Tao Te Ching, Chapter 73

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 73


"He whose boldness appears in his daring to do wrong, in defiance of the laws is put to death;
He whose boldness appears in his not daring to do so lives on.
Of these two cases the one appears to be advantageous, and the other to be injurious.
When Heaven's anger smites a man,
Who the cause shall truly scan?
On this account the sage feels a difficulty as to what to do in the former case.
It is the way of Heaven not to strive, and yet it skillfully overcomes;
Not to speak, and yet it is skilful in obtaining a reply;
Does not call, and yet men come to it of themselves.
Its demonstrations are quiet, and yet its plans are skilful and effective.
The meshes of the net of Heaven are large; far apart, but letting nothing escape."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 73 


"Courage, if carried to daring, leads to death;
Courage, if not carried to daring, leads to life.
Either of these two things is sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful.
"Why is it by heaven rejected,
Who has the reason detected?"
Therefore the holy man also regards it as difficult.
The Heavenly Reason strives not, but it is sure to conquer.
It speaks not, but it is sure to respond.
It summons not, but it comes of itself.
It works patiently, but is sure in its designs.
Heaven's net is vast, so vast.
It is wide-meshed, but it loses nothing."
-  Translated by D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 73 



"He who is brave in daring will be killed.
He who is brave in not daring will live.
Of these two, one is advantageous and one is harmful.
Who knows why Heaven dislikes what it dislikes?
Even the sage considers it a difficult question.
The Way of Heaven does not compete, and yet is skillfully achieves victory.
It does not speak, and yet it skillfully responds to things.
It comes to you without your invitation.
It is not anxious about things and yet it plans well.
Heaven's net is indeed vast.
Though its meshes are wide, it misses nothing."
-  Translated by Chan Wing-Tsit, 1963, Chapter 73  


"A brave man who dares to, will kill;
A brave man who dares not, spares life;
And from them both come good and ill;
"God hates some folks, but who knows why?"
The Wise Man hesitates there too:
God's Way is bound to conquer all
But not by strife does it proceed.
Not by words does God get answers:
He calls them not and all things come.
Master plans unfold but slowly,
Like God's wide net enclosing all:
Its mesh is coarse but none are lost."
-  Translated by Raymond Blakney, 1955, Chapter 73  


勇於敢則殺.
勇於不敢則活.
此兩者或利或害.
天之所惡孰知其故.
是以聖人猶難之.
天之道不爭而善勝.
不言而善應.
不召而自來.
繟然而善謀.
天網恢恢.
踈而不失.-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 73  



yung yü kan tsê sha.
yung yü pu kan tsê huo.
tz'u liang chê huo li huo hai.
t'ien chih so wu shu chih ch'i ku.
shih yi shêng jên yu nan chih.
t'ien chih tao pu chêng erh shan shêng.
pu yen erh shan ying.
pu chao erh tzu lai.
ch'an jan erh shan mou.
t'ien wang k'uei k'uei.
shu erh pu shih.
-  Wade-Giles Transliteration, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 73



"One who’s fearless in being brave will be killed.
One who’s fearless in being cautious remains alive.
One of these is useful, the other harmful.
Heaven disdains what it disdains
Who knows the reasons why?
Even the wise find these things difficult.
The way of heaven
Overcomes easily without contention,
Replies though it does not speak,
Invites though it does not summon,
Obeys the laws though it seems free.
The net of heaven is vast.
The mesh is wide
But nothing slips through."
-  Translated by A. S. Kline, 2003, Chapter 73 


"He who is brave in daring will meet an unnatural death.
He who is brave in gentleness will be preserved.
Of these two kinds of bravery, one is beneficial, while the other proves harmful.
The subtle truth of the universe does not support those who are brave in daring,
yet there are still many people who do not understand such apparent truth.
So, even the one who integrates his being with the subtle essence of the universe,
dares not make light of the subtle law of life.
The subtle Way of the universe gave birth to a world of peace and order.
It responds to the order and harmony of all beings and things without needing to talk to them.
Without your summoning it, it comes to you.
Without scheming, its plan is perfect.
Vast is the subtle energy network of the universe.
Sparsely meshed it is, yet nothing can slip through it!"
-  Translated by Hua-Ching Ni, 1995, Chapter 73    


"El valiente que se arriesga, muere.
El valiente que no se arriesga, vive.
De estos dos, el primero es perjudicial
mientras que el último es favorable.
Quién conoce la causa de lo que el Cielo aborrece?
Por lo tanto, con más razón el sabio lo encuentra difícil.

El Tao del Cielo,
sin luchar, es bueno venciendo,
sin hablar, es bueno respondiendo,
sin ser llamado, viene por sí solo,
sin prisa, es bueno planeando.
La red del Cielo es vasta,
ampliamente extendida, de nada carece."
-  Translated by Álex Ferrara, 2003, Capítulo 73  


"He whose courage is expressed in daring will soon meet death.
He whose courage is shown in self-restraint will be preserved.
There are, then, two kinds of courage; the one is injurious and the other of advantage.
But who is to say why one of them should incur the judgment of Heaven?
That is why the Sage finds it difficult to act.
The celestial Tao does not strive, and yet overcomes everything.
It does not speak, yet is skilful in replying.
It does not call, yet things come to it readily.
It is quiet in its methods, yet its plans are thoroughly effective.
The net of Heaven has large meshes, and yet nothing escapes it!"
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 73



A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 25 or more different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 or more Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.  An electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the  Tao Te Ching is provided.   

Chapter 73, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Concordance for the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

Cellphone Screen Web Design

My notes, projects, tips, resources, links, files, and plans for CSS Style Sheet Webpage Design are now found online.  

I normally use a desktop Dell computer and a large Samsung digital monitor.  Most of my webpages, created since 1998, have been in simple HTML code, mostly created using Microsoft Front Page 2003 software.  

Years ago, I created an Green Way Research Index to my hypertext documents in HTML.  My interest and skills has been mostly in Content Creation (writing, reporting, research, documentation, compiling, linking, bibliography, guides...).   

I have decided to try to learn how to create webpages in both HTML and CSS code to display properly on my Samsung A32 cellphone.  I am learning how to CSS code from two textbooks.  I am now using Dreamweaver 2021 software for writing and editing, and use two textbooks for learning how to use Dreamweaver.  I also use online resources for learning CSS and Dreamweaver.  

Web publishing for decent display on a good web browser on a big monitor is one challenge, writing for display on a typical small screen cellphone is another challenge.  I check my webpage on Google Chrome and Microsoft Bing, on a big monitor.  I check my webpage on my Samsung A32 cellphone.  

I hope to learn how to use CSS coding ONLY to create webpages for cellphones that will display properly in a greater variety of cellphones.

This coming week CPS46.css ONLY!  CPS = Cellphone Poetry Series

The first document I created using a CSS style sheet is called : 
 Seaside Snippets: Short Poems by Michael P. Garofalo

This first document worked fine in my Samsung A32 cellphone, but not so well in terms of margins and text size in my wife's newer and slightly larger Samsung cellphone.  I hope to learn how to improve my CSS webpage design skills in this area by using my two textbooks:

Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JAVSCRIPT, and Web Graphics by Jennifer Niederst Robbins, 2018.  

HTML&CSS: Design and Build Websites.  By Jon Duckett.  Wiley, 2011, 500 pages.  

I have experienced some heart health problems since April 23rd, and so I have been taking in easy more.  Webpage design is definitely easy on the body, and challenging for the mind.  

Other relevant links to my short poems include:  

Slices from Time after Time

Poetry by Mike Garofalo

Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems by Mike Garofalo

 

Time and Time Again ...

I enjoyed reading The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli, 2018.  A fine summary of what physicists and philosophers of the past and present have thought about time, cogent examples, poetic analogies, good explanations of the issues involved, clear and readable.  

"The entire evolution of science would suggest that the best grammar for thinking about the world is that of change, not permanence.  Not of being, but of becoming.
We can think of the world as made up of things.  Of substances.  Of entities.  Of something that is. 
Or we can think of it as made up of events. Of happenings.  Of processes.  Of something that occurs."
-  Order of Time, p. 97  

I now have two other books to read by Carlo Rovelli, an Italian theoretical physicist and popular science author.  I borrowed the two books from the Cascade Library Branch of the Vancouver Regional Library District.    

Seven Brief Lesson on Physics, 2016

Reality is Not Wat It Seems: The Journey into Quantum Gravity, 2017.  

One book I am now studying each day is Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JAVSCRIPT, and Web Graphics by Jennifer Niederst Robbins, 2018.  I am designing my first CSS page for a cellphone display.  

Process Philosophy: Bibliography, History, Links, Information, Quotes.  By Michael P. Garofalo    

My own recent poetic reflections on Time, from my Slices of Time After Time:

.....  

"The arrow of Time never rests,
moving forward unrelenting
irreversible
from hot towards cold
from organized to disorganized
from past to future
from moving towards stillness
from life towards death.

Or, so it seems,
      to us,
      with our little particulars in view,
      and our social survival habits a must.

The spiderwebs of Time are legion,
multitudes of nows of heres;
Uncountable heres and theres
      unhitched
from any eternal present everywhere."  .....

the surf swallowed

all in its way─

night and day

the sea
smashed on the shore─
drifting thoughts

Leaving the Seashore

Today, I head home to Vancouver from Pacific Beach. I plan to spend a few hours touring the City of Olympia.  

I collect poems, quotes, and sayings about life by the sea: Reflections of Beachcombers.  

Here are a few of my own poetic reflections:

From Slices of Time

The arrow of Time never rests,
    moving forward unrelenting
         irreversible
from hot towards cold
from organized to disorganized
from past to future
from moving towards stillness
from life towards death.
Or, 
so it seems,
    to us,
    with our little particulars in view
    and our social habits a must.
    
The spiderwebs of Time are legion
multitudes of nows of heres;
Uncountable heres and theres 
    unhitched
from any eternal present everywhere.

For a woman at eighty, or a lass of eight,
Time past or present carries different weights.

Haiku by Michael P. Garofalo

Blooms of Spring
flanked by evergreens---
sunshine on stones

the sea
smashed into the shore---
drifting thoughts

the surf wallowed
all in its way─
night and day

cells in my hand
moving the sand─
raindrops washing the sea

rocks of the jetty
slick and cold─
black rockfish gather below

grains of sand
on Graylands' strand─
needles on pines

Olympia, Washington

While on this trip to the Southwest Washington coast I read two books:

I have found the following traveler's reference book to be invaluable while exploring the State of Washington.  It is detailed, specific, thorough, well researched, and highly informative:  
Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History.  By Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander.  Seattle, University of Washington Press, Revised Edition, 1995, detailed index, 543 pages.  

The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry, Volume 2, Contemporary Poetry.  Edited by Jahan Ramazani, Richard Ellmann, and Robert O'Clair.  W.W.Norton, Third Edition, 2003, indexes, 1210 pages.

Four Days in Grayland

By Michael P. Garofalo

Lake Quinault

 Today, I plan to visit Lake Quinault and the Quinault Rain Forest.  

I have been camping in a yurt at Pacific Beach State Park.  Pacific Beach is only 31 miles from Lake Quinault via the Moclips highway.  Lake Quinault is the gateway to the Quinault Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park.  Very dramatic scenery in this area.  Seacoast, rivers, dense forests, mountains, lakes ....

Lake Quinault, Quinault Rain Forest, Quinault River

Lake Quinault is 52 miles north of Aberdeen, and 68 miles south of Forks. 

Lake Quinault Photographs

Quinault River Photographs

Quinault - Lodging

Quinault - Restaurants

Lake Quinault Lodge    Photographs   Built in 1926. 

Rain Forest Resort Village

Quinault Indian Nation 

Quinault Lake  Olympic National Park Region 

Quinault Rain Forest: Six Stunning Hikes Around Lake Quinault

 

"The Quinault Rain Forest is a temperate rain forest, which is part of the Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest in the U.S. state of Washington in Grays Harbor and Jefferson Counties. The rain forest is located in the valley formed by the Quinault River and Lake Quinault. The valley is called the "Valley of the Rain Forest Giants" because of the number of record size tree species located there. The largest specimens of Western Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Alaskan Cedar and Mountain Hemlock are found in the forest as well as five of the ten largest Douglas-firs. The forest receives an average of 12 feet of rain per year. It is believed to be the area with the greatest number of record size giant tree species in the smallest area in the world. It does have the largest trees in the world outside of the state of California and New Zealand.  Located on the western side of the Olympic Mountains, the Quinault Valley was carved out by a glacier and ends at Lake Quinault.  The Qinault Rain Forest is a tourist area with a number of resorts and lodges located on either side of Lake Quinault."
-  Quinault Rain Forest

 

Quinault Valley Brochure  "The Quinault Valley is a wilderness gateway to alpine meadows, jeweled lakes and ice-carved peaks. For shorter visits, the valley has a scenic loop drive and short trails through temperate rain forest in both Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest.  Quinault is located in the southwestern area of the park."   

 

"Once the novelty wears off of the Hoh, after the Queets has been attempted, and the Bogachiel has been fully hiked, locals and visitors to Olympic National Park tend to settle on exploring the Quinault Rainforest for the rest of eternity.  Complete with an amazing lake, fantastic day hikes, rustic, large lodges, and remote chalets, it is hard to find a location more beautiful than the Quinault.  For those who like simple walks, the Rainforest Trail near Lake Quinault Lodge consists of 13 miles of fun, easy to access, well-maintained trails. Along the road to the more remote hikes, waterfalls plunge down along rocky sections, flowing into the salmon-filled, eagle-lined Quinault River. The region is beautiful, breathtaking, and the perfect example of rainforest beauty. Capped off with the majestic views of mountains, waterfalls, and wilderness from the Enchanted Valley, the Quinault Rainforest must be experienced to fully understand its majesty."
-  Douglas Scott, The Magical Rainforests of Olympic National Park

   

Quinault River  NS

Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail

Quinault Lake and Rain Forest Brochure  Hiking map, trails, information. 

Quinault Rain Forest Family Trip: Moss, Giant Spruce, and Rain

Quinault Rain Forest Bus Tours

Lake Quinault Rain Forest

"The Quinault Rain Forest is one of four rich temperate rain forest canopies that lie within the west side of Washington’s Olympic Mountains. It begins in the Mount Anderson drainage to the east and the Low Divide drainage to the northwest.  This majestic forest follows the paths of the North and East Forks of the Quinault River. These forks meander down the valley and merge into one Quinault River, which enters beautiful Lake Quinault.  The Quinault Rain Forest completely surrounds Lake Quinault, bringing its unique biological community to the shoreline.  Big Douglas firs, western red cedar and pacific silver fir dominate the main forest upper canopy.  Adding to this rich dark green are the moisture dependent Sitka spruce and the western hemlock. The forest canopy is open, allowing streams of sunlight to reach the forest floor.  These huge conifers along with the big leaf maple and alder along the river bars comprise first impressions for those visiting the Quinault Rain Forest.  The Quinault Rain Forest understory is comprised of fern, devil’s club, and hanging curtains of moss, which add a rich bright, green hue. Indian-Plum, salmonberry, thimbleberry, blueberry and wild blackberry bush flowers provide nectar for the rufous hummingbird and bees. A variety of wild flowers and bright berries add their special colors to this enchanted garden setting.  Bear grass, skunk-cabbage, twisted-stalk, trillium, bleeding heart, Indian paintbrush, and bunchberry are a few that can be found. The forest floor’s covering is dotted with the delightful earthy colors of mushrooms and lichens that abound in this damp ecosystem."
-  Quinault Rain Forest  

 

"Lake Quinault (/kwɪˈnɒlt/ or /kwɪˈnɔːlt/) is a lake on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state. It is located in the glacial-carved Quinault Valley of the Quinault River, at the southern edge of Olympic National Park in the northwestern United States. One of the most dominant features of Lake Quinault is its location within the Quinault Rain Forest, a temperate rain forest.  Area activities include fishing (with permit from the Quinaults), scenic drives (a loop around the lake is longer than 30 miles (48 km)), and hiking. The southern side of the lake features a system of short hiking trails maintained by the U.S. Forest Service that are accessible to casual day hikers.  he southern side of the lake is home to the historic Lake Quinault Lodge and the Rain Forest Resort Village and is encompassed by the Olympic National Forest. The Quinault Loop Trail on the south side of the lake and the nearby Quinault Rain Forest Interpretive Trail connecting campgrounds, trails, and the lodge, with excellent temperate rainforest viewing. Each trail was designated a National Recreation Trail in 1979. The north side of the lake is bordered mainly by private homes and some small resorts located in Olympic National Park.  Lake Quinault receives an average of 332.92 centimeters (131.07 inches) of precipitation per year."
-  Lake Quinault - Wikipedia
 

Taholah Village at Pacific terminus of the Quinault River.  Store, small museum.  Quinault Indian Reservation territory.   

 

"The Lake Quinault Loop is one of the state’s most breathtaking scenic drives, dazzling everyone in the car any month of the year. From visiting the World’s Largest Spruce Tree and exploring the beauty of Merriman Falls, to enjoying the elk near the Kestner Cabin and picnicking along the lake at July Creek, there are no wrong choices while driving around Quinault.  The best place to start is at the Lake Quinault Lodge. Originally built in 1926, in the same style as the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone, the two story, V-shaped structure is rumored to be the location where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt decided to support the creation of Olympic National Park. Watch for animals, enjoy moss draped trees, see towering forests and enjoy the babbling brooks and numerous roadside waterfalls found along this short, 34-mile loop drive. We have outlined ten destinations to explore along the paved and dirt roads that circle Lake Quinault, promising to give you a day’s worth of beautiful and stunning must-stop destinations. For an added bonus, drive out to Graves Creek and into Olympic National Park. Along this out and back gravel road, you’ll be surrounded by unrivaled wilderness, huge trees dripping in moss, and endless sights of ferns."
-  Douglas Scott, Lake Quinault Rain Forest Auto Loop Road 

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Douglas Fir Trees

Douglas Fir trees abound along the coastal northwest mountains, Cascade mountains, and Olympic mountains.  I have four such beautiful Douglas Fir trees in my own backyard in Vancouver, Washington.  

"From the decks of the Pringle the foliage of the Douglas Fir appeared yellow-green in the sunlight but dark, almost black when shaded.  The broad lower branches dropped gently, the upper branches curved up at the tips, and the crowns formed perfect pyramids.  The boles were seen to be very straight and of great size.  Even from a distance the men were struck by the symmetry of the massive cinnamon-brown columns.  When the ship anchored at Discovery Bay and the party went ashore and into the forest, they were awed by the trees' height and by the thickness of the furrowed bard, sometimes a foot through to sapwood.  They measured fallen trees and found them 250 to 280 feet long and twelve to fourteen feet through at the butt." 1853, "The Last Wilderness," Murray Morgan 1955, p. 55

While visiting Nisqually Forest Industry Nursery in 1950, a seed harvesting nursery, Murry Morgan writes:
"A Douglas Fir cone contains from twenty to eighty seeds: a bushel of cones, when dried and threshed, will yield from four ounces to a pound of seed.  Each pound of threshed Douglas fir seed contains forty thousand potential trees."  ...  After holding a fifty pound bag of Douglas fir seeds, Murray writes: "For a moment I will never forget, I stood in the dim office with the rain beating on the roof, and I held in my hands the seed of two million Douglas firs--the forest that our children's children's children will see growing on the slopes of the Olympics."

I enjoyed reading the following book:

The Last Wilderness: A History of the Olympic Peninsula.  By Murray Morgan (1916-2000).  University of Washington Press, 1955, 2019, 262 pages.  Mr. Morgan was an author of 21 books, a newspaperman, and historian.  His storytelling is engaging, lively, and filled with personal accounts of the people who lived and worked in the Olympic Peninsula.  Logging and fishing were the mainstays since 1850 for settlers, and now tourism is a key economic contributor.  

Douglas Fir - Wikipedia

Murry writes about the Indians of the Olympic Peninsula and their thoughts about the forest resources:

"The water that falls on the western slopes means wealth to--the wealth of the rain forest.  The Indians believed that the forest was made from the bodies of those who lived on the land in the Time Before Everything Changed.  Once, they said, there was no wood in the land, nothing but grass and sand, so Those Who Changed Things decided the Indians would need fuel.  They went out changing people.  To one they said, "You are old and your heart is dry; you will make good kindling wood, for your grease has turned hard and will make pitch.  Your name is Do-ho-dupt, and you shall be the spruce tree, which when it grows old, will make dry wood always."  To another: "Your name is Kla-ka-bupt, and you shall be the hemlock, with your sour smell."  Those Who Changed Things knew the people would want some harder wood--so: "Kwahk-sa-bupt, you of the strong muscles and firm flesh, you shall be the alder.  You, Kla-ahik-tle-bupt, are tough and strong, and you shall be the yew tree, and people will use you to make wedges for splitting logs.  And the people will need soft wood for canoes, so you, Lla-ae-sook, the young-old man, shall be the cedar."  To Dopt-ko-bupt they said "You shall be the crab-apple, and since you have a bad temper you shall bear sour fruit."  And the trees grew and endured."
-  Murray, 1955, p. 6

  

This week I camped at a yurt at Pacific Beach State Park.  It is 31 miles from Lake Quinault via the Moclips highway.  Lake Quinault is the gateway to the Quinault Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park.  Very dramatic scenery in this area.  Seacoast, rivers, dense forests, mountains, lakes ....

"Douglas fir, the dominant tree on the Olympic Peninsula, has also been called Oregon pine, red pine, Puget Sound pine, Oregon spruce, red spruce, Douglas spruce, red fir, yellow fir, Oregon fir, and spruce fir.  Its scientific name, Pseudotsuga taxifolia, is a compound of Greek, Japanese, and Latin, and means "false hemlock with foliage like yew."  David Douglas (1799-1834), the Scottish botanist and explorer who is honored by its popular name, describe the tree in his field books as "one of the most striking and truly graceful objects in nature."  Then he added prophetically, "The wood may be found very useful for a variety of domestic purposes."
-  Morgan Murray, p. 55

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Pacific Beach Yurt Camping

Today, I will drive from Vancouver to Centralia on I5, then to Raymond on WA6, then north on 101 to Aberdeen and Hoquiam, then northwest on WA 109 to Pacific Beach on the shores of Pacific Ocean.  It is approximately 175 miles of normally easy driving.  Pacific Beach is about 35 miles from Aberdeen.  

I will be camping in a yurt campground.  I expect the usual: rain, cold, dampness, big waves.  I have never camped at this State Park in the past.  

Pacific Beach State Park, Washington

Pacific Beach Travel Options

Aberdeen  Population 16,900   NS  Largest city on the southwest Pacific coast of Washington. 

Aberdeen Images

Aberdeen Lady Washington Sailing Vessel  NS

Aberdeen: Polson Museum     Aberdeen Timberland Library

Aberdeen Stores:  Shopping   Restaurants   Cannabis 

Grays Harbor Historical Seaport in Aberdeen

Around Aberdeen and Matawan.  By Helen Henderson.  Arcadia, 1996, 128 pages.  Images of America Series.  History, photographs. 

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

DaoDeJing Chapter 73

 Dao De Jing, Laozi

Chapter 73

"One who’s fearless in being brave will be killed.
One who’s fearless in being cautious remains alive.
One of these is useful, the other harmful.
Heaven disdains what it disdains
Who knows the reasons why?
Even the wise find these things difficult.
The way of heaven
Overcomes easily without contention,
Replies though it does not speak,
Invites though it does not summon,
Obeys the laws though it seems free.
The net of heaven is vast.
The mesh is wide
But nothing slips through."
-  Translated by A. S. Kline, 2003, Chapter 73  

"Courage carried to daring leads to death.
Courage restrained by caution leads to life.
These two things, courage and caution, are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.
Some things are rejected by heaven, who can tell the reason?
Therefore the wise man deems all acting difficult. 
The Tao of heaven does not quarrel, yet it conquers.
It speaks not, yet its response is good.
It issues no summons but things come to it naturally because its devices are good.
Heaven's net is vast, indeed! its meshes are wide but it loses nothing."
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard, 1919, Chapter 73 

"Daring to act means death
daring not to act means life
of these two one benefits
one harms what Heaven hates who knows the reasons
the Way of Heaven wins easily without a fight
answers wisely without a word
comes quickly without a summons
plans ingeniously without a thought
the Net of Heaven is all-embracing
its mesh is wide but nothing escapes."
-   Translated by Bill Porter (Red Pine), 1996, Chapter 73 

"That courage which is manifest by bravado and foolhardiness,
Leads to disaster and death.
That which is not so manifest,
Leads to life.
Between these two,
One benefits - one does not.
Even the Sage has difficulty in knowing why one of these brings destruction from above.
It is the way of nature -
- Not to compete, yet to achieve victory.
- Not to ask, yet to obtain an answer.
- Not to summon, yet be supplied all needs.
- Not to overtly plan, yet to achieve results.
Truly - the net of nature is cast far and wide.
Tho' its mesh be coarse,
Yet nothing escapes."
-  Translated by Alan B. Taplow, 1982, Chapter 73  

"One who shows bravery by being daring will get killed one who shows bravery by not being daring will survive.
But in both these cases: "Sometimes it helps, sometimes it harms.
What Heaven picks to hate - who knows the reason?
And so the Wise Person: Treats things as difficult.
Heaven's Way: Not contending, but excels at overcoming not speaking, but excels in getting answers not summoning, but people come of themselves lax, but excels at organization.
Heaven's net is very wide - loosely woven, but it lets nothing slip by."
-  Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 73 

"Reckless bravery leads to death;
careful bravery leads to life.
One leads to good, the other harm.
Heaven hates what it hates:
who knows the reason?
Not even those who are enlightened know why.
The Dao of heaven
does not contend yet overcomes with ease,
does not speak yet communicates with ease,
does not summon yet attracts things naturally,
seems unhurried yet plans with ease.
The net of Heaven is vast.
Its meshes may be wide,
but not a thing slips through."
-   Translated by Tim Chilcott, 2005, Chapter 73 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: Introduction, Bibliography, Commentary, Chapter Index 

Chapter 73 of the Dao De Jing by Laozi: Text and Commentaries

Index of English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

 

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching

Change of Plans: Heart Problems

Unfortunately, for me, I could not take my planned Yurt Camping Trip to Pacific Beach on May 23-26.  

In late April, I worked too hard in my backyard garden one clear cold damp day, and I had a mild heart attack.  On May 15, my cardiac medical group and EKG tests revealed that my heart was now in AFib  (atrial fibrillation), and my internal pacemaker recorded an incident on April 24th, that put my heart in AFib.

I am scheduled for a cardioversion on June 8, 2022, at the Peace Health Hospital Complex, Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA, Physicians Pavilion, Cardiac Division - Electrical, the procedure will be controlled by Dr. Zahourian, at 10:00 am.  I have Medicare and Anthem/Blue Cross Medical Insurance in Vancouver.  

Maybe this procedure can help me in some way.  My Five Lucky Fingers Are in a Bird's Beak!!  

Five years ago, Dr. Gungor installed a pacemaker to correct my increasing bradycardia problem.  This device has worked wonders to my sense of well being.  I take my blood pressure each day, and my heartbeat is never lower than 60 beats per minute.    

Right now, 2022 05 21 6:36 am,
If I am sitting, then I feel fine. 
I can stand and move slowly and carefully on flat surfaces.  I wear good shoes.  
I use a good long cane for balance and avoiding falls.  
I handle all bathing and personal care and dressing myself on my own.
I try to stand up and move my body every 30 minutes ... limbering, stretching, walking, chores.  
I am taking a blood thinner: Eliquis
I take flu prevention measures and consider myself as high risk right now.  
I enjoy reading, writing, photography, website creation, and many private hobbies.  
I handle most assigned household maintenance chores on schedule.  
I can no longer do heavy lifting or very strenuous activities as when I was 65 years of age.
I enjoy Yoga at home, Feldenkrais, Qigong, slow Tai Chi practice, stretching. 
I no longer teach Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, or Qigong.    
 

Sometimes, after sitting, when I get up and start walking quickly or up a hill, I will become lightheaded, weak, breathing more rapidly, chest tightening, alarmed/anxious/concerned, unbalanced ... sick.  I suddenly feel totally out of shape, a weakling, and I sit.  In a minute or so my breathing returns to normal, all senses functional, and I get up and move OK.  Knowing now that I am being treated for AFib makes these new unpleasant bodily experiences even more alarming - is this episode the BIG ONE that will cash me out, TIA me, stroke me...   

I can no longer climb to the top of Mt. Lassen, 10,457 feet, as I did in 2006 at age 60.  I did view the northeast side of Mt. Ranier last summer from Sunrise Point ... driving to this viewpoint.  Digressions keep the mind off one way tracks of thought.  

I was eating lunch with a co-worker in 1975, Mrs. Lesnick, and she had a heart attack and died there.
I visited some during the last hours of my father's life.  He was unconscious, quiet, and dying of congestive heart failure.  I spoke with a kindly Roman Catholic Priest who gave my dad the Last Rites.  

In April 2022, I walked nearly every day for 40 minutes.  Sometimes I came back breathing pretty hard.  Mostly, felt fine walking under overcast Vancouver Spring skies.  

The unpredictability of these new unpleasant bodily spells/attacks, and the anxiety they can arouse, makes me favor staying at our home in Vancouver from May 15th - June 30th, 2022.  I will just take it easy in Vancouver until my 
June 8 cardioversion procedure.  I have the support of family here to help me through any difficult times.  

So, I cancelled my trip to Pacific Beach State Park, Washington, 5/23-5/26.  They refunded a decent amount.  Booking a Yurt for $62 a night is practical for a solo camper like myself.  A person needs to be sure of their health when they go Yurt camping alone at a distant place like Pacific Beach.  

However, I am going to let the next four posts about going to Pacific Beach and the Quinault Rainforest run anyway.  They have local travel information, facts about Douglas Fir trees, and info on the Quinault Rainforest.  

As if ... What was Planned ... Local Travel Information ... Places I Plan to Return To Soon 

Karen and I garden at our home.  Winter and Springtime temperatures between 40F to 55F, keep gardeners dressing warm in Vancouver.  

We planted three trees in December.

Birds love juicy wisteria blossoms.

Ready for some chores.

Two dogs want to be in the warm corner
of the cold garage in winter.  Near
the workbench, space heater, and tools.
We were dog-sitting the Golden Retriever under my seat.

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Training Principles

"1.) Head upright to let the shen [spirit of vitality] rise to the top of the head. Don't use li [external strength], or the neck will be stiff and the ch'i [vital life energy] and blood cannot flow through. It is necessary to have a natural and lively feeling. If the spirit cannot reach the headtop, it cannot raise.

2.) Sink the chest and pluck up the back. The chest is depressed naturally inward so that the ch'i can sink to the tan-t'ien [field of elixir]. Don't expand the chest: the ch'i gets stuck there and the body becomes top-heavy. The heel will be too light and can be uprooted. Pluck up the back and the ch'i sticks to the back; depress the chest and you can pluck up the back. Then you can discharge force through the spine. You will be a peerless boxer.

3.) Sung [Relax] the waist. The waist is the commander of the whole body. If you can sung the waist, then the two legs will have power and the lower part will be firm and stable. Substantial and insubstantial change, and this is based on the turning of the waist. It is said "the source of the postures lies in the waist. If you cannot get power, seek the defect in the legs and waist."

4.) Differentiate between insubstantial and substantial. This is the first principle in T'ai Chi Ch'uan. If the weight of the whole body is resting on the right leg, then the right leg is substantial and the left leg is insubstantial, and vice versa. When you can separate substantial and insubstantial, you can turn lightly without using strength. If you cannot separate, the step is heavy and slow. The stance is not firm and can be easily thrown of balance.

5.) Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows. The shoulders will be completely relaxed and open. If you cannot relax and sink, the two shoulders will be raised up and tense. The ch'i will follow them up and the whole body cannot get power. "Drop the elbows" means the elbows go down and relax. If the elbows raise, the shoulders are not able to sink and you cannot discharge people far. The discharge will then be close to the broken force of the external schools.

6.) Use the mind instead of force. The T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics say, "all of this means use I [mind-intent] and not li." In practicing T'ai Chi Ch'uan the whole body relaxes. Don't let one ounce of force remain in the blood vessels, bones, and ligaments to tie yourself up. Then you can be agile and able to change. You will be able to turn freely and easily. Doubting this, how can you increase your power?

The body has meridians like the ground has ditches and trenches. If not obstructed the water can flow. If the meridian is not closed, the ch'i goes through. If the whole body has hard force and it fills up the meridians, the ch'i and the blood stop and the turning is not smooth and agile. Just pull one hair and the whole body is off-balance. If you use I, and not li, then the I goes to a place in the body and the ch'i follows it. The ch'i and the blood circulate. If you do this every day and never stop, after a long time you will have nei chin [real internal strength]. 

The T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics say, "when you are extremely soft, you become extremely hard and strong." Someone who has extremely good T'ai Chi Ch'uan kung fu has arms like iron wrapped with cotton and the weight is very heavy. As for the external schools, when they use li, they reveal li. When they don't use li, they are too light and floating. There chin is external and locked together. The li of the external schools is easily led and moved, and not too be esteemed.

7.) Coordinate the upper and lower parts of the body. The T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics say "the motion should be rooted in the feet, released through the legs, controlled by the waist and manifested through the fingers." Everything acts simultaneously. When the hand, waist and foot move together, the eyes follow. If one part doesn't follow, the whole body is disordered.

8.) Harmonize the internal and external. In the practice of T'ai Chi Ch'uan the main thing is the shen. Therefore it is said "the spirit is the commander and the body is subordinate." If you can raise the spirit, then the movements will naturally be agile. The postures are not beyond insubstantial and substantial, opening and closing. That which is called open means not only the hands and feet are open, but the mind is also open. That which is called closed means not only the hands and feet are closed, but the mind is also closed. When you can make the inside and outside become one, then it becomes complete.

9.) Move with continuity. As to the external schools, their chin is the Latter Heaven brute chin. Therefore it is finite. There are connections and breaks. During the breaks the old force is exhausted and the new force has not yet been born. At these moments it is very easy for others to take advantage. T'ai Chi Ch'uan uses I and not li. From beginning to end it is continuous and not broken. It is circular and again resumes. It revolves and has no limits. The original Classics say it is "like a great river rolling on unceasingly." and that the circulation of the chin is "drawing silk from a cocoon " They all talk about being connected together.

10.) Move with tranquility [Seek stillness in movement]. The external schools assume jumping about is good and they use all their energy. That is why after practice everyone pants. T'ai Chi Ch'uan uses stillness to control movement. Although one moves, there is also stillness. Therefore in practicing the form, slower is better. If it is slow, the inhalation and exhalation are long and deep and the ch'i sinks to the tan-t'ien. Naturally there is no injurious practice such as engorgement of the blood vessels. The learner should be careful to comprehend it. Then you will get the real meaning."

-  By Yang Cheng-fu (1883 - 1936) as researched by Lee N. Scheele

 T'ai Chi Ch'uan Bibliography

Yang Style Taijiquan

Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan  By Fu Zhongwen.  Translated by Louis Swaim.  Berkeley, California, Blue Snake Books, c 1999, 2006.  Bibliography, glossary, 226 pages.  ISBN: 9781583941522.  VSCL.  Fu Zongwen (1919-1994) was a student of Yang Cheng Fu.  Translations of many Tai Chi classics are included.  A list of 85 movements are provided.  251 movement analysis illustrations.  Over 76 of the illustrations are traced and drawn from photographs of Yang Chengfu.  Detailed descriptions of the long form, pp. 26-162.  Push hands information.  Yang Tai Chi essentials.

Tai Chi Chuan Classics

Master Cheng's Thirteen Chapters On Tai Chi Ch'uan. By Cheng Man-ch'ing. Translated by Douglas Wile. 101 pages. Sweet Chi Press, 1982. 101 pages. ISBN: 978-0912059006. Originally written in Chinese in 1949. VSCL.


The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan. By Yang, Chengfu (1883-1936). Translated by Louis Swaim. The original publication date was in 1934. The original book was edited by Professor Cheng Man-Chi'ng. Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books, 2005. Introduction, appendices, bibliography, 124 pages. ISBN: 1556435452. In this book, the entire sequence of the specialized and named martial movements/postures/sections/forms is numbered from Section 1 up to Section 94; thus, the popular long taijiquan from, the Yang 94 Form. VSCL.