Listen

Dhammapada · narration sample

A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.

Tao Te Ching · 48 of 81

Chapter 48

He who devotes himself to learning (seeks) from day to day to increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Tao (seeks) from day to day to diminish (his doing).

He diminishes it and again diminishes it, till he arrives at doing nothing (on purpose). Having arrived at this point of non-action, there is nothing which he does not do.

He who gets as his own all under heaven does so by giving himself no trouble (with that end). If one take trouble (with that end), he is not equal to getting as his own all under heaven.

Asked of Guide

Why does Lao Tzu say learning increases while following the Tao diminishes?

Lao Tzu describes two paths: study that piles up knowledge and practice of the Tao that trims away deliberate action until one reaches wu-wei, “doing nothing (on purpose).” The chapter shows that reducing contrived effort—diminishing intentions—lets spontaneous right action arise, so one who practices this arrives at a state where “there is nothing which he does not do.”

Possession of the world happens through absence of grasping; “gets as his own all under heaven” by giving himself no trouble. This echoes Chuang Tzu’s sage who adapts to others without fixed self and the Yoga-Vasishtha idea of resting in what is natural, both recommending unforced being over accumulation.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.

Echoes elsewhere

Chuang Tzu · Taoism49. 1. The sage has no invariable mind of his own; he makes the mind of the people his mind. 2. To those who are good (to me), I am good; and to those who are not good (to me), I a The Enneads · Classicalor by menace, but without passion, as an infant might feel itself rebuked by a glance of severity. This does not make the Sage unfriendly or harsh: it is to himself and in his own The Yoga-Vasishtha-Maharamayana of Valmiki · Hinduismat all times. (He sticks to what is natural, and does not resort to anything artificial). 17. His mind is under the guidance of his reason, and is neither excited by nor restrained