Revision as of 13:59, 23 April 2009

part of the Sacred Chao Te Ching

Chapter 41

Original:

When the wise hear the Way, they practice it diligently.
When the mediocre hear of the Way, they doubt it.
When the foolish hear of the Way, they laugh out loud.
If it were not laughed at, it would not be the Way.

Therefore it is said,
"The enlightenment of the Way seems like dullness;
progression in the Way seem like regression;
the even path of the Way seems to go up and down."

Great power appears like a valley.
Great purity appears tarnished.
Great character appears insufficient.
Solid character appears weak.
True integrity appears changeable.
Great space has no corners.
Great ability takes time to mature.
Great music has the subtlest sound.
Great form has no shape.

The Way is hidden and indescribable.
Yet the Way alone is adept
at providing for all and bringing fulfillment.

Our Translation:

When the Discordian hears of Chaos, they Act.
When the Erisian hears of Chaos, they think about it, at great length.
When the Pinealist hears of Chaos, they say, "FNORD!  PINEAL23!"
If it were not for the Pinealist, Chaos would not be what it is.

Order appears calming and sensible.
Disorder appears unsettling and unstable.
Doubt appears ignorant.
Certainty appears true.
Agression appears confident.
Mirth appears uncaring.
Horror appears powerless.
All these are lies.

Uncertainty reveals itself as a narrow footbridge,
But with its heart in Chaos, the path is clear.

Chapter 42

Original:

The Way produced the One;
the One produced two;
two produced three;
and three produced all things.

All things have the receptivity of the female
and the activity of the male.
Through union with the life force they blend in harmony.

People hate being orphaned, lonely, and unworthy.
Yet kings and nobles call themselves such.
Often gain can be a loss, and loss can be a gain.
What others teach, I teach also:
"The violent die a violent death."
I shall make this primary in my teaching.

Our Translation:

Chaos is One;
Order and Disorder are Two;
The two produced Confusion, which is Three;
And Confusion produced everything else.

All things contain Order and Disorder,
It just depends on how you look at it.

People hate when other are being an asshole,
But their leaders are all assholes.
Sometimes, things that fall apart are helpful.
What others teach, I teach as well:
"And this, too, shall pass."
That's the first thing you need to know.

Chapter 43

Original:

The softest things in the world overcome the hardest.
Non-being penetrates even where there is no space.
Through this I know the value of non-action.
Teaching without words and the value of non-action
are understood by few in the world.

Our Translation:

The imposition of Order escalates Disorder.
The mind finds shapes in the pebbles on the beach.
Through this I can define the walls of my Cell.
Knowing the way the mind lies to itself
Are understood by few in the world.

Chapter 44

Original:

Fame or your life, which do you love more?
Life or material wealth, which is more valuable?
Loss or gain, which is worse?
Therefore those who desire most spend most.
Those who hoard most lose most.
Those who are contented are not disappointed.
Those who know when to stop prevent danger.
Thus they can long endure.

Our Translation:

Order or Disorder, which do you prefer?
Creation or Destruction, which do you choose?
Those who chase one are led to the other.
Those who embrace both
Are free to choose which is more effective.

Chapter 45

Original:

The greatest perfection seems incomplete,
but its utility is never impaired.
The greatest fullness seems empty,
but its use cannot be exhausted.
What is most direct seems devious.
The greatest skill seems awkward.
The greatest eloquence seems like stuttering.

Movement overcomes cold.
Stillness overcomes heat.
The serene and calm are guides for all.

Our Translation:

The greatest mindfuck seems normal,
but only later does it infect the mind.
The best argument seems specious,
but a flaw cannot be found.
The greatest order seems random.
The greatest disorder appears stable.

Just as the Zen master's staff strikes to cease thought,
The Barstool crashes through castles built on clouds.
What works in the real world is correct.

Chapter 46

Original:

When the world lives in accord with the Way,
horses work on farms.
When the world does not live in accord with the Way,
the cavalry practices in the parks.

The greatest temptation to crime is desire.
The greatest curse is discontent.
The greatest calamity is greed.
Whoever is content with contentment is always content.

Our Translation:

When people understand Chaos,
They live their lives as they please.
When people misunderstand Chaos,
The Machine™ grinds them into grist.

The greatest cause of Disorder is Order.
The greatest motivator of Order is Disorder.
Whoever can embrace both will see for miles.

Chapter 47

Original:

One can know the world without going outside.
One can see the Way of heaven
without looking out the window.
The further one goes the less one knows.
Therefore the wise know without going about,
understand without seeing,
and accomplish without acting.

Our Translation:

You can't view the Universe
Without one map or another.
Glimpses outside your Cell
Are obscured by the Bars.
The more you believe you are not in Prison,
The less you will understand thw world around you.
Therefore the wise spags wander through the world in doubt,
And constantly ask for directions.

Chapter 48

Original:

In pursuit of knowledge,	
every day something is added.	
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.	
When nothing is done,	
nothing is left undone.	
		
True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering.	

Our Translation:

When you wanna know stuff,
it’s always blah blah blah blah
when playing with Eris?
just gotta hang on for dear life!
Useless to use force,
just hang onto that wire!
When nothing is done,
most often it’s well done.

True don’t be pushing,
gotta let some things slide.
Leave it alone dammit!

Chapter 49

Original:

The wise have no mind-set.
They regard the people's minds as their own.
They are good to people who are good.
They are also good to people who are not good.
This is the power of goodness.
They are honest to those who are honest.
They are also honest to those who are dishonest.
This is the power of honesty.
The wise live in the world peacefully and harmoniously.
The people share a common heart,
and the wise treat them as their own children.

Our Translation:

The wise have more than two options.
They see beyond True and False.
They recognize a Maybe.
This is what is meant by "there is no box".
They understand that a man who does not see their cell
Is eternally trapped by it.
This is the freedom of limitations.
The wise spags see more of the Universe
By understanding how little of it they see.

Chapter 50

Original:

Coming into life and going out at death,
the organs of life are thirteen;
the organs of death are thirteen;
and these thirteen make life vulnerable to death.

Why is this so?
Because they feed life too grossly.

It is said that those who preserve life
walk the earth without fearing tigers and wild buffalo,
and in battle they are not touched by weapons of war.
The wild buffalo's horns find nothing to gore;
the tiger's claws find nothing to tear;
and weapons' points find nothing to pierce.

Why is this so?
Because they have nothing for death to enter.

Our Translation:

Coming to an argument,
the ways to win seem clear;
the ways to lose look distant;
but the losses come swiftly.

How did this happen?
Because the mind held one side too strongly.

It's said that those who are curious
explore myriad aspects of life without making attachments
and in arguments are not affected by fallacy.
They can identify the pitfalls;
and recognize valid points;
all while staying true to their goal.

How is this possible?
By seeing all possibilities as valid.