Dao De Jing - Chapter 32


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Translation and Commentary by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 32 Dao can only remain undefinable. It's so simple and ordinary. Although incredibly small, the entire universe wouldn't dare to try to make it into a servant. The most powerful of all human beings could quite easily guard it. Living things take it into themselves like a welcome guest. When the heavens and earth are in mutual accord, there emerges a sweet dew. Even though no one is aware of making it happen, they all get bestowed equally by it. They begin to fabricate a name for the experience. Simply by giving it a name is sufficient in itself, and that creates an understanding of when to stop going any further. Knowing when to stop precludes danger. As an example of Dao's influence in the world, It can be likened to the way a small valley interacts with a river or the sea. Commentary: 32 ~ Just Let It Happen -Dao can only remain undefinable. -It's so simple and ordinary. -Although incredibly small, the entire universe wouldn't dare to try to make it into a servant. -The most powerful of all human beings could quite easily guard it. -Living things take it into themselves like a welcome guest. Again The Laozi reminds us that Dao can't be described or defined. As you read through this book, with all the references to various ways of connecting to Dao and how you might lose that connection, you might think you can now actually describe what it is. No one can do that. But we’re given a few more tips...... It's the simplest and most ordinary thing you could ever imagine. Even though it's small and insignificant, that doesn't mean anything in the universe would try to control it. You can’t. What would there be to control? How could anything control a natural process? You wouldn’t need an incredible amount of strength to guard it, because even though it’s so tiny it doesn’t need to be protected. How could any living thing not welcome it? It’s already inside of, and working through, everything. -When the heavens and earth are in mutual accord, there emerges a sweet dew. -Even though no one is aware of making it happen, they all get bestowed equally by it. Dew appears in the morning like a special, sparkling gift from Nature when the atmosphere is attuned without disturbances. It provides water for birds and animals to drink, and moisture for plants. People can't control these gifts from Nature, but they all benefit from them. When everything seems to be going smoothly in life, everyone is happy and content. -They begin to fabricate a name for the experience. -Simply by giving it a name is sufficient in itself, and that creates an understanding of when to stop going any further. -Knowing when to stop precludes danger. People have busy and inquisitive minds. When things are pleasant, our fertile minds might want to determine how that happened in order to try to re-create the situation again. It might be enough to just call it "happiness" - if you have to give it a name and not go any further than that. If you try to analyze happiness, you just get further and further away from it until you've created unhappiness. Can you just enjoy what’s happening right now without wondering how long it will last? If you keep wondering about when and how it will end, you’ll only cause more trouble for yourself. -As an example of Dao's influence in the world, -It can be likened to the way a small valley interacts with a river or the sea. Just like Dao can't be described, neither can the existence of dew or happiness. People can come up with scientific explanations for how dew is created by the atmosphere, and brain-wave charts to show the areas of the brain that activate when a person is happy, but those facts don't change the actual experience. If you want to find out more about Dao, look at the way it interacts rather than trying to come up with theories or explanations for what it is. Dao can be likened to a small valley. As a river surges toward the sea following gravity, a small valley acts like a ravine for the natural course of the water. If a person can learn to allow things to flow naturally through them without creating blockages, then she's learned to be more like Dao - rather than becoming a mouthpiece with intellectual explanations for what Dao is. When happiness embraces you, let it flow through you rather than asking why it's here or what it is. Alternate translation: You can’t really come up with definitions of what the process of Dao in your life is about. It’s usually so simple and humdrum. Even though it’s so small and insignificant, nothing in the whole universe would try to control it. The strongest person in this world wouldn’t need to protect it from anything. It’s just something we all can get enjoyment from. When you just let things happen without interfering, many sweet and wonderful things can happen. No one knows how that could posibly be, but they can still get off on it. People try to come up with a name for what they’re experiencing. If you want to come up with a word for it, that’s cool, but let it go at that. If you try to overanalyze it, you’ll lose the feeling. If you want to retain the delightful feeling of how Dao makes everything work together in this world....... Let yourself be as open as a small valley that rejects nothing. 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