Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-13 Early end

Today's Tao

If you are against Tao, you come to an early end. (Ch.30)


"Result is not important at all, but process is."

Many school teachers and your parents may have told you this.

Have they told you why?

Probably, not.

Then, I'll tell you why.

Because the process means turning the prayer wheel.

In Zen Buddhism, they call it "turning the ring of the manifestation of Buddha".

This is our raison d'être.

To turn it, in other words, to keep the circulation of Tao's energy, we exist.

Not to achieve some result in our hologram.

Of course, if something is against Tao's mechanism, it doesn't last long in the hologram.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Tao answers your question!



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-Zenzai is sweet red been soup. Meoto means a husband and a wife. The story was originally written by Sakunosuke Oda, a commercial but good writer who is unfortunately less known outside Japan. The film is directed by Shiro Toyoda whose works you should not miss if you like Kurosawa and Ozu. He is another master film maker of the time when the industry in Japan had plenty of money available. «Meoto zenzai» could be interpreted as "keeping the relationship of a couple is like cooking Zenzai red bean soup". It takes time to prepare, but is sweet when you enjoy it.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-12 Against Tao

Today's Tao

This is called being against Tao. (Ch.30)


I know the difference between man and superman.

You know the difference between "rich" and "super rich".

We all know the difference between being young and living eternally.

If you are looking for any kind of excess, it is against Tao, mister.

Don't get obsessed with result. It's against Tao, too.

If someone bothers you by talking about your result, just say to yourself:

"uh,uh, my hologram is asking me to be kindly accepted".


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Tao answers your question!



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-If you are familiar with Major League Baseball, you know what Baltimore Orioles are. Eternal underdogs. We love underdogs somehow, don't we? I do. Particularly when I see the international popularity of Zen, I want to help a bit to promote Buddhist underdogs, Tariki Buddhism. Tariki means "not to help yourself, but let others help you." Read Shinran Shonin's Tannisho. There is a cheaper paperback, too. Under dogs might be closer to Tao. Didn't Mr Lao Tzu say so?

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-11 Strong steroids

Today's Tao

If a thing is strong, it gets old. (Ch.30)


It is the simple mechanism of Yin Yang cycle.

"What goes up must come down."

Now you know the danger of being strong.

It is like athletes using steroids.

They strangely look older than their age, don't they?

Lao Tzu says something strong gets old prematurely.

If so, be weak and stay young like a baby.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30
-Suppress doubt? 77-2


Tao answers your question!



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-«Konjaku Monogatari / The Tales of Konjaku». All the stories in the collection begin with the expression of "Ima wa mukashi", which is literally translated as "Now is old times". "Konjaku" means this. Once upon a time story-telling was a job of a grandmother or an idle preacher. The kids without television or a Nintendo adored stories whoever told them. Now people have no time. "Now is new times", so to speak.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-10 Force nobody

Today's Tao

It's just a result. Don't force any. (Ch.30)


Stocks may go up and down.

Your beloved Yankees may win and lose.

The result is there to stimulate you to turn the prayer wheel called Life.

Don't buy and sell stocks to control the prices.

Don't buy and sell players to win the World Series.

Don't act on it directly. It is your hologram you create.

It is ridiculous to pay money for what you create.

Instead, use Dark Depth Female and do nothing.

It is free, ladies and gentlemen.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Tao answers your question!



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-Certainly «Genji Monogatari / The Tale of Genji» is a classic. Nevertheless, it is not a history yet. In a modern Japan with Play Station and Manga, you can see the incessant resurrection of the famous story by Murasaki Shikibu (Lady Murasaki, which means Lady Purple). The video game on the left has nothing to do with the aristocratic life of a seducer prince, though. When I was a child, I thought the same thing. I imagined that «The Tale of Genji» might be a story of samurais who lived in the time of the confrontation between Heike and Genji families. I ignorantly thought that it could be a Genji version of «Heike Monogatari / The Tale of Heike».

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-9 Can't help it

Today's Tao

It's just a result. Say you couldn't help it. (Ch.30)


Please ask old Sai (Favour 13-4) if losing his horse is a good result or not.

Then, ask him if his son breaking the leg is a bad result or not.

His answer is always the same:

"You never know".

He is right because there is neither good nor bad.

One cannot help the result.

Thinking about another result hypothetically is a waste of energy.

We cannot help the result because it is the best result no matter how awful it seems.

Let's believe it.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Tao answers your question!



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-Surely, you can translate the name of «Makura no Soshi» as "The Pillow Book". It is not linguistically wrong or immorally distorted. Not at all. The author, Sei Shonagon who was born more than one thousand years ago, might be quite happy to have this title with tongue in cheek. She must have been a cheeky intellectual maid in the imperial palace.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-8 No arrogance

Today's Tao

It's just a result. Don't be arrogant. (Ch.30)


Lao Tzu keeps on asking us not to be arrogant.

Then, to him, what is being arrogant?

He says:

"Being a good man is just a result. Don't be arrogant".

It seems that Lao Tzu thought being good is arrogant.

Well, being good is bad. Being bad is good.

Sounds a bit like Honen and Shinran's Akunin shoki setsu 悪人正機説 (The Doctrine of Evil Persons as the Object of Salvation).

It is logical, isn't it?

There is neither good nor bad in Tao.

If you try to distinguish something from another, it won't work with Tao.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Tao answers your question!



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-We don't really know why you call it «Ise monogatari / The tales of Ise». It is about an aristocrat's life when the samurai did not yet grasp the power. If you buy a packaged tour to Japan, chances are that you will visit Ise Shrine. Then, you can think about the Japanese man in the ancient times who might have visited the princess offered to Shintoist god of Ise.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-7 Don't boast

Today's Tao

It's just a result. Don't boast. (Ch.30)


Once again Lao Tzu asks us not to boast, but boast about what?

In the previous sentences of this chapter, Lao Tzu says that being a good man is just a result.

War is a good example.

A good man in this side of the border is a bad man in the other side.

In the history of human beings, we know plenty of individuals who boasted, "I am good", and regretted it the day after.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Tao answers your question!



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-If you like legends and fantastic stories, this is for you. «The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter» and «The Old bamboo-Hewer's story» have different English titles, but they share the same original story «Taketori Monogatari». An alien princess born in the bamboo fascinates terrestrial men. They fight each other to marry the beautiful princess who has to go back to the outer space. «The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter» might be worth checking because it was translated into modern Japanese by Yasunari Kawabata and into English by Donald Keene. They are probably the best duo to introduce Japanese literature to English readers.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-6 Don't show off

Today's Tao

It's just a result. Don't show off. (Ch.30)


Don't show off.

You don't need Lao Tzu to tell you that.

Any result is a catalyst, or a trigger.

It will give you an opportunity to emit more of the fundamental energy Tao.

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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30
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Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-5 Don't force

Today's Tao

Thereby, don't dare to force any. (Ch.30)


"Force."

This is a fascinating word.

We are always fascinated by the magic "force".

But, the best and most powerful force is to do nothing.

It is Dark Depth Female.

It is explained in Tao by Matsumoto / Dark Depth Female.

Don't act on any directly.

Don't "force".


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-4 Good man

Today's Tao

Being a good man is just a result. (Ch.30)


No dichotomy, please.

There is neither good nor bad in Tao.

Don't judge.

Don't care about result, either.

You are the one who is creating the result.

So, it has to be perfect all the time unless you impose silly dichotomy on it.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30
-Tao by Matsumoto / Do not judge.


Everyday a new entry!



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Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-3 Brambles

Today's Tao

Where a division encamps, brambles will grow. (Ch.30)


It is not wise to intervene directly as some nations use military forces.

The world in front of you is your hologram projected in the mind.

If you act directly on it, you will create "brambles" in your brains.

This is a contradictory mental state trying to create and destroy your hologram at the same time.

It is a short circuit made in your mind.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30
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Everyday a new entry!



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Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-2 Tao likes to return

Today's Tao

This thing likes to return. (Ch.30)


Tao likes to return.

The world returns to the state before it is created.

In Zen Buddhism, this is called Bumo misho izen.

"Bumo misho izen" is an important expression.

But, unfortunately, it seems to be rarely used in English.


Mata ashita. See you tomorrow.


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 30-1 Force by soldiers

Today's Tao

Helping human leaders doesn't mean forcing the world under the sky by soldiers. (Ch.30)


"Human leaders" means "people".

"The world under the sky" means "your hologram".

"By soldiers" means "by force", therefore "to act directly".

So, the first sentence signifies:

"Helping people doesn't mean that you act on them directly in your hologram".


For the translation of the whole chapter, please see Tao by Matsumoto / Chapter 30.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 30


Everyday a new entry!



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