Friday, April 16, 2010

Tao Translation In Modern Words--#45

It's easy to maintain balance.
Trouble can be nipped in the bud.
Fragile things break easily,
and small things are easy to lose.

Deal with the situation before it becomes a problem.
Keep everything straight so it can't get messed up.
Every tree was once a seed.
Every skyscraper started out
with a shovelful of dirt.
And a journey of a thousand miles begins
with a single step.

When you try too hard,
you defeat your own purpose.
Cling to stuff,and you will suffer loss.
The Masters make no effort,
so they never fail.
They aren't attached to things,
so they never feel loss.

Pay as much attention to the finishing touches
as you do to the initial steps.
The Masters try to be free from desire.
They don't collect precious things.
They don't cling to any beliefs.
They pay attention to what everybody else ignores.
They help the world get right with Tao,
but don't try to change a thing.

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