Verse
Lao-tzu’s Tao Teching
Interpreted by Red Pine
The difference between a formal “yes”
and a casual “yeah”—how slight!
The difference between knowing the Truth
and not knowing it—how great!
Must I fear what others fear?
Should I fear desolation
when there is abundance?
Should I fear darkness
when that light is shining everywhere?
Nonsense!
The people of this world are steeped in their merrymaking
as if gorging at a great feast
or watching the sights of springtime
Yet here I sit, without a sign,
staring blank-eyed like a child
I am but a guest in this world
While others rush about to get things done
I accept what is offered
Oh, my mind is like that of a fool
aloof to the clamor of life around me
Everyone seems so bright and alive
with the sharp distinctions of day
I appear dark and dull
with the blending of differences by night
I am drifting like an ocean, floating like the high winds
Everyone is so rooted in this world
yet I have no place to rest my head
Indeed I am different….
I have no treasure but the Eternal Mother
I have no food but what comes from her breast
Lao-tzu’s Tao Teching
Interpreted by Jonathan Star
Haiku by Erdos
Named and Nameless
Maiden of Heaven and Earth
There! In front of me.
Erdos 2022
Commentary on Verse 01 by Red Pine