Revision as of 23:27, 15 April 2009

Part 3 of the Sacred Chao Te Ching

Chapter 21

Original:

All-embracing power proceeds only through the Way.
What is called the Way is elusive and intangible.
Intangible and elusive, yet within it are thought-images.
Elusive and intangible, yet within it are objects.
Deep and obscure, yet within it is the life-force.
The life-force is very real, and within it is certainty.  

From the ancient times till now
its manifestations have never ceased,
by which we may see the beginning of all things.
How do I know that the beginnings of all things are so?
Through this certainty.

S. Mitchel translation: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html

The Master keeps her mind

always at one with the Tao;

that is what gives her her radiance.

The Tao is ungraspable.

How can her mind be at one with it?

Because she doesn't cling to ideas.

The Tao is dark and unfathomable.

How can it make her radiant?

Because she lets it.

Since before time and space were,

the Tao is.

It is beyond is and is not.

How do I know this is true?

I look inside myself and see.

Our Translation:

Freedom exists through Eris Discordia.
What we call Eris Discordia is Chaos, elusive and intangible.
Elusive and intangible, yet within it is Order.
Intangible and elusive, yet within it is Disorder.
Random and uncalculating, yet with in it is Life.
Life is real, and has the power of Creation.

From the moment we are born,
We create the patterns of Illusion,
From which we ever after try and free ourselves.
How do I know of these Illusions?
By observing Chaos.

(Honey)

TGGR keeps his mind

always at one with Chaos;

that is what gives him his shtick.

Chaos is ineffable.

How can his mind be at one with it?

Because he doesn’t whine about minutiae.

Chaos is vast & immeasurable.

How does it give him his shtick?

‘Cuz he would kill a mother fucker.

Even before time & space were,

Chaos was.

Far beyond the logos.

How do I know this is true?

Think for yourself, schmuck.

Chapter 22

Original:

To yield is to preserve unity.
To bend is to become straight.
To empty oneself is to become full.
To wear oneself out is to be renewed.
To have little is to be content.
To have abundance is to be troubled.

Therefore the wise embrace the One
and become examples for the world.
They do not display themselves and are therefore illumined.
They do not justify themselves and are distinguished.
They do not make claims and are therefore given credit.
They do not seek glory and therefore are leaders.

Because they do not compete,
the world cannot compete with them.
Is not the ancient saying true,
"To yield is to preserve unity?"
for true wholeness comes from turning within.

Our Translation:

Newton's Third Law is no Illusion.
Each thing contains it's opposite.
In Order, there is Disorder.
In Hate, there is Love.
Every human houses a monkey.
Each Machine™ has its self-destruct switch.
Revolutions become Reactionaries.

So the wise spags stays on their toes,
And avoids labels.
Does not the old saying,
"Think outside the box"
Imply that a box exists in the first place?
There is no box.

Chapter 23

Original:

Nature says few words.
A whirlwind does not last all morning,
nor does a rainstorm last a whole day.
What causes them? Nature.

If even Nature's utterances do not last long,
how much less should human beings'?

Those who follow the Way are one with the Way.
Those who follow power are one with power.
Those who abandon it are one with abandonment.

Those one with the Way are welcomed by the Way.
Those one with power are welcomed by power.
Those one with abandonment are welcomed by abandonment.
Those who lack trust will not be trusted.

Our Translation:

Translation TK

Chapter 24

Original:

Those who stand on tiptoe are not steady.
Those who strain their strides cannot long keep up the pace.
Those who display themselves do not illuminate.
Those who justify themselves are not distinguished.
Those who make claims are not given credit.
Those who seek glory are not leaders.
According to the Way these are like extra food and waste,
which all creatures detest.
Therefore followers of the Way avoid them.

Our Translation:

The Cabbage believes Order is most important.
The Pinealist sees Disorder as superior.
The General sees War in everything.
The Bureaucrat craves Authorization.
The Anarchist desires to be a bully on the playground.
All these things are balanced in Chaos,
And so do not succeed.
Therefore the followers of Eris like to poke them with sticks.

Chapter 25

Original:

There is something mysterious and whole
which existed before heaven and earth,
silent, formless, complete, and never changing.
Living eternally everywhere in perfection,
it is the mother of all things.

I do not know its name; I call it the Way.
If forced to define it, I shall call it supreme.
Supreme means absolute.
Absolute means extending everywhere.
Extending everywhere means returning to itself.

Thus the Way is supreme.
Heaven is supreme.
Earth is supreme.
And the person is supreme.

There are four supremes in the universe,
and the person is one of them.
The person reflects the earth.
The earth reflects heaven.
Heaven reflects the Way.
And the Way reflects its own nature.

25 (SMT)

There was something formless and perfect

before the universe was born.

It is serene. Empty.

Solitary. Unchanging.

Infinite. Eternally present.

It is the mother of the universe.

For lack of a better name,

I call it the Tao.

It flows through all things,

inside and outside, and returns

to the origin of all things.

The Tao is great.

The universe is great.

Earth is great.

Man is great.

These are the four great powers.

Man follows the earth.

Earth follows the universe.

The universe follows the Tao.

The Tao follows only itself.

Our Translation:

There is something that exists,
Beyond the Illusions of Order and Disorder.
It is all things, and unknowable in full.
We only see small parts of it, 
And convince us what we see is the entire Universe.

For lack of a better name, I call it Chaos.
At dinner parties, I claim it is everything Possible and Impossible.
When asked why not call it "god", 
I point out that his head is too fucking small.

Because we create the Illusions in which we live,
We are more creative than Chaos.
Because we believe in the Illusions we create,
Our heads are too fucking small.
In this way, we reflect our creations.

^Like this one^ (here's what I got)

There was something wild free kinda funky

all before the universe was tamed.

She is feral, a harmony of bravery.

Wandering. Restless.

She sees without looking.

Cares not for control.

Nameless,

I call her Chaos.

She goes where she wants to

and gets under your skin.

Better not turn your back. hah!

Eris is great.

Art is great.

Energy is great

Earth Sky Fire & Sea are great.

Humanity? Hhm, not bloody likely.

Man follows Monkeys.

Art follows Chaos.

Energy creates Art.

Eris? Non Serviam.

Chapter 26

Original:

Gravity is the foundation of levity.
Serenity masters hastiness.
Therefore the wise travel all day
without leaving their baggage.
In the midst of honor and glory
they remain leisurely and calm,

How can a leader of a great country
behave lightheartedly and frivolously?
In frivolity, the foundation is lost.
In hasty action, self-mastery is lost.

26 (SMT)

The heavy is the root of the light.

The unmoved is the source of all movement.

Thus the Master travels all day

without leaving home.

However splendid the views,

she stays serenely in herself.

Why should the lord of the country

flit about like a fool?

If you let yourself be blown to and fro,

you lose touch with your root.

If you let restlessness move you,

you lose touch with who you are.

Our Translation:

Translation TK

Serious is the root of hilarious.

Disorder is the source of all order.

Thus TGGR has a face with a view

without leaving his time zone.

However messed up the news

he rants out his guts.

Why should the glorious Rain God Roger

need to travel at all?

He suffers fools hardly,

sleeps barely a wink.

& blessed are the poor ones

who loll at his feet.

Chapter 27

Original:

A good traveler leaves no trace.
A good speaker makes no slips.
A good accountant uses no devices.
A good door needs no bolts to remain shut.
A good fastener needs no rope to hold its bond.

Therefore the wise are good at helping people,
and consequently no one is rejected.
They are good at saving things,
and consequently nothing is wasted.
This is called using the Light.

Therefore the good teach the bad,
and the bad are lessons for the good.
Those who neither value the teacher nor care for the lesson
are greatly deluded, though they may be learned.
Such is the essential mystery.

Our Translation:

Translation TK

Chapter 28

Original:

Know the male and keep to the female.
Become the valley of the world.
Being the valley of the world is eternal power
and returning to the innocence of a baby.

Know the bright and keep to the obscure.
Become an example for the world.
Being an example for the world is eternal power
and returning to the infinite.

Know glory and keep to humility.
Become the valley of the world.
Being the valley of the world is eternal power
and returning to the natural.
Breaking up the natural makes instruments.
The wise use them and become leaders.
Therefore a leader does not break.

Our Translation:

Translation TK

Chapter 29

Original:

Those who take over the world and act upon it,
I notice, do not succeed.
The world is a sacred vessel, not to be tampered with.
Those who tamper with it, spoil it.
Those who seize it, lose it.

Some lead, and some follow.
Some blow hot, and some blow cold.
Some are strong, and some are weak.
Some are up, and some are down.
Therefore the wise avoid excess, extravagance, and pride.

Our Translation:

Those that would take over the world
and bend it to their will,
will get bent
The world is full of would-be superheroes and would-be supervillains
maybe the world would be better off without them

Some lead, and some follow
some shout, and some whisper
some cry, and some laugh
some win, some fail
The wise keeps their head down, and let the cannon fodder do their jobs.

Chapter 30

Original:

Whoever advises a leader according to the Way
opposes conquest by force of arms.
The use of force tends to rebound.
Where armies march, thorns and brambles grow.
Whenever a great army is formed, scarcity and famine follow.

The skillful achieve their purposes and stop.
They dare not rely on force.
They achieve their purposes, but do not glory in them.
They achieve their purposes, but do not celebrate them.
They achieve their purposes, but do not take pride in them.
They achieve their purposes, but without violence.

Things reach their prime and then decline.
Violence is contrary to the Way.
Whatever is contrary to the Way will soon perish.

Our Translation:

If you're going to do some Covert Ops in the name of Discordia,
Keep your head down, and Keep Your Fucking Mouth Shut.
A mowhawk is as good as a target during Police Action.

The wise spag tosses the wrench into the Machine™,
And then walks away.
They strike against Authority, but don't put it on YouTube.
They subvert the paradigm, but don't stick around to watch.
They mindfuck the people, but don't pat themselves on the back.

If two people know a thing, it is not a secret.
Getting away with it means staying away from it.