Tao Te Ching Chapter 40-9 Highest attainment = Valley

Today's Tao

The highest attainment seems like a valley. (Ch.40)


"A valley" means void.

As you all know, this is one of Tao Te Ching's key words.

If you are void, you have attained Tao.

"The highest attainment = Valley"

means

"Void = Tao = true You".

You don't have to do anything to attain Tao.

You already are.

But don't be misled by the word "void".

"Void" is plentiful.


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-If not laughable 40-4
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-Evident = Vague 40-6
-Advance = Retreat 40-7
-Smooth = Tangled 40-8
-Highest attainment = Valley 40-9
-Lacking 40-10
-Lazy 40-11
-Changing 40-12
-White = Black 40-13
-Square without corners 40-14
-No completion 40-15
-No voice 40-16
-No form 40-17
-Hidden with no name 40-18
-Generosity 40-19
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 40


Tao answers your question!



-Valley. In Japanese, we call it "tani". «Kaze no tani no Naushika» means "Naushika of the valley of the wind". The name of the novelist Tanizaki means "the cape of the valley". No matter how much we pretend to be sophisticated modern citizens, the Japanese are more or less animists at the recess of their subconsciousness. Valley god 谷神 might not be accepted as a metaphysical concept but a friendly everyday deity.