Progress

返也者道動也弱也者道之用也 Laozi's way moves forward by going backward. Practice by doing less, having less, wanting less.

天下之物生於有有生於亡 Problems come from holding on. Solutions come from letting go.

Notes

This is 老子養生之恆道, the ancient masters perennial philosophy of nourishing life.

Practice it with every breath. It's the road to a long and healthy life.

Vocabulary

返

fǎn

辵 162 + 4

return, revert to, restore

也

yě yí

乙 5 + 2

also; classical final particle of strong affirmation or identity

者

zhě

老 125 + 4

that which; he who; those who

道

dào dǎo

辵 162 + 9

path, road, street; method, way

動

dòng

力 19 + 9

move, happen; movement, action

弱

ruò

弓 57 + 7

weak; fragile, delicate

之

zhī zhū

丿 4 + 3

marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to

用

yòng

用 101 + 0

use, employ, apply, operate; use

天

tiān

大 37 + 1

sky, heaven; god, celestial

下

xià

一 1 + 2

under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down

物

wù

牛 93 + 4

thing, substance, creature

生

shēng

生 100 + 0

life, living, lifetime; birth

於

yú wū

方 70 + 4

in, at, on; interjection alas!

有

yǒu yòu

月 74 + 2

have, own, possess; exist

亡

wáng wú

亠 8 + 1

death, destroyed; lose, perish

老

lǎo

老 125 + 0

old, aged; experienced; Kangxi radical 125

子

zi zǐ

子 39 + 0

offspring, child; fruit, seed of; first earthly branch

養

yǎng yàng

食 184 + 6

raise, rear, bring up; support

恆

héng gèng

心 61 + 6

constant, regular, persistent; hexagram ䷟