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Translation by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 81 Telling the truth isn't perceived as beautiful.  What's perceived as beautiful isn't truthful.  One who makes those perceptions doesn't have an open mind.  One who has an open mind doesn't make those perceptions.  One who has a pre-conceived notion of what's beautiful doesn't increase.  One who increases doesn't look for what's beautiful.  A wise person is without a need to accumulate anything.  Since they're done with trying to act like others, they develop more of their own nature.  Since they're done with trying to appease others, what is in their true nature keeps increasing.  Therefore, the heavens' Dao is beneficial but doesn't criticize.  A person's Dao takes action but isn't willing to contend. Commentary:  81 ~ Beauty is Within   -Telling the truth isn't perceived as beautiful.  -What's perceived as beautiful isn't truthful.   How many times do people cover up their true feelings by saying words they want others to see as beautiful? Most people don't want to hear the truth and have a hard time accepting and expressing their own feelings. Fear of rejection? A need to be liked by others? If no one is expressing themselves truthfully, then most of the connections made between people is based on a facade of what's perceived as beauty.   -One who makes those perceptions doesn't have an open mind.  -One who has an open mind doesn't make those perceptions.   If you are constantly on the lookout for receiving beautiful words from others, then you've closed yourself off to what might actually be the truth. Having an open mind would give you the opportunity to stop looking for what's beautiful as opposed to what you perceive as ugly.   -One who has a pre-conceived notion of what's beautiful doesn't increase.  -One who increases doesn't look for what's beautiful.   What is beautiful? Only those things you've already decided are beautiful? How could happiness and enjoyment of life increase if anything that didn't appear beautiful to you was shunned and avoided?   -A wise person is without a need to accumulate anything.   People tend to want to only increase what they perceive as beautiful in their lives. When they find something they think is beautiful, they want to own it and keep accumulating more and more beautiful things and words. Since a person who has wisdom realizes that true beauty comes from within, they have no need to accumulate things.   -Since they're done with trying to act like others, they develop more of their own nature.  -Since they're done with trying to appease others, what is in their true nature keeps increasing.   The true beauty of honesty can only increase if people stop demanding that others do and say what they want them to. Appreciating the true beauty within yourself and others, rather than preferring the false face of superficial and untruthful words, allows each person to express themselves and make much deeper connections with themselves and others.   -Therefore, the heavens' Dao is beneficial but doesn't criticize.  -A person's Dao takes action but isn't willing to contend.   The heaven's Dao can only be truthful. When Nature expresses itself in many different ways, it provides a bounty to all life on earth, but doesn't make an effort to have living things view it as beautiful. Its treasures pour out everywhere, without criticizing how living things choose to use those gifts. When a person is connected to the beauty within themselves, their actions are in accord with the universe and the manifestations that naturally arise from themselves. There's no reason to contend with any other living thing because each of them is simply following their own path. Seeing the beauty in what's actually there instead of what one wishes to be there - everything can be beautiful. \| 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 \|