Heaven endures; the earth stands fast.
Their secret: they ask nothing to last.
They live not for self, so never fade;
Their strength a selfless surrender displayed.
The sage puts himself last; so stands in the lead,
Observes without grasping, content to concede.
By tending to others, his needs disappear.
In serving the world, fulfillment draws near.
⸻
Water is good, humble, profound.
Nourishing all, chooses lowest of ground.
It rests where none seek it, refusing to boast;
Yielding, it follows the Tao most close.
At home, dwell close to the land you find.
In thought, go deep into heart and mind.
With others, be gentle, in speech remain true.
Be fair in your dealings, let justice shine through.
Act at the right time, without haste or ado.
Live with the Tao in all that you do.
Move with the current,
Don’t fight the flow,
Learn when to act and when to let go.
Learn when to act and when to let go.
Learn when to act and when to let go.
Heaven and earth are impartial, unmoved by the throng,
All things to them like straw dogs belong.
The sage, too, is steady—no special affection shown,
Bestows his gifts freely, claims none as his own.
Between earth and sky, an emptiness swells—
A bellows that breathes and forever dispels.
The more it is used, the more it bestows;
In stillness and center, true wisdom grows.
⸻
The spirit eternal, the deep and unseen,
Is the mystery called the feminine queen.
She shapes the whole world but remains undefiled,
Her essence unchanged, both mother and child.
The gateway she opens is the root of all birth—
Her whisper resounds through heaven and earth.
Invisible, ageless, her presence extends—
Guiding all beings to where wholeness begins.
Prize status and envy takes root,
Treasure possessions and theft is acute.
Show off desire, and restless hearts stir
Hide what’s alluring, let calmness occur.
The sage leads by clearing the mind and the chest,
By tempering wants and letting bones rest.
Act without striving, let actions release,
And in gentle stillness, all settles in peace.
⸻
The Tao is a vessel—empty, yet filled,
Bottomless well, from which all is distilled.
Edges are softened, the tangled undone,
The glare of the sun by the cloud is outshone.
Invisible, constant, it’s hidden from sight
I know not its source nor who gave it light.
Older than gods, and yet ever new
The ancestor’s breath that all things renew
Speak it aloud, and it slips from your grasp
The Tao’s true nature none can clasp.
Nameless, yet endless forms appear,
The Source of the Tao, forever unclear
Call it not, and it is the wellspring of being.
Call it forth, and it weaves the world into seeing.
Unspoken, it births all that ever can be—
Named, it mothers infinity.
Desireless, it comes unbid,
Desiring, sees all things hid.
The mystery opens, silent and wide
Through its threshold, wisdom will guide.
We know beauty, for ugliness walks by its side,
And understand good where evil resides.
Being and nothing in endless parade
Hard becomes easy as striving fades
Long always starts as the shortest of days
Shadow lives astride light’s golden haze
So the sage moves gently in paradox and grace,
Acts without striving, leaving no trace.
He teaches in silence, gives without claim
Lets things unfold, unburdened by fame.
Labor content tho no price won
Finished, his self undone
The work endures tho he be gone.
I’m doing some housecleaning. I’ve neglected this site for far too long and I’m going to start updating it again.