Monday, December 1, 2008

Tao Te Ching Chapter 5-2 True wisdom


Today's Tao

The sage has no mercy.

He treats everyone as straw dogs. (Ch.5)


Straw dogs are discussed in detail in Tao by Matsumoto site. It is in the chapter with the same name.

When I read Chuang Tzu's explanation on straw dogs, it reminds me of the paper gods (wakazari?) in Japan.

We put them at all the corners of our house for the preparation to New Year's day.

Our little gods somehow adore nooks and crannies, especially places like a toilet booth and a kitchen corner.

We put paper on leaves (and make a wakazari) and offer it to gods, wishing the safety of the house.

Once New Year holidays are over, we throw them away like Chuang Tzu's straw dogs.

It symbolizes renewal and rebirth.

Too much mercy may block the natural process of renewal. The sage doesn't like that.


«Related Articles»
-No mercy 5-1
-True wisdom 5-2
-Is a bellows a hologram? 5-3
-Never exhausted 5-4
-Give more, receive more 5-5
-More words, more exhausted 5-6
-Stay empty 5-7
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 5
-Tao by Matsumoto / Straw Dogs
-Tao by Matsumoto / What's a hologram
-Tao by Matsumoto / Hologram and Tao
-Tao by Matsumoto / Nintendo means "Do nothing" Corp.


Lao Tzu answers your question!


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