|
|
A person of high virtue is not conscious of
virtue and
therefore possesses Virtue.
A person of little virtue tries to be
virtuous and therefore lacks Virtue.
A person of high virtue does not make a fuss and is not seen.
A person of little virtue always makes a fuss and is always seen.
A truly good person functions without ulterior motive.
A moralist acts out of private desires.
A ritualist acts and, when no one responds,
rolls up a sleeve and marches.
When we lose the Tao, we turn to Virtue.
When we lose Virtue, we turn to kindness.
When we lose kindness, we turn to morality.
When we lose morality, we turn to ritual.
Ritual is the mere husk of good faith
and loyalty and the beginning of
disorder.
Knowledge of what is to come may be a flower of the Tao,
but it is the beginning of folly.
Hence, the well-formed person relies on
what is solid and not on what is
flimsy,
on the fruit and not the flower.
Therefore, such a person lets go of that without
and is content with this
within.
Lao Tzu Verses
- 1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
19
20 21
22
23 24
25 26
27 28
29 30
31 32
33 34
35 36
37 38
39 40
41 42
43 44
45 46
47 48
49 50
51 52
53 54
55 56
57 58
59 60
61
62
63 64
65 66
67 68
69 70
71 72
73 74
75 76
77 78
79 80
81 |
 |
