#Tao Te Ching: Chapter 50
The Master gives himself up
to whatever the moment brings.
He knows that he is going to die,
and he has nothing left to hold on to:
no illusions in his mind,
no resistances in his body.
He doesn't think about his actions;
they flow from the core of his being.
He holds nothing back from life;
therefore he is ready for death,
as a man is ready for sleep
after a good day's work.
The only thing that rubs me the wrong way is the concept of master.
The Master is the Sage being one with the Dao. Some translations use Master instead of Sage. Nothing to get rubbed wrong by. Accept nature, the Dao and its flow
What do you mean?
Look at the language ‘master’, ‘gives’, all concepts of separation. Dao is just wholeness the thing that can never be described because of its completeness. If there is a master there is an unmaster, who is to say which is which. This can be argued for ever. Remember it isn’t dao if it can be named.
It is beautifully said. If one has an egoistic self trying to master situations in life, one is a disciple (using discipline), but when one gives oneself up, then one is a Master (no discipline). It is just a figure if speech.
this is a difference in cultural grammar, not in grammar itself.
I understood the context. I don’t believe there is a mastering of one self.
The only philosophical schools i know of that reach this conclusion are solipsism or nihilism. I personally don't find either one of them particularly useful. If, however, you are thinking about "mastery" in terms like "perfection" then yes, we can always be better. 😀
I have my own personal world view that has nothing to do with schools of thought. My assumptions come from watching my own thoughts and actions and are most certainly wrong. I sometimes am a disagreeable prick. You might be too. If so, we will just keep round after round. Both of us just essentially saying GFY. 😀
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