Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Leader Resource 2: Random Tao Te Ching Chapters

1

The tao that can be described

is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be spoken

is not the eternal Name.

The nameless is the boundary of Heaven and Earth.

The named is the mother of creation.

Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery.

By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real.

Yet mystery and reality

emerge from the same source.

This source is called darkness.

Darkness born from darkness.

The beginning of all understanding

2

When people see things as beautiful,

ugliness is created.

When people see things as good,

evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

Therefore the Master

can act without doing anything

and teach without saying a word.

Things come her way and she does not stop them;

things leave and she lets them go.

She has without possessing,

and acts without any expectations.

When her work is done, she take no credit.

That is why it will last forever.

81

True words do not sound beautiful;

beautiful sounding words are not true.

Wise men don't need to debate;

men who need to debate are not wise.

Wise men are not scholars,

and scholars are not wise.

The Master desires no possessions.

Since the things she does are for the people,

she has more than she needs.

The more she gives to others,

the more she has for herself.

The Tao of Heaven nourishes by not forcing.

The Tao of the Wise person acts by not competing.

11

Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,

but it is the center hole

that allows the wheel to function.

We mold clay into a pot,

but it is the emptiness inside

that makes the vessel useful.

We fashion wood for a house,

but it is the emptiness inside

that makes it livable.

We work with the substantial,

but the emptiness is what we use.

18

When the great Tao is abandoned,

charity and righteousness appear.

When intellectualism arises,

hypocrisy is close behind.

When there is strife in the family unit,

people talk about "brotherly love."

When the country falls into chaos,

politicians talk about "patriotism."

36

If you want something to return to the source,

you must first allow it to spread out.

If you want something to weaken,

you must first allow it to become strong.

If you want something to be removed,

you must first allow it to flourish.

If you want to possess something,

you must first give it away.

This is called the subtle understanding

of how things are meant to be.

The soft and pliable overcomes the hard and inflexible.

Just as fish remain hidden in deep waters,

it is best to keep weapons out of sight.

40

All movement returns to the Tao.

Weakness is how the Tao works.

All of creation is born from substance.

Substance is born of nothing-ness.

42

The Tao gave birth to One.

The One gave birth to Two.

The Two gave birth to Three.

The Three gave birth to all of creation.

All things carry Yin

yet embrace Yang.

They blend their life breaths

in order to produce harmony.

People despise being orphaned, widowed and poor.

But the noble ones take these as their titles.

In losing, much is gained,

and in gaining, much is lost.

What others teach I too will teach:

"The strong and violent will not die a natural death."

43

That which offers no resistance,

overcomes the hardest substances.

That which offers no resistance

can enter where there is no space.

Few in the world can comprehend

the teaching without words,

or understand the value of non-action.

44

Which is more important, your honor or your life?

Which is more valuable, your possessions or your person?

Which is more destructive, success or failure?

Because of this, great love extracts a great cost

and true wealth requires greater loss.

Knowing when you have enough avoids dishonor,

and knowing when to stop will keep you from danger

and bring you a long, happy life.

54

That which is well built

will never be torn down.

That which is well latched

can not slip away.

Those who do things well

will be honored from generation to generation.

If this idea is cultivated in the individual,

then his virtue will become genuine.

If this idea is cultivated in your family,

then virtue in your family will be great.

If this idea is cultivated in your community,

then virtue will go a long way.

If this idea is cultivated in your country,

then virtue will be in many places.

If this idea is cultivated in the world,

then virtue will be with everyone.

Then observe the person for what the person does,

and observe the family for what it does,

and observe the community for what it does,

and observe the country for what it does,

and observe the world for what it does.

How do I know this saying is true?

I observe these things and see.

62

The Tao is the tabernacle of creation,

it is a treasure for those who are good,

and a place of refuge for those who are not.

How can those who are not good be abandoned?

Words that are beautiful are worth much,

but good behavior can only be learned by example.

When a new leader takes office,

don't give him gifts and offerings.

These things are not as valuable

as teaching him about the Tao.

Why was the Tao esteemed by the ancient Masters?

Is it not said: "With it we find without looking.

With it we find forgiveness for our transgressions."

That is why the world can not understand it.

64

Things are easier to control while things are quiet.

Things are easier to plan far in advance.

Things break easier while they are still brittle.

Things are easier hid while they are still small.

Prevent problems before they arise.

Take action before things get out of hand.

The tallest tree

begins as a tiny sprout.

The tallest building

starts with one shovel of dirt.

A journey of a thousand miles

starts with a single footstep.

If you rush into action, you will fail.

If you hold on too tight, you will lose your grip.

Therefore the Master lets things take their course

and thus never fails.

She doesn't hold on to things

and never loses them.

By pursing your goals too relentlessly,

you let them slip away.

If you are as concerned about the outcome

as you are about the beginning,

then it is hard to do things wrong.

The master seeks no possessions.

She learns by unlearning,

thus she is able to understand all things.

This gives her the ability to help all of creation.

67

The world talks about honoring the Tao,

but you can't tell it from their actions.

Because it is thought of as great,

the world makes light of it.

It seems too easy for anyone to use.

There are three jewels that I cherish:

compassion, moderation, and humility.

With compassion, you will be able to be brave,

With moderation, you will be able to give to others,

With humility, you will be able to become a great leader.

To abandon compassion while seeking to be brave,

or abandoning moderation while being benevolent,

or abandoning humility while seeking to lead

will only lead to greater trouble.

The compassionate warrior will be the winner,

and if compassion is your defense you will be secure.

Compassion is the protector of Heaven's salvation.

71

Knowing you don't know is wholeness.

Thinking you know is a disease.

Only by recognizing that you have an illness

can you move to seek a cure.

The Master is whole because

she sees her illnesses and treats them,

and thus is able to remain whole.

78 Water is the softest and most yielding substance.

Yet nothing is better than water,

for overcoming the hard and rigid,

because nothing can compete with it.

Everyone knows that the soft and yielding

overcomes the rigid and hard,

but few can put this knowledge into practice.

Therefore the Master says:

"Only he who is the lowest servant of the kingdom,

is worthy to become its ruler.

He who is willing to tackle the most unpleasant tasks,

is the best ruler in the world."

True sayings seem contradictory.

(Written by Lao Tze. Translated by J.H. McDonald, 1996.)