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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Line by Line - Verse 35, Lines 1-2

To him who holds in his hands the Great Image (of the invisible Tao), the whole world repairs. Men resort to him, and receive no hurt, but (find) rest, peace, and the feeling of ease.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

All men will come to him who keeps to the one,
For there lie rest and happiness and peace.

~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Hold the great image
All under heaven will come
They come without harm, in harmonious peace

~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Get right with Tao, and everybody wants to be your friend.
When they're around you, they enjoy a calm serenity.

~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
Individuals like the Dalai Lama, Jesus, Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., are/were people magnets. People wanted to be around them, listen to them and take up there causes. It wasn't because they were rich, powerful, popular or influential. It was because each man had/has an aura of peace and humility about him.

We all know people like this. Their presence brightens the room. Their tranquility calms choppy waters. Their humility provides a sense of serenity.

We feel better about ourselves and the world around us in their presence.

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

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