Chapter 44 · Fame, Life, and Wealth

Tao Te Ching (Legge, 1891) · chapter title added by Learn the Dao

Or fame or life, Which do you hold more dear? Or life or wealth, To which would you adhere? Keep life and lose those other things; Keep them and lose your life:--which brings Sorrow and pain more near? Thus we may see, Who cleaves to fame Rejects what is more great; Who loves large stores Gives up the richer state. Who is content Needs fear no shame. Who knows to stop Incurs no blame. From danger free Long live shall he.

Your Name or Your Skin

Dao De Kooi — an original rendering by David Kooi

Your name or your skin - which one do you actually love? Take a second with that. Your reputation, or the body that has to carry it around? Your skin or your stuff - which is worth more? You answered fast. Would the way you spend your days agree with you? Getting more, or losing what you already have - which one really stings? Be honest... you flinched at the losing, and you're spending your whole life on the getting. That's the trade, and it was always the trade: love a thing too hard and the loving costs you. Pile up enough and you've built something that can now be lost. Know what enough looks like and nobody can shame you out of it. Know when to stop and nothing can wreck you. You get to stay. That's the whole retirement plan.

Learn the Dao is a quiet practice for learning the thing that can’t be known — committing the Tao Te Ching to memory, one line at a time.

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Your recall — for example

Or fame — missed or life

The dotted words are the ones you missed.

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