Tao Te Ching 4

[B222]

“The Tao is (like) the emptiness of a vessel; and in our emolument of it we must be on guard against all fullness…”

”We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complication of things; we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others.”

What do these mean? Specifically “we must be on guard against all fullness” and “we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others.” 
 

I guess be ‘on guard against all fullness’ means not to be complacent because all things are possible, good and bad? I read here recently that to attach to everything is to fear nothing. Would it be along them line? Being prepared for all outcomes, etc?

I guess ‘attemper our brightness… into the agreement with the obscurity of others’ is to be adaptable and accepting of our unique differences? Not being so caught up in our own agendas that we try to make others wrong, etc? No idea ??‍♂️ 

cheers

[Salvijus]

11 minutes ago, B222 said:

guard against all fullness

Maybe it means pride? Being full of yourself.

11 minutes ago, B222 said:

attemper our brightness

Could be interpreted as pride perhaps also.

There are many different translations. Most of them are truly pathetic is what i found. 

The most appealing and beautiful translation for me is by Gia Fu Feng & Jane English. Recommend by echkart tolle.

Here's how it sounds in this particular translation.

Beautiful, always puts me into this amazing primordial presence reading these poems.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Salvijus

[Thought Art]

Embrace the mystery, embrace not knowing. You don’t know reality when you fill your head with knowing (the Tao the Ching talks about how culture blinds itself with its belief systems and logic).

”The Master if the Tao Unlearns something everyday” 

By filling your head with concrete dogmas that are finite, you will lose out on the infinity of the empty vessel that is the Tao. 
 

which chapter is this from? I don’t recognize the language in my translation. Seems like a bad translation 

Edited July 12, 2022 by Thought Art

[Thought Art]

 It the same quote but, this is a theme (not the only theme) in the Tao Te Ching.

[Thought Art]

Ah, 4….

my translation is different and makes more sense to me