Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tao Te Ching Chapter 59-8 Live eternally


Today's Tao

This is called Tao of "deep roots and firm roots, and living and seeing the eternity". (Ch.59)


All the objects in your hologram are deeply rooted in Tao.

All the phenomena in the world are firmly rooted in Tao.

All of them are the manifestation of Tao.


Life has nothing to do with death, says Master Dogen 道元禅師, whose name means "the root 元 of Tao 道".

「生の死になるといはざる」

(Genjokoan 現成公案, «Shobogenzo»)


Life is part of the hologram, which is an illusion.

Therefore, Zen Buddhists say:

"No life." 不生 [fusho]

The end of life is part of the hologram, which is an illusion.

Therefore, they say:

"No end of life." 不滅 [fumetsu]


Holograms come and go, but true You are Tao.

In Tao, there is no time.

Time is just a parameter in your mind.

Inside the sphere where time doesn't exist, how can a thing be ephemeral!

It has to be eternal.


«Related Articles»
-Don't waste 59-1
-Return early 59-2
-Return and Repeat 59-3
-Repeat Attainment 59-4
-Cycle's end 59-5
-Never-ending cycle 59-6
-Forever 59-7
-Live eternally 59-8
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 59


Tao answers your question!



☞Sometimes, it is ridiculous. Rarely, it is offensive. Often, it is cute. Mostly, the translator's painstaking is admirable. The translation of a title makes its native-speakers wonder or sometimes laugh. Probably not so much between two Indo-European languages, but it is often the case with an English title for a Japanese classic. One should respect the effort to translate it correctly in terms of signification, but for the people who keep a primitive affection towards the sound of a word the title seems too highly conceptual. It makes them imagine a Sumo wrestler in a tuxedo. Yagyu, Munenori's «The Life-giving Sword» is part of «Heiho Kadensho 兵法家伝書» and called «Katsu jin ken 活人剣» in Japanese. This English translation includes the entire book of the former. Zen Master Takuan's «The Unfettered Mind» is called «Fudochi Shinmyoroku 不動智神妙録». Both English titles are very good. Three cheers for the translators!

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