Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 31

Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu
Chapter 31


"Even the finest arms are an instrument of evil,
A spread of plague,
And the way for a vital man to go is not the way of a soldier.
But in time of war men civilized in peace
Turn from their higher to their lower nature.
Arms are an instrument of evil,
No measure for thoughtful men
Until there fail all other choice
But sad acceptance of it.
Triumph is not beautiful.
He who thinks triumph beautiful
Is one with a will to kill,
And one with a will to kill
Shall never prevail upon the world.
It is a good sign when man's higher nature comes forward,
A bad sign when his lower nature comes forward,
When retainers take charge
And the master stays back
As in the conduct of a funeral.
The death of a multitude is cause for mourning:
Conduct your triumph as a funeral."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 31  


"So far as arms are concerned, they are implements of ill-omen.
They are not implements for the man of Tao.
For the actions of armies will be well requited; where armies have quartered, brambles and thorns grow.
Great wars are for certain followed by years of scarcity.
The man of Tao when dwelling at home makes the left as the place of honour, and when using arms makes the right the place of honour.
He uses them only when he cannot avoid it.
In his conquests he takes no delight.
If he take delight in them, it would mean that he enjoys the slaughter of men.
He who takes delight in the slaughter of men cannot have his will done in the world."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 31 


"Even the finest arms are an instrument of evil,
A spread of plague,
And the way for a vital man to go is not the way of a soldier.
But in time of war men civilized in peace
Turn from their higher to their lower nature.
Arms are an instrument of evil,
No measure for thoughtful men
Until there fail all other choice
But sad acceptance of it.
Triumph is not beautiful.
He who thinks triumph beautiful
Is one with a will to kill,
And one with a will to kill
Shall never prevail upon the world.
It is a good sign when man's higher nature comes forward,
A bad sign when his lower nature comes forward,
When retainers take charge
And the master stays back
As in the conduct of a funeral.
The death of a multitude is cause for mourning:
Conduct your triumph as a funeral."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 31  



夫佳兵者不祥之器.
物或惡之, 故有道者不處. 
君子居則貴左.
用兵則貴右. 
兵者不祥之器.
非君子之器.
不得已而用之.
恬淡為上. 
勝而不美.
而美之者, 是樂殺人. 
夫樂殺人者, 則不可以得志於天下矣. 
吉事尚左.
凶事尚右. 
偏將軍居左.
上將軍居右.
言以喪禮處之. 
殺人之衆, 以哀悲泣之.
戰勝以喪禮處之. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 31  


fu bing zhe bu xiang zhi qi.
wu huo wu zhi, gu you dao zhe bu chu.
jun zi ju ze gui zuo.
yong bing ze gui you.
bing zhe bu xiang zhi qi.
fei jun zi zhi qi.
bu de yi er yong zhi.
tian dan wei shang.
sheng er bu mei.
er mei zhi zhe, shi le sha ren.
fu le sha ren zhe, tse bu ke yi de zhi yu tian xia yi.
ji shi shang zuo.,
xiong shi shang you.
pian jiang jun ju zuo.
shang jiang jun ju you.
yan yi sang li chu zhi.
sha ren zhi zhong, yi ai bei qi zhi.
zhan sheng yi sang li chu zhi.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Dao De Jing, Chapter 31  


"Weapons of war are omens of doom,
To be loathed by every living thing
And shunned by those who keep the Way.
Presiding at court the leader honours the left.
Resorting to war he honours the right.
But weapons are never the leader’s choice.
Weapons of war are omens of doom,
Not to be used unless compelled.
Above all, with mind and heart unstirred,
To arms give no glory:
For to glory in arms
Is to sing and rejoice in the slaughter of men.
And singers in praise of the slaughter of men
Shall not in this world gain their ends.
Thus the left is for deeds that are blessed,
The right is for deeds that bring death.
To the left the minor commander,
To the right the chief general:
Placed for the rites to honour the dead.
When the slaughter is great,
Let the leader come forth to keen for the slain;
The victory won,
To perform solemn rites in mourning the day."
-  Translated by Moss Roberts, 2001, Chapter 31  


 
"Las armas son instrumentos nefastos.
El hombre del Tao nunca se sirve de ellas.
El hombre de bien considera a la izquierda
como sitio de honor,
pero se inclina a la derecha cuando porta armas.
El sabio prefiere la izquierda.
El soldado prefiere la derecha.
Las armas son instrumentos nefastos,
no adecuados para el hombre de bien.
Sólo las usa en caso de necesidad,
y lo hace comedidamente,
sin alegría en la victoria.
El que se alegra de vencer
es el que goza con la muerte de los hombres.
Y quien se complace en matar hombres
no puede prevalecer en el mundo.
Para los grandes acontecimientos
el sitio de honor es la izquierda,
y la derecha para los hechos luctuosos.
En el ejército,
El comandante adjunto se coloca a la izquierda,
El comandante en jefe, a la derecha.
Esta es la misma disposición que se usa en los ritos fúnebres.
Esto significa que la guerra se compara a un servicio funerario.
Cuando ha sido matada mucha gente,
sólo es justo que los supervivientes lloren por los muertos.
Por esto, incluso una victoria es un funeral."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 31

"Of all things, soldiers are instruments of evil,
   Hated by men.
Therefore the religious man (possessed of Tao) avoids them.
The gentleman favors the left in civilian life,
But on military occasions favors the right.

Soldiers are weapons of evil.
   They are not the weapons of the gentleman.
When the use of soldiers cannot be helped,
   The best policy is calm restraint.

Even in victory, there is no beauty,
And who calls it beautiful
   Is one who delights in slaughter.
He who delights in slaughter
   Will not succeed in his ambition to rule the world.

[The things of good omen favor the left.
The things of ill omen favor the right.
The lieutenant-general stands on the left,
The general stands on the right.
That is to say, it is celebrated as a Funeral Rite.]

The slaying of multitudes should be mourned with sorrow.
A victory should be celebrated with the Funeral Rite."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 31   

Chapter 31 of the Tao Te Ching

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translators' Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

 A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo on a Chapter of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes at least 16 different translations or interpolations of the Chapter in English, two Spanish translations, the Chinese characters for the Chapter, a Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for the Chapter, recommended reading lists, a detailed bibliography; indexing by key words and terms for the Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization; some commentary, and other resources for the Chapter. 

Body-Mind Centering

Exploring Body-Mind Centering: An Anthology of Experience and Method.  Edited by Gill Wright Miller, Pat Ethridge, and Kate Tarlow Morgan.  North Atlantic Books, 2011, 470 pages, index. bibliography. VSCL.

Principles of Body-Mind Centering Approach

"All cells have consciousness (mind).

All levels of physiological organization (e.g., tissues, systems) have consciousness that can be experienced directly.

As we begin to make all systems more conscious,
they become more accessible. 

We can transmit to each other the embodiment.
of the group's shared learning.

The mind of the body system (e.g., bones, muscles, organs,
nervous system) is reflected in the room when that system.
is touched.  

It is possible to create, evoke, and titrate resonance.

Support precedes movement.

Embodiment can initiate movement; movement can
initiate embodiment.

The is a difference between the map of the body
and the territory of the living person's somatic experience."

Somatic Intelligence

I have learned and benefited greatly from reading and studying the following three books:

Awakening Somatic Intelligence: The Art and Practice of Embodied Mindfulness    By Risa F. Kaparo, Ph.D.  Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books, 2012.  Index, 368 pages.  ISBN: 978-1583944172.  Subtitle: Transform Pain, Stress, Trauma, and Aging.  VSCL.  

Philosophy in the Flesh : The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought.  By George Lakoff and Mark Johnson.  Basic Books, Perseu Books, 1999.  Index, bibliography, 624 pages.  ISBN: 0465056741.   "The mind is inherently embodied.  Thought is mostly unconscious.  Abstract concepts are largely metaphorical."  VSCL.

Mindfulness Yoga: The Awakened Union of Breath, Body, and Mind.   By Frank Jude Boccio.   Boston, MA, Wisdom Publications.  Index, bibliography, notes, 340 pages.  ISBN: 0861713354.  VSCL.   

Somaesthetics, Body-Mind Practices, Embodiment Arts:  Quotations, Facts, Information, Bibliography, Resources

Valley Spirit Yoga

Qigong (Chi-King) Mind-Body Practices

Oulipos Coordinates Conceptualized by Mike Garofalo

Oulipos Coordinates Conceptualized

 

I. Punctuated Still-Life

 

                                    &&&&&
                           $$$$$
                  ;;;;;

                             @@@@@

 

#####	Counted	#####
.....	Asserted	.....
?????	Questioned	?????
!!!!!	Exclaimed	!!!!!
,,,,,	Paused	,,,,,

 

Compare with four pages of random punctuation
marks by Elizabeth Clark, Between Worlds.

 

II. Hidden Codes

A1 B2 C3 D4 E5
F6 G7 H8 I9 J10
K11 L12 M13 N14 O15

16P 17Q 18R 19S 20T
21U 22V 23W 24X 25Y
               Z26

Compare with six pages of meaningless codes
by Vito Acconci, Removal.

 

III. We/We/We

we see
we want
we steal
we lie
we use AI

Compare with twelve pages of brief phrases
beginning with the word 'my' by
Charles Bernstein, My/My/My.

 

IV. Counting Down

six, sixty, six hundred,
five thousand, five million,
four billion, four trillion,
Three, Two, One
Zero

Compare with ten pages of words for numbers
by Claude Closkey, The First Thousand Numbers

 

V. What?

ArE swbath blaZe muteRing empty RocKet
reD ciTIzenS As he desiBA Ntecello golD
comPlaining FocusDownnn Ulla FideNtia
is KelPt stOne CSChUrch btone threadI
mi sPirghi ch'iO gU di pietro Negator' D'usura

Compare with seven pages of misspelled, invented,
and highlighted Non-Words by John Cage,
Writing Through the Cantos.

 

VI. Seeing Three Ways

 

Winter	North	Today
Spring	East	Future
Summer	South	Past
Fall	West	Now
Year	Space	Time

 

 

Compare with thousands of concrete poems,
text art, calligrammes, ASCII Text art,
and graphic messages as found in the
Index to Concrete Poetry by Mike Garofalo.

 

Reference Sources:

Against Expression: An Anthology of Conceptual
Writing, 656 pages, 2011. Edited by Craig Dworkin.

Artifice and Indeterminacy: An Anthology of New Poetics,
392 pages, 1998. Edited by Christopher Beach.

The Marginalization of Poetry: Language Writing
and Literary History, 187 pages, 1996.
By Bob Perelman.

Slouching Into Incoherence

Bundled Up: 3,700 Quintain Poems, Volumes 1-8

Quintain Poem: Time Sits on the Windowsill

Time Sits on the Windowsill

By mpgarofalo

8.5.4.1

Excepts from:

The Windows of Time

5. The Windowsill Talks to the Sun

Time sits on the windowsill like a tired coin,

sunlight counts its edges and forgets to return,

I fold my day into the pocket of my shirt---

the stitches hum with singing seconds,

and somewhere a minute yearns to be born.

Daybreak on the windowsill,

a thin coin of light

counts the rooms awake 

with an indifferent hand.

The kettle remembers,

steam writes a small apology.

The street folds its shadow

into a single neat crease.

And, we catch and hold

of whatever the morning offers.

April sighs through a curtain of mist,

Hiding every secret that time has missed,

On a windowsill where the shadows sleep.

Dusty books humming a soft blue tune,

Counting the eyes of a springtime moon.

Time folds the day like a weathered map,

Resting its paper head in my evening's lap.

Near a windowsill carved from ancient light

I sew a protest patch into Time's sleeve;

Where small, shy clocks never take their leave.

The windowsill was layered in dust and light,

the books kept count when no one looked,

a clock loosened its grip and dripped minutes,

we borrowed a moment worn by our fingers,

while time stood nearby, pretending not to notice.

4. The Glass Eye

A river made of hours erodes the fragile days.

The marrow of the century all dissoled away.

Duration twists in the shadow of a rusted gate.

A clock falls and breaks its face.

Time looked out the window and cried.

Liquid centuries erode the heavy bones.

Mirrors of duration turn to stand alone.

As April unravels time across the neon sky;

The weight of Abstract blinds Geometric eyes.

And Hours petrify into absolute colorful zero.

A skin of silver glass

forgot its fixed lifelong frame.

The window opened wide

to speak an unnamed name.

Transparency subverts the static

opague laws of sight;

Where shattered seeing bleeds

a sharp geometric knife.

The inverted eye dissolves into

a bottomless month's delight.

The window opens inward

to dissolve a frozen rooom,

The awakened eye dissolves

into a boundless noon;

To free the trapped eternities

within a clear glass eye.

Pure emptiness winds its clocks

across a vacant sky.

The silent pendulum was stopped

halted in its flowing stride.

3. Time Gazes Out the Window

Time looks out the window, humming...

remmbering vast oceans that never existed.

Tree rings become tomorrow’s maps. 

Hours drift upward like a smoky new geometry.

The future folds itself into an unnamed date.

A tired bokeeper stares out the window

counting the light into small, obedient coins. 

The kettle remembers the hour before it sings.

The calendar peels itself away, slow as skin,

keeping the fingerprints of what we almost did.

Time glances out the window, listens to the rain

practice its multiplying arithmetic on the street.

Dust lifts from the old chair in invisible flocks.

Morning is released from the clock’s cold hands,

while memory buttons its coat against the dawn.

2. Time Leaves the Window Behind

Time loosens her sandals in the garden,

she rests among rosemary and rocks.

A breeze turns the pages of the afternoon,

and in each moment the leaves are briefly lifted

before settling back into the long green now.

Time stands on the lawn like statue of steel,

peering through the glass at the lamp’s bright eye.

The rug inside unspools a river of dark thread,

where the chairs are briefly islands in quilts,

and the house is a secret folded into the hours.

1. Time Is A Word

April comes between March and May,

somewhere in the Spring Season it prayed.

Verbs telling time in a web of words,

e.g., just needed 'ed' for a phoneme, say.

Words love to embrace other words,

sometimes free of any thing anyway.

Nature does not say "April", we do;

Nature shows 'April' in tenuous ways.

To be human is to speak often

of years, seasons,

months, weeks, and days.

BU4001

The Tick Tock Tractatus
Speaking of Time: The Poetic Investigations

Bricks in the Wall

Repost from 2019.

We all need good education that provides us with facts, information, ideas, insight, and wisdom.  We need education that provides us with the skills and methods for learning more and expanding our knowledge and skills base.  We need education grounded in science, reason, and practical insights.  We need education in ethics, right living, respect, and tolerance.  We need to be educated on how to become peaceful, productive, and profound persons.   We need education to help us reach our maximum potential. 

What we don't need is "education" that is indoctrination, learning for slavish service to one particular viewpoint, learning grounded in corrupted views of history, mean spirited, hateful  towards others that don't believe or think our way, that turn us into conforming robots, that make us into another brick in the wall of some antiquated ideology.  "We don't need no thought control!"  

I was sent to Roman Catholic Schools from the 1st to the 12th grade from 1950-1963.  I could tell many unpleasant stories about the "education" that I and others received from the nuns and brothers and priests in these Catholic "schools."  Yes, thanks to their rigorous drilling methods of teaching I learned to read, write, and do mathematics in the elementary grades.  Yes, I learned how to obey, conform, submit, and defer.  Yes, I learned the Catholic version of history, and how all non-believers are destined for hell, that we are all inherently sinful by nature, and how only a human sacrifice (Jesus) could soften the heart of a strict Father God and make the world right again.  Yes, I learned how I was supposed to believe and not question Church authority.  Yes, indeed, I learned about fear and guilt. 

 
However, thanks to reading many good books (i.e., Zen, American Transcendentalists, Taoism, great philosophers, natural sciences, history, etc.) in my local public library during my high school years, and getting a good college education at California State University at Los Angeles, I was able to knock down the ugly Catholic Wall that had been forced upon my mind and spirit in my youth.   I knocked down my own "Berlin Wall" of indoctrination, kicked the bricks of the Dark Ages aside, and was liberated in 1964.  

I learned early that, for me, being a good person, being happy, being productive, being high minded, and being truly "spiritual" had nothing to do with the strange doctrines and ideology of Christianity or Islam.  

So, for me, in some ways, Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" is kind of an anthem for me. 

Another Brick in the Wall

Pink Floyd
1979

"We don't need no education
 

We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave them kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave us kids alone
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall." 

Bundled Up: Quntain Poems, Volumes 1-8

 Bundled Up

By Mike Garofalo

 

Bundled Up:

Quintains, Tankas, Pentastichs, and Onions
Quintain Sonnets, TextArt
Gogyohkas, Limericks, Wakas, Quintets
Remarks, Epigrams, Commonplaces, Seeings
Ad Free Webpages, Translation Menu

Quintain Poetry By Mike Garofalo

Bundled Up, Volume 1
Wakas, Quintillas, Tankas, Quintets
Quintain Poems 1 - 1,000

Bundled Up, Volume 2
Gogyohkas, Limericks, Wakas
Rhymes, Remarks, Listenings, Insights
Quintain Poems 1,000 - 1,500

Bundled Up, Volume 3
Rhymes, TextArt, Epigrams
Quintain Poems 1,500 - 2,000

Bundled Up, Volume 4
Remarks, Rhymes, Seeings, Onions
Quintain Poems 2,000 - 2,500

Bundled Up, Volume 5
Quintain Sonnets, Time, TextArt, Koans, Remarks
Quintain Poems 2,500 - 3,000

Bundled Up, Volume 6
Quintain Sonnets, Time, Language, Thought
Quintain Poems 3,000 - 3,500

Bundled Up, Volume 7
Quintains, Delight, Strangeness, Things
Quintain Poems 3,500 - 4,000

Bundled Up, Volume 8
Experimental, Surreal, Conceptual
All types of Poetry 4,000 - 4,500

 

Quintains - Research

The Tick-Tock Tractatus
Speaking about Time: The Poetic Investigations

The Gushen Grove Sonnets

Traces of Differences by Mike Garofalo

 4089.

The time of a claim
Is evidence
Of the claim's truth.
"It was raining"
depends on the day.

 

4090.

Bus Stop Mumbling

a.

a bench holds these
unwritten verbs:
sitting, waiting, holding

b.

cars buzz by the bus stop
two men sit in silence
at the intersection
of waiting and transit

c.

standing at the curb
looking for the green bus
each of us
holding a private memory
of seconds

d.

an electric bike
zips by
silently---
cars roar gasoline

e.

Define: arrival
Define: the space between
here and not-yet-here...
The green bus stopped there!

 

4091.

23C is Perfect for Me

20F = -7C
32F = 0C
40F = 4C
50F = 10C
60F = 15C

70F = 21C
80F = 26C
90F = 32C
100F = 38C
110F = 44C

 

4092.

Air passes before the sun but casts no shadow.
Computers prefer Macintosh apples.
Mathematicians vacation in Times Square.
The evil hen laid deviled eggs.
It would be pointless to use a broken pencil.

 

4093.

Traces of Differences

The square clock counts the taxes of currency, paid to present time.
I tally up the closing years and face the final fee of time.

I cannot find a hitching post to hold the passing days,
The weightless traces of the past are the no-thing marks of ways.

A shredded snake skin curled on the trail is what was left behind,
The fading marks of where we walked become the tracks of time.

An eagle will dive, the wind will blow, and granite will slowly break,
The shifting ways that things interact reveal their intertwining fates.

The chessboard patterns change their shape with every moving hand.
We speak of traces that show our interwoven fates in disappearing land.

 

4094.

because
                            beleagured beings
became                   beligerent
                  bestiality          began

 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 66

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 66


"That whereby the rivers and seas are able to receive the homage and tribute of all the valley streams, is their skill in being lower than they;
It is thus that they are the kings of them all.
So it is that the sage ruler, wishing to be above men, puts himself by his words below them;
And, wishing to be before them, places his person behind them.
In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his weight, nor though he has his place before them, do they feel it an injury to them.
Therefore all in the world delight to exalt him and do not weary of him.
Because he does not strive, no one finds it possible to strive with him."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 66   

"The sea is the ruler of the rivers,
Because it lies below them.
Thus a ruler should always:
Speak like a subordinate, and lead by following after.
The ruler stands above, and no one feels the weight.
The great rivers and streams all pour their tribute of the world onto the seas.
The seas gain this tribute and are called high and mighty because they lie low, humility gives the sea its power.
It is for this reason that the followers of Tao humble themselves before mankind.
They speak in tones of humility and lowborn status.
They do not attempt to lead, but learn to follow, and find themselves leading the people from behind.
In this way the wise sovereign will rule over the people, but they will not feel his weight.
He will lead the people, but they will not feel slighted or displeased.
The people will gladly uphold and support such a one as this.
The master does not strive, in this way no one can strive against him."
-  Translated by John Dicus, 2002, Chapter 66  

"Rivers and seas are rulers
 of the streams of hundreds of valleys
 because of the power of their low position.

 If you want to be the ruler of people,
 you must speak to them like you are their servant.
 If you want to lead other people,
 you must put their interest ahead of your own.

 The people will not feel burdened,
 if a wise person is in a position of power.
 The people will not feel like they are being manipulated,
 if a wise person is in front as their leader.
 The whole world will ask for her guidance,
 and will never get tired of her.
 Because she does not like to compete,
 no one can compete with the things she accomplishes."
 -  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 66  



江海所以能為百谷王者, 以其善下之, 故能為百谷王.
是以欲上民, 必以身下之.
欲先民, 必以身後之. 
是以聖人處上而民不重. 
處前而民不害.
是以天下樂推而不厭.
以其不爭故天下莫能與之爭.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 66  


chiang hai suo yi neng wei bai gu wang zhe, yi qi shan xia zhi, gu neng wei bai gu wang. 
shi yi yu shang min,  bi yi yan xia zhi. 
yu xian min, bi yi shen hou zhi. 
shi yi sheng ren chu shang er min bu zhong. 
chu shang er min bu hai. 
shi yi tian xia le tui er bu yan. 
yi qi bu zheng gu tian xia mo neng yu zhi zheng. 
-  Hanyu Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 66


"The Rivers and the Seas (because they seek a lowly place) are Lords of a hundred valleys
Let your love flow, seek a lowly place, you will be Lord of a hundred valleys.
That is why if the self-controlled man desires to exalt the people, in his speech he must take a lowly place; if he desires to put the put the people first he must put himself after them.
Thus, though he dwells above them, the people are not burdened by him
Though he is placed before them, the people are not obstructed by him,
Therefore men serve him gladly, they do not tire in serving him.
Because he does not strive, no one in the world can strive against him."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 66  


"Los grandes ríos caudalosos y el mar
     se pueden hacer reyes
     de los incontables arroyos de montaña por un motivo:
Porque están my por debajo de ellos.
Así son capaces de hacerse reyes
     de los incontables arroyos de montaña.
Por este motivo, se quieres estar por encima del pueblo,
Te debes colocar invariablemente
     de modo que los sigas desde artás.
Por este motivo, el sabio
     Occupa su lugar arriba, pero al pueblo
          no le parece una carga pesada;
     Occupa su lugar al frente, pero el pueblo
          no lo considera un estorbo.
Por este motivo lo veneran de buena gana
     todos los que están bajo el cielo,
     pero sin sentirse nunca apretados ni acosados.
Porque él no se opone nunca a los demás;
Por eso no puede oponerse nunca a él nadie
     de los que están bajo el cielo."
-  Translated by Alejandro Pareja, 2012, based upon the William Scott Wilson translation into English, Capitulo 66


"Oceans and mighty rivers are as kings to all the valleys, because they lower themselves to the level of the valleys:
That is why they are as kings of the valleys.
Therefore the Sage, if he would be above the people, must in speech seem to put himself below the people.
If he would lead the people, he must place himself behind them.
Thus, although he is above the people, he is not a burden to them;
Although he goes ahead of the people, he does not block their way.
Thus, the whole world willingly follows and esteems him and is not irked by him.
And because he does not contend, no one contends with him."
-  Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 66  

Chapter 66 of the Tao Te Ching

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translators' Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List 

Port Townsend, Washington, Trip

 Four of us enjoyed a four day trip to Port Townsend, Washington. Mick, April, Karen and Mike stayed in a nice home
outside of Port Townsend. We visited two military forts, shopped and ate in the downtown, and visited Seqium city.
We drove home via 101 to Tacoma.  I was ill with a respiratory infection, and Karen was recovering from a fracture in her ankle.  

String Figures from Native Americans

 Repost from 2013:

"Take a deep breath of all the stories that live here. A re-ligious act, to be true to the origin of the word “re-ligios”- to re-tie, re-link - is to find ways to re-connect, re-turn, re-imagine.”

In the winter season, we are allowed to say,

“Ts' its' tsi' nako,
Thought-Woman, the Spider
named things and as she named them they appeared.
She is sitting in her room thinking of a story now
I'm telling you the story she is thinking.”
-  Keresan Pueblo introduction

The Hands of the Spider Woman by Lauren Rain

Strings on Your Fingers by Mike Garofalo

Spider Grandmother weaves the Grand Cosmic Web and then spins off the planets and stars in the Navaho myths.  Zuni myths say the Spider Grandmother gave the art of string figures into the hands of the children.  Spider Grandmother is a powerful earth spirit being, the primary Creatrix of the cosmos and mind, a source of boundless imagination and the creation of the new.  An archaic Goddess of Weaving is essential to a pleasant life for all our people. 

Many Stars, Son-thlani, or Spider Grandmother’s Web is one of my favorite Navaho string figures to make.  I usually do the Spider Web (Jayne SF51) string figure first, for ritual purposes, to remind myself of my debt to all the people who have helped me learn to make string figures, everyone past and present are here symbolized as the Cosmic Web of Spider Grandmother.  

The image above is of the string figure called The Apache Door (Jayne SF12) known to many string players.  A different Navaho string figure, with a criss-crossing web pattern, is called Many Stars (Jayne SF51).    

Hands, Fingers, Feeling, Touching by Mike Garofalo

Strings on Your Fingers by Mike Garofalo

2024 Update

I recently found a brand of string that works fairly well when making string figures. It is called Cora's Cotton Craft Cord Dyeable Fiber 2 mm/.08 in in diameter.  

The best string I've used for make string figures with my hands was a string used by carpenters or masons or gardeners to mark out a straight line during construction.  I'm still looking for the correct brand of string, softness, strength, thickness, flexibility, etc.

Summertime Gardening

Repost from August 2015:

This past week, the daytime temperatures have ranged from 95-105F, humidity under 30%, gentle breezes, and terrible air quality due to the many fires west of us in the Yolly Bolly mountains and Trinity range.  Three fire fighters have lost their lives while battling these terrible forest fires.

Our summer garden has been productive this year in terms of tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, kale, zucchini, herbs, and cantaloupes.

We have been pulling up vegetable plants in our sunny garden that have run their course and are now fading away.

The daytime heat has stressed all the plants despite reasonable watering.

The Spirit of Gardening:  Over 3,500 Quotes, Sayings, Facts, or Poems.  Compiled by Mike Garofalo.

The Month of August