Tao Te Ching Chapter 74-6 Carved or uncarved block

Today's Tao

If you carve wood on behalf of Big's carpenter, you surely hurt your hand. (Ch.74)


Don't try to carve "an uncarved block".

That is to say, don't try to control Tao and its holograms.

Let the carpenter of the holograms do his work.

In Zen Buddhism, they wisely call them Inmo butsu 恁麼物, or "what on earth" thing. (☞See Inmo and No mind 49-10)

Let your hologram come and go.

Surely you will hurt your hand if you try to control something uncontrollable.

You will feel you are stuck in the world because you forget that this life is your hologram.

If you cannot help feeling that you are lost in Mayoi, don't worry.

This Mayoi, or being lost, is Satori itself.

Your life itself is Satori the enlightenment.

Do you have to carve something already perfect?


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 74
-Big 25-9


Tao answers your question!



☞«Tao of ****» The first line comparison (15) / "Recently, a friend asked me why I'd bother to write another book about writing." On the left, «The Tao Of Writing: Imagine. Create. Flow.» written by Ralph L. Wahlstrom. / "The Tao embodies principles of a natural flow and non-resistance. Incorporating these principles into your legal research and writing practices can help you become a more efficient and more effective legal writer. " On the right, «The Tao of Legal Writing» written by Judith M. Stinson. / Legal or non-legal, Tao will help you in improving your writing skills. Tao will help you with anything.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 74-5 Big's carpenter

Dear Tao friends,

Thank you for your patience, and let's resume our journey of Taoism.

Now we are reading the final chapters of Tao Te Ching, and let's cherish every bit of them.

One sentence a day (without Saturdays and Sundays) as if we were finishing the final pieces of chocolate.


Naoto Matsumoto

Today's Tao

If you end life on behalf of those who are in charge of ending life, it is like carving wood on behalf of Big's carpenter. (Ch.74)


"Big's carpenter" means Tao's carpenter. (☞See Big 25-9)

Tao is not supposed to be carved. It is an uncarved block. (☞See Thick 15-8 and Uncarved block 28-12)

Would you like to be a carpenter to carve Tao? In other words, would you like to intervene the natural course of Tao by trying to influence your holographic "life"?


We have precious pieces of advice by Zen Master Dogen if we want to detach ourselves from life.

"If you have Buddha between the beginning of life and the end of it, there is neither the beginning of life nor the end of it."

"If you don't have Buddha between the beginning of life and the end of it, you will not be lost between the beginning of life and the end of it."

「生死の中に仏あれば生死なし」

「生死の中に仏なければ生死にまどはず」

(Shoji 生死, «Shobogenzo»)


Get lost in life.

Lost completely.

Being lost in Mayoi is Satori.

You will find Buddha's love while lost in the life of Mayoi.

But, if it is too painful for you, remember that your life is just a hologram and catalyst.


«Related Articles»
-End of Life 74-1
-Don't terrify them 74-2
-Fear of End 74-3
-Reincarnation 74-4
-Big's carpenter 74-5
-Carved or uncarved block 74-6
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 74


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☞«Tao of ****» The first line comparison (14) / "The world is hazy / No clean lines or sharp points / Focus the camera" On the left, «The Tao of Statistics: A Path to Understanding (With No Math)» written by Dr Dana K. Keller. / "Doesn't it take just one side to start a conflict?" On the right, «The Tao of Negotiation: How You Can Prevent, Resolve, and Transcend Conflict in Work and Everyday Life» written by Joel Edelman and Mary Beth Crane. / The ways of statistics and negotiation are intertwined like Kudzu and wisteria vines.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 73-9 Tao = Net

Today's Tao

Heaven's net is vast. Its mesh is not fine, but it doesn't lose any. (Ch.73)


天網恢々疏にして失せず [tenmo kaikai so ni shite shissezu]

In Japan, this is one of the best known sentences in Tao Te Ching.

What is "Heaven's net"?

It is the net of Tao's energy, which covers everything in your hologram.

In Chapter 11, Lao Tzu said: "30 spokes share one hub". (☞See 30 spokes 11-1)

In Chapter 28: "When the uncarved block scatters, it becomes vessels". (☞See Vessels 28-13)

Can you picture the images?

All of them are metaphors in order to explain the relation between Tao and a hologram, the projector and the projected.

In Buddhism, it is symbolized by the infinite light of Amida Butsu (Amitāba Buddha).

What is the infinite light, then?

It is the movement of Tao and true You.

And this is the light that projects your holographic world in the 360 degree movie theater, so to speak.

The content of the film is not important.

The light of the projector is.


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-Act without living 73-1
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-I shin den shin / No call 73-7
-Plan 73-8
-Tao = Net 73-9
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 73


Tao answers your question!



☞On the left, «The Promise of Amida Buddha: Honen's Path to Bliss». Honen is the teacher of Shinran. Amida Buddha is the pillar of Jodo Shin Shu / Pure Land Shin School of Buddhism. / On the right, «Living in Amida's Universal Vow: Essays on Shin Buddhism» is edited by Alfred Bloom and has some articles by him and Daisetz Suzuki among others. Later in his life, Suzuki, the author of «Zen and Japanese Culture», got interested in Jodo Buddhism as Zen Master Ikkyu did.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 67-11 Leader of the vessel

Today's Tao

I try not to be the first under the sky, so I can be the leader of the vessel. (Ch.67)


"Vessel" is a key word in Tao Te Ching and Taoism.

It is a metaphor of a hologram.

"When the uncarved block (=Tao) scatters, it becomes vessels." (☞See Vessels 28-13)

"The world under the sky is a god's vessel. Don't do anything to it." (☞See A god's vessel 29-2)

"Big's vessel will never be completed." (☞See No completion 40-15)

First, Tao, which is true You, projects a hologram.

Second, your own self is part of the hologram.

The self should not try to be the first in there because true You are already the leader of the vessel, that is to say, the projector of the hologram.

Third, holograms are projected and disappear constantly and simultaneously.

They are "never be completed", therefore, eternal.


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-Don't waste holograms 67-7
-Not the first 67-8
-Be brave 67-9
-Be vast 67-10
-Leader of the vessel 67-11
-Stuck in life 67-12
-Love, win, defense 67-13
-Heaven, Love, Tao 67-14
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 67


Tao answers your question!



☞«Raku 楽» means easy, happy, and comfortable. Who said life has to be difficult! Enjoy this easy and happy pot-making.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 57-12 Desire

Today's Tao

"I have no desire and the people become an uncarved block by themselves." (Ch.57)


A: "Master Bonbon, I want to have 'no desire'. What can I do?"

B: "Meditate for thirty years, and you will have no desire."


You don't have to meditate and wait for thirty years.

You have no desire from the beginning.

It doesn't belong to you.

Like your mind, feelings, and the clouds in the sky, desire comes and goes.

This is Inmo 恁麼 in Zen Buddhism.

It is part of your hologram.

"Have no desire" means "Accept the fact that you do not possess desire".

If you do it, you will remember that true You are "an uncarved block", which means Tao.

From now on, you don't have to suffer from your desire.


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-Ho 法 and Laws 57-8
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-Don't work and Get rich 57-11
-Desire 57-12
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 57


Tao answers your question!



☞Some gifts can save one's life. He may be suffering simply because he cannot name the cause of his sufferings. Once he names it, he can move on to the next stage. He may find a solution to heal the pain, or he might discover that he was not suffering at all. True gifts of life will help him find his way. These are the books of the kind: Ronald D. Davis's «The Gift of Dyslexia» and Daisetz T. Suzuki's «Manual of Zen Buddhism».

Tao Te Ching Chapter 51-4 Vessel = Hologram

Today's Tao

Vessels complete this. (Ch.51)


"When Tao (=the uncarved block) scatters, it becomes vessels." (☞See Vessels 28-13)

"The world under the sky is a god's vessel. Don't do anything to it." (☞See A god's vessel 29-2)

"A Vessel" suggests your hologram.

The important point is that your hologram "completes" you.

Your own self is not independent of the hologram.

Your own self, mind and body included, is part of your hologram.

You and non-you constitute your hologram. Both you and non-you need each other.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 51


Tao answers your question!



☞There is something that never changes, like boy-meets-girl stories. Since the time of «The Tele of Genji» by Lady Murasaki Shikibu through Yasunari Kawabata's «Snow Country», nothing has changed essentially. On the other hand, a society changes. Something that was considered love can be regarded perverted or anti-democratic. You are not allowed to do the same thing any longer. All you can do is to plunge into the world of literature and live what they were allowed to do, in your imagination.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 38-13 Thick & Thin

Today's Tao

Therefore, a great man remains in its thickness and stays away from its thinness. (Ch.38)


Thickness means Tao.

In Chapter 15 Man who knew Tao Lao Tzu says:

"Thick, as if he were an uncarved block."


Thickness = an uncarved block = Tao

(☞See also Chapter  28 Uncarved block)


Thinness means a hologram.

A hologram is superficial.

Besides, Lao Tzu asks you to stay away from the thin hologram, which we call the world.

You should detach yourself from your world. Don't get stuck in there.

Nevertheless, we must not despise it.

Because it is the flower of Tao's manifestation (=法華 [hokke])

It stimulates you to emit more Love / Tao energy to turn the wheel of manifestation, 法輪 [horin].

The act is called 転法輪 [tenborin].


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-Tao's Flower 38-14
-Leave it 38-15
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 38


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-Beautiful flowers bloom in all the spheres of existence. Some stories shine. Some are worth telling to another generation.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 38-7 Lost Tao

Today's Tao

Therefore, having lost Tao, there is attainment. (Ch.38)


If you hadn't lost Tao, you wouldn't need the attainment of Tao.

If you are seeking for Satori, certainly you have forgotten that you are in the state of Satori.

After we had lost the trust in Tao, we came up with the concept of attaining it or reaching Satori.

I just want you to trust yourself.

You have never lost the state of innocence.

You are always as innocent as an uncarved block or a baby.

Please do not doubt that you are perfect no matter how much it seems otherwise.

Doubting your perfection and consequently seeking for a refuge like "Satori" is the first step towards the spiral descent into the spiritual labyrinth.


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-Tao's Flower 38-14
-Leave it 38-15
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 38


Tao answers your question!



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-Not artistically important, but it might be interesting if you want to know about the change of the concept on ambition in Japan. Young Japanese, living in the country's never ending sluggish economy, may share the same idea about love and money unconsciously as those 100 years ago. Who knows! You can observe them using the novel as a reference.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 37-4 No desire

Today's Tao

The uncarved block with no name naturally wants to have no desire. (Ch.37)


The uncarved block means Tao, which is true You.

Tao doesn't have a name.

You don't have individuality, in reality.

Tao doesn't have desire.

You don't have desire, in reality.

Do you have an unquenchable desire to control your life, uh?

"Where does this desire come from?"

Forget looking for the answer to this meaningless question.

The more you think, the more resistance you create.

Every time you cannot find an answer, avoid the question as water avoids obstacles.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 37


Tao answers your question!



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-«Higan sugi madé» is roughly translated as «To the (Spring) Equinox». This is considered to be the first book of Natsume Soseki's later triptych.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 37-3 Uncarved block with no name

Today's Tao

If desire comes out during the transformation, I will use the uncarved block with no name in order to calm it down. (Ch.37)


A: "What can I do if I want to transform the world, Master Bonbon?"

B: "Suppress your unquenchable desire."

A: "Yes, Master Bonbon. I will suppress my desire. Suppress my desire. Suppress desire….. I can't do it. I can't do it. Master Bonbon, my desire is unquenchable."


Desire has been confusing many for a long time.

What is desire?

It is a catalyst like others in your hologram.

Instead of suppressing it, cherish and accept your desire.

Then, you can easily remember that true You are the nameless uncarved block (=Tao) without desire.

You don't have to suppress your desire.

Just remember desire doesn't belong to you from the beginning.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 37


Tao answers your question!



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-This is a very good book which can truly help some people in need. It is a shame that its French translation is very expensive.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 32-2 Small uncarved block

Today's Tao

Though the uncarved block is small, no one under the sky can make it his minister very well. (Ch.32)


It is a good suggestion.

Many people try to control Tao.

Lao Tzu makes it clear that it is impossible.

"The uncarved block", which is Tao, is not just small, but doesn't have any volume at all.

"The world under the sky" means your hologram.

You cannot control Tao from the side of the hologram by any means, neither by any exercise nor prayer, not to mention any scientific measure.

I hope that you don't practice Taoism or Zen Buddhism, thinking that you will be able to control Tao.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 32
-Tao by Matsumoto / Uncarved block


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-I am sincerely proud that I was born in a country where «The life of amorous woman» and «Five women who loved love» are considered to be part of our greatest literary achievement. The English titles may have been somehow "softened" for the public to think that it is a "serious" literary work. The titles in Japanese, «Koushoku Ichidai Onna» and «Koushoku Gonin Onna», mean more indecent than those in English. I may translate them as «The most lecherous woman in one life» and «The five most lecherous women» respectively.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 28-14 Chief officials

Today's Tao

The sage uses them, and makes them the chief of the officials. (Ch.28)


The uncarved block scatters and becomes vessels.

Tao scatters and becomes your hologram.

Use your hologram. It's all yours.

But, not by acting on it directly. By using Dark Depth Female method.

Let people do whatever they want.

After all, they are part of your hologram.

If someone wants to be "the chief of the officials" and reign over the world, don't get annoyed.

Just let him do.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 28


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-I am so glad that Donald Keene chose Ryotaro Shiba among the five modern Japanese novelists along with Jun' ichiro Tanizaki, Yasunari Kawabata, Kobo Abe, and Yukio Mishima. Ryotaro Shiba is extremely popular in Japan and very productive in terms of the volume and number of his works. It is surprising to know that only a handful of his novels have been translated into English so far. Nevertheless, I see some change. So far, artistic novels seem to have represented Japanese literature, but more and more readers living abroad are interested in Japan's popular literature mostly read in commuter trains by "salarymen" because they are good reads. Otherwise, they would fall asleep in the train.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 28-13 Vessels

Today's Tao

When the uncarved block scatters, it becomes vessels. (Ch.28)


I like this beautiful image.

An uncarved block splits up and scatters all over.

Then, the tiny pieces will get together and form vessels everywhere.

The uncarved block means Tao.

The vessels can be objects or people.

In any case, they are holograms.

Here, we have another fantastic metaphor on how Tao's holography works.


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-Valley, male, female 28-9
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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 28
-30 spokes 11-1 "30 spokes share one hub." This is another interesting metaphor.
-Tao = Net 73-9 "Heaven's net is vast. Its mesh is not fine, but it doesn't lose any." Lao Tzu uses metaphors to explain the Tao/hologram mechanism.


Tao answers your question!



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-«The Tale of Genji» is definitely the best novel written in Japanese. The translator of the book on the left is Donald Keene, who is definitely the best researcher of Japanese literature outside, and probably inside as well, the Japanese archipelago. It is quite ironical that, thanks to World War 2, we have this American gentleman and exceptional scholar. He was trained as a intelligence officer. Well, he decoded the classic nicely.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 28-12 Uncarved block

Today's Tao

You will return to an uncarved block. (Ch.28)


Here we have one of the most important key words in Tao Te Ching.

It is an uncarved block.

Lao Tzu doesn't like any sort of human intervention.

Everything artificial is simply a waste of energy.

Even worse, it could be a hindrance.

So, an untouched, uncarved piece of wood is the symbol of natural state.

When you take off your clothes and social mask, who are you?

You are an uncarved block, which is Tao.

You play in your life and go back to Tao.


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-The greatest control 28-15
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 28


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-Kukai, pronounced like KooKaï. His name means the empty sea (or sky sea). Dogen, pronouced like daw ghen. His name means the origin of Tao. Both went to China to learn Buddhism. The former came back to Japan with plenty of sutras. The latter with nothing. The former used the mandala. The latter was not interested in objects.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 19-5 Essence = Uncarved block

Today's Tao

Show your essence and hold an uncarved block. (Ch.19)


Don't be pretentious.

Why do you have to impress others while you know they are part of your hologram?

Be as ignorant as an uncarved block.

Destroy your cleverness.

That's the way to show your true essence.

If you take off your clothes, your body, and your hologram, you will find Tao there.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 19


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Tao Te Ching Chapter 15-8 Thick

Today's Tao

Thick, as if he were an uncarved block. (Ch.15)


"You are a bit thick. You know that?"

When you talk about Tao in front of people, some of them must say this.

If they say: "Wow, you are a true enlightened man", you are not talking about a true «uncarved block».

This is one of Lao Tzu's favourite expressions to describe the initial state of being.

Be as innocent, as stupid, and as thick as an «uncarved block».


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-Break your mirror 15-13
-Break your face 15-14
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 15


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