Space and change
Explore images of emptiness, return and the limits of language in the Dao De Jing.
An original introduction. This guide accompanies the work; it is neither the complete text nor a translation.
Emptiness
Space left open makes a vessel, room or institution usable. The collection took shape in ancient China; its manuscripts, versions and textual layers remain debated. Traditional attribution to Laozi does not establish individual authorship.
Return
Change can reverse a situation that seemed permanently stable. Compare several translations and their choices for dao, de and wuwei before deriving a rule.
Language
Names guide thought while leaving something beyond what they claim to fix. The collection took shape in ancient China; its manuscripts, versions and textual layers remain debated. Traditional attribution to Laozi does not establish individual authorship.
Compare several translations and their choices for dao, de and wuwei before deriving a rule.
Your turn to think.
- What can an empty space make possible?
- When might a situation reverse itself?
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