Today’s Recommendation: Tao Te Ching as a Guide to an Awakened Spiritual Life

A Path and a Practice:
Using Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching
as a Guide to an Awakened Spiritual Life
by William Martin
★★★★★

The Tao Te Ching—one of the most loved and widely translated books in human history—has appeared in countless English-language versions. But no modern translation has yet captured the essential thrust of Lao Tzu's work as a practical guide to living an awakened life. Now William Martin, whose acclaimed previous reinterpretations of the Tao (for parents, couples, and elders) have introduced or reacquainted this classic text to thousands of readers, strikingly translates the Tao's eighty-one chapters to uniquely address someone on a Tao—or path—with a practice. Martin frames his new translation with two illuminating, groundbreaking sections: "A Path," which introduces the Tao's nonlinear construction and explains how it works its themes; and "A Practice," which provides practical guidance for readers exploring each of the Tao's themes in depth. Martin's genius in this new translation uncovers how directly the Tao speaks to readers on or about to embark on a spiritual journey.

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Daily Insight:Lao Tzu on Self Mastery

“Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self requires strength;
He who knows he has enough is rich.
Perseverance is a sign of will power.”

― Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching

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Daily Insight Lao Tzu on Integrity

“The person of superior integrity
does not insist upon his integrity.
For this reason, he has integrity.
The person of inferior integrity
never loses sight of his integrity;
For this reason, he lacks integrity.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Daily Insight: Laozi: To Practice Virtue

“To practice virtue is to selflessly offer assistance to
others, giving without limitation one's time,
abilities, and possessions in service, whenever and
wherever needed, without prejudice concerning the
identity of those in need.

If your willingness to give blessings is limited, so also
is your ability to receive them.
This is the subtle operation of the Tao.”

— Laozi, Hua Hu Ching:
The Unknown Teachings of Lao Tzu by Brian Walker

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Daily Insight: Lao Tzu on Simplicity, Patience, and Compassion

“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts,
you return to the source of being.

Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world."

"There is no greater misfortune
than underestimating your enemy.
Underestimating your enemy
means thinking that he is evil.

Thus you destroy your three treasures
and become an enemy yourself.
When two great forces oppose each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield.”

― Lao Tzu,
Tao Te Ching

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Daily Insight: Lao Tzu on Integrity

“The person of superior integrity
does not insist upon his integrity.
For this reason, he has integrity.
The person of inferior integrity
never loses sight of his integrity;
For this reason, he lacks integrity.”

― Lao-Tzu,
Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Dec. 19, 2019: Lao Tzu: Die Without Loss

“If you understand others you are smart.
If you understand yourself you are illuminated.
If you overcome others you are powerful.
If you overcome yourself you have strength.
If you know how to be satisfied you are rich.
If you can act with vigor, you have a will.
If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting.
If you die without loss, you are eternal.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Dec. 3, 2019: Tao Te Ching on Humility and Leadership

“All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are.
Humility gives it its power.

If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them.
If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Nov. 17, 2019: Tao Te Ching on Knowing Yourself

“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Oct. 17, 2019: Lao-Tzu on Simplicity, Patience, Compassion

“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Sept. 29, 2019: Lao Tzu on the Tao

“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding.
But water will wear away rock,
which is rigid and cannot yield.

As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding
will overcome whatever is rigid and hard.

This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Sept. 7, 2019: Lao Tzu on Integrity

“The person of superior integrity
does not insist upon his integrity.
For this reason, he has integrity.
The person of inferior integrity
never loses sight of his integrity;
For this reason, he lacks integrity.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

19056

Words of Wisdom for Aug. 21, 2019: Lao Tzu

“She does not show herself, and therefore is apparent.
She does not affirm herself, and therefore is acknowledged.
She does not boast and therefore has merit.
She does not strive and therefore is successful.
It is exactly because she does not contend, that nobody can contend with her.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Words of Wisdom for Aug. 13, 2019: Lao Tzu on Self Mastery

“Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self requires strength;
He who knows he has enough is rich.
Perseverance is a sign of will power.”

― Lao Tzu
Tao Te Ching

19031

Daily Dharma July 26, 2019 Lao Tzu

“Failure is an opportunity.
If you blame someone else,
there is no end to the blame.
Therefore the Master
fulfills her own obligations
and corrects her own mistakes.
She does what she needs to do
and demands nothing of others.”

― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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Daily Dharma July 14, 2019 Lao-Tzu

“When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!”

― Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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