The surest path to survival

Running rest-day ...

... here's an excerpt from one of my very favourite volumes; not so much poetry as a classical collection of wise sayings from the fourth century B.C.

The volume is called Tao Te Ching, and is attributed to a contemporary of Confucius called, Lao Tzu. The collection espouses a philosophy of meekness as the surest path to survival - much of it clearly completely forgotten in today's modern world :-(

The pictured copy is a 1987 reprint of the original 1963 translation by D.C.Lau ... I bought this in London in July 1988 - and here are the first few lines:


THE WAY

The way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.

The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;
The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.

Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets;
But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.

These two are the same
But diverge in name as they issue forth.
Being the same they are called mysteries,
Mystery upon mystery —
The gateway of the manifold secrets.