The Dao Is Open website is devoted to the cultivation of Dao (Tao) and De (Te), as exemplified in the works of Laozi (Lao Tzu) and Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu).


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Translation and Commentary by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 4 Dao is empty, but it can be used without having to be filled up. It's as bottomless as an abyss! It began before any living cell. It smoothes down sharp edges. It unties what's tangled. It softens the harsh glare. It settles the dust. It's unfathomable! Perhaps it began before anything was created. We don't have any idea whose child it could be. It seems to have preceded the first concept of existence. Commentary: 4 - When did Dao begin? This chapter speaks directly to the indescribable and unfathomable essence of Dao. Scientists try to determine when life on this earth began, and even to set a date for the creation of the universe. Religion tries to explain the creation of the universe based on the existence of a God. We each look at our own existence in terms of when we were born. Laozi points out that Dao has no beginning - "whose child could it be?" Could there have been anything that existed prior to Dao? -Dao is empty, but it can be used without having to be filled up. -It's as bottomless as an abyss! -It began before any living cell. It's hard to imagine how something that's empty (that has nothing to offer) could be used for anything whatsoever. And yet, Dao doesn't have to be filled up with anything in order to exist. Since it's bottomless, nothing accumulates in it. Therefore, everything can freely flow in and out. It was an essence that existed before anything tangible came into being. -It smoothes down sharp edges. -It unties what's tangled. -It softens the harsh glare. -It settles the dust. It smoothes down sharp edges - what might have once seemed to be harsh and abrasive to us can suddenly become soft and smooth. A traffic jam suddenly clears and we're sailing down the highway. It unties what's tangled - confusion and bewilderment can turn into understanding. We often experience those "Aha!" moments. It softens the harsh glare - what appears to be an insurmountable problem eventually dissipates. Moments when we just want to get into bed and pull the covers over our heads don't last forever. It settles the dust - it makes all the pieces of daily life in this world fit together. Even though we don't understand how this world can continue due to the disasters people create, life does go on. How does this relate to our own lives? Maybe Laozi is telling us that we shouldn't be so disrupted by every little thing that happens to us throughout the day. We're connected to a power or destiny that will eventually cause everything to work itself out. As human beings, it might be more interesting to observe the various manifestations than to think we could or should change them. -It's unfathomable! -Perhaps it began before anything was created. -We don't have any idea whose child it could be. -It seems to have preceded the first concept of existence. The ancient Chinese had different theories and beliefs about how the world came into existence, just like we do today. They also had many debates and arguments trying to prove which theory was the correct one. Laozi stated that Dao existed before the universe came into existence, before any concept of a Creator entered people's minds. Dao Is Open Site Map \| BY: Nina \| Guodian Laozi \| DDJ Concordance \| Comparisons \| From the DIO Forum \| BY: Bao Pu \| By: Joshua \| Who was Laozi \| \| 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 \|