Today I went over #38 and Julie then joined me for #23 after which I had a new guest Zahara Samuels choose #17.
#17 "Of Masters and Leaders"
In the time of the great Masters there were no leaders.
Then, those whom the people loved, led the way.
After having created the position
The people feared their leaders,
Then they despised them.
Having created leaders, their faith in Tao was diminished.
Having become a leader, his trust in the people was diminished.
When there are great Masters there are no leaders
She works day and night and says nothing about it,
When the work is done the people say
“Amazing! We did it all by ourselves!”
#23 "Speaking from Tao"
When you speak, say what is to be said but no more.
Neither wind, nor storms last all day
nature expresses itself completely,
no matter how wild it may get,
Then it returns to stillness.
When you open yourself to Tao
You say what is to be said.
Everyone will agree because
When you speak from Tao only Tao can be heard.
He who aligns with Tao will only hear Tao.
He who aligns with manifestation will only hear manifestation.
He who aligns with failure will only hear failure.
How it is heard is not your concern.
Trust what is to be said
And everything will fall into place.
#38 "Dissolution of Tao"
Masters have nothing to prove
Making their power self-evident.
Others continue to grasp at power
Thus they never have enough.
Masters needn’t do a thing
In so doing nothing is disregarded.
Others are constantly doing
Leaving everything else still to be done.
The kind man does, and in so doing reveals all that remains undone.
The just man does, and in so doing reveals all that still needs to be done.
The moral man does and when there is no support will use force to gain consensus.
When Tao is lost, we lean on etiquette.
When that fails, we turn to morality.
When morality dissolves, we teach ritual.
Those who have only known ritual
Are filled with shadow and ignorance.
Therefore, the Master concerns herself
With the substance not the shadow.
She has no destination,
Only to reside within herself
Not the manifestation.
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