Tao Te Ching Chapter 40-1 High samurai

Today's Tao

When a high man hears about Tao, he tries hard to do it. (Ch.40)


上 [jo]: high

士 [shi]: man, samurai


In Japanese, this word 士 [shi] has a special connotation.

When you say 武士 [bushi], he is a samurai with swords.

When you say 文士 [bunshi], he is a samurai with pens. He uses a pen instead of a sword to fight.

Are you a seeker of Truth?

Are you a true seeker of Tao?

Everyone is kind of a samurai of life in his own way.

We simply try hard to attain something; Tao or Satori.

It is exactly because of that we will never get it.

Seeking Satori like a samurai is a mental Hara kiri.


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-Highest attainment = Valley 40-9
-Lacking 40-10
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-White = Black 40-13
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-No completion 40-15
-No voice 40-16
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-Hidden with no name 40-18
-Generosity 40-19
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 40


Tao answers your question!



-The word "Samurai" somehow fascinates the Japanese. All of them want to embrace the values of samurai although their population represented 10% of the Japanese population at most. The majority of the islanders in this floating world had nothing to do with severe reasonings of world-famous warriors.