David Hinton

The Four Chinese Classics

 

 

Tao Te Ching

 

The valley spirit never dies.

 

It’s called dark female-enigma,

and the gateway of dark female-enigma

is called the root of heaven and earth,

 

gossamer so unceasing it seems real.

Use it: it’s effortless.

 

 

 

Chuang Tzu

 

We're cast into this human form, and it's such happiness. This human form knows change, but the ten thousand changes are utterly boundless. Who could calculate the joys they promise?

And so the sage wanders where nothing is hidden and everything is preserved. The sage calls dying young a blessing and living long a blessing, calls beginnings a blessing and endings a blessing. We might make such a person our teacher, but there's something the ten thousand things belong to, something all change depends upon— imagine making that your teacher!

 

 

 

Analects

 

Adept Kung said: "When the Master talks about civility and cultivation, you can hear what he says. But when he talks about the nature of things and the Way of Heaven, you can't hear a word."

 

 

 

Mencius

 

The ten thousand things are all there in me. And there's no joy greater than looking within and finding myself faithful to them. Treat others as you would be treated. Devote yourself to that . . . .