LAO KUN THE MASTER SAID:
..........TAO IS DEVOID
OF FORM -
YET HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE BROUGHT TO BIRTH,
..........AND NURTURED
BY ITS NORM.
TAO HATH NO WILL TO WORK;
..........YET BY ITS WAY
OF HEAVEN
THE MOON AND SUN REJOICE TO RUN
..........AMONG THE
STARRY SEVEN.
TAO HATH NO NAME; ITS WORD
.......... IS GROWTH,
AND SUSTENANCE
TO ALL; I AIM TO GIVE IT NAME:
..........TAO (HEAVEN
PROSPER CHANCE!)
TAO HATH TWIN PHASE WITH TEH:
..........THE SILENT AND
THE STRESSED.
OF MOTION, THOSE; OF THESE, REPOSE
..........SUBLIMELY
MANIFEST
HEAVEN MOVES, PURE SILENCE HE;
.......... EARTH RESTS
BENEATH THE STRAIN;
SHUTTLE AND LOOM, AS WORD AND WOMB,
..........THEIR MYSTERY
SUSTAIN
PURE MOTION MAKETH REST
.......... AS SILENCE
MAKETH STRESS.
IF MAN WERE STILL, THEN HEAVEN SHOULD THRILL
..........WITH EARTH TO
NOTHINGNESS.
SELF LOVETH SILENCE. YEA,
.......... BUT MIND
DISTRACTETH IT.
MIND LOVETH REST; BUT PASSION'S PEST
..........ALLURES THE
TREMBLING WIT.
IF MAN RESTRAIN DESIRE,
..........HIS MIND WILL
CEASE TO ROLL,
AND MIND'S RELEASE ALLOW PURE PEACE
..........OF SILENCE TO
THE SOUL.
THE SENSES WILL NOT SOIL;
.......... THE THOUGHT
WILL NOT UPSTRESS;
NOR POISONS (GREED, WRATH, DULNESS) BREED
..........THEIR TRIFORM
DEADLINESS.
MEN EARN NOT EASE OF TAO
.......... FOR THEIR
DESIRE'S DISEASE;
BECAUSE THEIR MIND IS NOT REFINED
..........OF THOUGHT BY
KILLING THESE.
IF ONE SHOULD SLAY DESIRES,
..........HIS MIND AND
BODY SEEM
NO LONGER HIS, BUT PHANTASIES
..........DANCED IN A
WANTON'S DREAM.
SLAY MIND, SLAY BODY, SLAY
.......... THE EXTERNAL:
MATTER GOES.
THEN SPACE REMAINS; RENEW THY PAINS!
..........UP! FRONT THE
FINAL FOES!
LAO KUN THE MASTER SAID:
..........THE ADEPT IN
SKILL OF SOUL
HATH NEVER AN AIM: THE BUNGLERS SHAME
..........IS THAT HE
GRO˙ES A GOAL.
WHO MOST POSSESS THE TEH
.......... CONCEAL THEIR
MAGICK POWER;
WHO LEAST POSSESS EXERT THEIR STRENGTH
..........SEVEN TIMES IN
EVERY HOUR.
THESE, WHO CLING FAST TO POWERS,
.......... WHO GUARD
THEM, AND DISPLAY
THEIR MAGICK ART - THEY ARE NOT PART
..........OF TAO NOR YET
OF TEH.
MEN WIN NOT TRUTH OF TAO
.......... BECAUSE THEIR
MINDS ARE WRIED.
THE MIND UNCURBED, THE SELF'S PERTURBED,
..........AND LOSES TUNE
OF TIDE.
LOST, THE EXTERNAL LURES;
.......... THEY TURN TO
SEEK IT: THEN
ALL THINGS PERPLEX, CONFUSE, AND VEX
..........THOSE
MISERABLE MEN.
DISORDERED THOUGHTS ARISE;
.......... BODY AND MIND
GROW SICK.
DISGRACE AND FEAR GROW YEAR BY YEAR
..........TO THEIR
CLIMACTERIC.
WILD, THEY ARE TOSSED ABOUT
..........THROUGH LIFE
AND DEATH; THEY QUIVER,
SUNK IN SEA-STRESS OF BITTERNESS,
..........AND LOSE THE
TAO FOR EVER.
THE TRUE, THE ABIDING TAO!
.......... WHO
UNDERSTANDETH HATH;
WHO HATH THE TAO IS HERE AND NOW
..........IN SILENCE OF
THE PATH
SLAY SPACE; THEN NAUGHT ABIDES.
..........HOLD NOT THY
HOLY HAND!
WHEN NAUGHT GIVES BACK BEFORE THE ATTACK,
..........SERENE THY
SILENCE STAND!
ALL'S REST, DEVOID OF MARK;
..........HOW SHOULD
DESIRES FIX TOOTH?
WHEN THEY ARE PAST, THOU SURELY HAST
..........THE SILENCE OF
THE TRUTH.
FLAWLESS THAT TRUTH AND FIXED,
.......... YET APT TO
EACH APPEAL
NATURE AND SENSE TO INFLUENCE -
..........THE MAGNET TO
THE STEEL!
OH! THIS TRUE TOUCH WITH ALL
..........ELASTIC AND
EXACT
THAT YET ABOVE THEIR TIDES -
..........THE SILENCE
FREE FROM ACT!
HE THAT HATH THIS SHALL COME
.......... LITTLE BY
LITTLE, A BREATH,
SO FLOWETH HE NOW, TO TRUTH OF TAO,
..........WHEREIN HE
VANISHETH.
MEN STYLE HIM LORD OF TAO,
.......... YET HE HATH
NONE TO LORD.
HID MOTIVE HE OF ALL THAT BE:
..........ENOUGH FOR HIS
REWARD!
HE THAT CAN COMPREHEND
.......... THIS DOCTRINE
MAY TRANSMIT
THIS SACRED TAO TO MEN THAT VOW
..........THEMSELVES TO
FATHOM IT.