Tao Te Ching -- In Her Own Words

We have all been there. You have a favorite blog or two that you check frequently, then, for one reason or another, you drift away. Sometimes, you lose touch altogether. At other times, you circle back around to find what you've missed.

Today, I happened back to Changing Places and I found that Donna has embarked on an interesting voyage. She is rewriting the Tao Te Ching in her own words. Entitled "The Tao of the Self," she is up through Verse 5.

I have often thought that a personal rewrite of the TTC, by those of us who feel we have been enlightened by it, is a worthwhile exercise. To date, I have chosen a different method by going through the text line-by-line. Who knows? Maybe one day I will write the Rambling Tao Te Ching! :-)

Here is Donna's rendering of Verse 2.

Anyone can see you are beautiful
If they see others as ugly.
Anyone can see you as good
If they see others as evil.

Therefore having friends and not having friends arise together.
Difficult and easy relationships complement each other.
Long and short friendships contrast each other:
High and low emotions rest upon each other;
Your voice and the sound of others harmonize each other;
Being in front of and behind others follow one another.

Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing to force relationships,
teaching not gossiping about others.
Thousands of conversations rise and fall without cease,
Creating relationships, yet not forcing them.
Working with others, yet not taking credit for their work.
Great work with others is done, then forgotten.
Therefore it lasts forever.