Subject Indexes to Zen Master Raven by Robert Aitken

Zen Master Raven: The Teachings of a Wise Old Bird. Compiled and annotated by Robert Aitken. Illustrated by Jennifer Rain Crosby. Foreword by Nelson Foster. Wisdom, 2002, 2017, 229 pages. VSCL, Hardbound. 183 Brief Koans.
Most koans feature Master Raven giving anwers or comments, and asking follow up questions; therefore, I chose to use the character Master Raven is talking to for the Student/Learner under the index heading of "Master, Teacher." Otherwise, nearly all 183 koans would be listed under Master Raven. Just automatically assume the central teacher in nearly all these koans is Zen Master Raven.

Subject Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 28 pages.

Case Titles Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 7 pages.

Case Number Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 7 pages.

Animals and Responders Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 7 pages.

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Keys to Zen Buddhist Koans Database Collection

Taking the Path of Zen. By Robert Aitken. North Point Press, 1982, 149 pages.

The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-Men Kuan (Mumonkan). Translated with commentary by Robert Aitken. North Point Press, 1991, 325 pages.

Zen Master Raven. Meredith Gammon Hotetsu's Zen Blog. 183 Cases "Each post is a chapter of Robert Aitken's Zen Master Raven, with an introduction and verse by Meredith Hotetsu Garmon."

"A uniquely playful and incisive collection of Zen teaching stories from a beloved American master. A modern classic, now in a new expanded edition. In the tradition of the great koan collections and the records of ancient masters, Robert Aitken distills a lifetime of teaching down to its essence. Intriguing and deceptively simple, Zen Master Raven is a brilliant encapsulation of Zen in over a hundred koan-like encounters alongside many charming illustrations. Featuring curious beginners like Mallard and Mole and profound teachers like Brown Bear, Moose Roshi, and Zen Master Raven himself, this classic of contemporary Zen and will inspire seekers for generations to come." - Amazon

Zen Master Raven by Robert Aitken. PDF, 2010 Pages. Terebess Bootlegged Copy? Likely an unauthorized bootleg!

"In the tradition of the great koan collections and the records of ancient masters, Robert Aitken distills a lifetime of teaching down to its essence. Intriguing and deceptively simple, Zen Master Raven is a brilliant encapsulation of Zen in over a hundred koan-like encounters alongside many charming illustrations. Featuring curious beginners like Mallard and Mole and profound teachers like Brown Bear, Moose Roshi, and Zen Master Raven himself, this classic of contemporary Zen and will inspire seekers for generations to come." - Review

The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. By James Norbury. Illustrated by James Norbury.

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. By James Norbury. Illustrated by James Norbury.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. By Charlie Mckesy. Illustrated.

The Complete Tales of Willie-the-Pooh. By A. A. Milne. Illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard.

The Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet. By Benjamin Hoff.

Vegetable Roots Discourse: Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living. By Hong Zicheng. Translated with notes by Robert Aitken. Counterpoint, 2007, 240 pages. "Written 400 years ago by a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, one hundred years after Columbus and around the time Shakespeare completed Henry VI, accomplished scholar and philosopher Hong Zicheng retired from public life and settled down to write an informal compilation of his thoughts on the essence of life, human nature, and heaven and earth. Though he wrote other books as well, only this one has survived—thanks largely to its continuous popularity, first in China and later in Japan and Korea. Entitled Caigentan (Vegetable Roots Discourse), this book has been studied and cherished for four hundred years. Terse, humorous, witty, and. above all, timely, this book offers a provocative and personal mix of Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian understanding. It contains 360 observations that lead us through paths as complex, absurd, and grotesque as life itself. While it has been translated into many languages, this comprehensive version will immediately become the standard edition for generations of English readers to come.es."

Buddhism: Bibliography, Links, Information, Resources. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.

 

 

 

727 Riddles, Puns, Brain Teasers, Corny Jokes, Quips, Humor

  

727 Riddles, Corny Jokes, Witticisms, Brain Teasers


Riddles, Puzzles, Paradoxes, Humor

Curious Questions, Brain-Teasers

Koans, Quizzers, Jokes, Nonsense

Knock Knock Jokes, Corny Jokes

Spoonerisms, Clever Statements

Cliches, Bad Jokes, Quips, Puns

Fallacies, Witticisms, Definitions

Discordian Statements

727 Quotations

Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

727 Riddles, Corny Jokes, Witticisms, Puns, Brain Teasers

No Advertising, No Pop-Up Ads, No Boxed Ads!

No Cookie Requests, No Videos, No Commercials!

727 Riddles, Corny Jokes, Witticisms, Brain Teasers

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 1

"Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 1

"The way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.
The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;
The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.
Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets;
But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.
These two are the same
But diverge in name as they issue forth.
Being the same they are called mysteries,
Mystery upon mystery -
The gateway of the manifold secrets."
-  Translated by D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 1 

"The Tao that is the subject of discussion is not the true Tao.
The quality which can be named is not its true attribute.
That which was before Heaven and Earth is called the Non-Existent.
The Existent is the mother of all things.
Therefore doth the wise man seek after the first mystery of the Non-Existent, while seeing in that which exists the Ultimates thereof.
The Non-Existent and Existent are identical in all but name.
This identity of apparent opposites I call the profound, the great deep, the open door of bewilderment."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 1

"Nature can never be completely described, for such a description of Nature would have to duplicate Nature.
No name can fully express what it represents.
It is Nature itself, and not any part or name or description abstracted from Nature, which is the ultimate source of all that happens, all that comes and goes, begins and ends, is and is not.
But to describe Nature as "the ultimate source of all" is still only a description, and such a description is not Nature itself.
Yet since, in order to speak of it, we must use words, we shall have to describe it as "the ultimate source of all."
If Nature is inexpressible, he who desires to know Nature as it is in itself will not try to express it in words
Although the existence of Nature and a description of that existence are two different things, yet they are also the same.
For both are ways of existing.
That is, a description of existence must have its own existence, which is different from the existence of that which it describes.
And so again we have to recognize an existence which cannot be described."
-  Translated by Archie J. Bahm, 1958, Chapter 1   

道可道, 非常道.
名可名, 非常名.
無名天地之始.
有名萬物之母.
故常無, 欲以觀其妙.
常有, 欲以觀其徼.
此兩者, 同出而異名.
同謂之玄.
玄之又玄.
衆妙之門.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1


tao k’o tao, fei ch’ang tao.
ming k’o ming, fei ch’ang ming.
wu ming t’ien ti chih shih.
yu ming wan wu chih mu.
ku ch’ang wu, yü yi kuan ch’i miao.
ch’ang yu, yü yi kuan ch’i chiao.
tz’u liang chê, t’ung ch’u erh yi ming.
t’ung wei chih hsüan.
hsüan chih yu hsüan.
chung miao chih mên.
-  Wade Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1  


"The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao.
The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name. 
Conceived of as having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth;
Conceived of as having a name, it is the Mother of all things.  
Always without desire we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.  
Under these two aspects, it is really the same;
But as development takes place, it receives the different names.
Together we call them the Mystery.
Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 1 


"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the constant Tao.
The name that can be named is not the constant name.
The nameless is the beginning of life.
It is the mother of the ten thousand things.
Remove your desires and you will see the mystery.
Be filled with desire
And you will see only the manifestation.
These two are the same
yet, they diverge in nature
as they issue forth.
Being the same, they are the source
but the source remains a mystery.
Mystery upon mystery,
The gateway of Tao's manifold secrets."
-  Translated by Kari Hohne, 2009, Chapter 1

"Camino que se puede describir de manera articulada
     no es el Camino Invariable.
El nombre que se puede decir en voz alta
     no es el Nombre Invariable.
Con la boca cerrada y las cosas sin definir,
     estás al principio del universo.
Si haces definiciones, eres la medida de toda la creación.
Así, estando siempre sin deseo,
     miras en lo hondo de lo trascendente.
Albergando constantemente el deseo,
     todas las cosas que te rodean te estorban la vista.
Estos dos entran en el mundo semejantes,
     pero sus nombres son diferentes.
Semjantes, se llaman profundos y remotos.
Profundos y remotos y más aún:
Esta es la puerta de todos los misterios."
-  Translated by Alejandro Pareja, 2012, based upon the William Scott Wilson translation into English, Capítulo 1

"Tao called Tao is not Tao.
Names can name no lasting name.
Nameless: the origin of heaven and earth.
Naming: the mother of ten thousand things.
Empty of desire, perceive mystery.
Filled with desire, perceive manifestations.
These have the same source, but different names.
Call them both deep - Deep and again deep: the gateway to all mystery."
-  Translated by Stephen Addis and Stanley Lombardo, 1993, Chapter 1  

 

"The Way that can be told of is not an Unvarying Way;
The names that can be named are not unvarying names.
It was from the Nameless that Heaven and Earth sprang;
The named is but the mother that rears the ten thousand creatures, each after its kind.
Truly, “Only he that rids himself forever of desire can see the Secret Essences”;
He that has never rid himself of desire can see only the Outcomes.
These two things issued from the same mould, but nevertheless are different in name.
This “same mould” we can but call the Mystery, Or rather the “Darker than any Mystery”,
The Doorway whence issued all Secret Essences."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 1 

 

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.  In 2020, I will be improving the indexing.  

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 1, 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  

Exercising with a Ball

Martial Arts, physical culture, and Qigong enthusiasts can benefit from using a medicine ball when doing exercises.  There are many routines developed by Taijiquan and Qigong masters using a medicine ball.   Qigong Ball exercisers can get into a calm mode, mellow their mood, and go with the Flow.  

Medicine Ball Training and Exercises: Bibliography, Links, Resources .  Prepared by Mike Garofalo.  A general introduction to the use of medicine balls in exercise programs. 

I developed my own medicine ball routine called: Magic Pearl Qigong. 

Magic Pearl Qigong, Part I, Movements 1-8 .   Instructions, Bibliography, Links, Handouts, Resources, Mythological Associations, Lore.  Prepared by Mike Garofalo. 
The Magic Pearl Qigong can be a very vigorous physical culture routine if you increase the weight of the ball, lower the stances, and increase the number of repetitions of each movement.  Serious Qigong Ball enthusiasts use a very light wooden ball, move slowly, stay relaxed, sink, play.  

In addition, upper body strength and athletic fitness is also be improved by practicing longer Taijiquan Forms using weapons like the saber, sword, cane, and staff. 

Actions and Deeds

"The shortest answer is doing."
-  George Herbert

"No one is wise by birth.  Wisdom results from one's own efforts."
-  Krishnamacharya    

"Will is character in action."
-  William McDougall 

"Willpower is the art of replacing one habit for another."
-  Michael Garofalo  

"It is really vain to express the nature of something.  We notice effects, and a complete account of these effects would perhaps comprise the nature of this thing.  We attempt in vain to describe the character of a man; but a description of his actions and his deeds will create for us a picture of his character."
-  Goethe, The Theory of Colors

Will Power: Quotes, Sayings

Virtue Ethics

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones.  By James Clear.  Avery, 2018, 320 pages.  A excellent best seller. 
Clear writing style, positive, informative, practical, and inspiring. VSCL. 

Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About it Now.  By Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen.  25th Anniversary Edition.  De Capo Lifelong, 2008, index, 322 pages.  VSCL. 

Subject Index to the Gateless Gate Zen Buddhist Koans Collection

 

Gateless Gate, Gateless Barrier
(Wumenquan, Mumonkan)
48 Koans GB

Compiled around 1250 CE

 

Gateless Gate GB Gateless Barrier 48 Cases Buddhist Text Authority:
The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans. Translated with commentary and notes by Koun Yamada Roshi. Wisdom Publications, Somerville, MA, 2004, 2015, 301 pages. Numerous Appendices, Japanese-Chinese Name List, Essays. ISBN:978-0-86171-382-0. VSCL, Paperback.

Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo

Subject Index for the 48 Cases in the Gateless Barrier (GB). Second Draft, August 12, 2023, 20 Pages, PDF.

Alphabetical List of the 48 Case Titles in the Gateless Barrier (GB) Second Draft, August 12, 2023, 3 Pages, PDF.

List of Cases by the 48 Case Numbers for the Gateless Barrier (GB) Second Draft, August 12, 2023, 3 Pages, PDF.

 

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Zen Buddhist Koans and Information:
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koansdup1.htm

 

 

The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans  Commentary and translation by Koun Yamada. Foreword by Ruben L. F. Habito. Wisdom Publications, 2004. 336 pages. ISBN: 9780861713820. "In The Gateless Gate, one of modern Zen Buddhism's uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the Mumonkan, one of Zen's greatest collections of teaching stories. This translation was compiled with the Western reader in mind, and includes Koan Yamada's clear and penetrating comments on each case. Yamada played a seminal role in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West from Japan, going on to be the head of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Community." VSCL, Paperback. I used this book to prepare the First Draft (March 25, 2023) of indexing for the Gateless Gate; indexing stored in the GB database (GB = Gateless Barrier or Gateless Gate).

The Gateless Barrier: Zen Comments on the Mumonkan. By Zenkai Shibayama. Shibayama Roshi (1894-1974). Translated by Sumiko Kudo. Introduction by Shibayama Roshi. Preface by Kenneth W. Morgan, Colgate University. Boston, Shambhala, 2000. Glossary, index, 361 pages. ISBN: 9781570627262.  "For more than seven centuries the Mumonkan (Gateless Barrier) has been used in Zen monasteries to train monks and to encourage the religious development of lay Buddhists. It contains forty- eight koans, or spiritual riddles, that must be explored during the course of Zen training. Shibayama Zenkei (1894-1974), an influential Japanese Zen teacher and calligrapher who traveled and lectured throughout the United States in the 60s and 70s, offers his own commentary alongside the classic text. The Gateless Barrier remains an essential text for all serious students of Buddhism."  These lectures (Teisho) on the Gateless Barrier were given at Colgate University in 1974. VSCL, Paperback.

Subject Index to the Book of Serenity 100 Zen Buddhist Koans

 

Book of Serenity 100 Koans (BOS)

Book of Equanimity or Book of Serenity (BOS)

The Book of Serenity (BOS) Book of Equanimity
100 Cases of Brief Stories, Spiritual Encounters, Koans, Wisdom Tales, Sermons, Dialogues, Parables
Compiled and published around 1224 CE.

Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. Second Draft on August 26, 2023.

Primary Source for Indexing: The Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translated with commentary by Thomas Cleary, 2005, 512 pages.

Subject Index to Cases in the Book of Serenity (BOS) 100 Koans Collection. Second Draft, August 25, 2023, 26 pages, PDF.

Alphabetical List of Cases in the Book of Serenity (BOS) 100 Koans Collection. Second Draft, August 25, 2023, 4 pages, PDF.

List of Cases by Case Numbers in the Book of Serenity (BOS) 100 Koans Collection. Second Draft, August 25, 2023, 4 pages, PDF.

 

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans and Discourses

The Book of Equanimity: Illuminating Classic Zen Koans. By Gerry Shishin Wick. Foreword by Bernie Glassman. Boston, Wisdom Publications, 2005. Recommended reading list, list of names index, 331 pages. ISBN: 9780861713875.

Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translation and commentary by Thomas Cleary. Shambhala, 2005, glossary, notes, 463 pages. 100 Koans. VSCL, paperback.

Book of Serenity Translated by Joan Sutherland Roshi and John Tarrant Roshi. "The hundred koans of the Book of Serenity, also translated as the Book of Equanimity, were among those written by twelfth-century Chan teacher Hongzhi Zhengjue. In the thirteenth century, Wansong Xingxiu compiled Hongzhi’s koans and wrote commentaries for each. Although the collection is associated with the Caodong / Soto school, they are also taken up in koan study by Linji / Rinzai practitioners." Online PDF Version.

Shoyoroku (E. Book of Serenity, C. Ts’ung-jung lu) Online version of the Book of Serenity. Congrong Lu.
A collection of 100 koans, originally compiled in the 12th century by Wanshi Shogaku (C. Hung-chih Cheng-chüeh).

Book of Equanimity - Wikipedia 100 Cases. Compiled by Wangsong Zingxiu (1166-1246), and first published in 1224. The book comprises a collection of 100 koans written by the Chan Buddhist master Hongzhi Zengjue (1091-1157), together with commentaries by Wansong. Wansong's compilation is the only surviving source for Hongzhi's koans.

Buddhism: Bibliography, Links, Information, Resources. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.

Zen Buddhist Koans and Information: https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koansdup1.htm By Michael P. Garofalo.

 

               

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  

Harmonica: Another Day in Paradise

Another Day in Paradise

By Phil Collins
1989

Diatonic Harmonica
Key of C Major

 

VERSE 1

6    -6    7  -6  6  -5  5  -4    5 

She calls out to the man on the street 

  7    -6   6  -5   7 

"Sir, can you help me? 

  6   7   -6    6   -5   5  -4    5 

It's cold and I've no-where to sleep, 

 6   6    -6   7    -6   6   -5   7 

Is there some-where you can tell me?" 

VERSE 2 

 6    -6    7   -6  6     -5       4 

He   walks on,  doesn't  look    back 

 7    -6   6   -5   5    6     7

He   pre tends he  can't hear her 

 6      7  -6   6   -5  5   -4   5  -6    6

Starts to whis tle  as  he cros ses the street 

 6     6   -6    -6    6   -5   7

Seems  em  bar rassed to  be  there 

 

CHORUS

-7   6   6        -4    5 

Oh Think twice, 'cause it's  

 5 6   6  -5   5   -5  5 -5  5   -5  6   6 

An oth er day for you and me in  par a dise 

-7   6    6     -4    5 

Oh Think twice cause it's  

5  6   6  -5  5   -5    -5   6   -5   5  5 

a no ther day for you, you  in par a dise 

   4   -4   4 -4   5 

 just think about  it 

 

VERSE 3

6    -6    7  -6  6   -5  5  -4   5 

She calls out to the man on the street 

 7  -6   6   -5     5    6     7

He  can see she's been  cry ing 

6      7  -6   6   -5  5   -4   -5  -6    6

She's got blisters on the soles of her feet 

6    6    -6    7   -6   -5  7

She can't walk but she's trying 

 

 [CHORUS]  

 

 VERSE 4

 6    -5   5  -5   5 

Just think a-bout it 

 7  -6 

Oh lord! 

-5   6   -5   -5   -5     -5 5  -5  5    7   7 

Is there noth ing more    a  ny bo dy   can do? 

-7   7 

Oh lord! 

  5   -5    6  -5   -5   -5    5   7 

There must be some thing you can say 

 

 VERSE 5

6    -6   7  -6    6   -5    5  -4   5 

You can tell from the lines on her face 

 7   -6   6  -5   5     6        7

You can see that she's been there 

6    7    -6    6    -5   5    -4  -5  -6    6

Pro bably she  moved  on  from  ev ‘ry  place 

 6      6  -6   7   -6   6  -5   7

Cause  she did n't  fit  in  there 

 [CHORUS]

 

Ungraspable Mind and Time

 The Fireplace Records, Chapter 48

Ungraspable Mind and Time

An old woman salesperson asked a knowledgeable scholar-monk, an expert in the Diamond Cutter Sutra, about some verses in that Sutra.

"I heard a statement from the Diamond Sutra that "the past mind is ungraspable, the present mind is ungraspable, and the future mind is ungraspable." Please tell me what this means. What Mind knows this?"

The monk paused, became a little uncomfortable, could not immediately frame an good answer, and said to the woman: "I don't have a good answer to your questions. What is your understanding?"

The woman then said, "I don't understand, you don't understand,. Maybe nobody can understand the ungraspable aspects of Mind. Anyway, would you like to purchase some rice cakes?"

The monk laughed and purchased some rice cakes. He smiled as he grasped his staff and started walking to a new Temple library. On the way, he tried to grasp the meaning of the ungraspable nature of Mind. His thoughts held him in constant reiterations and ruminations on time and mind. His stubbornness and diligence held him tightly to the problematic issue of "the past mind is ungraspable, the present mind is ungraspable, and the future mind is ungraspable." He could not release his grasp on these profound and disturbing ideas. 

He finally gave up and let go of these ideas. He realized that "grasping" is only a conventional metaphor for understanding something, a figure of speech, a bunch of words, a stretch of the imagination. He gave up his research on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, gave all his books and manuscripts to the Temple library, and left for the mountains on a long retreat.

The Student's Considerations

We can grasp and effectively use the basic ideas of past, present, and future.
Maybe what is called "Mind" is a debatable topic and imprecise.
Let Go! Loosen your grasp! Demonstrate some detachment!
An expert acknowledges that there are subjects he does not fully understand.
"Time" and time are important topics in all philosopher's theories.
Maybe the Diamond Sutra's claims are false, incorrect, faulty, or shaky.
It is hard to grasp things with shaky hands and trembling minds.
Maybe the mind is ungraspable - so what! It still often works well for us.
What practical consequences arise from an "ungraspable mind" to provide  meaningfulness?
Don't worry too much about grasping borderline problems.
Everything pivots on the Present - a tiny slice of Reality.
The Past Mind is more graspable than the Present Mind.
Is the "ungraspable mind" a meaningless intellectual diversion.
If you think too much, the fatigue may cause errors or mis-directions of one's thoughts and reasoning.
Indeed the mind cannot be grasped, unlike grasping a peach or a rock or a book or a staff or a rice cake, or your knee. 
A brain is graspable, a mind is not graspable.
Sutras are NOT contemporary science or psychology.
Even the wisest persons can sometimes be humbled by ordinary people.
Asking a question is NOT making a statement or asserting a proposition.
Attach to Nothing! Don't hold on tightly to verbal formulas.
Time is the movement of things; we invented past, present, and future states.

Opening A Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters. By Steven Heine. 60 Koans: Te-shan and the Woman Selling Rice Cakes p. 94

The Whole World is a Single Flower. By Seung Shan. Case 9.

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.
- M.P.G.

Hands, Grasping, Holding, Fingers, Touch

The Fireplace Records 

Subject Index to 1,965 Zen Buddhist Koans (PDF, 587 pages)

Zen Buddhist Koans

Caught on the Edges of the West: Highway 101

Four Days in Grayland

Cloud Hands Blog

Above the Fog 

Pulling Onions

Poetry - Bibliography, Links, Resources, Guides  

Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems

 

Text Art, Visual/Pattern Poetry

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series

Concrete Poetry  

Meetings with Taoist Master Chang San-Feng

Shifu Miao Zhang Points the Way

Full Moon in the Morning Sky

Northwest Pacific Coast Poems

Exhibits at the Onion Garden

The Spirit of Gardening

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

White Tara - The Female Buddha: Protects Us

Tara, Drolma, Green Tārā, White Tara, Liberator, Star Goddess, Savioress, Protector Bodhisattva, Maha-Devi, Divine Feminine, The Mother, Shakti
A Buddhist Goddess Worshipped in Tibet and India
Bibliography, Links, Quotations, Prayers, 21 Praises, Notes

 

Goddesses: Bibliography, Quotations, Links, Lore


"Goddess Tara is probably the oldest goddess who is still worshipped extensively in modern times. Tara originated as a Hindu goddess, a Great Goddess -- the Mother Creator, representing the eternal life force that fuels all life.  There are many embodiments of Tara, but the best known are the White Tara and the Green Tara.  The peaceful, compassionate White Tara gently protects and brings long life and peace. The more dynamic goddess, Green Tara is the "Mother Earth", and a fierce goddess who overcomes obstacles, and saves us from physical and spiritual danger.  In Sanskrit, the name Tara means Star, but she was also called She Who Brings Forth Life, The Great Compassionate Mother, and The Embodiment of Wisdom, and the Great Protectress.  Adopted by Buddhism, she become the most widely revered deity in the Tibetan pantheon.   In Buddhist tradition, Tara is actually much greater than a goddess -- she is a female Buddha, an enlightened one was has attained the highest wisdom, capability and compassion. . . one who can take human form and who remains in oneness with the every living thing."
-   Tara: Goddess of Peace and Protection 


"Mother of enlightened activity who creates all the enlightened ones,
By the power of supplicating to you through approaching, practice and devotion, bless me always
    to practice with devotion to you.
So that I and all sentient being may complete the two accumulations of merit and wisdom.
Then, may the four activities be accomplished and extraordinary and common siddhis be granted.
May pure vision of the deities and the mantra rise from the dharmadhatu,
And may we take enlightened activity as our path and stir the depths of samsara.
In the realm of the great dharmakaya, all appearances and existence are non-dual,
The two aspects of enlightened form appear according to the capacities of sentient beings,
May it always being benefit and well-being through the countless acts of perfect merit!
I take refuge until I am enlightened
In the buddhas, the dharma, and the sangha.
Through the merit I create by practicing giving and the other perfections,
May I attain buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. 
May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering;
May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that knows no suffering;
May all sentient beings live in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion."
-  Green Tara: Two Meditation Practices




Om Tare Tuttare Ture SoHa
"Om Tah Ray Too Tah Ray Too Ray Svā Ha"       (Suggested English Pronunciation)

The meanings of this mantra are suggested as: 
"One who saves, save me.”

Om =  The most sacred sound (Aum, Om, Ohm, Hum) for the Divine discussed in the Upanishads 
          OM is the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha.

Tare = The One who liberates us from suffering,
          The One who frees us from suffering
          Tare is Dharma, the true path away from suffering, the wise words 
          Protection from mundane worldly dangers. 
          The Savioress from physical dangers, fears, and worries. 
          You are the mother, TARE, who liberates us from samsara and absolute dangers 

Tuttare =  The One who liberates us from the eight fears,
               The One that liberates beings from danger
               The One who can vanquish the eight terrors
               The One who can protect and lead us on the right spiritual path.
               The Savioress from delusion, negative emotions, doubt, greediness. 
               She who ferries us across to safety. 
               You free us from the eight dangers, fears, harms, relative dangers 

Ture = The One who liberates us from illness
           The One who that releases beings from sickness
           The One who can make us healthy and end our illnesses
           You protect us from all illnesses

Svāha or So Ha = Laying the Foundation, So Be It, Make it So
                          Svaha, according to "Monier-William’s Sanskrit Dictionary,"
                          means: "Hail!", "Hail to!" or "May a blessing rest on!"
                          May this come about
                          May blessings be upon 

 

Dao De Jing, Chapter 72, Laozi

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 72

"If the people do not fear the dreadful, the great dreadful will come, surely.  
Let them not deem their lives narrow.
Let them not deem their lot wearisome.
When it is not deemed wearisome, then it will not be wearisome. 
Therefore the holy man knows himself but does not display himself.
He holds himself dear but does not honor himself.
Thus he discards the latter and chooses the former."
-  Translated by D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 72  


"When the people are not afraid of the ruler, the ruler is in the most danger.
Do not bother the people, do not suppress the people.
Only when you do not suppress the people, will they not be annoyed with you.
So, the great men understood everything but did not let themselves be known.
They valued their lives but did not let themselves be worshipped.
Therefore, keep the former and discard the latter."
-  Translated by Xiaolin Yang, Chapter 72    

"When the people do not fear worldly power
a greater power will arrive
Don't limit the view of yourself
Don't despise the conditions of your birth
Don't resist the natural course of your life
In this way you will never weary of this world
The Sage knows himself, but not as himself he loves himself,
but not as himself he honours himself, but not as himself
Thus, he discards the view of his own self
and chooses the view of the universe"
-  Translated by Jonathan Star, 2001, Chapter 72 

"He who lives with fear cannot become strong.
The strength of consciousness can be gained only if one lives without fear.
So rid yourself of the ability to despise others!
He who despises others is despicable before Tao! 
Rid yourself of violence in relations with others!
He who does violence to others will be subjected to violence. 
Renounce the ability to deceive people!
He who deceives others deceives himself. 
Live in love! 
Do not strive to show yourself off!
The wise who cognized his Higher Essence is not engaged in self-admiration
and does not elevate himself over others.
He who got rid of egocentrism gains the possibility to achieve Tao."
-  Translated by Mikhail Nilolenko, Chapter 72 



民不畏威.
則大威至.
無狎其所居, 無厭其所生.
夫唯不厭.
是以不厭.
是以聖人自知不自見.
自愛不自貴.
故去彼取此.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 72


min pu wei wei.
tsê ta wei chih.
wu hsia ch'i so chü, wu yen ch'i so shêng. 
fu wei pu yen.
shih yi pu yen.
shih yi shêng jên tzu chih pu tzu chien.
tzu ai pu tzu kuei. 
ku ch'ü pi ch'ü tz'u. 
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 72 


"When the people fear no power,
Then great power has indeed arrived.
Do not disturb them in their dwellings,
Do not weary them in their living.
It is because you do not weary (pu yen) them,
That they are not wearied of you.
Therefore the sage knows himself (tzu chih),
But does not see himself (tzu chien).
He loves himself (tzu ai),
But does not exalt himself (tzu kuei).
Therefore he leaves that and takes this."
-  Translated by Ellen Chen, Chapter 72


"The sage retains a sense of awe, and of propriety.
He does not intrude into others' homes;
does not harass them,
nor interfere without request,
unless they damage others.
So it is that they return to him.
Though the sage knows himself
he makes no show of it;
he has self-respect, but is not arrogant,
for he develops the ability to let go of that
which he no longer needs."
-  Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 72



"Cuando a los hombres les falta el sentido del temor, sucederá un desastre.
No entremeterse en sus casas, no atosigarlos en el trabajo.
Si no se interfiere, no se hastiarán.
Por esto mismo, el sabio se conoce pero no se exhibe.
Se respeta a sí mismo, pero no es arrogante.
Abandona aquello y elige esto."
-  Translated by Cristina Bosch, 2002, Capítulo 72

"When the people do not fear what is majestic,
Great Majesty will soon visit them.
Do not limit their dwellings
nor suppress their livelihoods.
Simply because you do not oppress them,
they will not grow tired of you.
For this reason,
Sages are self-aware,
but do not flaunt themselves;
they are self-focused,
but do not glorify themselves.
They out-grow the one and adopt the other."
-  Translated by Jerry C. Welch, 1998, Chapter 72

"Upon those who defy authority
It shall be visited,
But not behind prison walls
Nor through oppression of their kin;
Men sanely led
Are not led by duress.
To know yourself and not show yourself,
To think well of yourself and not tell of yourself,
Be that your no and your yes."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 72 




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 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.   

Chapter 72, 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