Line by Line - Verse 8, Line 4

The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

In dwelling, be close to the land.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Dwelling with the right location
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Keep your feet on the ground.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Why has humankind struggled since its inception to lead lives of peace and harmony? One explanation is that, as we have "progressed," we have gradually moved away from living as a part of nature!

So often, we view nature as something external to ourselves and society. It is something we experience on vacations far from home! But if everything is a manifestation of the One -- Tao -- then everything is a manifestation of nature. In other words, it is everywhere we are!

By getting in touch with the natural world that envelops us every moment, we stay close to the land.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.