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Our second full discussion on the Daodejing by Laozi.
What actions and attitudes characterize the Daoist sage? Featuring Mark, Wes, Dylan, Seth, and Theo Brooks. Listen to ep. 311 first.
In this part of the discussion we cover these chapters:
- 7, which tells you to excel by not trying so hard.
- 38, which poetically summarizes Daoist psycho-spiritual (deep) virtues as opposed to Confucian behavioral (shallow) virtues.
- 16, on "emptiness" (or "tranquility" or "equilibrium") and "returning to one's roots."
- 27, which says that experts in a given area can forget about the rules that beginners have to follow. They can flexibly use the materials (people) at hand and don't have to reject anything because it's not covered in the manual.
- 37, which is a very puzzling chapter about how the sage never acts, yet nothing is undone, and how after the creatures have transformed of their own accord, if they then get out of line, then the sage can get them back on course with "the nameless uncarved block." So, yes, go do that, I guess!
Image by Charles Valsechi. Editing by Tyler Hislop.
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