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Translation and Commentary by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 27 A good traveler doesn't leave tracks or footprints. A good speaker doesn't use incorrect words in their speech. A good mathematician doesn't use tallies or chips. One who's good at building doors can construct a door that will stay closed without needing locks or bolts. One who's good at tying knots can tie a knot that will stay secure without needing additional rope. A wise person is naturally good at constantly rescuing others, but without discarding their character and without abandoning what's of true value. This is called stretching the brightness. Therefore, a good person is a good person's teacher, and an unkind person is a good person's asset. They don't value their teachers, nor do they love their assets. Although knowledge of this may seem very misleading, it's correctly called a mysterious necessity. Commentary: 27 ~ Natural abilities -A good traveler doesn't leave tracks or footprints. -A good speaker doesn't use incorrect words in their speech. -A good mathematician doesn't use tallies or chips. -One who's good at building doors can construct a door that will stay closed without needing locks or bolts. -One who's good at tying knots can tie a knot that will stay secure without needing additional rope. Each of us has a natural ability to do some things without putting much thought into it. We seem to be able to accomplish certain tasks that others find difficult without knowing how we were able to do it with so little effort. -A wise person is naturally good at constantly rescuing others, but without discarding their character and without abandoning what's of true value. -This is called stretching the brightness. A wise person just naturally reaches out to help others. She doesn't make determinations about what parts of others need to be gotten rid of, nor does she lose sight of observing what's most beneficial to others. By remaining true to herself and simply using her natural ability to assist others on their way, she's able to share the brightness within her. -Therefore, a good person is a good person's teacher, and an unkind person is a good person's asset. -She doesn't value her teachers, nor does she love her assets. Since a wise person has a natural inclination to rescue people without feeling a need to change the essence of what they are, she can be benefited by anyone. She can learn from those who have qualities she admires and find value in helping those who've stumbled along the way. However, she knows not to place too much value in the teachers she admires, nor in becoming too attached to those who need her help. -Although knowledge of this may seem very misleading, it's correctly called a mysterious necessity. It can seem confusing that someone who had the natural ability to rescue others wouldn't constantly be on the lookout for someone who needs to be rescued and make that some sort of mission in life. A wise person doesn't place too much value in her teachers nor become attached to those who need her help because she simply does what she does naturally from her heart. Just like the traveler mentioned above doesn't need to rely on her footprints to find out where she's going, a wise person doesn't need to rely on results in order to help others. Things are accomplished with little effort and then let go. Dao Is Open Site Map \| BY: Nina \| Guodian Laozi \| DDJ Concordance \| Comparisons \| From the DIO Forum \| BY: Bao Pu \| By: Joshua \| \| Return Home \| Laozi's Dao De Jing \| Your Dao De Jing \| Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) \| Links \| Meditation \| Dao (Tao) is Open Forum \| Book List \| Other Stuff \|