Thing #2: 8

I talked to Tim briefly on my way home from work today. (He's good, by the way.) Besides a lightning fast discussion about the impact of the internet on socio-cultural evolution (really...), we came to a decision on which poem from the Tao Te Ching to translate.

Poem 8.

The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.

When you are content to be simply yourself
and don't compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.

Translated by S. Mitchell

This is a very good place to start, as it's one of the first poems that really jumped out at me. Water imagery is very prominent throughout the work, and is something that has significantly influenced how I understand the Tao.

You should check out the Mitchell translation, (which I hope is posted legally). It's a nice translation, particularly if you've never encountered Taoism before.

Thing #2: That was Zen, This is Tao

My first copy of Tao Te Ching was a Shambhala pocket edition, translated by John C. H. Wu. For almost three years that very copy never left my pocket. The picture to the left is what it looks like now.

Nice, huh? Much loved, much read, much beat up.

It wasn't long after I first got interested in Taoism that my friend Tim became interested as well, spawning years of great conversation between the two of us.

Almost since the beginning we've talked about doing our own translation of the Tao Te Ching. Now, 'translation' is a pretty loose term here, as neither of us are Chinese scholars. Rather this would be more of a 'poetic interpretation'. (Oooh. Fancy.) Our pipe dream has always been to create a version of the Tao Te Ching that was accessible without being fluffy and mystical without being abstruse. (12 points for using the word abstruse.)

But, translating the entire Tao Te Ching seems a bit daunting. As Lao Tzu himself said, "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

So...

Thing #2: Pick a poem from the Tao Te Ching to 'translate' with Tim, and see if the bigger project is doable.

Now all we have to do is decide on a poem. Easier said than done...

My First Five Things

The first five things on my whim-list are as follows:

1. Read all 7 Harry Potter novels.
2. Translate a poem from the Tao Te Ching.
3. Design a card game.
4. Learn to make a killer omelet.
5. Memorize the words to Weezer's blue album.

In the future I'll be adding things one at a time, as I finish whims already on the list. I'll also keep a sidebar of my current Five Things.

And I'll be keep this site updated on my progress!