2025-03-31

Practice

You are welcome to join in the practice by zoom, five mornings a week, Tuesday through Saturday morning, at 7:00 ET / 6:00 CT / 5:00 MT / 4:00 PT.

Our zoom morning practice may occasionally need to be cancelled. Check this page for cancellation notice.
UPCOMING CANCELLATIONS. Zoom practice will not be available on the following days:
Thu Apr 3
Fri Apr 4
Sat Apr 5
Please practice on your own along with the audiofiles below.
Zoom practice resumes on Tue Apr 8.

ZOOM LINK.

You'll need this document: "One Earth Zen: Sutras, Chants, and Songs".

Format:
Opening Chants: 8 mins
Zazen (silent seated meditation): 25 mins
Kinhin (walking meditation): 5 mins
Sutra service (recitations): 9-10 mins
Dharma discussion: 10 mins
Closing chant

You may also use the audio files linked below to accompany your home practice on any schedule that works for you.

The Morn practice (1 hr) includes:
  • Verse of Kesa (p. 42 -- 2 mins)
  • Opening Verse (from pp. 3-5 -- about 1 min)
  • Opening Day-of-Week Song (p. 38 or 42 -- 1-2 mins)
  • Dedication, including either Gatha of Atonement (Mon-Wed-Fri) or The Three Refuges (Tue-Thu-Sat) -- (about 3 mins)
  • Silence for Zazen (25 mins)
  • Clappers to stand, begin Kinhin (4-5 mins), and return to place
  • Sutra Service (7-9 mins), which changes each week. There is an "A" service for Mon-Wed-Fri-Sun, and a "B" service for Tue-Thu-Sat
  • Silence for Dharma discussion or study (about 8 mins)
  • Closing Day-of-Week Song (p. 38 or 42 -- 1-2 mins)
The Eve practice (30 mins) includes:
  • Opening Day-of-Week Song (p. 38 or 42 -- 1-2 mins)
  • Silence for Zazen (25 mins)
  • Closing Day-of-Week Song (p. 38 or 42 -- 1-2 mins)

Spring Week 2: Mar 31 - Apr 6



Mon Mar 31
Mon Morn w/ Sutra Service 2A
Mon Eve

Tue Apr 1
Tue Morn w/ Sutra Service 2B
Tue Eve

Wed Apr 2
Wed Morn w/ Sutra Service 2A
Wed Eve

Thu Apr 3
Thu Morn w/ Sutra Service 2B
Thu Eve

Fri Apr 4
Fri Morn w/ Sutra Service 2A
Fri Eve

Sat Apr 5
Sat Morn w/ Sutra Service 2B
Sat Eve

Sun Apr 6
Repeat Thu Morn w/ Sutra Service 2B
Repeat Thu Eve

* * *

Spring Week 3: Apr 7 - Apr 13



Mon Apr 7
Mon Morn w/ Sutra Service 3A
Mon Eve

Tue Apr 8
Tue Morn w/ Sutra Service 3B
Tue Eve

Wed Apr 9
Wed Morn w/ Sutra Service 3A
Wed Eve

Thu Apr 10
Thu Morn w/ Sutra Service 3B
Thu Eve

Fri Apr 11
Fri Morn w/ Sutra Service 3A
Fri Eve

Sat Apr 12
Sat Morn w/ Sutra Service 3B
Sat Eve

Sun Apr 13
Repeat Fri Morn w/ Sutra Service 3A
Repeat Fri Eve

* * *

Directory for all audio files: HERE
AUDIO CREDITS

AUDIO CREDITS

Spoken recordings by Meredith Garmon and LoraKim Joyner. "Universal Dedication" also includes voice of Allie Freed.
From Youtube: "Gate of Sweet Nectar" by Krishna Das, sung by Starry Mountain Singers for Amidon Community Music.
"The Four Bodhisattva Vows" and "Diamond Sutra Gatha": music composed and performed by Meredith Garmon.
"Save All the Beings": music by Boundless Way Zen; performed (piano, guitar, and vocals) by Meredith Garmon.
"Verse of the Kesa" and "Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva": music by Soten Lynch; vocals by Soten Lynch, Kosho Ault, Maggie Medlin, and Eric Hertz. Recorded at Great Vow Zen Monastery, Clatskanie, OR, 2020.

For credits for the words/lyrics, see "One Earth Zen: Sutras, Chants, and Songs".

2025-03-18

Dao De Jing 3

SM:
If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.

The Master leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know.

Practice not-doing,
and everything will fall into place.

AJB: If no distinctions of superiority and inferiority prevail among officers, they will devote themselves to their tasks rather than to rivalries with one another. If no special value is placed upon rare things, one will have no incentive for stealing them. If nothing appears to arouse envy, one will remain satisfied with things as they are.
FJMH: LEADERS WORK HUMBLY. Leaders should not seek power or status; people will not then crave power or status. If scarce goods are not valued highly, people will have no need to steal them. If there is nothing available to arouse passion, people will remain content and satisfied.
DCL: Not to honor men of worth will keep the people from contention; not to value goods which are hard to come by will keep them from theft; not to display what is desirable will keep them from being unsettled of mind.
GFJE: Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling. Not collecting treasures prevents stealing. Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart.
HCN: When the superior are not exalted, envy will not be aroused. Then there will be no rivalry or contention among people. When wealth is not treasured, desire for possessions will not be stirred up. Then people will not be tempted to rob one another. By shutting that which is desirable out of sight, the heart will remain undisturbed.
SR: WITHOUT SEEKING ACCLAIM. By retaining his humility, the talented person who is also wise, reduces rivalry. The person who possesses many things, but does not boast of his possessions, reduces temptation, and reduces stealing. Those who are jealous of the skills or things possessed by others, most easily themselves become possessed by envy.
JT: SIMPLICITY. In gorvernment let the aim be Simplicity: ess envious rivalry For place and reward; Less conniving and scheming For things falsely valued; Less over-stimulation of desire Through noise, glitter and display.
VHM: Not exalting men of worth prevents the people from competing; Not putting high value on rare goods prevents the people from being bandits; Not displaying objects of desire prevents the people from being disorderly.
MLF: Not promoting the wise and worthy brings it about that the people are not contentious. Not prizing goods hard to come by brings it about that the people do not become thieves Not paying attention to the desirable brings it about that the people's minds do not become disordered.
SASL: Don't glorify heroes, And people will not contend. Don't treasure rare objects, And no one will steal. Don't display what people desire, And their hearts will not be disturbed.
UKLG: HUSHING. Not praising the praiseworthy keeps people uncompetitive. Not prizing rare treasures keeps people from stealing. Not looking at the desirable keeps the mind quiet.
WK: Try not to exalt the worthy, So that the people shall not compete. Try not to value rare treasures, So that the people shall not steal. Try not to display the desirable, So that the people's hearts shall not be disturbed.
RH: If you toss compliments around freely, people will waste time trying to impress you. If you give things too much value, you're going to get ripped off. If you fulfill people's desires, you'll only leave them dissatisfied.
RADH: Not promoting those of superior character Will save the common people from becoming contentious. Not prizing property that is hard to come by Will save them from becoming thieves. Not making a show of what might be desired Will save them from becoming disgruntled.
RP: Bestowing no honors /keeps people from fighting /prizing no treasures /keeps people from stealing /displaying no attractions /keeps people from making trouble
WSW: Do not respect the clever, and the people will not be induced to conflict. Do not be impressed by hard-to-get material things, and the people will not be induced to covet what they lack and grab what is not theirs. Do not stare at the desirable, and the people will not be induced to entangling thoughts.
DH: Never bestow honors and people won’t quarrel. Never prize rare treasures and people won’t steal. Never flaunt alluring things and people won’t be confused.
BRL: Not honoring those who are esteemable Ensures that the citizens do not strive. Not valuing rare goods Ensures that the citizens do not act like thieves. Not showing that which can be desired Ensures that the citizens’ heart/minds do not become confused.

AJB: Since this is so, the wise administrator does not lead people to set their hearts upon what they cannot have, but satisfies their inner needs. He does not promote ambition to improve their status, but supports their self-sufficiency.
FJMH: The truly wise lead by instilling humility and open-mindedness, by providing for fair livelihoods, by discouraging personal ambition, and by strengthening the bone-structure of the people.
DCL: Therefore in governing the people, the sage empties their minds but fills their bellies, weakens their wills but strengthens their bones.
GFJE: The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies, by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.
HCN: Then there will be no confusion in the hearts of people. The guidance of the Universal One of natural wholeness is therefore: Empty your mind. Enjoy good health. Weaken your ambitions. Strengthen your essence.
SR: Satisfied with his possessions, the sage eliminates the need to steal; at one with the Tao, he remains free of envy, and has no need of titles. By being supple, he retains his energy. He minimizes his desires, and does not train himself in guile, nor subtle words of praise. By not contriving, he retains the harmony of his inner world, and so remains at peace within himself. It is for reasons such as these, that an administration which is concerned with the welfare of those it serves, does not encourage status and titles to be sought, nor encourage rivalry.
JT: The people should be taught rather To satisfy their real and simpler needs: Thus to have inner resources, Strength in reserve, Values well ordered and genuinely their own.
VHM: For these reasons, The sage, in ruling, hollows their hearts, stuffs their stomachs, weakens their wills, builds up their bones,
MLF: And so, the government of the Wise Person: Empty their minds, fill their bellies weaken their ambitions, strengthen their bones.
SASL: Therefore, the Sage rules By emptying hearts and filling bellies, By weakening ambitions and strengthening bones;...
UKLG: So the wise soul governing people would empty their minds, fill their bellies, weaken their wishes, strengthen their bones,
WK: Therefore the sage governs the people by Purifying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, And strengthening their bones.
RH: The Master leads by clearing the crap out of people's heads and opening their hearts. He lowers their aspirations and makes them suck in their guts.
RADH: It is for this reason that in the proper governing by the sages: They empty the hearts-and-minds of the people and fill their stomachs, They weaken their aspirations and strengthen their bones,
RP: thus the rule of the sage /empties the mind /but fills the stomach /weakens the will /but strengthens the bones
WSW: Therefored the sage manages the flow of their activities like this: He empties their minds, but fills their stomachs; He weakens their willfulness, but strengthens their bones.
DH: This is how a sage governs. Fill bellies and empty minds, strengthen bones and weaken ambition,
BRL: Thus the governing of the sage Empties their heart/minds, fills their stomachs, Weakens their ambitions, strengthens their bones.

AJB: He does not complicate their lives with knowledge of multifarious details or with an urge to attend to this, that and the other. By keeping people contented, he prevents those who mistakenly believe that ambition is better than contentment from leading the contented astray.
FJMH: The wise avoid evil and radical reform; thus the foolish do not obstruct them.
DCL: He always keeps them innocent of knowledge and free from desire, and ensures that the clever never dare to act.
GFJE: If people lack knowledge and desire, then intellectuals will not try to interfere.
HCN: When people are free from cunning, desire, and artifice,...
SR: Ensuring a sufficiency for all, helps in reducing discontent.
JT: Then the false lures of the ambitious will not lead them astray.
VHM: Always causing the people to be without knowledge and desire. He ensures that the knowledgeable dare not be hostile,
MLF: Always bring it about that the people are without knowledge and without desires. Bring it about that the clever ones do not presume to set about doing.
SASL: [The Sage] Leads people Away from knowing and wanting; Deters those who know too much From going too far:
UKLG: keep people unknowing, unwanting, keep the ones who do know from doing anything.
WK: He always keeps them innocent of knowledge and desires, And makes the crafty afraid to run risks.
RH: He shows people how to forget what they know and what they want, so nobody can push them around. If you think you've got the answers, he'll mess with your head.
RADH: Ever teaching the common people to be unprincipled in their knowing (wuzhi) And objectless in their desires (wuyu), They keep the hawkers of knowledge at bay.
RP: by keeping the people from knowing or wanting /and those who know from daring to act /...
WSW: He constantly leads the people toward less "knowledge" and less desire. Thus, "masters" and "wise men" will not dare to act.
DH: always keep the people from knowing and wanting, then those who know are those who never presume to act.
BRL: By always ensuring that the citizens are without-knowledge and without-desire, Those who make men wise will not dare to act.

AJB: By being calm and contented himself, he sets an example for his people.
FJMH: They work serenely, with inner quiet.
DCL: Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.
GFJE: If nothing is done, then all will be well.
HCN: ...everything will be well-ordered of its own accord.
SR: Administrators who are wise do not seek honours for themselves, nor act with guile towards the ones they serve.
JT: Thus without strain or constraint, By clearer thinking and simpler living, By action without contention, Men will be better governed And live more securely.
VHM: and that is all. Thus, His rule is universal.
MLF: Do Not Doing and nothing will be left un-governed.
SASL: [The Sage] Practices non-action And the natural order is not disrupted.
UKLG: When you do not-doing, nothing’s out of order.
WK: He conducts affairs on the principle of take-no-action, and everything will surely fall into order.
RH: Stop doing stuff all the time, and watch what happens.
RADH: It is simply in doing things noncoercively (wuwei) That everything is governed properly.
RP: ...the sage governs them all.
WSW: Act without fabrication, and there will be nothing you cannot manage.
DH: If you’re nothing doing what you do all things will be governed well
BRL: Act with non-action, then all will be governed!

KEY:
SM: Stephen Mitchell (1988)
AJB: Archie J. Bahm (1958)
FJMH: Frank J. MacHovec (1962)
DCL: D. C. Lau (1963)
GFJE: Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (1972)
HCN: Hua-Ching Ni (1979)
SR: Stan Rosenthal (1984)
JT: Jacob Trapp (1985)
VHM: Victor H. Mair (1990)
MLF: Michael LaFargue (1992)
SASL: Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (1993)
UKLG: Ursula K. Le Guin (1997)
WK: Wang Keping (1998)
RH: Ron Hogan (2002)
RADH: Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall (2003)
RP: Red Pine (2009)
WSW: William Scott Wilson (2010)
DH: David Hinton (2015)
BRL: Bruce R. Linnell (2015)

2025-03-17

Dao De Jing 2

SM:
When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.

AJB: It is because we single out something and treat it as distinct from other things that we get the idea of its opposite. Beauty, for example, once distinguished, suggests its opposite, ugliness. And goodness, when we think of it, is naturally opposed to badness.
FJMH: Whenever the most beautiful is perceived ugliness arises, the least beautiful. Whenever good is perceieved evil exists, its natural opposite.
DCL: The whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly; the whole world recognizes the good as the good, yet this is only the bad.
GFJE: Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil.
HCN: As soon as the world regards something as beautiful, ugliness simultaneously becomes apparent. As soon as the world regards something as good, evil simultaneously becomes apparent.
SR: LETTING GO OF COMPARISONS. We cannot know the Tao itself, nor see its qualities direct, but only see by differentiation, that which it manifests. Thus, that which is seen as beautiful is beautiful compared with that which is seen as lacking beauty; an action considered skilled is so considered in comparison with another, which seems unskilled.
JT: RELATIVITY. It is man's limitation to know Beauty in contrast to ugliness, Goodness in contrast to evil,...
VHM: When all under heaven know beauty as beauty, already there is ugliness; When everyone knows goodness, this accounts for badness.
MLF: When everyone in the world recognizes the elegant as elegant ... then ugliness has just appeared. When all recognize goodness as good ... then the not-good has just appeared.
SASL: Recognize beauty and ugliness is born. Recognize good and evil is born.
UKLG: SOUL FOOD. Everybody on earth knowing that beauty is beautiful makes ugliness. Everybody knowing that goodness is good makes wickedness.
WK: When the people of the world know the beautiful as beauty, There arises the recognition of the ugly. When they know the good as good, There arises the recognition of the evil.
RH: If something is beautiful, something else must be ugly. If something is good, something else must be bad.
RADH: As soon as everyone in the world knows that the beautiful are beautiful, There is already ugliness. As soon as everyone knows the able, There is ineptness.
RP: All the world knows beauty /but if that becomes beautiful /this becomes ugly /all the world knows good /but if that becomes good /this becomes bad
WSW: Everybody understands the beautiful to be "beautiful," But this only creates the concept of "ugly"; Everybody understand the good to be "good," But this only creates the concept of "bad."
DH: All beneath heaven knows beauty is beauty only because there’s ugliness, and knows good is good only because there’s evil.
BRL: In the world, when all know that the action of beauty is beautiful, then ugliness ensues. When all know that the action of good is goodness, then not-good ensues.

AJB: In fact, all distinctions naturally appear as opposites. And opposites get their meaning from each other and find their completion only through each other. The meaning of "is" and "is not" arise from our distinguishing between them. Likewise "difficult and easy," "long and short," "high and low," "loud and soft," "before and after" - all derive their meanings from each other.
FJMH: Thus, perception involves opposites: reality and fantasy are opposing thoughts; difficult and simple oppose in degree; long and short oppose in distance; high and low oppose in height; shrill and deep oppose in tone; before and after oppose in sequence.
DCL: Thus Something and Nothing produce each other; The difficult and the easy complement each other; The long and the short off-set each other; The high and the low incline towards each other; Note and sound harmonize with each other; Before and after follow each other.
GFJE: Therefore having and not having arise together. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short contrast each other: High and low rest upon each other; Voice and sound harmonize each other; Front and back follow one another.
HCN: In exactly the same manner, existence and nonexistence give birth to each other. Difficult and easy define each other. Long and short form each other. High and low make each other distinguishable. Silence and sound make each other conspicuous. Front and back connect each other.
SR: That which a person knows he has is known to him by that which he does not have, and that which he considers difficult seems so because of that which he can do with ease. One thing seems long by comparison with that which is, comparatively, short. One thing is high because another thing is low; only when sound ceases is quietness known, and that which leads is seen to lead only by being followed.
JT: ...Being in contrast to non-being. Men think in terms of opposites: The difficult or the easy, in doing; Short or long, in measurement; High or low, in position or tone; Earlier or later, in time.
VHM: Being and nonbeing give birth to each other, Difficult and easy complete each other, Long and short form each other, High and low fulfill each other, Tone and voice harmonize with each other, Front and back follow each other - it is ever thus.
MLF: Yes: 'Being' and 'nothing' give birth one to the other 'the difficult' and 'the easy' give full shape to one another 'what excels' and 'what falls short' form one another 'the noble' and 'the lowly' give content to one another the music and the voice harmonize with one another the back and the front follow one another. Always.
SASL: Is and Isn't produce each other. Hard depends on easy, Long is tested by short, High is determined by low, Sound is harmonized by voice, After is followed by before.
UKLG: For being and nonbeing arise together; hard and easy complete each other; long and short shape each other; high and low depend on each other; note and voice make the music together; before and after follow each other.
WK: This is the reason why Have-substance and have-no-substance produce each other; Difficult and easy complete each other; Long and short contrast with each other; High and low are distinguished from each other; Sound and voice harmonize with each other; Front and back follow each other.
RH: You can't have something without nothing. If no task is difficult, then no task is easy. Things are up high because other things are down low. You know when you're listening to music because you don't hear noise. And something else came first, so this must be next.
RADH: Determinacy (you) and indeterminacy (wu) give rise to each other, Difficult and easy complement each other, Long and short set each other off, High and low complete each other, Refined notes and raw sounds harmonize (he) with each other, And before and after lend sequence to each other — This is really how it all works.
RP: the coexistence of have and have not /the coproduction of hard and easy /the correlation of long and short /the codependence of high and low /the correspondence of note and noise /the coordination of first and last /is endless
WSW: There can be no existence without nonexistence; No difficult without easy; No long without short; No high without low; And without the sounds of musical instruments and human voices, where would their harmony -- and cacophony -- be? Before and after only depend on which one follows first.
DH: Being and Absence give birth to one another, difficult and easy complete one another, long and short measure one another, high and low fill one another, music and noise harmonize one another, before and after follow one another
BRL: Therefore: being and non-being create each other, Difficult and easy complete each other, Long and short contrast each other, High and low lean on each other, Tone and voice harmonize each other, Before and after follow each other.

AJB: Therefore the intelligent man accepts what is as it is. In seeking to grasp what is, he does not devote himself to the making of distinctions which are then mistaken to be separate existences. In teaching, he teaches, not by describing and pointing out differences, but by example.
FJMH: The truly wise accept this and they work diligently without allegiance to words.
DCL: Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action and practises the teaching that uses no words.
GFJE: Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talking.
HCN: Realizing this, one does not separate one's being from the subtle essence of the universe. One holds no preconceptions, and does things without insisting on personal conditions. One guides people by living in accord with the essence of life.
SR: In comparison, the sage, in harmony with the Tao, needs no comparisons, and when he makes them, knows that comparisons are judgments, and just as relative to he who makes them, and to the situation, as they are to that on which the judgment has been made.
JT: The sage knows how relative Are all these oppositions; He does not attempt to make the one Prevail over or exclude the other. Thus he acts without contending; He teaches without words;...
VHM: For these reasons, The sage dwells in affairs of nonaction, carries out a doctrine without words.
MLF: And so the Wise Person: Settles into his job of Not Doing carries on his teaching done without talking.
SASL: Therefore the sage is devoted to non action, Moves without teaching,
UKLG: That’s why the wise soul does without doing, teaches without talking.
WK: Thus, the sage conducts affairs through take-no-action; He spreads his dictrines through wordless teaching;...
RH: The Masters get the job done without moving a muscle and signify without saying a word.
RADH: It is for this reason that sages keep to service that does not entail coercion (wuwei) And disseminate teachings that go beyond what can be said.
RP: thus the sage performs effortless deeds /and teaches wordless lessons
WSW: Therefore the sage resides in nonfabrication, and conducts himself according to wordless teachings.
DH: that’s why a sage abides in the realm of nothing’s own doing, living out that wordless teaching.
BRL: Thus the sage: Lives by using non-action in his duties, And practicing no-talking in his teachings.

AJB: Whatever is exists, and he sees that nothing is gained by representing what fully exists by a description - another lesser, diluted kind of existence. If something exists which cannot be wholly revealed to him with his viewpoint, he does not demand of it that it be nothing but what it seems to him. If some one else interprets him, he does not trust that interpretation as being equal to his own existence. If some part of him stands out as if a superior representative of his nature, he will not surrender the rest of his nature to it. And in not surrendering the whole of his nature to any part of it, he keeps himself intact. This is how the intelligent man preserves his nature.
FJMH: They teach by doing, not by saying; are genuinely helpful, not discriminating; are positive, not possessive; do not proclaim their accomplishments, and because they do not proclaim them, credit for them can never be taken away.
DCL: The myriad creatures rise from it yet it claims no authority; It gives them life yet claims no possession; It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude; It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit. It is because it lays claim to no merit That its merit never deserts it.
GFJE: The ten thousand things rise and fall without cease, Creating, yet not possessing. Working, yet not taking credit. Work is done, then forgotten. Therefore it lasts forever.
HCN: One brings good things about, but has no intention of possessing them. One performs work, but has no intention to acquire personal power. When one's task is accomplished, one lets go of it and seeks no reward or recognition. Because one does not claim credit for oneself, one does not do any damage to oneself.
SR: Through his experience, the sage becomes aware that all things change, and that he who seems to lead, might also, in another situation, follow. So he does nothing; he neither leads nor follows. That which he does is neither big nor small; without intent, it is neither difficult, nor done with ease. His task completed, he then lets go of it; seeking no credit, he cannot be discredited. Thus, his teaching lasts for ever, and he is held in high esteem.
JT: ...He accepts what comes without turning away; He loves but does not possess; He enjoys but does not appropriate; He accomplishes but claims no credit. Because he refuses to be given credit, It cannot be taken from him.
VHM: He lets the myriad creatures rise up but does not instigate them; He acts but does not presume; He completes his work but does not dwell on it. Now, Simply because he does not dwell on them, his accomplishments never leave him.
MLF: The thousands of things arise and are active - and he rejects none of them. He is a doer but does not rely on this he achieves successes but does not dwell in them. He just does not dwell in them, and so they cannot be taken away.
SASL: Creates ten thousand things without instruction, Lives but does not own, Acts but does not presume, Accomplishes without taking credit. When no credit is taken, Accomplishment endures.
UKLG: The things of this world exist, they are; you can’t refuse them. To bear and not to own; to act and not lay claim; to do the work and let it go: for just letting it go is what makes it stay.
WK: ...He lets all things grow without his initiation; He nurtures all things but takes possession of nothing; He promotes all things but lays no claim to his ability; He accomplishes his work but takes no credit for his contribution. It is beacuse he takes no credit That his accomplishment stays with him for ever.
RH: When things around them fall apart, they stay cool. They don't own much, but they use whatever's at hand. They do the work without expecting any favors. When the job is finished, they move on to the next job. That's why their work is so damn good.
RADH: In all that happens (wanwu), The sages develop things but do not initiate them, They act on behalf of things but do not lay any claim to wthem, They see things through to fruition but do not take credit for them. It is only because they do not take credit for them that things do not take their leave.
RP: he doesn't start all the things he begins /he doesn't presume on what he does /he doesn't claim what he achieves /and because he makes no claim /he suffers no loss
WSW: All objects in the world come into existence, but he does not judge them; They are born, but he does not possess them. The sage acts, but relies on nothing; He accomplishes and moves on. By moving on, he never has to leave.
DH: The ten thousand things arise without beginnings there, abide without waiting there, come to perfection without dwelling there. Without dwelling there: that’s the one way you’ll never lose it.
BRL: The ten thousand creatures arise, but do not have a beginning. Creating but not possessing; Acting, but not concerned with the results; Accomplishing tasks, but not dwelling on them. Now: only because there is no dwelling, Thus the results do not depart.

KEY:
SM: Stephen Mitchell (1988)
AJB: Archie J. Bahm (1958)
FJMH: Frank J. MacHovec (1962)
DCL: D. C. Lau (1963)
GFJE: Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (1972)
HCN: Hua-Ching Ni (1979)
SR: Stan Rosenthal (1984)
JT: Jacob Trapp (1985)
VHM: Victor H. Mair (1990)
MLF: Michael LaFargue (1992)
SASL: Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (1993)
UKLG: Ursula K. Le Guin (1997)
WK: Wang Keping (1998)
RH: Ron Hogan (2002)
RADH: Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall (2003)
RP: Red Pine (2009)
WSW: William Scott Wilson (2010)
DH: David Hinton (2015)
BRL: Bruce R. Linnell (2015)

2025-03-16

Dao De Jing 1

SM:
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.
Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.

AJB: Nature can never be completely described, for such a desciption of Nature would have to duplicate Nature. No name can fully express what it represents.
FJMH: The Tao described in words is not the real Tao. Words cannot describe it.
DCL: The way that can be spoken of Is not the constant way; The name that can be named Is not the constant name.
GFJE: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
HCN: Tao, the subtle reality of the universe cannot be described. That which can be described in words is merely a conception of the mind. Although names and descriptions have been applied to it, the subtle reality is beyond the description.
SR: THE EMBODIMENT OF TAO. Even the finest teaching is not the Tao itself. Even the finest name is insufficient to define it.
JT: THE ETERNAL TAO. The Tao men describe Is not the eternal Tao. The names men give Are not the absolute name.
VHM: The ways that can be walked are not the eternal Way; The names that can be named are not the eternal name.
MLF: The Tao that can be told is not the invariant Tao the names that can be named are not the invariant Names.
SASL: Tao called Tao is not Tao. Names can name no lasting name.
UKLG: TAOING. The way you can go isn't the real way. The name you can say isn't the real name.
WK: The Dao that can be told is not the constant Dao. The Name that can be named is not the constant Name.
RH: If you can talk about it, it ain't Tao. If it has a name, it's just another thing.
RADH: Way-making (dao) that can be put into words is not really way-making, And naming (ming) that can assign fixed reference to things is not really naming.
RP: The way that becomes a way is not the Immortal Way /the name that becomes a name is not the Immortal Name
WSW: The Way that can be articulately described is not the Unchanging Way. The name that can be said out loud is not the Unchanging Name.
DH: A Way called Way isn’t the perennial Way. A name that names isn’t the perennial name:
BRL: The Dao that can be spoken of is not the ever-constant Dao. The name that can be named is not the ever-constant name.

AJB: It is Nature itself, and not any part (or name or description) abstracted from Nature, which is the ultimate source of all that happens, all that comes and goes, begins and ends, is and is not. But to describe Nature as "the ultimate source of all" is still only a description, and such a description is not Nature itself. Yet since, in order to speak of it, we must use words, we shall have to describe it as "the ultimate source of all."
FJMH: Nameless it is the source of creation; named it is the mother of all things.
DCL: The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.
GFJE: The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things.
HCN: One may use the word "Nothingness" to describe the Origin of the Universe, and "Beingness" to describe the Mother of the myriad things, but Nothingness and Beingness are merely conceptions.
SR: Without words, the Tao can be experienced, and without a name, it can be known.
JT: The named is the inexhaustible Mother Of the myriad things and beings of this world. These point beyond themselves to the nameless, all-pervasive Unity.
VHM: The nameless is the origin of the myriad creatures; The named is the mother of the myriad creatures.
MLF: Nameless, it is the source of the thousands of things (named, it is 'Mother' of the thousands of things).
SASL: Nameless: the origin of heaven and earth. Naming: the mother of ten thousand things.
UKLG: Heaven and earth begin in the unnamed: name's the mother of the ten thousand things.
WK: The Being-without-form is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The Being-within-form is the mother of the myriad things.
RH: Tao doesn't have a name. Names are for ordinary things.
RADH: The nameless (wuming) is the fetal beginnings of everything that is happening (wanwu), While that which is named is their mother.
RP: no-name is the maiden of Heaven and Earth /name is the mother of all things
WSW: With your mouth unopened, and things left undefined, you stand at the beginning of the universe. Make definitions, and you are the measure of all creation.
DH: the named is mother to the ten thousand things, but the unnamed is origin to all heaven and earth.
BRL: That which is without-name is the beginning of heaven and earth. That which possesses a name is the mother of the ten thousand creatures.

AJB: If Nature is inexpressible, he who desired to know Nature as it is in itself will not try to express it in words. To try to express the inexpressible leads one to make distinctions which are unreal.
FJMH: To see Tao the observer must be motiveless. Those with selfish motives see only the surface, not the innermost depths.
DCL: Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.
GFJE: Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.
HCN: From the perspective of Nothingness, one may perceive the expansion of the universe. From the perspective of Beingness, one may distinguish individual things. Both are for the conceptual convenience of the mind.
SR: To conduct one's life according to the Tao, is to conduct one's life without regrets; to realize that potential within oneself which is of benefit to all. Though words or names are not required to live one's life this way, to describe it, words and names are used, that we might better clarify the way of which we speak, without confusing it with other ways in which an individual might choose to live. Through knowledge, intellectual thought and words, the manifestations of the Tao are known, but without such intellectual intent we might experience the Tao itself.
JT: Of Nature, the Mystic Mother, And the unknown, nameless original, Men may speak as though they were separate; But such distinctions vanish in the Abyss.
VHM: Therefore, Always be without desire in order to observe its wondrous subtleties; Always have desire so that you may obserive its manifestations.
MLF: Yes: Always: being desireless, one sees the hidden essentials. Always: having desires, one sees only what is sought.
SASL: Empty of desire, perceive mystery. Filled with desire, perceive manifestations.
UKLG: So the unwanting soul sees what's hidden, and the ever-wanting soul sees only what it wants.
WK: Therefore it is always from the Being-without-form That the subtlety of the Dao can be contemplated; Similarly it is always from the Being-within-form That the manifestation of Dao can be perceived.
RH: Stop wanting stuff; it keeps you from seeing what's real. When you want stuff, all you see are things.
RADH: Thus, to be really objectless in one’s desires (wuyu) is how one observes the mysteries of all things, While really having desires is how one observes their boundaries.
RP: thus in innocence we see the beginning /in passion we see the end
WSW: Thus, being forever without desire, you look deeply into the transcendent. By constantly harboring desire, your vision is beset by all the things around you.
DH: In perennial Absence you see mystery, and in perennial Presence you see appearance.
BRL: Therefore: always without-desire, thus you observe its subtle mystery. Always possessing desires, thus you observe its external appearances.

AJB: Although the existence of Nature and a description of that existence are two different things, yet they are also the same. For both are ways of existing. That is, a description of existence must have its own existence, which is different from the existence of that which it describes; and so again we have to recognize an existence which cannot be described.
FJMH: These two kinds of observers look alike but differ in the insight of their observations. They look alike because they are both human; within humanity is the key to the door of creation.
DCL: These two are the same But diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same they are called mysteries, Mystery upon mystery - The gateway of the manifold secrets.
GFJE: These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery.
HCN: Although different concepts can be applied, Nothingness and Beingness and other conceptual activity of the mind all come from the same indescribably subtle Originalness. The Way is the unfoldment of such subtle reality. Having reached the subtlety of the universe, one may see the ultimate subtlety, the Gate of All Wonders.
SR: Both knowledge and experience are real, but reality has many forms, which seem to cause complexity. By using the means appropriate, we extend ourselves beyond the barriers of such complexity, and so experience the Tao.
JT: The mystery within deepens into Profounder mystery beyond. From the fathomless to the mysterious Ar the gateways into existence.
VHM: Both of these derive from the same source; They have different names but the same designation. Mystery of mysteries, The gate of all wonders!
MLF: These two lines are about The Merging -- it is when things develop and emerge from this that the different names appear. The Merging is something mysterious, and more mysterious, the abode of all the hidden essences.
SASL: These have the same source, but different names. Call them both deep -- Deep and again deep: The gateway to all mystery.
UKLG: Two things, one origin, but different in name, whose identity is mystery. Mystery of all mysteries! The door to the hidden.
WK: These two have the same source but different names, They both may be called deep and profound. The Deepest and most profound Is the doorway to all subtleties.
RH: Those two sentences mean the same thing. Figure them out, and you've got it made.
RADH: These two -- the nameless and what is named -- emerge from the same source yet are referred to differently. Together they are called obscure. The obscurest of the obscure, They are the swinging gateway of the manifold mysteries.
RP: two different names for one and the same /the one we call dark the dark beyond dark the door to all beginnings
WSW: These two enter the world alike, but their names are different. Alike, they are called profound and remote. Profound and remote and again more so: This is the gate to all mysteries.
DH: Though the two are one and the same, once they arise, they differ in name. One and the same they’re called dark-enigma, dark-enigma deep within dark-enigma, gateway of all mystery.
BRL: These two, they arise from the same source but have different names; This sameness is called their deep mystery. Deep mysteries, and again deep mysteries – The gateway of many subtle mysteries.

KEY:
SM: Stephen Mitchell (1988)
AJB: Archie J. Bahm (1958)
FJMH: Frank J. MacHovec (1962)
DCL: D. C. Lau (1963)
GFJE: Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (1972)
HCN: Hua-Ching Ni (1979)
SR: Stan Rosenthal (1984)
JT: Jacob Trapp (1985)
VHM: Victor H. Mair (1990)
MLF: Michael LaFargue (1992)
SASL: Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (1993)
UKLG: Ursula K. Le Guin (1997)
WK: Wang Keping (1998)
RH: Ron Hogan (2002)
RADH: Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall (2003)
RP: Red Pine (2009)
WSW: William Scott Wilson (2010)
DH: David Hinton (2015)
BRL: Bruce R. Linnell (2015)

2021-08-02

Raven 183: Moving On

183 of 183

It's foolish to trust what isn't trustworthy. Chance you've got to take.

Case
Raven took her perch on the Assembly Oak and addressed a special meeting of the Tallspruce community, saying, “It’s time for me to be moving on.”
Porcupine asked, “Where will you be going?”
Raven said, “Where cedar roots stand bare in the creek.”
A hush fell over the circle. Grouse could be heard sniffling.
At last Porcupine asked, “Do you have any last words for us?”
Raven said, “Trust.”
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2021-07-26

Raven 182: Taking Over

182 of 183

What kind of Zen do you teach, with your wiggling fingers and warm breath. What does your gait teach? Your smile, frown, shrug? You can make a guess, and even if there is some insight there, the Zen you teach will change.

Raven called Porcupine for a private meeting. “It’ll soon be time for me to be moving on. Are you up for taking over?”
Porcupine said, “It won’t be Raven Zen.”
Raven asked, “What kind of Zen will it be?”
Porcupine said, “Don’t touch.”
Raven said, “Exactly.”
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2021-07-19

Raven 181: Foresters

181 of 183

All things are impermanent, yes. Don't let this obscure from you that you exist now; you have done things, and loved, and perhaps, for a bit longer, will continue to. It will eternally be the case that you were in this place at this time. You might leave behind some impress or bone that fossilizes, or you might not. Doesn't matter. Whether anyone in the future knows anything of it or not, it will always be true that you were here on this day, felt what you felt and did what you did.

Case
Owl spoke up the next evening and said, “I’ve been brooding about your remark to Mallard that the foresters are closing in. [#175] I think we aren’t facing things. It’s always been hard to find food and raise a family but now the forest is shrinking and folks like Wolverine can’t even find a mate.”
Raven said, “Yes.”
Owl said, “I feel despair about those foresters.”
Woodpecker interrupted and said, “The problem is that they aren’t really foresters.”
Raven said, “Yes.”
Owl asked, “What can be done?”
Raven did not respond, and the group was silent.
Finally Porcupine said, “Their children will remember us.”
Owl said, “Small comfort.”
Raven said, “Brontosaur lives.”
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2021-07-12

Raven 180: Wise Counsel

180 of 183

We remember "great ones of the past" for our own purposes, not for theirs. We do not understand their deeds, but rather imagine ourselves doing them.
As for forgetting yourself: safety first!
Reality is made of nothing but gratitude and compassion.

Case
Mole continued pressing Raven. “How would you like to be remembered?”
Raven said, “If you can forget yourself even once, then I can be forgotten.”
Mole said, “I learned with my mother’s milk that if I forget myself even once, something will consume me.”
Raven said, “Wise counsel. Wise counsel.”
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2021-07-05

Raven 179: Last Will and Testament

179 of 183

Love what is. That's all. Love what is and everything that brought it to be. Then your legacy, your will and testament, last and first, will be entirely gratitude.

Grammar purveys delusions: common nouns, that categories are real; past conditional modal verbs ("could have been"), that something that is, isn't necessarily. Reality knows no such.

Case
Mole and Woodpecker came together to see Raven one afternoon.
Mole said, "Woodpecker and I have been noticing that you're getting on in years, and wondering -- have you made your last will and testament?"
Raven said, "Thank you."
The three of them sat together silently for a while.
Then Woodpecker asked, "Looking back, is there anything you would like to have done differently?"
Raven said, "How could I?"
Mole asked, "Each time you decided which way to go. Are you sorry about any of those decisions?"
Raven said, "How could I?"
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2021-06-28

Raven 178: Zazen for the Young Ones

178 of 183
"Tomorrow, after my death, some men may decide to establish Fascism, and the others may be so cowardly or so slack as to let them do so. If so, Fascism will then be the truth of man, and so much the worse for us." --Jean-Paul Sartre
Maybe no one's watching. Maybe you're not modeling anything for anyone. Maybe the Fascists take over, and your own child supports them. Even if no one is watching, that you bowed, that you practiced, that you sat and chanted and studied sutras, that you glimpsed your nature -- these will be eternal facts. They will be written in the book of reality, even if no one ever reads your page. Now, bow. Just bow in the knowledge that at that moment nothing else matters.

Case
One evening Badger asked, "Do you encourage the young ones to do zazen?"
Raven asked, "What happens when they see you sit down to practice?"
Badger said, "They go out to play."
Raven said, "Well?"
Badger said, "Maybe I can do something now, and later they will remember and take up the practice."
Raven said, "Bow."
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2021-06-21

Raven 177: Confidence

Zazen is the universal solvent. It's not that problems dissolve away in the sustained abiding in silence, but the problematicity of every problem dissolves.
Grouse came by one day for a private talk with Raven. She said, "My problem is that I have no confidence."
Raven said, "Aren't you quieter these days?"
Grouse said, "Yes. I guess I am."
Raven said, "There you go."
Grouse said, "I guess I can do it."
Raven said, "It's total silence that removes all doubt."
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2021-06-14

Raven 176: The Memorial Service

Death has to happen, and we have to mourn when it does. Do we need to blame? Sometimes it's functional. What about blaming (self or others) for blaming?
Badger's little daughter Furry was caught by Cougar and eaten. The Badger family went into mourning, and the community held a memorial service. Folks came forward and offered flowers at the altar and spoke. Cougar did not attend.
While folks were eating grubs and leavings after the service, Mole said to Badger, "I grieve at your loss, and I'm deeply upset with Cougar. To think that a member of our own community could do such a thing."
Badger said, "He didn't know. And I eat baby mice, after all."
Mole said, "Over at the Little Church in the Grotto they say the lion shall lie down with the lamb."
Raven sighed and said, "The raven, too."
Wolverine said, "I need my meat. I can't magine just eating grains and fruits like some of the birds around here."
Raven said, "Bushes and grasses are even slower."
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2021-06-07

Raven 175: Weird

Magpies -- and corvids generally, including ravens -- have a reputation for being attracted to shiny objects. It turns out that this reputation does not withstand empirical scrutiny. It isn't true.

Humans, however, are attracted to shiny objects. Is there a connection between that weird obsession and the diminishment of the Earth (foresters closing in)? If so, what does that mean for your practice?

Case
Mallard flew in one evening and reported, "Miners keep coming to Beaverdam to wash for gold. I think that's a pretty weird activity."
Raven said, "Magpies wouldn't think so."
Mallard said, "Magpies are weird."
Raven said, "The foresters are closing in, too."

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2021-05-31

Raven 174: Saved

"Beings are numberless; I vow to save them." What does this vow mean if some beings don't want to be saved? What if you yourself are among those who don't want to be saved?

Among other things, perhaps it means that the saving might want to be...how to say this?...gentle. Not covert, exactly, but not heavy-handed. Certainly, we don't "save" beings by enticing them to join our zen group. Generally.

Case
Woodpecker said, "We don't have a very big membership -- not like Stag Sensei's group. Their place is so crowded with folks that they're talking about enlarging it. What can we do to attract more members?"
Raven said, "The Blue Planet is only so big."
Woodpecker asked, "But what about our vow to save everybody?"
Raven said, "I don't want to be saved."

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2021-05-24

Raven 173: The Underlying Scheme

Why is Porcupine putting his question in the mouth of a hypothetical "student"? Why doesn't he just ask the question?

"Underlying scheme of things." Don't be silly. The scheme that underlies is the scheme that's right there on the surface. But tell me: is it the weather? Or is it idle chat about the weather?

Case
Porcupine, conferring with Raven privately, asked, "What if a student asks about the underlying scheme of things -- how would you respond?"
Raven said, "It's cooler tonight. It'll rain tomorrow."
Porcupine said, "Sometimes it rains after a hot spell."
Raven said, "We'll all take shelter with Mole and his family."

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