The Scholarly Sage?

Trey Smith

Those who follow Tao are constantly interested in new knowledge. Obscurity is not a deterrent. Detail is thrilling. Pursuit of the esoteric is an excitement. And long investigation is a pleasure. There is a saying: "Sailing on the ocean of knowledge, you can never reach the shore." The followers of Tao are happy to be sailing that way, and they probably aren't even looking for shore.
~ from Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony by Deng Ming-Dao ~

This is an interesting passage because it would appear to contradict (or at least disagree with) several passages from the Tao Te Ching.

Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles.
Verse 20

In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.
Verse 48

Therefore the sage seeks freedom from desire.
He does not collect precious things.
He learns not to hold on to ideas.
Verse 64

Those who know are not learned.
The learned do not know.
Verse 81

Personally, I think there is a level of congruency between the thought of Ming-Dao and Laozi. What may appear to be a contradiction on first blush is not really a contradiction at all. I could offer my reasons for this supposition, but these simply are my reasons.

I'm sharing these snippets today for you to think about. Do they or do they not contradict each other? No need to post a comment -- unless you want to.