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

下

xià

1 + 2

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

之

zhī

4 + 3

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

也

yě

5 + 2

also; classical final particle of strong affirmation or identity

亡

wáng

8 + 1

death, destroyed; lose, perish

動

dòng

19 + 9

move, happen; movement, action

天

tiān

37 + 1

sky, heaven; god, celestial

子

zǐ

39 + 0

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

弱

ruò

57 + 7

weak; fragile, delicate

恆

héng

61 + 6

constant, regular, persistent; hexagram ䷟

於

yú

70 + 4

in, at, on; interjection alas!

有

yǒu

74 + 2

have, own, possess; exist

物

wù

93 + 4

thing, substance, creature

生

shēng

100 + 0

life, living, lifetime; birth

用

yòng

101 + 0

use, employ, apply, operate; use

老

lǎo

125 + 0

old, aged; experienced; Kangxi radical 125

者

zhě

125 + 4

that which; he who; those who

返

fǎn

162 + 4

return, revert to, restore

道

dào

162 + 9

path, road, street; method, way

養

yǎng

184 + 6

raise, rear, bring up; support