We meet it and do not see its Front;How can we define that which is limitless? How can we confine it to a position or a perspective?
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
Stand before it and there is no beginning.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
Confront it, its front cannot be seen
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
It's in you,
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
If life is like a circle -- each stage folding into the next -- then there is no beginning. What we perceive as a start is the ending of something else.
From this perspective, existence never began. It has always been.
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
Define alas, we cannot. So man yfingers trying to point the way...The Buddhist teaching of "no self" (annata) echos the same perspective...Once this position or perspective sinkste beyond the level of intellect what can we say then?
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