Chapter 11

Original:

Thirty spokes are united around the hub of a wheel,
but the usefulness of the wheel
depends on the space where nothing exists.
Clay is molded into a vessel,
but the usefulness of the vessel
depends on the space where nothing exists.
Doors and windows are cut out of the walls of a house,
and the usefulness of the house
depends on the space where nothing exists.

Therefore take advantage of what exists,
and use what does not exist.

(SMT) 11

We join spokes together in a wheel,

but it is the center hole

that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,

but it is the emptiness inside

that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,

but it is the inner space

that makes it livable.

We work with being,

but non-being is what we use.

Our Translation:

The Mandlebrot grows in infinite complexity
but it depends on the empty space at the center.
Knowledge is built of facts:
a scaffolding to support ignorance.
The lines in a coloring book give the page form
but the colors between those lines give it life.
You fill your house with awesome stuff
but you live in the unoccupied space.

Therefore take advantage of what exists,
and use what does not exist.

I think we need a chaos theory student to comment on the Mandelbrot thing.

(Honey - doesn't know enough about Mandelbrot)

11

We stick apart & stay baffled,

yet keep coming back

to the very same thing

brought us apart.

Shaped words, unraveled meanings,

interpret, corrupt, adapt or construe,

we knew all along

words don’t count.

Storm off on a journey,

resisting the tide,

float back.

Slippery bodies swim the ocean,

while thought waves swim through.

Chapter 12

Original:

The five colors blind the eyes;
the five musical tones deafen the ears;
the five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious goods keep their owners on guard.

Therefore the wise satisfy the inner self
rather than external senses.
They accept the one and reject the other.

Our Translation:

What is Seen distracts from what Is Not;
What is Heard diverts from what Can Not;
What is Believed subverts what Should Not.
The Cell walls we have built
Comfort us into ignorance.

But the wise spag does not eat the menu,
And seeks to re-write the map.

Chapter 13

Original:

Good fortune and misfortune cause apprehension.
Regard great trouble as you regard your self. 

What is meant by
"Good fortune and misfortune cause apprehension?"
Those with good fortune are apprehensive of their gain.
Those with misfortune are apprehensive of their loss.

What is meant by
"Regard great trouble as you regard your self?"
Great trouble comes from being selfish.
Being selfless, what trouble is there?

Therefore those who value the world as themselves
may be entrusted to govern the world.
Those who love the world as themselves
may be entrusted to care for the world.

Our Translation:

Having and not having 
Both create frustration.
When you have, you're afraid to lose
When you have not, you're afraid you won't have.
Kill the cycle by expanding your definition of Self
To encompass the Universe. 
Then, your soul is not inside you, and you are inside your soul.
You can have it all with nothing to lose.

(By Burns)

Chapter 14

Original:

We look at it, and do not see it; it is invisible.
We listen to it, and do not hear it; it is inaudible.
We touch it, and do not feel it; it is intangible.
These three elude our inquiries, and hence merge into one.

Not by its rising, is it bright,
nor by its sinking, is it dark.
Infinite and eternal, it cannot be defined.
It returns to nothingness.
This is the form of the formless, being in non-being.
It is nebulous and elusive.

Meet it, and you do not see its beginning.
Follow it, and you do not see its end.
Stay with the ancient Way
in order to master what is present.
Knowing the primeval beginning is the essence of the Way.

Our Translation:

We cannot see it, for it blinds us.
We cannot hear it, for it deafens us.
We do not know it exists, for we have built it.

If not seen, we forget it is there.
If not remembered, binds our choices.
Even if unnoticed, it is inescapable.
There is neither shape nor form,
But it is as immovable as Iron.

Fight it, and there shall be no victory.
Run from it, and you shall die tired.
So the wise spag moves it, 
Brick by brick,
And sees a new sunrise every day.

Chapter 15

Original:

The wise have ancient mystic wisdom
and profound understanding, too deep to comprehend.
Because they can not be comprehended,
they can only be described by analogy:
cautious, like crossing a stream in winter;
alert, like one aware of danger on all sides;
courteous, like a visiting guest;
self-effacing, like ice beginning to melt;
genuine, like a piece of uncarved wood;
open and receptive, like a valley;
freely mixing, like muddy water.

Who can make sense of a muddy world?
Let it be still, and it becomes clear.
Who can remain calm,
and through activity come back to life?
Those who embrace this Way do not over-extend themselves.
Because they do not over-extend themselves,
they do not wear out and are not replaced.

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

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.	
There is no way to describe it;	
all we can describe is their appearance.	

They were careful	
as someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.	
Courteous as a guest.		
Fluid as melting ice.	
Shapeable as a block of wood.	
Receptive as a valley.		
Clear as a glass of water.	
		
Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?	
Can you remain unmoving	
till the right action arises by itself?	

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.

Our Translation:

The wise spag understands Chaos,
In that it cannot be understood.
Because of that, they must use metapors,
Which are piss-poor ways of communicating.
Surfing the waves of Chaos;
Attempting a Jailbreak;
Preparing for aftermath;
Changing their filters;
Making their own luck.

Who can make sense of two contradicting Illusions?
Seeing through the spin, a direction becomes clear.
Adapting to the situation, the goals are realized.
Amending the theory, understanding grows.
In this way, the wise spag is not troubled.

OT (Honey):

The old guys were curious & playful.
Their humor often corny.
Guess you had to be there;
now all we see is their raging libidos.

They were clever 
as only horny old men can be.
More aware of their short-comings.
Malleable as play-doh.
Flexible as gymnasts.
Charming as dice.
Open as oysters.
At times, cranky as hell.

Do you know
your ass from your elbow?
Can you still be moved to wonder
or are you too cynical?
Eris seeks diversion, amusement (& now & then a good boff).
No plodding pedantics.
What can you expect from puny homers?

Chapter 16

Original:

Empty yourself of everything.
Maintain a steady serenity.
All things take shape and become active,
but I see them return to their source,
like vegetation that grows and flourishes,
but returns to the root from which it springs.

Returning to the source is serenity;
it is to realize one's destiny.
To realize one's destiny is to know the eternal.
To know the eternal is to be enlightened.
Not to know the eternal
is to act blindly and court disaster.

Whoever knows the eternal is open to everything.
Whoever is open to everything is impartial.
To be impartial is to be universal.
To be universal is to be in accord with heaven.
To be in accord with heaven is to be in accord with the Way.
To be in accord with the Way is to be eternal
and to live free from harm even though the body dies.

Our Translation:

Forget about everything and be cool
When your work is over, everything returns to the cool, the quiet, the chill

To return to slack is relaxing;
It is to realize where you're going.
To know where you're going is to know eternity.
To know eternity you must find slack.
To act with no knowledge of slack
is to bumble and court disaster.

Whoever can find slack anywhere
is open to everything.
To be open to everything is to be impartial,
a well rounded renaissance.

If laughter is your slack, then laugh
If rage is your slack, then rage
If you can get slack from a stone, then get stoned.
If you can get slack from anywhere, then you can go everywhere.
The mind may lose it.
The body may die.
Return to the slack.

Chapter 17

Original:

The best leaders the people barely know.
The next best they love and praise.
The next they fear.
And the next they hate.

Those who lack trust will not be trusted.
Then they resort to promises.
But when they accomplish their task and complete their work,
the people say, "We did it ourselves."

Our Translation:

People who are asleep want Authority to make decisions.
They want an Authority they agree with.
They do not want to be told "no",
They do not want to be given responsibility.

Authority lacks trust, and will not be trusted.
The wise spag accomplishes their task,
And keeps their mouth shut,
So as not to get caught.

Chapter 18

Original:

When the great Way is forgotten,
the doctrines of humanity and morality arise.
When knowledge and cleverness appear,
there emerges great hypocrisy.
When family relationships are not in harmony,
filial piety and parental love are advocated.
When a country falls into chaos and disorder,
there is praise of loyal patriots.

Our Translation:

When Chaos is forgotten,
The illusions of Order and Disorder arise.
When the Black Iron Prison is ignored,
Objectivity and Subjectivity become entwined.
When the people hand over their Authority,
Religion and Politics marry.
When people Think for Themselves,
The Revolution is born.

Chapter 19

Original:

Abandon religion and discard cleverness,
and people will benefit a hundredfold.
Abandon humanity and discard morality,
and people will rediscover love and duty.
Abandon skill and discard profit,
and there will be no thieves or robbers.
These three things relate to externals and are inadequate.

People need what they can depend on:
reveal simplicity; embrace the natural;
control selfishness; reduce desires.

Our Translation:

Abandon blind faith and pseudointellectual bullshit,
The spags will benefit.
Abandon absolute morality,
The spags won't try to kill the Other.
Abandon intellectual copyright,
And there will be nothing to steal.

Spags will always be distracted by their imagination:
Religion; Territory; Morals; Politics.

Chapter 20

Original:

Abandon memorizing, and vexations end.
How much difference is there between yes and no?
How much difference is there between good and evil?
Is what people fear really to be feared?
How very remote the actual occurrence!

The people of the world make merry
as though at a holiday feast or a spring carnival.
I alone am inactive and desireless,
like a new-born baby who cannot yet smile,
unattached, as though homeless.

The people of the world possess more than enough.
I alone seem to have lost all.
I must be a fool, so indiscriminate and nebulous.

Most people seem knowledgeable and bright.
I alone am simple and dull.

Most people see differences and are sharp.
I alone make no distinctions,
seeming aimless, drifting as the sea,
like the wind blowing about, seemingly without destination.

People of the world all have a purpose.
I alone seem impractical and out of place.
I am different from others,
and value drawing sustenance from the Mother. 

Our Translation:

Abandon Reality, and Illusions end.
How much difference is there between True and False?
How much difference is there between Order and Disorder?
Is what people Believe really to be believed?
Not fucking likely!

The people know from Right and Wrong,
As if they can see the Universe.
I am unsure, and seek more information.

The people of the world know Sacred from Sinful,
Punishing and praising all around them.
I raise a challenge with "I Don't Know,"
And lay myself down with sleep undisturbed.

Most people have reached a conclusion,
And move on to the next shiny object.
I keep my thoughts alive,
And tucked in my head,
Waiting for the next Observation.

Alternate Translation

Stop worrying so much about the world
Is there really that much of a difference between saying yes and saying no?
Is there really that much of a difference between winning and losing?
Why should you care about what Most People care about?
How outlandish!

Most People get too excited
Like they are at a parade or a nightclub
Personally, I don't give a fuck

I'm as cool as the other side of the pillow
As expressionless as a new born babe

Most People have more than what they need
I stick to simplicity though
I am a high-plains drifter
Without a home
I mindlessly roam the earth

Most People tend to over-think their problems
I stick to the simple outlines
Most People try to see the pattern in the Chaos
I see the Chaos in the patterns
Most People try to force Purpose into their life
I ride the waves of Chaos where it takes me

I am different from Most People
I drink deeply from the Nectar of Eris