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Translation and Commentary by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 50 What sprouts to life will eventually descend to death. Thirteen companions accompany one through life. Thirteen companions accompany one into death. And people join together in living their lives on this earth sharing those thirteen things with each other until they die. Why is that? Because they're involved in living their lives. We'd all agree that it's a good thing to be someone who could hold on to life for as long as possible. To be able to go into the wild mountains and not have to ward off a rhinoceros or tiger. To be able to serve in the military without having to wear armor. To have no place for the rhinocerous to thrust its horn. To have no place for the tiger to put its claws. To have no place for the soldier to stab his knife. Why is that? Because that type of person would be without a sense of death surrounding him while he's on this earth. Commentary: 50 ~ Enjoy life -What sprouts to life will eventually descend to death. -Thirteen companions accompany one through life. -Thirteen companions accompany one into death. The "thirteen companions" Laozi mentions are the four limbs and nine orifices* of the body. Thus, most people are born with those "thirteen", and most people die with the same "thirteen." They accompany us through life and depart with us when our bodies die. -And people join together in living their lives on this earth sharing those thirteen things with each other until they die. While we're alive and experiencing all that life has to offer, we use the "thirteen companions" to help us make our way, survive and enjoy them. We share our bodies with each other in many ways while we're alive. -Why is that? -Because they're involved in living their lives. When someone is involved in enjoying life and all it has to offer, they just naturally enjoy and use all the parts of their bodies -We'd all agree that it's a good thing to be someone who could hold on to life for as long as possible. -To be able to go into the wild mountains and not have to ward off a rhinoceros or tiger. -To be able to serve in the military without having to wear armor. -To have no place for the rhinocerous to thrust its horn. -To have no place for the tiger to put its claws. -To have no place for the soldier to stab his knife. Most people think it's a very good thing to retain life. Doesn't it seem that some people have the ability to go through life without having physical misfortunes laid on them? It seems like wherever they go, no harm can come to them. -Why is that? -Because that type of person would be without a sense of death surrounding him while he's on this earth. How can some people appear to be so invincible? Maybe it's because they find so much joy in life that they don't let the fear of death preoccupy their thoughts with a sense of pending doom. Even when hardships confront them, they're able to appreciate the fact that they're still alive and make the best of what they've got. None of us know for sure what (if anything) will happen to us after we die. To reject any of the wonderful things on this earth due to worry, anxiety or fear is to deny the very existence we've been given in this playground. *(Note: The four limbs are two arms and two legs. The nine orifices are two eye sockets, two ear canals, two nostrils, one mouth, one anus and one urinary canal. It's interesting that a woman's vaginal canal isn't mentioned as another orifice.) 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 \|