Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 think of yourself as an empire to govern, explore, work, and live in
2 a man stretched between heaven and earth governs the totality of the self with ritual action and intent
3 a man stretched between heaven and earth resolves conflicts within his borders with surprise, creativity, and the unusual
4 a man stretched between heaven and earth embraces the universe
by not interfering with it at all
5 it is a matter of degree
to see yourself as a ruler who governs according to a definite plan reacting creatively to the unexpected while also
allowing your kingdom to unfold naturally
6 the ancient child asks where is this kingdom
7 the kingdom is within me within each of us
8 too many taxes too many laws
and the kingdom will never be right
9 make just the precise amount of demands upon the kingdom of the self and you will be happy and abundant righted between heaven and earth
10 too many taxes too many laws
and the kingdom will be in chaos it will act out of scarcity
it will breed many thieves robbing their countrymen as the populace arms itself for survival for survival instead of living
11 the ancient child asks how do you remedy the situation
12 do things without appearing to do things act spontaneously within the limits of the moment touch the kingdom with a gentle hand embrace peace and cultivate stillness shape your intention and let it overflow allow good things to happen without meddling allow your bodymind to order itself
13 cultivate for the sheer joy of cultivation alone
14 stretch yourself between heaven and earth mindfully chip away at your life to see what is inside
15 do everything
by
doing nothing
1 BODY and MIND: The meaning is plain.
Throughout the Tao Te Ching, the metaphor of government is used to describe the individual. Much has been written about Lao-tzu's fascination and disgust with the politics of his era. Unfortunately, most translators over-emphasize those aspects and neglect the central Taoist theme. From an ancient Taoist perspective, an individual who embraces the Tao Way of Life naturally influences the people, community, and political institutions around him through a type of spiritual osmosis. By practical extension, techniques for an individual cultivation of the Tao are equally effective when applied to a kingdom or country.
2-4 BODY and MIND: The first lines of these three stanzas reinforce the idea that the Cultivator as ruler must act from a deep connection to the Tao Source if his governance is to be successful.
5 MIND: "Your kingdom" refers to the internal kingdom of the Cultivator's bodymind. It must be regulated according to a definite yet flexible plan and with deference to the mysteries of the human organism.
6-7 MIND: The inner world.
8-9 HAND and MIND: You must avoid exerting excessive control over and making too many demands upon the bodymind. To find just the right amount, the Cultivator must be guided by his intuition and be under full influence of the Tao Source.
10 BODY and MIND: Acting from a chaotic and contused place disrupts the various energies and spirits of the bodymind, causing them to work against each other. For example, wallowing in depression drains the qi of the lungs. Faced with a deficient
amount of life-force energy to perform its function, the lungs steal gi from the kidneys. This starts a cascade of energy scavenging that soon negatively impacts the entire bodymind.
11-15 BODY and HAND: Beyond a gentle discipline, allow your life to unfold as naturally as possible. Live for the joy of living and allow happiness, abundance, and contentment into every facet of your existence. Complete your acquired knowledge by the unlearning method described in the previous chapter. Treat yourself as an uncarved block of wood. Chip away at yourself through cultivation and you will uncover your true self.