Tao te Ching Chapter Seven

Thomas Brill and Brian Parks chatting again.
This week we talked about chapter 7 of the Tao te Ching.

1. Heaven endures; Earth lasts a long time.
2. The reason why Heaven and Earth can endure and last a long time—
3. Is that they do not live for themselves.
4. Therefore they can long endure.

5. Therefore the Sage:
6. Puts himself in the background yet finds himself in the foreground;
7. Puts self-concern out of [his mind], yet finds self-concern in the fore;
8. Puts self-concern out of [his mind], yet finds that his self-concern is preserved.
9. Is it not because he has no self-interest,
10. That he is therefore able to realize his self-interest?

Here is a link to the audio file for chapter 7 if you are not using iTunes.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/tao4two/TtCCh7.mp3

Tao te Ching Chapter Six

Thomas Brill and Brian Parks chatting again.
This week we talked about chapter 6 of the Tao te Ching.

The valley spirit never dies;
We call it the mysterious female.
The gates of the mysterious female—
These we call the roots of Heaven and Earth.
Subtle yet everlasting! It seems to exist.
In being used, it is not exhausted.

Here is a link to the audio file for chapter 4 if you are not using iTunes.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/tao4two/TtCCh6.mp3

Tao te Ching Chapter Five

Thomas Brill and Brian Parks chatting again.
This week we talked about chapter 5 of the Tao te Ching.

Heaven and Earth are not humane;
They regard the the thousand things as straw dogs.
The Sage is not humane;
He regards the common people as straw dogs.

The space between Heaven and Earth—is it not like a bellow?
It is empty and yet not depleted;
Move it and more [always] comes out.
Much learning means frequent exhaustions.
That's not so good as holding on to the mean.


Here is a link to the audio file for chapter 5 if you are not using iTunes.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/tao4two/TtCCh5.mp3

Tao te Ching Chapter Four

Thomas Brill and Brian Parks chatting again.
This week we talked about chapter 4 of the Tao te Ching.

The Way is empty;
Yet when you use it, you never need fill it again.
Like an abyss! It seems to be the ancestor of the ten thousand things.

If files down sharp edges;
Unties the tangles;
Softens the glare;
And settles the dust.

Submerged! It seems perhaps to exist.
We don't know whose child it is;
It seems to have [even] preceded the Lord.

Here is a link to the audio file for chapter 4 if you are not using iTunes.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/tao4two/TtCch4.mp3