunter on into the expanse of the desert or the misty mountains or the bathroom down the hall, wherever your path may lead. Happy New Year!!! LL

( Not sure if this should be in this general section or the teachers sections ? Mods, feel free to move it ) First, I am not going to try to sell you anything or 'sign you up' for lessons . This about the Tao te Ching ... not the Tao te Ka-Ching! ' Ch 1 . There is this thing . Its also not a thing . Also it is both a thing and not a thing. It also is neither a thing or not a thing. It is all of the above . But it isn't any of them . If you have dont want stuff well - that's a mystery ! If you do want stuff The whole manifested Universe awaits you . let;s say you have two spring rolls both may have the same sauce but they can have different names depending on whats inside them and that can be a mystery of mysteries . Ch 2 You think my sister looks hot but that's because Yo Momma be ugly. You guys can only see either end of the line . But the Sage just sees the whole line . You cant have stuff without no stuff. Stuff is just lines , not ends . Back always follows front otherwise you be chasing your own tail. Ch 3 If you flatter people they will try harder to impress you. If you overvalue stuff you will pay more for it. Try to please people and they will get suspicious. Forget what you know and what you want Stop doing stuff all the time ! Ch 4 If the thing is empty and has no source it cant run out alls it got is little potential n+ s and n- s that make nuthings . Then put your hara in the center of all that . Ch 5 the Universe is neutral Judgement is based on comfort . The space between heaven and earth is the atmosphere It can get windy Stick to the surface or you could get blown away . Ch 6 The valley here is under a 'Big Mom' dome . My teacher said just ask her for whatever you want - you'll get it . Ch 7 heaven and earth last forever Why do heaven and earth last forever ? I just told you it did stop asking questions. If you dont do anything you cant fail at it . Ch 8 be like water then you will be good for all living things and flow along without thinking where you are going who knows where you will end up ? But dont be an arsehole about it . Ch 9 Stop taking and using up all our stuff ! Dont re-tune your lawnmower if it doesnt need it. leave things alone , fer Gawd's sake ! Ch 10 if you can be like a baby woman thats good . (tbc)

I know it's been awhile since I was last here, and I still don't really plan on being active but there were some pretty cool people that I just wanted to drop in and give an update to. So last summer I moved to Germany to get away from the United States for obvious reasons. I'm very happy I left the US and I love Germany.

I haven't seen this one before .... and never noticed a discussion here on it . Eg Ch 1 If you can talk about it, it ain’t Tao. If it has a name, it’s just another thing. Tao doesn’t have a name. Names are for ordinary things. Stop wanting stuff; it keeps you from seeing what’s real. When you want stuff, all you see are things. Those two sentences mean the same thing. Figure them out, and you’ve got it made.

I appreciate @bradley's weird thought... mine is similar. Karma to me is simply the causal connection between actions and outcomes. I once had a deep insight into karma in my own life and experience that informed my understanding of the concept. I could see very deeply and clearly how every action and interaction throughout my life have come together to bring me to precisely where I am at that very moment. I could see how different choices on my part, or that of others, and my situation would be completely different. I could see the pattern of cause and effect extending back before my birth and beyond my death. I could see the web of interaction extending out in all directions, across vast distances without boundary. Most of all I could see the sheer scale and complexity of this intricate web of activity and how this makes it so difficult to always appreciate the direct connection between a given action and its effects. Dharma has many meanings in a variety of religions and contexts. It can mean something that is firm and stable, suggesting a foundational or organizing principle or law of existence. It can refer to the way we, as individuals, relate to the world and to others and varies at different stages of life. It is often used to refer to the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. For me, the most meaningful and useful interpretation relates more to the truth or the absolute nature of being. In the tradition I practice, the ground of being is considered the source of all teachings and all possible manifestations; so that coming into relationship with this fundamental experience of our nature opens us to our full potential as human beings.

After a year, it seems like your problems are ongoing, and none of the suggestions here are likely to work. I'm going to lock this thread and just suggest that you lean on proven, practical Western medicine for your issues, first and foremost. Go to a general practitioner and seek a counselor to talk about these issues and they might be able to help diagnose your issues and get you back on track. Thanks to all of the concerned Bums who have chimed in. _/\_ - Stirling (Mod)

While I realise that this thread might be cathartic or therapeutic for some of the posters on here, for most of us it just serves as a warning not to have anything to do with anyone involved. I think it might be worth while thinking about what exactly the purpose of all this bickering online is. As a moderator I am considering locking the thread as I don’t want the board consumed by this dispute. A.

This. If all one sees is evil, then the world is evil. Turning off the news and not doom scrolling all the time helps to see things as they are. Good and evil are always present. Originally though, good and evil are empty. Now, where do thoughts come from? That's the question that liberates. _/|\_

Scientific materialism is an invasive ideology which tempts you to reduce everything to the banal. Hence qi is oxygen becomes an attractive and unchallenging proposition. Your safe world view remains unchallenged but such safety is actually your prison.

Yeah, and then there's hyperoxia, a life-threatening medical condition caused by too much oxygen. Oxygen toxicity is a well-known phenomenon, symptoms include pleuritic chest pain, coughing, dyspnea, tracheobronchitis and pulmonary edema, to name a few. Whereas there is no amount of qi in the human body that is toxic to the human body. A wonderful taoist rule of thumb: do not define something via what it "is," describe it via what it isn't. Wield that Occam's razor with a firm hand. If too much "something" can do things to the body which no amount of qi can do to the body, that "something" isn't qi. Be it oxygen, chocolate, ice cream, electricity, or what have you. Qi is not interchangeable with anything at all. Understanding qi only starts (sic!) when one stops equating it to something else they happen to be familiar with. There is no something else that "is" qi. Just like there is no other gas that can replace oxygen in the blood, there is no other phenomenon that can replace qi in the taoist paradigm. Oxygen is oxygen. Qi is qi. Every traditionally trained and educated (key word every word in italics) taoist practitioner has heard of "qi leads blood," "qi is the general of blood" in this or that context, whether medical, martial or magical. Blood is what carries oxygen to the organs and systems of the body, but to get oxygen into the blood, one has to have qi to lead and guide it. The general and the army are connected, but most definitely they aren't the same entity. The general leads, the army follows. Qi leads, oxygen follows. Unless one is dealing with a rebellious general starting a coup -- aka "rebellious qi," the term for some pretty nasty health disorders, including mental disorders.

Then the devil played another trick; convincing the the world there was only one devil. Ah folks see it. How could it be invisible? It's been broadcasted non-stop to the point, folks have become desensitized to it. "Rocking the boat" causes collateral damage as well. It isn't that folks are scared and weak, it is a sobering situation, and needs addressed in a way not rushed, which plays into the elites hands. Oh, shit, did I equate elites with evil?! Not necessarily, although,,, Don't hold your breath on everyone uniting as one. There are small groups that have stated objectives of holding accountable the ones who are dangled by the strings. The ones dangling and tugged by those strings are the truly weak. These intrigues are often inside jobs and border on the political fringes What usually happens in times like these, when the curtain has been drawn open and evil takes off its mask, is the world is dragged into major war. The 4th generation theory Because it is held by the elites that after a big war, folks can be controlled for three generations. Civil wars prevent revolution. Evil has carefully constructed presumably safe haven hideouts to weather the coming storm and the rest of us face horrendous odds of merely surviving. Let alone, feel good about it. There was a mural I was shown in 1978, in an air force hardened bunker,9 forecasting today's landscape and the coming aftermath; there was a caption: "The living will envy the dead" Apologies everyone for posting this. And, sometimes perhaps, predictive murals get it wrong. There is always hope. There are already places where there is no room for the faint of heart. Perhaps coming soon to a location near you. So, there could be some facsimile of a grand uprising. They do occur, rarely. Civil wars, mixed with the larger war mostly. Every now and then a true revolution. My approach is on the side of choosing to be Meek. Not to be confused with weak. A holistic grass roots effort, emphasizing kindness and service to the poor and downtrodden.i deliver meals to disabled seniors it is a little thing. But enough little things by those on the other side of the spectrum than the elite, do add up.

There´s plenty of bad around if you look for it. And yet the sun still shines and the grass still grows. Look around and you´ll discover people painting, writing books, eagerly awaiting the right time to plant spring flowers. Kindness is everywhere. To see the good is not to deny the bad; on the contrary, our awareness of the good will give us the strength we need to deal with the darkness.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the much-acclaimed book Eat, Pray, Love, recently wrote about her desire to murder her terminally-ill drug-addicted lesbian lover. Not everyone considers radical honesty a virtue, and response to Gilbert´s confession has been decidedly mixed. Should she have saved the more gruesome details of her relationship for an intimate fireside chat with close friends? I think so. I´ll save the juiciest details of my own misadventures for those who deserve my heart.

Bah, there’s already a hundred “illuminated translations” out there. Going forward I am happy to represent the quale grokker community.

I would suggest some meditation on what it actually means before translating. For instance why is the invisible that which produces heaven and earth. What is heaven, what earth and so on. Otherwise you are working in the dark so to speak.

PS - some constructive criticism. If you are interested in an English translation that people can comprehend, that helps them understand the original, I would not use the words grok or quale. Only elderly science fiction fans would know the meaning of grok and quale is not a word in common usage.

Two men visit an abbot at a monastery at different times. The first man said, “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What is it like?” The abbot asked, “What was it like in your old town?” The first man responded, “It was terrible. Everyone was full of hate. I did not like it there.” The abbot said, “This town is very much the same. I do not think you should move here.” The first man left and the second man came in. The second man said, “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What is it like?” The abbot asked, “What was your old town like?” The second man responded, “It was wonderful. Everyone was nice and friendly. I was happy. Now, I just wanted a change of scenery.” The abbot said, “This town is very much the same. I think you will like it here.”

I´m generally not inclined to write posts that crawl right up to the boundary of current events and do a little na-na dance but, what can I say, ya pulled me in. So, in the spirit of Mods Gone Bad, here´s what I´d say... Stubbornly perhaps, I continue to believe that most people are "good." Some of us are confused and misinformed, but even the most thoroughly bamboozled retain a spark of human goodness. Mostly. Yes, some evil ones exist. But for the most part the evil ones aren´t who we think they are, which is to say they aren´t the people who disagree with us. The people who disagree with us want happiness for themselves and their communities just like we do, they just see life through a different cultural lens.

The book is intentionally bare bones, he tells you in the course to not practice from only the book but to wait for the oral teachings that go with it I wouldn't say that his books are a good representation of what his course teaches, his actual methods are almost never discussed in the books they're more broad overviews of the subject matter, for both neigong and neidan The wuzhen pian is featured heavily in several northern lineages im aware of including the most well known, dragons gate That being said I would not recommend damo for serious neidan study, I wouldn't recommend anyone outside of china / taiwan for that but hes great compared to the bruce frantzis or mantak chia types out there lol

No worries ; be patient . I shall don my robe and take up my staff and cross the river and wander in the rainforest a bit ... on my return I shall enlighten you all ( I just gotta finish scrubbing the mold out from between the bathroom tiles first ) .

A good alternative would be child's pose for those that (still) can't squat or on those days you're not willing to suffer. Also, there's the benefit of the abdominal massage in child's pose.

Everything is dangerous for the old and weak. Including not squatting. Humans evolved to squat, chairs are an anomaly. Disadvantages of not squatting are cumulative, we don't suddenly contract some Acute Nosquatitis disease -- but it can be a gateway to quite a few health adversities. To wit, Reduced ankle dorsiflexion Achilles and calf shortening Hip joint stiffness and reduced cartilage nourishment Increased risk of hip osteoarthritis Weaker end-range quadriceps and patellar tendon intolerance Higher knee injury risk during unexpected deep flexion Increased lumbar spine loading and low-back pain risk Impaired pelvic floor mechanics Increased constipation and hemorrhoid risk Reduced balance and proprioception Decreased ability to recover from falls Earlier loss of mobility and independence with aging

Hi All, I wanted to share something I’ve been arriving at in my Chen-style practice, that touches on Taoist internal practices, Qigong, and what I’d call embodied self-discovery. In my experience, Chen-style Taijiquan reveals itself more as something to be discovered rather than learned in the conventional sense. It's as if the principles already exist within the body, and simply need to be uncovered, felt, refined, and integrated over time through careful, attentive practice. For me, what’s striking is how this practice interacts with the body’s connective tissue, nervous system, and interoceptive capacities. Standing cultivates baseline tone, alignment, and subtle internal stretch. Silk Reeling and Form practice introduce dynamic spirals and nervous system feedback that repatterns and reshapes tissue and helps the body discover efficient, integrated pathways of movement. Together, they create an internal calibration that feels very tangible, a “felt sense” of how my body organizes, balances, and responds. I’m curious how this resonates with others’ experiences. How have your own Taoist, Qigong, or internal practices shaped your sense of internal organization, alignment, or subtle body awareness? Have you noticed anything similar to what I describe in Chen Taijiquan: feedback, regulation, or embodied learning that feels discovered rather than taught? I’d love to hear your thoughts, insights, or personal experiences. If anybody is interested, I wrote a longer article exploring this in detail, you can read that article here: https://www.taijiquan.quest/post/chen-tai-chi-discovered

Breatharianism is absolutely not even remotely related to fasting, and is a dangerous, cult-like pursuit. I recommend removing this thread.

As you can see, him being all for locking it gives him an escape out of his actions. Locking it benefits deception and makes life harder for earnest seekers going forward. Please allow people to have their say, to give their opinions on the situation and in doing so, help others make informed choices about teachers and methods out there. This is hopefully something daobums stands for. Helping new seekers find their way and not into the trap of those who would be dishonest. I am not bashing or flaming someone here, I am providing evidence showing that deception is taking place.

This is so sad to see. I've been training with Rudi for about 4 years now. Genuine, stand up guy. His interest in helping with all aspects of health and training is undeniable.

Hi Boreas, I'm glad you've completed your treatment and have resumed your FP Qigong practice. Here are answers to your questions (in bold): 1) Should I keep a gentle focus on the lower abdomen while doing opening 3 breaths and during breath formulas? • Yes, it's always optimal to breathe diaphragmatically, expanding the lower belly on the inhalation. And for most practitioners, that calls for a gentle focus on the tan tien (dantien)--not only during the 3 priming breathes, but also during the performance of the breath-control formula. And this is true especially for those who do not have a kung fu or Tai Chi background already. 2) Regarding formula part in itself, after inhaling my 100% and exhaling X%, do I need on the next inhale to breathe in same X% and exhale 100% at same speed? Said another way, should I keep "counting my potatoes" ? Or do I just breathe in and out calmly without counting? • Yes, after you exhale X%, you then inhale the X% for the same duration (at the same speed). The exhale 100%, inhale 100% --both at the same speed-- and the the next percentage exhalation. yes, keep counting "potatoes" with each full (100%) breath and each X-percentage breath exhalation and X-percentage inhalation. You're most welcome. Happy New Year. Sifu Terry https://www.taichimania.com/chikung_catalog.html terencedunn.substack.com

Mixing practice is bad, under the context of many people are without physical/good teachers, depend on free online material, forums and lack of reading and exposure. Yet if there is a community of cultivators, even different lineages, beliefs, and with some medical support, then trying out other practices when one has some experience is quite natural. So it was how many cultivators received their training from a number of teachers.

The point Deng Ming-Dao was making and I agree with is, anyone who claims a better understanding of DDJ solely on the merit of being fluent in Chinese, or being a respected Sinologist, or even a lineage taoist, is ultimately in the same boat as a native English speaker dealing with Beowulf, only a bigger one. I.e. knowing the modern version of the language, by itself, or knowing the culture and traditions, or their development through the ages, is still nowhere near enough to make claims about presenting "the correct version." Even the meaning of the very first line, which became a meme of sorts, is the product of interpretations rather than of Laozi's calligraphy brush -- which produced only this opening: "Tao can be told, tao is not eternal." So one has to superimpose the kind of grammar (absent from the original) that will allow to ascribe to Laozi a statement that not only was never made by him but is the opposite of what he actually wrote verbatim. And then just repeat it for two and a half thousand years. That beats Lewis Carrol's "what I tell you three times is true" with a vengeance. But what if we don't do that? What if we take those words for face value instead? Then this line can be read as, say, the opening manifesto of a writer who asserts his right to write about tao. Tao can be told. I, Laozi, can tell you about it. I can tell about it here and now. I am not an eternal being, and so I'm not tackling an eternal subject -- just the here-and-now tao which is what I can tell you about. How's that?

There is a story they tell in the lineage I follow, about WW2 being caused by literal demons possessing the minds of German leadership, shaping the way they thought and saw reality. I have absolutely no idea if that is true, but it is an interesting story. I can say I have met with people in real life, and recently who told me they were salivating (their words), to start killing certain groups of people. Those comments, that they were hungry to kill other people, makes me wonder if there isn't more to that story.

Did you add lemon with the tea? Was tea hot, cold, if we're going to be scientific, details matter. On an empty stomach?

-- Paul Reps

I wonder what value there is in ascribing the negative characteristics and manifestations we see as “evil” as opposed to human? It feels to me that it is a way to distance ourselves or absolve ourselves of responsibility, a form of dehumanization such as is used to normalize atrocities.

Annnon, While I appreciate your sentiment, threads such as this are no longer welcome here - not due to any particular political allegiance. Please read, or re-read this thread: After consultation with the various mods, this thread is now permanently locked. _/\_

(May have posted this before, sorry it may not apply to struggling or younger folks )

Up in the mountain is a better place for seclusion!

Demons and voices are "makyo": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makyō They are distractions that come from the thinking mind. If your mind is still, they aren't there by definition. The stillness is the deeper reality of these experiences - the thing that is ALWAYS there when the mind is allowed to stop. Many experiences of all kinds occur during meditation. Most of them are blissful. Some people have supernatural experiences, some don't. It's good to have recourse to a proper teacher to check in with who has seen and understands these experiences, so that when things like this happen they can be framed in their proper perspective and there is some tuning of your practice where problems arise. @Cadcam, if you are continuing to experience anhedonia you should really be in contact with a mental health professional.

I´ve also found the Bums a mostly kind-hearted group. It sounds like you have Good Forum Karma! I hope you continue to find this a welcoming, accepting place for many years to come.

Do you yourself understand it? How about this: Wu Wei arises is the understanding that enlightenment and the world of separateness occupy the same space, though one of them is a "deeper" reality. To a person who experiences the world as a "self", there is a world of separate objects, and a "self" with agency that interacts with them. From the experience of enlightened mind it is obvious that the separateness is a delusion, and that the unity of things takes care of itself. The way this appears is from the same perspective, but with two ways of seeing - there is still the appearance of a body that interacts with the world, but from the enlightened perspective this action is not the product of volition but the action of reality itself acting as a wholeness. No amount of reading or pouring over translations and commentaries will ever yield an understanding of the non-dual nature of reality, of which Wu Wei is only a single intellectual perspective. The broader realization isn't an intellectual understanding, and the reality of it will never match an intellectual idea about its nature. The only path to understanding Wu Wei is in having it become your permanent experience through realization.

Your entire post above is gold. And there are layers of understanding and realization, just as there are relative and absolute truth. Reading and studying alone, even a scripture as perfect as Daodejing, can only take us so far. The mind, its activity, and its contents can only take us so far. We must make room for practice, for simply being, to appreciate the wisdom hiding behind the words. And we must be patient and kind with ourselves and each other if we want to discover something new together. Although, if we trust the old masters, an occasional swift kick in the arse or thwack on the shoulder with the keisaku can be helpful too.

Sorry, but I think that is too restrictive a definition of wu wei. What if I step on a toad as I'm saving a drowning animal? I'm playing with you a little here. Forgive me.

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert you can remember your name ‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

Same in finnish: taivas. I once said to my neighbor in broken finnish something like "the sky is beautiful" and he got this weird look on his face. afterwards, i figured he probably thought I was talking about heaven.

Skål, God bless and thank you! The journey continues! '

The characters and translation used by CD are (my highlights and layout): Classical did not use commas (these were inserted by CD). To define a term, they put e.g. 也者 between noun and definition. 無 used as a noun, only had the meaning of 'nothing(ness)'. 有 used as a noun had the meanings: existence; posession, having. "Tao at/as" is not in the characters (it was inserted by CD). Good practice is to put [square brackets] around what you insert into a translation.