TeXTArt
Monday, May 25, 2026
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Enlightened in Many Ways
Repost ffrom 8/27/2016:
"Supreme Awareness (Chiti, Brahmin, Self, Supreme Auspiciousness) is most often explained using the metaphor of 'light.' Light, and by comparison 'consciousness,' is illuminating, brilliant, bright, shining, luminous, allows us to see, provides visions, can be enlightened, shows the Way. Understanding is a function of seeing, looking, and insight. Light is associated with life, growth, energy, and warmth. Consciousness can be clear, focused, split up, diffused, shadowy, opaque, and magnified. Numerous religions have considered the sun to be a divine being, or their gods and goddesses to give off light, energy, warmth, and to light the way for us. Evil beings keep us in darkness, steal the light away, burn us up or freeze us, or are the Prince of Darkness."
- Mike Garofalo
Sunshine Power. Compiled by Mike Garofalo.
"Sunlight bestows a whopping 12.2 trillion watt-hours per square mile per year. The solar energy hitting the earth per year exceeds the total energy in all forms consumed by humanity per year by a factor of over 20,000 times."
- How Much Solar Energy Hits the Earth? From EcoWorld: Nature and Technology in Harmony.
"At first a small line of inconceivable splendor emerged on the horizon, which, quickly expanding, the sun appeared in all of his glory, unveiling the whole face of nature, vivifying every color of the landscape, and sprinkling the dewy earth with glittering light."
- Ann Reacliffe
The Ancient Four Elements Fire (Sun), Earth (Soil), Air, Water
"Supreme Awareness (Chiti, Brahmin, Self, Supreme Auspiciousness) is most often explained using the metaphor of 'light.' Light, and by comparison 'consciousness,' is illuminating, brilliant, bright, shining, luminous, allows us to see, provides visions, can be enlightened, shows the Way. Understanding is a function of seeing, looking, and insight. Light is associated with life, growth, energy, and warmth. Consciousness can be clear, focused, split up, diffused, shadowy, opaque, and magnified. Numerous religions have considered the sun to be a divine being, or their gods and goddesses to give off light, energy, warmth, and to light the way for us. Evil beings keep us in darkness, steal the light away, burn us up or freeze us, or are the Prince of Darkness."
- Mike Garofalo
Sunshine Power. Compiled by Mike Garofalo.
"Sunlight bestows a whopping 12.2 trillion watt-hours per square mile per year. The solar energy hitting the earth per year exceeds the total energy in all forms consumed by humanity per year by a factor of over 20,000 times."
- How Much Solar Energy Hits the Earth? From EcoWorld: Nature and Technology in Harmony.
"At first a small line of inconceivable splendor emerged on the horizon, which, quickly expanding, the sun appeared in all of his glory, unveiling the whole face of nature, vivifying every color of the landscape, and sprinkling the dewy earth with glittering light."
- Ann Reacliffe
The Ancient Four Elements Fire (Sun), Earth (Soil), Air, Water
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Friday, May 22, 2026
Pulling Onions Again
Freedom opens a few doors and closes many
more.
My mind is a sea I cannot see into; I merely skim along its surface.
I think, therefore I am a living person; dead bodies don't display thinking, just stinking.
Sometimes the present alters our interpretation of the past; most often the past surrounds and infects the present.
Wherever I go, something new becomes me.
Be careful not to stand up for that which will cause your downfall.
God may be very smart, but he is a poor communicator.
What ought to be cannot be derived from what is the case, but a reasonable person ought not to ignore what is the case.
I can admire a few great persons or heroes, but seldom have much desire to try and imitate them.
Disrespect and contempt for the body is a common trump card for spiritualists; but, our game of life does not use trump cards.
Nonsense can sometimes improve our sense and senses.
Prohibitions focus our aim on better choices and actions.
Don't sell the present short on the promises of "when."
Most tire from hatefulness; cheerfulness is abiding.
Stubborn facts are loosened up with novelty.
A sure path to the perversion of truth is to make it a belief.
The act, the deed, the doing are the primary considerations.
My body gave birth to my mind, is in my mind, and my body-mind thrives in our world of lived experiences.
Objectivity is a product of our agreements, and an important feature of my imagination.
R. Buckminster-Fuller once suggested that "God is a verb, not a noun." Which verb? Pretending? Storytelling? Fantasizing? Believing?
My consciousness is a vegetable soup, and the water in the soup is what I do.
Yes, I am just this and that; but, I am also not just that and this.
Hearing the cat purr when we pet them gently matters far more to us than whether the cat's fur is black, white, or orange.
If you think you are damned if you do or damned if you don't, your not thinking creatively enough.
The ten thousand things are more enchanting than the Silent One.
To lift the mind, move the body.
Pulling Onions: The Quips and Sayings of an Old Gardener. Over 840 quotes. By Mike Garofalo
My mind is a sea I cannot see into; I merely skim along its surface.
I think, therefore I am a living person; dead bodies don't display thinking, just stinking.
Sometimes the present alters our interpretation of the past; most often the past surrounds and infects the present.
Wherever I go, something new becomes me.
Be careful not to stand up for that which will cause your downfall.
God may be very smart, but he is a poor communicator.
What ought to be cannot be derived from what is the case, but a reasonable person ought not to ignore what is the case.
I can admire a few great persons or heroes, but seldom have much desire to try and imitate them.
Disrespect and contempt for the body is a common trump card for spiritualists; but, our game of life does not use trump cards.
Nonsense can sometimes improve our sense and senses.
Prohibitions focus our aim on better choices and actions.
Don't sell the present short on the promises of "when."
Most tire from hatefulness; cheerfulness is abiding.
Stubborn facts are loosened up with novelty.
A sure path to the perversion of truth is to make it a belief.
The act, the deed, the doing are the primary considerations.
My body gave birth to my mind, is in my mind, and my body-mind thrives in our world of lived experiences.
Objectivity is a product of our agreements, and an important feature of my imagination.
R. Buckminster-Fuller once suggested that "God is a verb, not a noun." Which verb? Pretending? Storytelling? Fantasizing? Believing?
My consciousness is a vegetable soup, and the water in the soup is what I do.
Yes, I am just this and that; but, I am also not just that and this.
Hearing the cat purr when we pet them gently matters far more to us than whether the cat's fur is black, white, or orange.
If you think you are damned if you do or damned if you don't, your not thinking creatively enough.
The ten thousand things are more enchanting than the Silent One.
To lift the mind, move the body.
Pulling Onions: The Quips and Sayings of an Old Gardener. Over 840 quotes. By Mike Garofalo
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Stand and Face the World
What We Must Do
"We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world - its good facts, its bad facts, and its ugliness; see the world as it is, and be not afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence, and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it. The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men. When you hear people in church debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptable and not worthy of self-respecting human beings. We ought to stand up and look at the world frankly in the face. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all these ages. A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past, or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and a free intelligence. It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time towards a past that is dead, which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create."
- Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not A Christian, 1927
[Does "Oriental" really mean from the Middle East and India; although despotisms existed all around the world.]
Bertrand Russell on God and Religion. Edited by Al Seckel. Prometheus Books, 1986, index, 250 pages.
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons
"Face the world and go crosswise."
Linji, Zen Master, 850 CE
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Headache Relief - Acupressure
"Perhaps the most
famous, and one of the most commonly used points of Tung Ching Ch'ang's
(1916-1975) system is Ling Gu. The name 'Ling Gu' literally
means 'miraculous bone,' and without a doubt the effectiveness of Ling Gu
is extraordinary. Ling Gu is located on the back of the hand in the
space between the thumb and first finger, as far back as possible at the
junction of the metacarpal bones. It is in a similar location to the
conventional point He Gu LI-4, but is located closer to the wrist than
He Gu.
In Chinese medical terms, Ling Gu frees the channels and quickens the network vessels (luo mai), clears and regulates Lung qi, frees and descends the Stomach and intestines, frees the qi and disperses stasis. Since it has a very strong moving function it is a main point to treat many types of pain. However, because of its strong moving function it should not be used on pregnant women.
The list of conditions the Ling Gu point treats includes migraine, low back pain, sciatica, facial paralysis, hemiplegia (e.g., paralysis after stroke), tinnitus, deafness, menstrual disorders (irregular, scanty, profuse, absent), frequent urination, incontinence, foot pain, intestinal pain, and breathing difficulties. I usually recommend this point for home acupressure treatment in patients with any type of headache, low back pain, sciatica or leg pain.
To stimulate the point, press deep into the hand using the thumb of the opposite hand. Pressure should be strong enough to feel a numbing or aching sensation deep in the point. Hold the pressure for several seconds and then release. Repeat several times for the next minute or two. Remember to stimulate the point on the opposite side of where the pain is felt. The, be sure move the area of the pain (the Moving Qi technique). For example, to treat right-sided back or leg pain, press into the left Ling Gu. At the same time bend and stretch the low back, or move the leg that is painful. Repeat this stimulation several times per day or as needed."
- Henry McCann, DAOM, LAc, "Tung Lineage Classical Acupuncture," Qi: the Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness, Volume 25, No. 1, Spring, 2015, pp. 26-33.
Self Massage and Acupressure
Qigong and Healing
Hand, Touching, Haptics
In Chinese medical terms, Ling Gu frees the channels and quickens the network vessels (luo mai), clears and regulates Lung qi, frees and descends the Stomach and intestines, frees the qi and disperses stasis. Since it has a very strong moving function it is a main point to treat many types of pain. However, because of its strong moving function it should not be used on pregnant women.
The list of conditions the Ling Gu point treats includes migraine, low back pain, sciatica, facial paralysis, hemiplegia (e.g., paralysis after stroke), tinnitus, deafness, menstrual disorders (irregular, scanty, profuse, absent), frequent urination, incontinence, foot pain, intestinal pain, and breathing difficulties. I usually recommend this point for home acupressure treatment in patients with any type of headache, low back pain, sciatica or leg pain.
To stimulate the point, press deep into the hand using the thumb of the opposite hand. Pressure should be strong enough to feel a numbing or aching sensation deep in the point. Hold the pressure for several seconds and then release. Repeat several times for the next minute or two. Remember to stimulate the point on the opposite side of where the pain is felt. The, be sure move the area of the pain (the Moving Qi technique). For example, to treat right-sided back or leg pain, press into the left Ling Gu. At the same time bend and stretch the low back, or move the leg that is painful. Repeat this stimulation several times per day or as needed."
- Henry McCann, DAOM, LAc, "Tung Lineage Classical Acupuncture," Qi: the Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness, Volume 25, No. 1, Spring, 2015, pp. 26-33.
Self Massage and Acupressure
Qigong and Healing
Hand, Touching, Haptics
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Slices of Time
The Fireplace Records, Chapter 39
Slices of Time
The Arrows of Time
never rest,
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,
with our homebrew views,
with our social habits a must.
The Spiderwebs of Time
are legion
multitudes of nows and thens;
Uncountable heres and theres
unhitched
from any eternal present
everywhere.
The Moments of Time
are a matrix of memories,
colored by fondness,
vaguer and vaguer by the day,
fading, cropped, mixed,
deleted, falling away.
The Times of Your Life
from birth to death,
can't be denied.
How did you live?
Where, when, why?
What did it mean?
Was a little a lie?
running out of time
for catching up
with the future
now
my mind grinds
my times
into memories
To dance at the still point
Of the Time beyond time,
Beyond pasts, within futures,
this Moment
Now and forever, beyond minds.
Comments, Sources, Observations, Koans, Poems, Quips:
Riddles (200+ Riddles, with No Ads.)
Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Stories.
Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans
Zen Buddhist Koans: Indexes, Bibliography, Commentary, Information
Pulling Onions Over 1,043 One-line Sayings, Quips, Maxims, Humor
Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans
The Fireplace Records (Blog Version) By Michael P. Garofalo
Tao Te Ching Chapter 40 Dao De Jing
Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 40
"The movement of the Tao
By contraries proceeds;
And weakness marks the course
Of Tao's mighty deeds.
All things under heaven sprang from It as existing and named.
That existence sprang from It as non-existent and not named."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 40
"Reversion is the action of Tao.
Gentleness is the function of Tao.
The things of this world come from Being,
And Being (comes) from Non-being."
- Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 40
Gentleness is the function of Tao.
The things of this world come from Being,
And Being (comes) from Non-being."
- Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 40
The only useful quality, weakness.
For though all creatures under heaven are the products of Being,
Being itself is the product of Not-being."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 40
"Reversion is the action of the Dao.
Softness is the function of the Dao.
The myriad things under Heaven achieve life in existence.
Existence arises from nothingness."
- Translation Richard Lynn, Chapter 40
反者道之動.
弱者道之用.
天下萬物生於有.
有生於無.
- Chinese Characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 40
fan zhe dao zhi dong,
ruo zhe dao zhi yong.
tian xia wan wu sheng yu you.
you sheng yu wu.
- Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 40
"The movement of Tao in the course of time is to return to Simplicity;
The working of Tao is so subtle that is ostensible effect may not be immediately noticeable.
Myriad things and creatures on Earth were originated from something;
This something describable by us was launched ultimately from nothing which is beyond our description."
- Translated by Lee Sun Chen Org, Chapter 40
"Interaction of the opposites is the sphere of Tao activity.
The Highest Subtlety is one of the most important qualities of Tao.
It is opposed by coarse qualities of evil people.
All the development of incarnate beings goes on in interaction of these opposites.
Yet, the very world of matter originated from the Subtlest Source."
- Translated by Mikhail Nilolenko, Chapter 40
"El movimiento del Tao es retornar;
El uso del Tao es aceptar;
Todas las cosas derivan del Tao,
El Tao no deriva de ninguna."
- Translated by Antonio Rivas Gonzálvez, 1998, Capitulo 40
"The movement of the Tao is a returning,
And weakness marks its course, to our discerning,
But heaven and earth and everything from its existence came,
And existence, from the non-existent spurning."
- Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 40
- Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 40
"Tao moves in cycles;
Tao functions through softness.
All is born of nothing.
Something is born of nothing."
- Translated by Tam C. Gibbs, 1981, Chapter 40
Tao functions through softness.
All is born of nothing.
Something is born of nothing."
- Translated by Tam C. Gibbs, 1981, Chapter 40
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 over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 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 includes a Google Translate option menu for reading the entire webpage in many other languages. Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching [246 CE Wang Bi version] includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms (concordance) 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, links, research leads, translator sources, and other resources for that Chapter.
A Top Tier online free resource for English and Spanish readers, researchers, Daoist devotees, scholars, students, fans and fellow travelers on the Way.
Chapter 40, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to 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
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to 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
Monday, May 18, 2026
Seeing: Quotes for Gardeners and Aesthetes
Seeing
Looking, Watching, Seeing, Sight
Vision, Perspective, Observing
Quotes for Gardeners and Lovers of the Green Way
Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo
Spirit of Gardening Website
Quotes Links Recommend Reading Home
Seeing Hearing Touching Tasting Smelling
Air Earth Fire Water Five Elements The Five Senses
Mind Spirituality Druids Taoists Tantrics Process Philosophy
Months and Seasons Gardening Cloud Hands Blog
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Temple Qigong by Grandmaster Ho'o
Nine Temple Qigong Exercises
Closure: Collecting and Storing Energy
Tai Chi Chuan: The 27 forms by Marshall Hoo
. Instructional DVD, released in 2005, by Marshall Ho'o. Black Belt Videos, 90 minutes. Includes the Nine Temple Qigong.
The Temple Qigong (Chi Kung) form consists of nine exercises. It was popularized by Grand Master Marshall Ho'o (1910-1993) of Los Angeles, California. It is also referred to as the Nine Temple Exercises, or the Marshall Ho'o Temple Exercises.
My webpage on Temple Qigong provides a bibliography, links, the names of the movements, and an explanation of each movement.
6. Leg Bounce
9. Polishing the MirrorClosure: Collecting and Storing Energy
Marshall Ho'o wrote a book 1968 which included an explanation with photographic illustrations of the Temple Qigong set. The black and white photos in that book were of poor quality and the editing was unsatisfactory. An instructional DVD also teaches this form.
"Dr. Ho'o was instrumental in the certification of acupuncture in the State of California. He was the first Tai Chi Master to have been elected to the Black Belt Hall of Fame. He was Dean of the Aspen Academy of Martial & Healing Arts, on the faculty of California Institute of the Arts, and taught Tai Chi and Acupressure at many educational institutions. In 1973, he created a series for KCET public television, in Los Angeles, teaching Tai Chi. He was a consultant to Prevention Magazine's The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies. A Chinese American, Dr. Ho'o was America's first Tai Chi Chuan Grandmaster. His influence is far-reaching in both the fields of healing and martial arts."
- The Lineage, Teachers of Two Birds Tai Chi
- The Lineage, Teachers of Two Birds Tai Chi
Tai Chi Chuan
By Marshall Hoo. Burbank, California, Ohara Publications, Inc., 1986, 1993. 111 pages. ISBN: 0897501098. VSCL. The Nine Temple exercise set is briefly described in this book on pages 18-42. Each movement is clearly illustrated by four to eight clear black and white photographs of a woman doing the form. The Taijiquan is the Standard 24 Form in the Yang Style.
By Marshall Hoo. Burbank, California, Ohara Publications, Inc., 1986, 1993. 111 pages. ISBN: 0897501098. VSCL. The Nine Temple exercise set is briefly described in this book on pages 18-42. Each movement is clearly illustrated by four to eight clear black and white photographs of a woman doing the form. The Taijiquan is the Standard 24 Form in the Yang Style. Tai Chi Chuan: The 27 forms by Marshall Hoo
. Instructional DVD, released in 2005, by Marshall Ho'o. Black Belt Videos, 90 minutes. Includes the Nine Temple Qigong. Saturday, May 16, 2026
Subject Indexes to The Sound of One Hand 148 Koans Collection
The Sound of One Hand: 281 Zen Koans with Answers. Translation, research and commentary by Joel Hoffmann. Introduction by Dror Burstein. NRYB, 2016, 304 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
There are 144 koan cases, starting on page 75. The full text for each case is followed by possible acceptable answers or responses to the koan. The first 74 pages are very brief questions and answers regarding 137 other cases, without the full text for each case. Therefore, the total cases discussed are 281 koan cases. I have indexed only 148 Cases.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Subject Index to the Sound of One Hand 148 Koans. PDF, 10/26/2023, 30 pages.
Case Number List to the Sound of One Hand 148 Koans. PDF, 10/26/2023, 6 pages.
Case Title List to the Sound of One Hand 148 Koans. PDF, 10/26/2023, 6 pages.
Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans
Indexing and webpage by Michael P. Garofalo.
578 pages, December 28, 2024, PDF
Buddhism: Bibliography, Links, Information, Resources. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.
Taoism: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Information. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.
Friday, May 15, 2026
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2
Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 2
"When the world speaks of beauty as being beautiful, ugliness is at once defined.
When goodness is seen to be good, evil is at once apparent.
So do existence and non-existence mutually give rise to one another,
As that which is difficult and that which is easy, distant and near, high and low,
shrill and bass, preceding and following.
The Sage therefore is occupied only with that which is without prejudice.
He teaches without verbosity; he acts without effort; he produces with possessing,
he acts without regard to the fruit of action; he brings his work to perfection without assuming credit;
and claiming nothing as his own, he cannot at any time be said to lose."
- Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 2
"When all the people of the world know beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
There arises the recognition of evil.
Therefore: Being and non-being produce each other;
Difficult and easy complete each other;
Long and short contrast each other;
High and low distinguish each other;
Sound and voice harmonize each other;
Front and behind accompany each other.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without action
And spreads doctrines without words.
All things arise, and he does not turn away from them.
He produces them but does not take possession of them.
He acts but does not rely on his own ability.
He accomplishes his task but does not claim credit for it.
It is precisely because he does not claim credit that his accomplishment remains with him."
- Translated by Wang Tsit Chan, 1963, Chapter 2
"Recognize beauty and ugliness is born.
Recognize good and evil is born.
Is and Isn't produce each other.
Hard depends on easy,
Long is tested by short,
High is determined by low,
Sound is harmonized by voice,
After is followed by before.
Therefore the sage is devoted to non action,
Moves without teaching,
Creates ten thousand things without instruction,
Lives but does not own,
Acts but does not presume,
Accomplishes without taking credit.
When no credit is taken,
Accomplishment endures."
- Translated by Stephen Addis, 1993, Chapter 2
"When all in the world understand beauty to be beautiful, then ugliness exists.
When all understand goodness to be good, then evil exists.
Thus existence suggests non-existence;
Easy gives rise to difficult;
Short is derived from long by comparsion;
Low is derived from high by position;
Resonance harmonises sound;
After follows before.
Therefore the sage carries on his business without action, and gives his teaching without words."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 2
"It is the world of man that defines ugly by comparing it with that which man calls beautiful.
Skillful is considered such by comparison to that which is called 'without skill'.
Alive and non-alive are delineated by nature.
Difficult and easy are abstracted by our perception.
Long and short are defined by the one against the other.
High and low are reckoned so by the contrast of the one with the other.
Music is seen as pleasing if the notes and tones are recognized as being harmonious with each other.
One in front, and one behind are recognized as one following the other.
It is for this reason that the sage lives in the condition of wu-wei (unattached action, or; doing-not doing),
And teaches without words.
He knows that names and images are fleeting, and all things will transform.
One who seems to follow tonight might lead another time.
He sees all that is done as neither large nor small.
All things are neither grand nor miniscule.
Actions are neither difficult, nor done with ease. He acts without expectation.
Things spring up around him, and he accepts them, but does not possess them.
Things go away, and he recognizes their departure without grief or joy.
When the work is done he leaves it be.
Because he does not dwell in it, it will last."
- Translated by Rivenrock, Chapter 2
天下皆知美之為美, 斯惡已.
皆知善之為善, 斯不善已.
故有無相生.
難易相成.
長短相較.
高下相傾.
音聲相和.
前後相隨.
是以聖人處無為之事.
行不言之教.
萬物作焉而不辭.
生而不有.
為而不恃.
功成而弗居.
夫唯弗居.
是以不去.- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2
t'ien hsia chieh chih mei chih wei mei, ssu wu yi.
chieh chih shan chih wei shan, ssu pu shan yi.
ku yu wu hsiang shêng.
nan yi hsiang ch'êng.
ch'ang tuan hsiang chiao.
kao hsia hsiang ch'ing.
yin shêng hsiang ho.
ch'ien hou hsiang sui.
shih yi shêng jen ch'u wu wei chih shih.
hsing pu yen chih chiao.
wan wu tso yen erh pu tz'u.
shêng erh pu yu.
wei erh pu shih.
kung ch'eng erh fu chü.
fu wei fu ch'u.
shih yi pu ch'ü
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2
"Because the world recognized beauty as beauty, ugliness is known to be ugly.
Everyone knows goodness to be goodness, and to know this is to know what is not good.
Similarly, existence implies non-existence;
The hard and the easy complement each other; We recognize what is long by comparison with what is short;
High by comparison with low;
The shrill by comparison with the sonorous.
Before and after, earlier and later, back and front -
All these complement one another.
Therefore the Sage, the self-controlled man, dwells in action-less activity, poised between contraries.
He teaches without employing words.
He beholds al things that have been made - he does not turn his back on them.
He achieves, but does not claim merit;
He does not call attention to what he does, not claim success.
Regarding nothing as his own, he loses nothing that is his."
- Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 2
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 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 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. These are hypertext documents, and available online under Creative Commons 4.
Chapter 2, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Compiled and indexed by Mike Garofalo.
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to 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
Chapter 2
"When the world speaks of beauty as being beautiful, ugliness is at once defined.
When goodness is seen to be good, evil is at once apparent.
So do existence and non-existence mutually give rise to one another,
As that which is difficult and that which is easy, distant and near, high and low,
shrill and bass, preceding and following.
The Sage therefore is occupied only with that which is without prejudice.
He teaches without verbosity; he acts without effort; he produces with possessing,
he acts without regard to the fruit of action; he brings his work to perfection without assuming credit;
and claiming nothing as his own, he cannot at any time be said to lose."
- Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 2
"When all the people of the world know beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
There arises the recognition of evil.
Therefore: Being and non-being produce each other;
Difficult and easy complete each other;
Long and short contrast each other;
High and low distinguish each other;
Sound and voice harmonize each other;
Front and behind accompany each other.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without action
And spreads doctrines without words.
All things arise, and he does not turn away from them.
He produces them but does not take possession of them.
He acts but does not rely on his own ability.
He accomplishes his task but does not claim credit for it.
It is precisely because he does not claim credit that his accomplishment remains with him."
- Translated by Wang Tsit Chan, 1963, Chapter 2
"Recognize beauty and ugliness is born.
Recognize good and evil is born.
Is and Isn't produce each other.
Hard depends on easy,
Long is tested by short,
High is determined by low,
Sound is harmonized by voice,
After is followed by before.
Therefore the sage is devoted to non action,
Moves without teaching,
Creates ten thousand things without instruction,
Lives but does not own,
Acts but does not presume,
Accomplishes without taking credit.
When no credit is taken,
Accomplishment endures."
- Translated by Stephen Addis, 1993, Chapter 2
"When all in the world understand beauty to be beautiful, then ugliness exists.
When all understand goodness to be good, then evil exists.
Thus existence suggests non-existence;
Easy gives rise to difficult;
Short is derived from long by comparsion;
Low is derived from high by position;
Resonance harmonises sound;
After follows before.
Therefore the sage carries on his business without action, and gives his teaching without words."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 2
"It is the world of man that defines ugly by comparing it with that which man calls beautiful.
Skillful is considered such by comparison to that which is called 'without skill'.
Alive and non-alive are delineated by nature.
Difficult and easy are abstracted by our perception.
Long and short are defined by the one against the other.
High and low are reckoned so by the contrast of the one with the other.
Music is seen as pleasing if the notes and tones are recognized as being harmonious with each other.
One in front, and one behind are recognized as one following the other.
It is for this reason that the sage lives in the condition of wu-wei (unattached action, or; doing-not doing),
And teaches without words.
He knows that names and images are fleeting, and all things will transform.
One who seems to follow tonight might lead another time.
He sees all that is done as neither large nor small.
All things are neither grand nor miniscule.
Actions are neither difficult, nor done with ease. He acts without expectation.
Things spring up around him, and he accepts them, but does not possess them.
Things go away, and he recognizes their departure without grief or joy.
When the work is done he leaves it be.
Because he does not dwell in it, it will last."
- Translated by Rivenrock, Chapter 2
"Beauty becomes recognized as beauty,
As its difference from ugliness is seen.
Likewise,
Goodness and love become recognized,
As their difference from evil and hatred is felt.
The Relationship of:
- Being and non-being is known through life and growth.
- Difficult and easy is known through achievement and completion.
- Long and short is known through form and contrast.
- High and low is known through relationship and position.
- Sound and voice is known through amplitude and harmony.
- Front and behind is known through position and sequence.
Thus:
Wu-Wei graces the affairs of the Sage -
Teaching gracefully, Without words.
Receiving all happening as natural,
Without needing to judge or control.
Giving life and animation to all experience
Without needing to dominate.
Accomplishing, Without expecting reward.
In never assuming importance,
When the Sage's work is complete,
It remains, everlastingly."
- Translated by Alan B. Taplow, 1982, Chapter 2
As its difference from ugliness is seen.
Likewise,
Goodness and love become recognized,
As their difference from evil and hatred is felt.
The Relationship of:
- Being and non-being is known through life and growth.
- Difficult and easy is known through achievement and completion.
- Long and short is known through form and contrast.
- High and low is known through relationship and position.
- Sound and voice is known through amplitude and harmony.
- Front and behind is known through position and sequence.
Thus:
Wu-Wei graces the affairs of the Sage -
Teaching gracefully, Without words.
Receiving all happening as natural,
Without needing to judge or control.
Giving life and animation to all experience
Without needing to dominate.
Accomplishing, Without expecting reward.
In never assuming importance,
When the Sage's work is complete,
It remains, everlastingly."
- Translated by Alan B. Taplow, 1982, Chapter 2
皆知善之為善, 斯不善已.
故有無相生.
難易相成.
長短相較.
高下相傾.
音聲相和.
前後相隨.
是以聖人處無為之事.
行不言之教.
萬物作焉而不辭.
生而不有.
為而不恃.
功成而弗居.
夫唯弗居.
是以不去.- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2
t'ien hsia chieh chih mei chih wei mei, ssu wu yi.
chieh chih shan chih wei shan, ssu pu shan yi.
ku yu wu hsiang shêng.
nan yi hsiang ch'êng.
ch'ang tuan hsiang chiao.
kao hsia hsiang ch'ing.
yin shêng hsiang ho.
ch'ien hou hsiang sui.
shih yi shêng jen ch'u wu wei chih shih.
hsing pu yen chih chiao.
wan wu tso yen erh pu tz'u.
shêng erh pu yu.
wei erh pu shih.
kung ch'eng erh fu chü.
fu wei fu ch'u.
shih yi pu ch'ü
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2
"When everyone knows what beauty is,
There must also be ugliness.
When everybody knows what goodness is,
Then evil must also exist.
Therefore, the haves and the have-nots coexist.
Easy and hard become complementary.
Long and short differ in length.
High and low contrast in height.
Tone and pitch harmonise with each other.
The past is followed by the present.
Hence, the sage manages his affairs with non-action,
Teaches without utterance,
And lets everything develop without any interference.
Dao procreates but does not possess.
It facilitates development but does not gloat.
When it accomplishes his task, it does not claim credit.
As the sage does not claim credit for his success,
The credit cannot be taken away from him."
- Translated by Han Hiong Tan, Chapter 2
There must also be ugliness.
When everybody knows what goodness is,
Then evil must also exist.
Therefore, the haves and the have-nots coexist.
Easy and hard become complementary.
Long and short differ in length.
High and low contrast in height.
Tone and pitch harmonise with each other.
The past is followed by the present.
Hence, the sage manages his affairs with non-action,
Teaches without utterance,
And lets everything develop without any interference.
Dao procreates but does not possess.
It facilitates development but does not gloat.
When it accomplishes his task, it does not claim credit.
As the sage does not claim credit for his success,
The credit cannot be taken away from him."
- Translated by Han Hiong Tan, Chapter 2
"Cuando se reconoce la Belleza en el Mundo
Se aprende lo que es la Fealdad;
Cuando se reconoce la Bondad en el Mundo
Se aprende lo que es la Maldad.
De este modo:
Vida y muerte son abstracciones del crecimiento;
Dificultad y facilidad son abstracciones del progreso;
Cerca y lejos son abstracciones de la posición;
Fuerza y debilidad son abstracciones del control;
Música y habla son abstracciones de la armonía;
Antes y después son abstracciones de la secuencia.
El sabio controla sin autoridad,
Y enseña sin palabras;
Él deja que todas las cosas asciendan y caigan,
Nutre, pero no interfiere,
Dá sin pedirle,
Y está satisfecho."
- Translated by Antonio Rivas Gonzálvez, 2004, Capítulo 2
Se aprende lo que es la Fealdad;
Cuando se reconoce la Bondad en el Mundo
Se aprende lo que es la Maldad.
De este modo:
Vida y muerte son abstracciones del crecimiento;
Dificultad y facilidad son abstracciones del progreso;
Cerca y lejos son abstracciones de la posición;
Fuerza y debilidad son abstracciones del control;
Música y habla son abstracciones de la armonía;
Antes y después son abstracciones de la secuencia.
El sabio controla sin autoridad,
Y enseña sin palabras;
Él deja que todas las cosas asciendan y caigan,
Nutre, pero no interfiere,
Dá sin pedirle,
Y está satisfecho."
- Translated by Antonio Rivas Gonzálvez, 2004, Capítulo 2
"The whole world knows: when beauty tries to be beautiful it changes into ugliness by that very fact.
The whole world knows: when kindness tries to appear kind it changes into unkindness by that very fact.
So close are Being and Non-Being that one arises from the other.
So suddenly easy becomes difficult short becomes long high becomes low loud becomes soundless the first becomes the last.
That is why the Sage strives to act without action to teach without speaking.
He lets things happen and does not try to stay them.
He labors and is not greedy.
He acts and does not demand anything.
He receives and does not retain anything."
- Translated by K.O. Schmidt, 1975, Chapter 2
The whole world knows: when kindness tries to appear kind it changes into unkindness by that very fact.
So close are Being and Non-Being that one arises from the other.
So suddenly easy becomes difficult short becomes long high becomes low loud becomes soundless the first becomes the last.
That is why the Sage strives to act without action to teach without speaking.
He lets things happen and does not try to stay them.
He labors and is not greedy.
He acts and does not demand anything.
He receives and does not retain anything."
- Translated by K.O. Schmidt, 1975, Chapter 2
Everyone knows goodness to be goodness, and to know this is to know what is not good.
Similarly, existence implies non-existence;
The hard and the easy complement each other; We recognize what is long by comparison with what is short;
High by comparison with low;
The shrill by comparison with the sonorous.
Before and after, earlier and later, back and front -
All these complement one another.
Therefore the Sage, the self-controlled man, dwells in action-less activity, poised between contraries.
He teaches without employing words.
He beholds al things that have been made - he does not turn his back on them.
He achieves, but does not claim merit;
He does not call attention to what he does, not claim success.
Regarding nothing as his own, he loses nothing that is his."
- Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 2
"When people see things as beautiful,
ugliness is created.
When people see things as good,
evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other.
Therefore the Master
can act without doing anything
and teach without saying a word.
Things come her way and she does not stop them;
things leave and she lets them go.
She has without possessing,
and acts without any expectations.
When her work is done, she take no credit.
hat is why it will last forever."
- Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 2
ugliness is created.
When people see things as good,
evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other.
Therefore the Master
can act without doing anything
and teach without saying a word.
Things come her way and she does not stop them;
things leave and she lets them go.
She has without possessing,
and acts without any expectations.
When her work is done, she take no credit.
hat is why it will last forever."
- Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 2
Chapter 2, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Compiled and indexed by Mike Garofalo.
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to 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
A Solitary Daoist Neopagan's Final Journey
An Old Philosopher's Notebooks
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
An Old Philosopher's Notebooks
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
Thursday, May 14, 2026
On Not Resisting Temptations
Manage your pleasures and desires.
Be open to thinking and feeling in new ways.
Sometimes ignore what other people tell you to do or not to do.
Old values are not necessarily better values.
What is "bad" in one generation may be "good" in later times.
Enjoy the pleasure of eating apples.
When someone tells you not to ask, sometimes ask and ask again.
With only one life to live - be bolder.
Don't resist the temptation to improve, to change, to grow.
Like water, enjoy going downhill in new directions.
Embrace intellectual pleasures.
Be suspicious of people who talk too much about guilt and punishment.
Some failures are inevitable, just get up and move on.
Thinking and doing are often more advantageous than believing.
Many people associate sexual pleasure with 'sinfulness': nonsense.
Succumb to temptations to laugh more often.
If you can't take advantage of temptations then you are not free.
Remember what works for you.
When your tempted to be compassionate, act on the impulse.
- Mike Garofalo, Pulling Onions
"Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to."
- Oscar Wilde
"The trouble with resisting temptation is it may never come your way again."
- Korman's Law
"For every man there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"If we resist our passions, it is more because of their weakness than because of our strength."
- François, duc de La Rochefoucauld
"Most people want to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch."
- Robert Orben
"What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely."
- Franklin P. Jones
"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones."
- John Maynard Keynes
"If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down."
- Mary Pickford
"The most useless are those who never change through the years."
- James Barrie
Willpower, Resolve, Determination, Progress
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Humanism: Readings
I have enjoyed and benefitted from reading three books by the fine writer, humanist, and scholar: Sarah Bakewell.
How to Live, or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer.
At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails.
This week, I have enjoyed reading her newest book:
Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope. Penguin Press, 2023, 454 pages. VSCL.
I have a number of webpages with my notes on Humanist philosophy:
How to Live a Good Life: Advice From Wise Persons
The Poetic Investigations: Time: The Tick-Tock Tractatus by Mike Garofalo
Speaking About Time: The Poetic Investigations
By Michael Peter Garofalo, mpgarofalo, .m.p.g.
Sections
1. Time: time-space, movement, measurement
2. Past: memories, habits, fixed, specific, tradition
3. Present: now, here-now, day, duration
4. Future: maybe, planned, anticipated, uncertain
5. Passing: change, cycles, aging, growth, death
6. Beginning: renewal, starting, enthusiasm
7. Psychology: learning, experience, knowing
8. Middle: in progress, half-way, steady, living
9. Language: poetry, philosophy, ordinary
10. Silence: inexpressive, nonsense, illogical
11. Mystical: numinous, profound, intense, insightful,
12. Beauty: art, crafts, music, reading/writing
13. Social: ethics, morality, economics, manners, value
14. Philosophy: ethics, history, analysis, arguments, logic
15. History: landmark events, books/printing, memory
16. Eternity: forever, infinite, unimaginable, death
Bundled Up Quintains about Time
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