I kicked it all off with #56 and that respnated with Melissa who joined for #43. Jay K came up and chose #30 and I rounded the message with #60.
#30 "Tao Does Not Dominate"
Governing, in any capacity, when led by Tao
Doesn't use force to gain power.
Every force applied will suffer equal counterforce.
So violence, however it is intended,
Will always rebound upon itself.
Where armies march briers grow
And in their wake follows hunger and villainy.
Skillful in what she does
The Master achieves her goal and stops;
Neither forcing nor manipulating further.
She knows that dominating
Goes counter to Tao
And whoever opposes Tao
Will certainly die early.
#43 "Be Silent and Learn"
The flexible will outlast the ridged.
The gentle will outlast the hard.
Tao, which has no structure, has penetrated all
Even that which has no space to enter.
Through this I see that unforced action, and silence are the only
#56 "Learn to be Silent"
Those who know, aren't drawn to speak
Those who don't know, are compelled to.
Can you close your senses and your mouth?
Can you be guided by the empty void?
From there, meditate in silence,
Blunt your sarcasm and wit,
Simplify your struggles,
Shade your brilliance.
Be at one with the dust,
This is primal existence.
Be like the Master:
She is uninspired to acquire fame
Yet honors are bestowed upon her.
She is possessed by no one and possesses no one
Yet is always loved by many.
She is Immune to both attraction and repulsion,
Receptive to both profit and loss.
She is noble and is held in high esteem by all beings.
#60 "Combating Evil"
While governing anything, use restraint,
Treat it like cooking a small bit of fish,
Getting it perfect takes less than you think.
Centering all things in Tao,
Evil, with nothing to oppose,
Returns to a state of illusion.
All harm dissipates in the face of those that know their true selves.
