First Person: Kiyozawa Manshi Chooses the Buddha
From the Japanese Shin Buddhist Kiyozawa Manshi’s “My Faith,” written five days before his death, in 1903: [My] study finally … Continue Reading First Person: Kiyozawa Manshi Chooses the Buddha
An Introduction to Hathor (Egyptian)
from George Hart’s Dictionary of Egyptian Gods & Goddesses, 2nd ed., 61-65 HATHOR: Universal cow-goddess, symbolic mother of the pharaoh. … Continue Reading An Introduction to Hathor (Egyptian)
The Endless Variety of Hinduism
Gandhi himself said that, “If I know Hinduism at all, it is essentially inclusive and ever-growing, ever-responsive. It gives the … Continue Reading The Endless Variety of Hinduism
Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
Probably the most lucid example of how religions both change drastically, and yet remain meaningful, is right here in James … Continue Reading Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
Death in Ancient Egypt
Here, Erik Hornung refutes the old cliché that ancient Egyptian religion was “death obsessed,” or that constructions like the pyramids … Continue Reading Death in Ancient Egypt
Angela Merici & the Education of Women & Girls in the early 1500s
from Thomas Cahill: They were a group of well-born Lombardian ladies, led by Angela Merici, who came together to educate … Continue Reading Angela Merici & the Education of Women & Girls in the early 1500s
The Religion of Ancient Egypt
A handful of passages from one of the best books on religion I’ve ever read, Erik Hornung’s Conceptions of God … Continue Reading The Religion of Ancient Egypt
Jews & Muslims on Pilgrimage Together in the 1300s
From Mark Cohen’s Under Crescent & Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages: An aspect of Jewish-gentile sociability under Islam … Continue Reading Jews & Muslims on Pilgrimage Together in the 1300s
Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language
When, in 1522, Martin Luther agreed to a staged kidnapping that would keep him safe from Catholic and other authorities, … Continue Reading Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language
A Working Definition of Yawheh
After rattling off the usually long list of reasons why the God of the Hebrew Bible is everything from in … Continue Reading A Working Definition of Yawheh
Images: The Earliest Stone Buddhas
Among the earliest sculptures of the Buddha, from Heinrich Zimmer’s Art of Indian Asia. Click on each to enlarge:
Burned as a Witch in Ireland in 1895
From Frazer’s Golden Bough: In March 1895 a peasant named Michael Cleary, residing at Ballyvadlea, a remote and lonely district … Continue Reading Burned as a Witch in Ireland in 1895
Joseph Campbell’s Hero Sets Out
A piece of the beginning and end of The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Whether we listen with aloof amusement … Continue Reading Joseph Campbell’s Hero Sets Out
Understanding Religious Fundamentalism
I am always thrilled to reread these two passages by Erik Hornung, and to find in them just about the … Continue Reading Understanding Religious Fundamentalism
Humanity’s Earliest Rituals
Three passages on prehistoric religion from the book Becoming Human: One of the pervasive themes of [this book] is … Continue Reading Humanity’s Earliest Rituals
Kiyozawa Manshi Chooses the Buddha
From the Japanese Shin Buddhist Kiyozawa Manshi’s “My Faith,” written five days before his death, in 1903: [My] study … Continue Reading Kiyozawa Manshi Chooses the Buddha
What Scientology Tells Us About How Religions Begin
Lawrence Wright’s recent book on the history of Scientology is an immensely important document for studying how religions begin. While … Continue Reading What Scientology Tells Us About How Religions Begin
“One day the Gestapo hanged a child”: God on Trial at Auschwitz
The oldest book about religion on my shelves is Karen Armstrong’s A History of God. The note inside still says … Continue Reading “One day the Gestapo hanged a child”: God on Trial at Auschwitz
Understanding Religion
I’d been interested in religion and mythology long before 2004, when I first read this opening page of Mircea Eliade’s … Continue Reading Understanding Religion
A Twelfth Century Love Letter: Heloise Remembers Abelard
An amazing passage from a letter of Heloise to Abelard, those twelfth-century lovers who ended up in a nunnery and … Continue Reading A Twelfth Century Love Letter: Heloise Remembers Abelard
The Goddess Instructs the Gods (Kena Upanishad)
Here’s one of my favorite bits from the Hindu Upanishads, chapters three and four from the Kena Upanishad. The goddess … Continue Reading The Goddess Instructs the Gods (Kena Upanishad)
“The harlot and the child”: 2 Late Poems from W. B. Yeats
Those Images What if I bade you leave The cavern of the mind? There’s better exercise In the sunlight and … Continue Reading “The harlot and the child”: 2 Late Poems from W. B. Yeats
The Great Myths #43 Sacred Language & the Story of Gwion Bach & Taliesin (Welsh)
One of the longer myths I’ll post here, the following story is well worth it, and is indeed a master-class … Continue Reading The Great Myths #43 Sacred Language & the Story of Gwion Bach & Taliesin (Welsh)
The Great Myths #42: Sacred Language & the Story of Caedmon (Christian)
A brother of the monastery is found to possess God’s gift of poetry [A. D. 680] In this monastery of … Continue Reading The Great Myths #42: Sacred Language & the Story of Caedmon (Christian)
The Great Myths #41: Sacred Language & the Mead of Poetry (Norse)
…And Aegir went on: “How did this craft that you call poetry originate?” Bragi replied: “The origin of it was … Continue Reading The Great Myths #41: Sacred Language & the Mead of Poetry (Norse)
The Great Myths #40: Enkidu Comes of Age (Mesopotamian)
One of the greatest stories of a person “living in nature” becoming “civilized” is perhaps the earliest one. Also here … Continue Reading The Great Myths #40: Enkidu Comes of Age (Mesopotamian)
The Great Myths #39: Arrow Boy (Cheyenne)
After the Cheyenne had received their corn, and while they were still in the north, a young man and woman … Continue Reading The Great Myths #39: Arrow Boy (Cheyenne)
The Great Myths #35: A Child During the Trojan War (Greek)
One of the great characters in Greek myth who never actually speaks is Astyanax, the son of Hector and the … Continue Reading The Great Myths #35: A Child During the Trojan War (Greek)
The Great Myths #34: A Hausa and Swahili Story of Childhood (African)
As usual with such stories, childhood is synonymous with the dangers of being children: The Swahili version of a very … Continue Reading The Great Myths #34: A Hausa and Swahili Story of Childhood (African)
The Great Myths #33: The Child Cúchulainn Gets His Name (Celtic)
When Culand the smith offered Conchubur his hospitality, he said that a large host should not come, for the feast … Continue Reading The Great Myths #33: The Child Cúchulainn Gets His Name (Celtic)
The Great Myths #32: The Childhood of Jesus (Christian)
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas 2:1-6: When this boy, Jesus, was five years old, he was playing at the ford … Continue Reading The Great Myths #32: The Childhood of Jesus (Christian)
The Great Myths #31: The Child Krishna & the Universe in His Mouth (Hindu)
One day when Rāma and the other little sons of the cowherds were playing, they reported to his mother, “Kṛṣṇa … Continue Reading The Great Myths #31: The Child Krishna & the Universe in His Mouth (Hindu)
The Great Myths #30: The Holy Grail Appears (Middle High German)
The story of the Holy Grail’s appearance to a young man named Perceval/Parzival/Parsifal, is told in many places, and goes … Continue Reading The Great Myths #30: The Holy Grail Appears (Middle High German)
The Great Myths #29: Learning Poetry in the Giant’s Stomach (Finnish)
The poet/shaman Väinämöinen, in need of new poems and spells in order to build a boat, goes through an ordeal … Continue Reading The Great Myths #29: Learning Poetry in the Giant’s Stomach (Finnish)
The Great Myths #28: Odysseus Outsmarts the Cyclops
Odysseus and friends land on the island “of the lawless outrageous Cyclopes,” one-eyed giants who know nothing of planting and … Continue Reading The Great Myths #28: Odysseus Outsmarts the Cyclops
The Great Myths #27: The Monster Bear & the Making of Thunder (Miwok)
From the Miwok tribe of California, who are now “practically extinct”: Bear’s sister-in-law, Deer, had two beautiful fawn daughters. Bear … Continue Reading The Great Myths #27: The Monster Bear & the Making of Thunder (Miwok)
The Great Myths #26: Sigurd Kills the Monster Fafnir & Understands the Language of Animals (Norse)
What is the reason for gold being called otter-payment? It is said that when the Aesir went to explore the … Continue Reading The Great Myths #26: Sigurd Kills the Monster Fafnir & Understands the Language of Animals (Norse)
The Great Myths #25: The Monster Kirttimukha & the Face of Glory (Hindu)
The Indian legend of the “Face of Glory” begins, like that of the Man-Lion, with the case of an infinitely … Continue Reading The Great Myths #25: The Monster Kirttimukha & the Face of Glory (Hindu)
The Great Myths #24: The Monster Satan (Dante)
In one of the great gymnastic feats of world literature, Dante and Virgil climb the body of Satan, located as … Continue Reading The Great Myths #24: The Monster Satan (Dante)
The Great Myths #23: The Monster Grendel (Anglo-Saxon)
Then from the moor under misty hillsides, Grendel came gliding girt with God’s anger. The man-scather … Continue Reading The Great Myths #23: The Monster Grendel (Anglo-Saxon)
The Great Myths #22: The Monster Humbaba (Mesopotamian)
Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu face Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar forests of Lebanon. The tablets where the story … Continue Reading The Great Myths #22: The Monster Humbaba (Mesopotamian)
The Great Myths #20: The Holy Grail Appears (Middle English)
Then anon they heard cracking and crying of thunder, that them thought the place should all to-drive. In the midst … Continue Reading The Great Myths #20: The Holy Grail Appears (Middle English)
The Great Myths #19: The Sacrifice of Ymir Made into the World (Norse)
From a dialogue about the beginning of the world; at one point, a giant called Ymir is mentioned: “Where did … Continue Reading The Great Myths #19: The Sacrifice of Ymir Made into the World (Norse)
The Great Myths #18: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Jewish)
And it happened after these things that God tested Abraham. And He said to him, “Abraham!” and he said, “Here … Continue Reading The Great Myths #18: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Jewish)
The Great Myths #17: A Sacrifice for the Feast (Greek)
The cow came in from the field, and the companions of great-hearted Telemachos came from beside their fast black ship, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #17: A Sacrifice for the Feast (Greek)
The Great Myths #16: A Siberian Horse Sacrifice, and the Shaman’s Ascent to the Sky (Altaic)
The first evening is devoted to preparation for the rite. The kam (shaman), having chosen a spot in a meadow, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #16: A Siberian Horse Sacrifice, and the Shaman’s Ascent to the Sky (Altaic)
The Great Myths #15: The Horse Sacrifice (Hindu)
Rig Veda 1:162 – The Sacrifice of the Horse Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman the Active, Indra the ruler of the Ṛbhus, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #15: The Horse Sacrifice (Hindu)
The Great Myths #14: The Sparrow in Northumbria (Christian)
Around the year 627, when King Edwin of Northumbria and his advisors were discussing the possibility of converting to Christianity, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #14: The Sparrow in Northumbria (Christian)
The Great Myths #13: The Two Men Who Became Bulls (Irish)
One of the many preludes to the great Irish epic, The Táin: What caused the two pig-keepers to quarrel? It … Continue Reading The Great Myths #13: The Two Men Who Became Bulls (Irish)
The Great Myths #12: The Corn Mother (Penobscot)
When Kloskurbeh, the All-maker, lived on earth, there were no people yet. But one day when the sun was high, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #12: The Corn Mother (Penobscot)
The Great Myths #11: The Holy Grail Comes to the Civil War (To the House of the Sun)
& he’s brought out & led down a dim hallway to a small room & a little table to sit … Continue Reading The Great Myths #11: The Holy Grail Comes to the Civil War (To the House of the Sun)
The Great Myths #10: The Holy Grail Appears (Old French)
In the clear light Of the fire, [Perceval] could see, behind him, The page in charge of his weapons And … Continue Reading The Great Myths #10: The Holy Grail Appears (Old French)
The Great Myths #9 Wild With Divinity (Greek)
In ancient Thebes, the king, Pentheus, has refused to worship the god Dionysus; the god in turn has driven the … Continue Reading The Great Myths #9 Wild With Divinity (Greek)
The Great Myths #8: This Whole World is Dwelt in by the Lord (Hindu)
This whole world is to be dwelt in by the Lord, whatever living being there is in the world. So … Continue Reading The Great Myths #8: This Whole World is Dwelt in by the Lord (Hindu)
The Great Myths #7: The Tree of Souls (Jewish)
God has a tree of flowering souls in Paradise. The angel who sits beneath it is the Guardian of Paradise, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #7: The Tree of Souls (Jewish)
The Great Myths #6: Enkidu in the Underworld (Mesopotamian)
[Amid the long illness that leads to Enkidu’s death:] As for Enkidu, his mind was troubled, he lay on his … Continue Reading The Great Myths #6: Enkidu in the Underworld (Mesopotamian)
The Great Myths #5: A Ghost Story (Icelandic)
After Thorolf died, a good many people found it more and more unpleasant to stay out of doors once the … Continue Reading The Great Myths #5: A Ghost Story (Icelandic)
The Great Myths #4: The Round Dance of the Cross (Christian)
[Before the crucifixion] Jesus told us to form a circle and hold each other’s hands, and he himself stood in … Continue Reading The Great Myths #4: The Round Dance of the Cross (Christian)
The Great Myths #3: A Kakadu Creation (Australian)
Wuraka came from the west, walking through the sea. His feet were on the bottom but he was so tall … Continue Reading The Great Myths #3: A Kakadu Creation (Australian)
The Great Myths #2: The Dream of Óengus (Irish)
Óengus was asleep one night when he saw something like a young girl coming towards the head of his bed, … Continue Reading The Great Myths #2: The Dream of Óengus (Irish)
The Great Myths #1: The Old Woman & the End of the World (White River Sioux)
Somewhere at a place where the prairie and the Maka Sicha, the Badlands, meet, there is a hidden cave. Not … Continue Reading The Great Myths #1: The Old Woman & the End of the World (White River Sioux)
Tao Te Ching #81: “True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true”
True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true. The good are not argumentative, the argumentative are not good. … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #81: “True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true”
Tao Te Ching #80: “the people go back to simple techniques”
A small state has few people. It has the people keep arms but not use them. It has them regard … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #80: “the people go back to simple techniques”
Tao Te Ching #79: “Therefore sages keep their faith and do not pressure others”
When you harmonize bitter enemies, yet resentment is sure to linger, how can this be called good? Therefore sages keep … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #79: “Therefore sages keep their faith and do not pressure others”
Tao Te Ching #78: “So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful”
Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #78: “So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful”
Tao Te Ching #77: “The Way of heaven reduces excess and fills need, but the way of humans is not so”
The Way of heaven is like drawing a bow: the high is lowered, the low is raised; excess is reduced, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #77: “The Way of heaven reduces excess and fills need, but the way of humans is not so”
Tao Te Ching #76: “Let strength and might be put below, and tender, gentle in control”
When people are born they are supple, and when they die they are stiff. When trees are born they are … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #76: “Let strength and might be put below, and tender, gentle in control”
Tao Te Ching #75: “Only those who do not contrive to live are wise in valuing life”
When people are starving, it is because their governments take too much, causing them to starve. When people are hard … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #75: “Only those who do not contrive to live are wise in valuing life”
Tao Te Ching #74: “If people usually don’t fear death, how can death be used to scare them?”
If people usually don’t fear death, how can death be used to scare them? If people are made to fear … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #74: “If people usually don’t fear death, how can death be used to scare them?”
Tao Te Ching #73: “But which man knows what heaven condemns, what precedents it’s guided by?”
Boldness in daring means killing; boldness in not daring means life. These two may help and may harm. Who knows … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #73: “But which man knows what heaven condemns, what precedents it’s guided by?”
Tao Te Ching #72: “Don’t repress how people live”
When the people are not awed by authority, then great authority is attained. Their homes are not small to them, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #72: “Don’t repress how people live”
Tao Te Ching #71: “To presume to know what you don’t is sick”
To know unconsciously is best. To presume to know what you don’t is sick. Only by recognizing the sickness of … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #71: “To presume to know what you don’t is sick”
Tao Te Ching #70: “And so we remain unknown”
My sayings are very easy to recognize, and very easy to apply. But no one in the world can recognize … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #70: “And so we remain unknown”
Tao Te Ching #69: “No fate is worse than to have no enemy”
There are sayings on the use of arms: “Let us not be aggressors, but defend.” “Let us not advance an … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #69: “No fate is worse than to have no enemy”
Tao Te Ching #68 “This is the virtue of nonaggression”
Good warriors do not arm, good fighters don’t get mad, good winners don’t contend, good employers serve their workers. This … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #68 “This is the virtue of nonaggression”
Tao Te Ching #67: “What Heaven creates let compassion protect”
Everyone in the world says my Way is great, but it seems incomparable. It is just because it is great … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #67: “What Heaven creates let compassion protect”
Tao Te Ching #66: Because they do not contend, no one in the world can contend with them”
The reason why rivers and seas can be lords of the hundred valleys is that they lower themselves to them … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #66: Because they do not contend, no one in the world can contend with them”
Tao Te Ching #65: “The ancient masters of the Way tried not to enlighten but to keep people in the dark”
In ancient times, good practitioners of the Way did not use it to enlighten the people, but to make them … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #65: “The ancient masters of the Way tried not to enlighten but to keep people in the dark”
Tao Te Ching #64: “The most massive tree grows from a sprout, the highest building rises from a pile of earth, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”
What is at rest is easy to hold. What has not shown up is easy to take into account. What … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #64: “The most massive tree grows from a sprout, the highest building rises from a pile of earth, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”
Tao Te Ching #63: “Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with virtue”
Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #63: “Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with virtue”
Tao Te Ching #62: “advancing calmly on this Way”
The Way is the pivot of all things: the treasure of good people, the safeguard of those who are not … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #62: “advancing calmly on this Way”
Tao Te Ching #61: “A great nation wants no more than to include and nurture people”
A great nation flows downward into intercourse with the world. The female of the world always prevails over the male … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #61: “A great nation wants no more than to include and nurture people”
Tao Te Ching #60: “Governing a large nation is like cooking little fish”
Governing a large nation is like cooking little fish. When the world is ruled by the Way, the ghosts are … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #60: “Governing a large nation is like cooking little fish”
Tao Te Ching #59: “The Way of extended life and sustained reflection”
To govern the human and serve the divine, nothing compares to frugality. Only frugality brings early recovery; early recovery means … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #59: “The Way of extended life and sustained reflection”
Tao Te Ching #58: “happiness rests in misery, misery hides in happiness”
When the government is unobtrusive, the people are pure. When the government is invasive, the people are wanting. Calamity is … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #58: “happiness rests in misery, misery hides in happiness”
Tao Te Ching #57: “the people simplify themselves”
Use straightforwardness for civil government, use surprise for military operations; use noninvolvement to take the world. How do I know … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #57: “the people simplify themselves”
Tao Te Ching #56: “Those who know do not say, those who say do not know”
Those who know do not say; those who say do not know. Close the senses, shut the doors; blunt the … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #56: “Those who know do not say, those who say do not know”
Tao Te Ching #55: “Knowing how to be balanced we endure, knowing how to endure we become wise”
The richness of subliminal virtue is comparable to an infant: poisonous creatures do not sting it, wild beasts do not … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #55: “Knowing how to be balanced we endure, knowing how to endure we become wise”
Tao Te Ching #54: “What you plant well can’t be uprooted, what you hold well can’t be taken away”
Good construction does not fall down, a good embrace does not let go; their heirs honor them unceasingly. Cultivate it … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #54: “What you plant well can’t be uprooted, what you hold well can’t be taken away”
Tao Te Ching #53: “The Great Way is quite even, yet people prefer byways”
Causing one flashes of knowledge to travel the Great Way, only its application demands care. The Great Way is quite … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #53: “The Great Way is quite even, yet people prefer byways”
Tao Te Ching #52: “Once you’ve found the mother, thereby you know the child”
The world has a beginning that is the mother of the world. Once you’ve found the mother, thereby you know … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #52: “Once you’ve found the mother, thereby you know the child”
Tao Te Ching #51: “this is called Dark Virtue”
The Way gives birth, virtue nurtures, things form, momentum completes. Therefore all beings honor the Way and value its Virtue. … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #51: “this is called Dark Virtue”
Tao Te Ching #50: “for them there’s no land of death”
Exiting life, we enter death. The followers of life are three out of ten; in the lives of the people, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #50: “for them there’s no land of death”
Tao Te Ching #49: “Sages have no fixed mind, they make the minds of the people their mind”
Sages have no fixed mind; they make the minds of the people their mind: they improve the good, and also … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #49: “Sages have no fixed mind, they make the minds of the people their mind”
Tao Te Ching #48: “To pursue learning, learn more day by day, to pursue the Way, unlearn it day by day”
For learning you gain daily; for the Way you lose daily. Losing and losing, thus you reach noncontrivance; be uncontrived, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #48: “To pursue learning, learn more day by day, to pursue the Way, unlearn it day by day”
Tao Te Ching #47: “Without going out your door you can know the whole world”
They know the world without even going out the door. They see the sky and its pattern without even looking … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #47: “Without going out your door you can know the whole world”
Tao Te Ching #46: “No crime is greater than approving of greed”
When the world has the Way, running horses are retired to till the fields. When the world lacks the Way, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #46: “No crime is greater than approving of greed”
Tao Te Ching #45: “Clear stillness is right for the world”
Great completeness seems incomplete; its use is never exhausted. Great fullness seems empty; its use is never ended. Great directness … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #45: “Clear stillness is right for the world”
Tao Te Ching #44: “Extreme fondness means great expense, and abundant possessions mean much loss”
Which is closer, your name or your body? Which is more, your body or your possessions? Which is more destructive, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #44: “Extreme fondness means great expense, and abundant possessions mean much loss”
Tao Te Ching #43: “In this world below the sky the gentle will outdo the strong”
What is softest in the world drives what is hardest in the world. Nonbeing enters where there is no room; … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #43: “In this world below the sky the gentle will outdo the strong”
Tao Te Ching #42: “Those who take less shall have more, Those given more shall have less”
The Way produces one; one produces two, two produces three, three produces all beings: all beings bear yin and embrace … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #42: “Those who take less shall have more, Those given more shall have less”
Tao Te Ching #41: “If they didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Way”
When superior people hear of the Way, they carry it out with diligence. When middling people hear of the Way, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #41: “If they didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Way”
Tao Te Ching #40: “The Tao moves the other way, the Tao works through weakness”
Return is the movement of the Way; yielding is the function of the Way. All things in the world are … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #40: “The Tao moves the other way, the Tao works through weakness”
Tao Te Ching #39: “Attaining unity”
When unity was attained of old, heaven became clear by attaining unity, earth became steady by attaining unity, spirit was … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #39: “Attaining unity”
Tao Te Ching #38: “Virtue comes after loss of the Way”
Higher virtue is not ingratiating; that is why it has virtue. Lower virtue does not forget about reward; that is … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #38: “Virtue comes after loss of the Way”
Tao Te Ching #37: “By not wanting, there is calm, and the world will straighten itself”
The Way is always uncontrived, yet there’s nothing it doesn’t do. If lords and monarchs could keep to it, all … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #37: “By not wanting, there is calm, and the world will straighten itself”
Tao Te Ching #36: “Flexibility and yielding overcome adamant coerciveness”
Should you want to contain something, you must deliberately let it expand. Should you want to weaken something, you must … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #36: “Flexibility and yielding overcome adamant coerciveness”
Tao Te Ching #35: “the Tao speaks plain words that make no sense … yet we use it without end”
When holding the Great Image, the world goes on and on without harm, peaceful, even tranquil. Where there is music … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #35: “the Tao speaks plain words that make no sense … yet we use it without end”
Tao Te Ching #34: “Therefore sages never contrive greatness; that is why they can become so great.”
The Great Way is universal; it can apply to the left or the right. All beings depend on it for … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #34: “Therefore sages never contrive greatness; that is why they can become so great.”
Tao Te Ching #33: “Those who know others are wise; those who know themselves are enlightened.”
Those who know others are wise; those who know themselves are enlightened. Those who overcome others are powerful; those who … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #33: “Those who know others are wise; those who know themselves are enlightened.”
Tao Te Ching #32: “The Way is essentially nameless”
The Way is essentially nameless. Though simplicity is small, the world cannot subordinate it. If lords and monarchs can keep … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #32: “The Way is essentially nameless”
Tao Te Ching #31: “Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them”
Fine weapons are implements of ill omen: people may despise them, so those with the Way do not dwell with … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #31: “Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them”
Tao Te Ching #30: “do not coerce the world with weapons”
Those who assist human leadership with the Way do not coerce the world with weapons, for these things are apt … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #30: “do not coerce the world with weapons”
Tao Te Ching #29: “Should you want to take this world”
Should you want to take this world, and contrive to do so, I see you won’t manage to finish. The … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #29: “Should you want to take this world”
Tao Te Ching #28: “Know the male, keep the female”
Know the male, keep the female; be humble toward the world. But humble to the world, and eternal power never … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #28: “Know the male, keep the female”
Tao Te Ching #27: “Good works are trackless”
“Good works are trackless” Good works are trackless, good words are flawless, good planning isn’t calculating. What is well closed … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #27: “Good works are trackless”
Tao Te Ching #26: “Gravity is the root of lightness”
Gravity is the root of lightness; calm is the master of excitement. Thereby do exemplary people travel all day without … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #26: “Gravity is the root of lightness”
Tao Te Ching #25: “Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth”
Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth; still and silent, standing alone and unchanging, going through cycles unending, able … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #25: “Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth”
Tao Te Ching #24: “Those on tiptoe don’t stand up”
Those on tiptoe don’t stand up, those who take long strides don’t walk; those who see themselves are not perceptive, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #24: “Those on tiptoe don’t stand up”
Tao Te Ching #23: “To speak rarely is natural”
To speak rarely is natural. That is why a gusty wind doesn’t last the morning, a downpour of rain doesn’t … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #23: “To speak rarely is natural”
Tao Te Ching #22: “Be tactful and you remain whole”
Be tactful and you remain whole; bend and you remain straight. The hollow is filled, the old is renewed. Economy … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #22: “Be tactful and you remain whole”
Tao Te Ching #21: “For the countenance of great virtue”
For the countenance of great virtue, only the Way is to be followed. As a thing, the Way is abstract … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #21: “For the countenance of great virtue”
Tao Te Ching #20: “Detach from learning and you have no worries”
Detach from learning and you have no worries. How far apart are yes and yeah? How far apart are good … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #20: “Detach from learning and you have no worries”
Tao Te Ching #19: “Eliminate sagacity, abandon knowledge”
Eliminate sagacity, abandon knowledge, and the people benefit a hundredfold. Eliminate humanitarianism, abandon duty, and the people return to familial … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #19: “Eliminate sagacity, abandon knowledge”
Tao Te Ching #18: “When the Great Way is deserted”
When the Great Way is deserted, then there is humanitarian duty. When intelligence comes forth, there is great fabrication. When … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #18: “When the Great Way is deserted”
Tao Te Ching #17: “Very great leaders in their domains”
Very great leaders in their domains are only known to exist. Those next best are beloved and praised. The lesser … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #17: “Very great leaders in their domains”
Tao Te Ching #16: “Attain the climax of emptiness”
Attain the climax of emptiness, preserve the utmost quiet: as myriad things act in concert, I thereby observe the return. … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #16: “Attain the climax of emptiness”
Tao Te Ching #15: “Skilled warriors of old were subtle”
Skilled warriors of old were subtle, mysteriously powerful, so deep they were unknowable. Just because they are unknowable, I will … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #15: “Skilled warriors of old were subtle”
Tao Te Ching #14: “What you don’t see when you look”
What you don’t see when you look is called the unobtrusive. What you don’t hear when you listen is called … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #14: “What you don’t see when you look”
Tao Te Ching #13: “Favor and disgrace seem alarming”
Favor and disgrace seem alarming; high status greatly afflicts your person. What are favor and disgrace? Favor is the lower: … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #13: “Favor and disgrace seem alarming”
Tao Te Ching #12: “Colors blind people’s eyes”
Colors blind people’s eyes, sounds deafen their ears; flavors spoil people’s palates, the chase and the hunt craze people’s minds; … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #12: “Colors blind people’s eyes”
Tao Te Ching #11: “Thirty spokes join at the hub”
Thirty spokes join at the hub: their use for the cart is where they are not. When the potter’s wheel … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #11: “Thirty spokes join at the hub”
Tao Te Ching #10: “Carrying vitality and consciousness”
Carrying vitality and consciousness, embracing them as one, can you keep them from parting? Concentrating energy, making it supple, can … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #10: “Carrying vitality and consciousness”
Tao Te Ching #9: “To keep on filling is not as good as stopping”
To keep on filling is not as good as stopping. Calculated sharpness cannot be kept for long. Though gold and … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #9: “To keep on filling is not as good as stopping”
Tao Te Ching #8: “Higher good is like water”
Higher good is like water: the good in water benefits all, and does so without contention. It rests where people … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #8: “Higher good is like water”
Tao Te Ching #7: “Heaven is eternal, earth is everlasting”
Heaven is eternal, earth is everlasting. The reason they can be eternal and everlasting is that they do not foster … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #7: “Heaven is eternal, earth is everlasting”
Tao Te Ching #6: “The valley spirit not dying”
The valley spirit not dying is called the mysterious female. The opening of the mysterious female is called the root of heaven and earth. Continuous, on the brink of existence, to put it into practice, don’t try to force it. … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #6: “The valley spirit not dying”
Tao Te Ching #5: “Heaven and earth are not humane”
Heaven and earth are not humane; they regard all beings as straw dogs. Sages are not humane; they see all … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #5: “Heaven and earth are not humane”
Tao Te Ching #4: “The Way is unimpeded harmony”
The Way is unimpeded harmony; its potential may never be fully exploited. It is as deep as the source of … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #4: “The Way is unimpeded harmony”
Tao Te Ching #3: “Not exalting cleverness”
Not exalting cleverness causes the people not to contend. Not putting high prices on hard-to-get goods causes the people not … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #3: “Not exalting cleverness”
Tao Te Ching #2: “When everyone knows beauty is beauty”
When everyone knows beauty is beauty, this is bad. When everyone knows good is good, this is not good. So … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #2: “When everyone knows beauty is beauty”
Tao Te Ching #1: “A way can be a guide, but not a fixed path”
A way can be a guide, but not a fixed path; names can be given, but not permanent labels. Nonbeing … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #1: “A way can be a guide, but not a fixed path”
Classic Jam Hits
Going through my computer the other day, I found the .pdfs of these classic book sets, and thought to post … Continue Reading Classic Jam Hits
Uma Instructs the Gods (Kena Upanishad)
And here’s one of my favorite bits from the Hindu Upanishads, chapters three and four from the Kena Upanishad. From … Continue Reading Uma Instructs the Gods (Kena Upanishad)
Young Krishna & the Universe in His Mouth
One of my favorite stories from Hinduism comes from the Bhagavata Purana, on the childhood of Krishna: ….One day when … Continue Reading Young Krishna & the Universe in His Mouth
Viking Jesus
To see the ways in which a religion works, one of the best ways is to observe their missionaries and … Continue Reading Viking Jesus
Voluspa
To close out a month of posts, here’s the Voluspa, that great bit of the world turning over, from the … Continue Reading Voluspa
Egyptian Pyramid Texts
As a companion to yesterday’s excerpts from the Hindu Rig Veda, here are excerpts from religious texts even older than … Continue Reading Egyptian Pyramid Texts
Rig Veda
In another life (appropriately enough), I would have been Hindu; in an additional other life, at the very least I … Continue Reading Rig Veda
Zen (Favorite Passages)
Along with my excerpts from Ramakrishna and the Desert Fathers, the following favorites from Zen Buddhism constitute just about all … Continue Reading Zen (Favorite Passages)
