Who loves large storesLife itself is ephemeral and, all too often, random. Whatever we accumulate along the way is subject to a multiplicity of forces, both internal and external. Everything rises and falls, ebbs and flows.
Gives up the richer state.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
He who saves will suffer heavy loss.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
Excessive hoarding must lead to heavy loss
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
If you hang on to your riches,
you will suffer substantial loss.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
Even the most solid rock, in time, will become little more than dust.
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
My teacher's translation/interpretation of this read:
ReplyDelete"Rich possesions mean more funerary objects."
I love the "you can't take it with you" notion, that everything you own or possess is a funerary object, stuff found in a tomb.
Like Alan Watt's remarks on what Jesus said: he who would save his life shall lose it; but he who would let it go will save it. Just replace "life" with "breath" and you can see the wisdom it in.
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