#TTC Chapter 11 Sorry for the delay people! Here's the eleventh chapter of the #TaoTeChing. Let me know your thoughts in the comments or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/11/

Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore benefit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.

#Taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 10

Longer one today! Also at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/10/

Carrying body and soul and embracing the one,
Can you avoid separation?
Attending fully and becoming supple,
Can you be as a newborn babe?
Washing and cleansing the primal vision,
Can you be without stain?
Loving all men and ruling the country,
Can you be without cleverness?
Opening and closing the gates of heaven,
Can you play the role of woman?
Understanding and being open to all things,
Are you able to do nothing?
Giving birth and nourishing,
Bearing yet not possessing,
Working yet not taking credit,
Leading yet not dominating,
This is the Primal Virtue.

#taoism #philosophy #taoteching

#TTC Chapter 9

Here's chapter nine of the #TaoTeChing. Let me know what you think it means in the comments or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/9/

Better to stop short than fill to the brim.
Oversharpen the blade, and the edge will soon blunt.

Amass a store of gold and jade, and no one can protect it.
Claim wealth and titles, and disaster will follow.

Retire when the work is done.
This is the way of heaven.

#taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 8

Here's chapter eight (my favourite!) of the #TaoTeChing. Let me know what you think it means in the comments or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/8/

The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.

#taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 7

Here's the 7th chapter of the #TaoTeChing. Let me know what you think it means in the comments or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/7/

Heaven and Earth last forever.
Why do heaven and Earth last forever?
They are unborn, So ever living.

The sage stays behind, thus he is ahead.

He is detached, thus at one with all.
Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment.

#Taoism #philisophy

#TTC Chapter 6

Here's the sixth chapter of the #TaoTeChing. Let me know what you think it means in the comments, or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/6/

The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother.

Her gateway is the root of heaven and Earth.
It is like a veil barely seen.
Use it; it will never fail.

Nice and short today!

#taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 5

Here's the fifth chapter from the #TaoTeChing. Let me know what you think it means in the comments, or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/5/

Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as straw dogs.
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs.

The space between heaven and Earth is like a bellows.
The shape changes but not the form;
The more it moves, the more it yields.
More words count less. Hold fast to the center

#taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 4

Here's the fourth chapter. Let me know what you think it means in the comments, or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/4/

The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled.
Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things! Blunt the sharpness, Untangle the knot,
Soften the glare, Merge with dust.
Oh, hidden deep but ever present! I do not know from whence it comes.
It is the forefather of the gods.

#TaoTeChing #taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 3

Here's chapter three. Let me know what you think it means in the comments or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/3/

Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling. Not collecting treasures prevents stealing.
Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart.
The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies, by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.
If men lack knowledge and desire, then clever people will not try to interfere.
If nothing is done, then all will be well.

#taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 2

Here's today's chapter. Let me know what you think it means in the comments or at http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/chapters/2/

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only because there is evil.

Therefore having and not having arise together.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short contrast each other:
High and low rest upon each other;
Voice and sound harmonize each other;
Front and back follow one another.

Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talking.
The ten thousand things rise and fall without cease,
Creating, yet not possessing.
Working, yet not taking credit.
Work is done, then forgotten.
Therefore it lasts forever

#taoism #philosophy

#TTC Chapter 1

Here it is people, the first chapter from the #TaoTeChing! Have a read and let me know what you think it means.

The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.

Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.

These two spring from the same source but differ in name;
this appears as darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.

#taoism #philosophy

So, @{David Morley; davidmorley@diasp.org}, what's new in this update?

The #TaoTeChing project page is up and going! http://waterpigs.co.uk/tao-te-ching/ I'll have an rss feed up tomorrow, in time for the first chapter on Monday. Looking forward to getting your responses! #taoism #philosophy

From next Monday (the 31st) I'm starting a little experiment. Every day I'll post a chapter from the Tao te Ching. Let me know what you think it means in the comments (it's so damned cryptic!), and I'll compile it all into an interactive book on my website.

It'll take 81 days. Don't worry, the chapters are really short!

#taoism

#folkmusic Been working away at some synth-folk… http://soundcloud.com/barnabywalters/sets/synth-folk/ #ipad #music

The #raspi won an award! Looking forward more than ever to it's release. #electronics #education http://www.raspberrypi.org/?p=284#comments

To any musical iPad users: Moog is doing a release sale of it's Animoog synth, for 69p. It's a fantastic synth! Take advantage of the 90% sale. http://moogmusic.com/products/apps/animoog/ #iPad #music #synth #moog

Figured out the bit of js that provides Safari with a custom top sites preview site, a la iCloud:

if(window.navigator&&window.navigator.loadPurpose==="preview") { window.location.href="ADDRESS OF TOP SITES PREVIEW" };

#webdesign #apple #safari #javascript #js

On the bus ride home, I hear two girls conversing about what they're going to go to a halloween party in. One replies to the other: "Well, I think I'll go as a goddess… … … or a hot dog"

It took a lot of concentration to stop myself from bursting out laughing. Thanks for brightening up an otherwise dull journey!

For the record, my view on then editing feature is that we should be able to edit our posts/comments provided there are no newer comments 'downstream' of the edited one. I see this as analogous to real conversation — you can only easily take something back (without embarrassment, awkwardness or extraneous explanation) before any serious reactions have been made to it.

The edited version should indicate the edited state, just for clarity.