8.
Higher level
traditional virtue:
someone compliantly combing their loose hair seems to be saying: ‘this is as if…’
water, flowing right in the center of the Han River and spraying up on both sides.
“Water, flowing right in the center of the Han River and spraying up on both sides…”
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
benefiting, like by reaping grain with a sharp-edged blade,
the myriad scorpion medicine-dancing Ten Thousand
Things cut off—all matter external to oneself like cows etc.—
and yet now, bearded, you:
the husk of the initial protective bud casing—the sepal—but not really the true inner flower of
competing—two hands clawing over a ploughshare…
“dwelling—staying, as someone at home at the tea table, chaste and unmarried, following something slowly from behind with tiger fur…” [from Chapter 2]
the sun shining down like an eye on the people sees all this, sees
that person
has this
‘place’— somewhere intentionally created, like a door chopped with an axe:
a disdained ‘ugliness’—an inferior-hearted evil right outside, touching the house.
Anciently, for ten generations, this lightly hits and leaves this mark of reason…
as near as a border of fine, fine silk you’d guard with a blade…
here—oh, black, icy raven…
The Way of the loose-haired chieftain—walking a while, stopping a while, listening, and speaking of it all
Abiding—dwelling where birthed, sitting over ten mouths…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
Earth (this soil vagina);
heart-core…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
the deep water;
supporting—offering to carry on one’s shoulders…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
being a personable person relating to others;
speaking—words, like slaves or criminals branded by a chisel emerging from a mouth…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
truth-speaking—speaking words like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth of good luck that’s as empty and quiet as a mouth with a soldier’s axe above it, speaking of grass;
straight—upright as a nail in a footprint…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
governing—regulating by harnessing the river named Happy or speaking of turning oneself;
one’s personal, manual role—what one does with a weapon, a flag, or a pen…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
capable, powerful—as that legendary bear with deer legs;
laboring—like moving heavy bags with great strength…
traditional virtue—offering up a goat while back and forth speaking words that are like slaves or criminals, branded by a chisel, emerging from a mouth…
seasonally timely—like when the sun is between your footprint and the position on your arm where you measure your pulse.
That is to say, this particular grown man with a hairpin and public courtesy name…
essentially and only—like the heart of the ‘short-tailed bird’—
“the husk of the initial protective bud casing—the sepal—but not really the true inner flower of
competing—two hands clawing over a ploughshare,”
therefore—anciently, for ten generations, this lightly hits and leaves this mark of reason…
Nothing—no one dancing with long tails flowing from their wrists—nope never, no way, nowhere, nohow Not-Being
particularly crippled with resentment and blame.
The Dào of Lâozî 