Today's Tao
Though there are boats and cars, there is nowhere to ride them. (Ch.80)
"You have boats and cars", that is to say, you have a vehicle to go across to the other bank of the river (=pāramitā / Higan 彼岸, =nirvāṇa / nirvana / Nehan 涅槃).
The vehicle can be either big or small.
It can be anything: conceptual and philosophical ideas or meditational exercises.
Lao Tzu emphasizes:
"There is nowhere to ride (the vehicle)".
Why?
We don't need it because we are already there, on the other bank of the river.
Or, I should say:
"There is neither here nor there, neither this side nor the other side".
Your life right here right now is perfect.
There is "nowhere" to go across.
Please don't fool around to find this "nowhere".
«Related Articles»
-Small country 80-1
-"110 vessels" 80-2
-Don't travel 80-3
-Boats and Cars 80-4
-Armor and Arms 80-5
-Tie the rope 80-6
-Hunger and Food 80-7
-Face transmission / Menju / Beauty 80-8
-Out-Tao (Heresy) Seniya / Gedo Senni / Settled 80-9
-Enjoy your customs 80-10
-Neighbors 80-11
-Moonlight and Dewdrops / Dogs and Roosters 80-12
-Life without intervention 80-13
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 80
Lao Tzu answers your question!
☞«Recommended Books 1» «Tao by Matsumoto» sincerely recommends these books to those who feel "a bit uncomfortable" with Zen Buddhism and Taoism. If you think they are "a little too exotic", the books will help you fill the gap between the East and the West. Besides, to a person who is well accustomed to the oriental philosophies, they will show that the grass is not necessarily greener in someone else's front yard. You don't need fancy costumes or enigmatic mantras. You have got an excellent poet who can initiate you into the world of the Eastern philosophies in a language you are familiar with. On the left, «Siddhartha
» was written in 1922. If the book is still too "oriental", «Demian
» by the same poet can be read as preparatory reading. Hermann Hesse wrote it three years before he completed «Siddhartha», his insurmountable contribution to humanity.
. / "and both are called mysterious, and the mystery itself is the gateway to perception. 同謂之玄玄之又玄衆妙之門" On the right, «Tao Te Ching: A New Translation» translated by 
.
: A Revolutionary Approach to the Practice of Painting (Zen of Creativity)» written by Jeane Carbonetti. / "An artist is defined by the life they live, not by society's definitions of what an artist is." On the right, «
: 44 principles for an Artist's Life» written by Sean Starr. / Like in the olden days, Tao Te Ching helps artists still nowadays.
: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart» written by Willie Nelson and Turk Pipkin. / "Increase your effectiveness as a leader by helping others to develop and grow." On the right, «
: Boost Your Effectiveness at Work by Inspiring and Developing Those Around You» written by Max Landsberg. / Unusual combinations are always welcome.
» written by Benjamin Hoff. / "Modern physics has had a profound influence on almost all aspects of human society." On the right, «
» written by Fritjof Capra. / We are happy to introduce some old soldiers to young officers.
» is another good example of being an uncarved block. This low-class dancer behaves with no awareness of class difference. She doesn't even mind running naked out of the huge rocky bath of the open-air hot spring to say hello to the boy student. The "uncarved block" attitude will surely lead you to "Kami nagara no michi", which means "the way like gods". Daisetz Suzuki explains this well in his «
».
». She is not aware of what she is doing. She is just living. Her way of living does not stop her from enjoying life. She is a perfect Tao girl.
» and Daisetz T. Suzuki's «
».
». You can read about the business pragmatism of a geisha's life. Kafu Nagai depicted his own beauty embodied in a woman of a despised profession in «
», coincidentally published in 1937.
», is without doubt the most important artist in the history of Haiku. Banana Yoshimoto, who wrote «
», may be one of the most successful novelists in the post-consumer market in Japan, where publishing has been in decline for decades. There is one thing in common between them. Their first name is Banana. "Basho" means a banana plant in Japanese and the first name comes last in Japan.
» is an approximative English translation of 
». Names vary, but they point at the same thing.
