Heshang Gong Chapter 40 – 去用 (Abandoning Use)
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Heshang Gong Chapter 40 – 去用 (Abandoning Use)
老子河上公章句 · 第40章 · Heshang Gong's Commentary on Laozi
Section 1 — 第1节
Original Chinese
Return is the movement of Dao. Fan, ben ye. Ben is the origin, the reason why Dao moves; when it moves, myriad things are generated; to turn away from it leads to destruction. The weak is the function of Dao. Softness and weakness are what Dao commonly employs, hence they can endure forever. All things under heaven and earth are born from the existent; all myriad things under heaven originate from Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth have form and position, hence it is said they are born from the existent. The existent arises from the non-existent. Heaven, Earth, spirits, and clarity, as well as tiny crawling creatures that fly or move, all arise from Dao. Dao is formless; hence it is said to be born from the non-existent. This means that the fundamental surpasses the ornamental, weakness surpasses strength, and humility surpasses arrogance.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
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