Daily Readings of FJP

Daily Readings of FJP episodes:

• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 81

  True words aren't eloquent;

  eloquent words aren't true.

  Wise men don't need to prove their point;

  men who need to prove their point aren't wise. The Master has no possessions.

  The more he does for others,

  the happier he is.

  The more he gives to others,

  the wealthier he is. The Tao nourishes by not forcing.

  By not dominating, the Master leads.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 80

  If a country is governed wisely,

  its inhabitants will be content.

  They enjoy the labor of their hands

  and don't waste time inventing

  labor-saving machines.

  Since they dearly love their homes,

  they aren't interested in travel.

  There may be a few wagons and boats,

  but these don't go anywhere.

  There may be an arsenal of weapons,

  but nobody ever uses them.

  People enjoy their food,

  take pleasure in being with their families,

  spend weekends working in their gardens,

  delight in the doings of the neighborhood.

  And even though the next country is so close

  that people can hear its roosters crowing and its dogs barking,

  they are content to die of old age

  without ever having gone to see it.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 79

  Failure is an opportunity.

  If you blame someone else,

  there is no end to the blame. Therefore the Master

  fulfills her own obligations

  and corrects her own mistakes.

  She does what she needs to do

  and demands nothing of others.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 78

  Nothing in the world

  is as soft and yielding as water.

  Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,

  nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard;

  the gentle overcomes the rigid.

  Everyone knows this is true,

  but few can put it into practice. Therefore the Master remains

  serene in the midst of sorrow.

  Evil cannot enter his heart.

  Because he has given up helping,

  he is people's greatest help. True words seem paradoxical.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 77

  As it acts in the world, the Tao

  is like the bending of a bow.

  The top is bent downward;

  the bottom is bent up.

  It adjusts excess and deficiency

  so that there is perfect balance.

  It takes from what is too much

  and give to what isn't enough. Those who try to control,

  who use force to protect their power,

  go against the direction of the Tao.

  They take from those who don't have enough

  and give to those who have far too much. The Master can keep giving

  because there is no end to her wealth.

  She acts without expectation,

  succeeds without taking credit,

  and doesn't think that she is better

  than anyone else.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 76

  Men are born soft and supple;

  dead, they are stiff and hard.

  Plats are born tender and pliant;

  dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible

  is a disciple of death.

  Whoever is soft and yielding

  is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken.

  The soft and supple will prevail.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 75

  When taxes are too high,

  people go hungry.

  When the government is too intrusive,

  people lose their spirit. Act for the people's benefit.

  Trust them; leave them alone.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 74

  If you realize that all things change,

  there is nothing you will try to hold on to.

  If you aren't afraid of dying,

  there is nothing you can't achieve. Trying to control the future

  is like trying to take the master carpenter's place.

  When you handle the master carpenter's tools, chances are that you'll cut your hand.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 73

  The Tao is always at ease.

  It overcomes without competing,

  answers without speaking a word,

  arrives without being summoned,

  accomplishes without a plan. Its net covers the whole universe.

  And though its meshes are wide,

  it doesn't let a thing slip through.

  ...more

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• October 29, 2019Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching 72

  When they lose their sense of awe,

  people turn to religion.

  When they no longer trust themselves,

  they begin to depend upon authority. Therefore the Master steps back

  so that people won't be confused.

  He teaches without a teaching,

  so that people will have nothing to learn.

  ...more

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