Classic Contemplations (March 1993)

The more you look up
The loftier it rises

The lower you stoop down to reach it,
The deeper it sinks.

The more you PRESS forward
The longer it stretches before you;

The more you RETREAT,
The shorter the span to do it in.

– Wang Tsung-yue on T’ai Chi

* * *

Thirteen

Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.

– Tao Te Ching, – Lao Tsu

* * *

“The world is ruled by letting things take their course.” – Lao Tsu