• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Daoism.org

Dao for Now

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Welcome to Daoism: The Dao for Now
    • Dao or Tao?
  • Free Ordination
  • The Tao Te Ching
    • The Tao Te Ching
  • Daoist Links
    • Submit Link
  • Blog
  • Log In
    • Register
You are here: Home / Tao Te Ching / 20

20

Abandon learning—it brings only sorrow.
What is good and what is bad?
Must I fear what others fear?
The limit to our ignorance is endless.

Yet there is endless joy to be had—
The world is like a great spring feast.
I take in the views from high above it all,
Calm, alone, and expressionless as an unborn infant,
With nothing to do, and nowhere to go.

The people indulge in an abundance of wealth,
While I appear to have nothing.
The people are sharp and clear-minded,
Whereas I seem confused.
The people are confident and assertive,
But I look dull and withdrawn.
The people are gainfully employed,
Yet I remain stubbornly idle.

My mind is foolish, indeed rather vulgar.
Aimless as the restless winds,
I seem to have no direction at all.

I suppose I am rather different from everyone else.
Yet I am content. Everything I need is right here.

___________
You may order or download The Tao Te Ching here.
List of verses here



Facebook Comments

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

The Tao Te Ching

A clear and non-mystical interpretation of the Daoist classic. More information here

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Manage

    • Login
    • Register
    • Lost password

    A password will be e-mailed to you.


Copyright © 2023 by Daoism.org · Log in