1. It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to
carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been
sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness.
Commentary
Commentary
Source: Editorial Summary
This chapter explores core themes of the Tao Te Ching, including non-action, harmony with nature, and the power of simplicity.
Philosophical Insight
Source: Paul Carus (1913) - Canon of Reason and Virtue
1. Grasp to the full, are you not likely foiled? Scheme too sharply, can you wear long? If gold and jewels fill the hall no one can protect it. 2. Rich and high but proud, brings about its own doom. To accomplish merit and acquire fame, then to withdraw, that is Heaven's Way. Next: 10. What Can Be Done? | « Previous: The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ching): The Old Ph... Next: The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ching): The Old Ph... »
Commentary
Commentary
Philosophical Insight