Friday, June 3, 2011

Tao Bible - Proverbs 19:4

Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
~ King James version ~

The sage is shy and humble - to the world he seems confusing.
Others look to him and listen.
He behaves like a little child.
~ from Verse 49 of the Tao Te Ching ~
The Bible sends mixed messages on the subject of earthly wealth. On some occasions, the inference is that riches poison a person's heart and make it that much more difficult to understand the divine. At other times, however, the biblical writers seem to praise the accumulation of wealth as a sign that God is pleased with the individual.

The Taoist sages focus little attention on wealth. Their target is not the outward manifestations of each person, but the inward which INFORMS the outward. Rather than discuss earthly riches, they focus on simplicity and supreme virtue.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

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