Tao Te Ching Chapter 66-1 100 valleys

Today's Tao

The reason why big rivers and the sea can be the king of hundreds of valleys is that the former is well down the latter. Therefore, they can be the king of hundreds of valleys. (Ch.66)


Let's decode these sentences word by word.

"Big rivers and the sea" imply Tao.

So, the king is Tao.

The king of what, then?

"A valley" means void.

Do you remember? (☞See Valley 28-3)

The void is Tao.

The expression "Hundreds of valleys" here is a beautiful metaphor of the holograms filled with Tao's energy.

And down below you have the far greater mass of Tao's energy as the ocean lies below the valleys.

Zen Buddhists use the metaphor of "dewdrops reflecting the moon".

Holograms look independent like dewdrops.

But they cannot help reflecting the moon.

The moon is true You, which is Tao.

Tao's light is called Mugeko 無碍光: the light that lights up everything.


«Related Articles»
-100 valleys 66-1
-Verbally 66-2
-Physically 66-3
-Never heavy 66-4
-Harmless 66-5
-Support 66-6
-Don't compete 66-7
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 66
-Valleys and the Sea 32-9 Please note that in Chapter 32 "big rivers and the sea" expresses holograms, which are the manifestations of Tao. One can see Tao's energy through a hologram. If you put together the two sentences, you can make a full cycle of "big rivers and the sea" → "valleys" → "big rivers and the sea", that is, hologram → Tao → hologram. It is the Yin Yang circle. Please do not think that a hologram and Tao are two separate entities.


Tao answers your question!



☞"You have to work hard to get what you want." I wonder where we got this strange idea. In Buddhism, Amida Butsu (Amitābha Buddha) is the one who is in charge of "what you want". Basically, he gives you all, even your desire of wanting something. Therefore, you have already got what you want. If you haven't got one thing that you seem to want, in fact you don't want it. This Buddha of Infinite Light is also called Mugeko Butsu in Japanese.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 63-1 Decoding a riddle / video

Today's Tao

Act no action. (Ch.63)


To read the text for this Today's Tao video, please visit Tao by Matsumoto video blog 63-1 Decoding a riddle.


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 49-9 Have no heart

Today's Tao

When the sage stays in the world under the sky, he has no heart. (Ch.49)


"The sage" means you because you are the one who projects your hologram, which is the world.

"The world under the sky" signifies your hologram.

Therefore, Today's Tao sentence is decrypted:

"When you stay in your hologram, you have no heart".

"No heart" suggests:

"Your own feelings, thoughts, senses, and even body and mind do not exist outside the hologram".

If you think they are illusions, it will be easier for you to understand how Tao's cycle and holograms work.


«Related Articles»
-No heart 49-1
-People's heart 49-2
-A study of the Good 49-3
-Non-good 49-4
-Goodness 49-5
-Tariki / faithful 49-6
-Not faithful 49-7
-Faith 49-8
-Have no heart 49-9
-Inmo and No mind 49-10
-Close ears and eyes 49-11
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 49


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☞Heart, mind, and essence; all of them can be translated as Kokoro / Shin. In the process of the translation from Japanese to English, they are all mixed up, with a reason. Because the first two; heart and mind; are manifestations of Tao, which is Hannya (=Wisdom, =essence). "Learning Hannya is False Emptiness (=Koku, =hologram). False Emptiness is learning Hannya. 学般若これ虚空なり。虚空は学般若なり。" (Makahannyaharamitsu 摩訶般若波羅蜜, «Shobogenzo») Hannya = Emptiness. The world, heart and mind included, (=False Emptiness, =hologram) exists to give us chances to learn Hannya (=Tao).

Tao Te Ching Chapter 32-9 Valleys & the Sea

Today's Tao

Tao is to the world under the sky as streams and valleys are to big rivers and the sea. (Ch.32)


Here, some simple equations to decode Tao Te Ching.


Tao = Valley = vacuum

world under the sky = big rivers and the sea = holograms (= the manifestations of Tao)


Tao the vacuum sustains the holograms as Ikkyu's Yama Uba, the old woman in the mountains, helps the workers.

Something invisible sustains something visible.

Something seemingly empty sustains something apparently concrete.


Now you know what they mean by:

"Colour is justly nothing. Nothing is justly colour. 色即是空。空即是色。" (Heart Sutra 般若心経)


The holograms you see is, in fact, empty.

Tao the vacuum creates them.


«Related Articles»
-Nameless 32-1
-Small uncarved block 32-2
-Lords and Kings 32-3
-Fertile raindrops 32-4
-Balance 32-5
-Cuts and Names 32-6
-Stop 32-7
-No danger 32-8
-Valleys and the Sea 32-9
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 32
-Valley god 6-1
-Yama Uba under it 14-10
-Full = Empty 45-3
-Yama Uba the Zen play Zen master Ikkyu wrote the Japanese Noh play in order to explain how Zen works. Now it is available in English.
-100 valleys 66-1 "Hundreds of valleys" expresses the holograms filled with Tao's energy in Chapter 66. For further explanation, please see the note at Related Articles in 100 valleys 66-1.


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 22-7 Canon

Today's Tao

That's why the sage holds Tao and is the canon under the sky. (Ch.22)


There are some easy tips to decode Tao Te Ching (道徳経 in Kanji, characters from Kan).

"Under the sky 天下 [ten ka]" often means "the world", which is your hologram.

The word "sage 聖人 [sei jin]" is important because it means you. You are the sage. Therefore, you are the canon.

It is quite natural because you project the world, so who else can be the canon?

But be careful. Please do not think that you are going to be a sage one day after all the hardships and learnings.

This is a trap.

You are already the sage and canon of the world.


«Related Articles»
-Twisted 22-1
-Bent 22-2
-Hollow 22-3
-Before parents' birth 22-4
-Shinran / Jodo Buddhism 22-5
-Not "more" 22-6
-Canon 22-7
-Clearly seen 22-8
-Righteousness 22-9
-No bragging 22-10
-No boasting 22-11
-Aikido 22-12
-Empty words 22-13
-Return it! 22-14
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 22


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-Kyoka Izumi was one of the Bun-shi 文士, which means «a samurai who has a pen instead of a sword» in the post-samurai and modern era in Japan. He wrote a novel about mysterious seduction between a phantom woman and a monk. It is called Koya Hijiri 高野聖 / Saint of Mt. Koya. Hijiri 聖 means sacred. Therefore, Seijin 聖人 in Tao Te Ching literally means a sacred person. In the film on the left, Seijun Suzuki, a magician of visual images, made a film based on one of Kyoka Izumi's works.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 20-9 Secret of abundance

Today's Tao

Many people have more than enough. (Ch.20)


There is a key to decode Tao Te Ching easily.

Every time you see the word "people" or "world", you replace it with «your hologram».

Today's Tao sentence is paraphrased as:

"Your hologram has more than enough".

The world is abundant.

There you can have as much as you want because you are the one who is projecting it.


«Related Articles»
-"Yes" and "year" 20-1
-Good = Evil 20-2
-Let'em fear 20-3
-Blur 20-4
-Fun or depression 20-5
-Signs 20-6
-Baby's smile 20-7
-Tired 20-8
-Secret of abundance 20-9
-Buddha alone 20-10
-Fool 20-11
-Mundane people 20-12
-Dark 20-13
-Investigation 20-14
-Not clear 20-15
-Sea 20-16
-High wind I 20-17
-Purpose 20-18
-Incompetence 20-19
-I'm different 20-20
-Eat mother 20-21
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 20


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 20-6 Signs

Today's Tao

I alone don't move. There is no sign yet. (Ch.20)


Some people, like the Kanaks in New Caledonia, think that all the elements in the world are signs.

They are symbols to be decoded, they say.

It is interesting.

But, if you know that the world is a hologram and catalyst, you don't have to interpret the signs.

Because all of them are saying the same thing:

"Don't move. Do nothing. Just emit more fundamental energy Tao."


«Related Articles»
-"Yes" and "year" 20-1
-Good = Evil 20-2
-Let'em fear 20-3
-Blur 20-4
-Fun or depression 20-5
-Signs 20-6
-Baby's smile 20-7
-Tired 20-8
-Secret of abundance 20-9
-Buddha alone 20-10
-Fool 20-11
-Mundane people 20-12
-Dark 20-13
-Investigation 20-14
-Not clear 20-15
-Sea 20-16
-High wind I 20-17
-Purpose 20-18
-Incompetence 20-19
-I'm different 20-20
-Eat mother 20-21
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 20


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I used this one when I was there. Good ol' Lonely Planet. I complain about the new editions, but still like them.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 63-1 Decoding a riddle

Today's Tao

Act no action. (Ch. 63)


When you try to find some answers in Oriental philosophy, aren't you a little tired of confronting this type of contradiction?

Please forgive Lao Tzu and Zen masters for not being helpful enough.

It is not their fault.

They are just trying to be honest.

We have not only the barrier between the languages but also the lapse of time.

So, we need a decoding which is sometimes too audacious for academic study.

We need it in order to live his teachings in real life.

The sentence above means:

"Accept everything as it is".


«Related Articles»
-Decoding a riddle 63-1
-No work 63-2
-No taste 63-3
-Small = Big 63-4
-Love him 63-5
-Complicated? 63-6
-Minuscule 63-7
-Complicated in Easy 63-8
-Big in minuscule 63-9
-Don't try 63-10
-Casual promises 63-11
-Easy origin 63-12
-Everything as difficult 63-13
-Nothing is difficult 63-14
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 63


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