Taos Tao #9 - Extremes

#1 Labels
#2 Polarity
#3 Politics
#4 Limitless
#5 Impartial
#6 Creation
#7 Eternal
#8 Water
#9 Extremes
#10 Nurture
#11 Space
#12 Intuition
#13 Fortune
#14 Intangible
#15 Profound
#16 Cycles
#17 Government
#18 Decadence
#19 Distinctions
#20 Different
#21 The Way
#22 Yielding
#23 Nature
#24 Excess
#25 Before
#26 Centered
#27 Compassion
#28 Receive
#29 Moderation
#30 Warning
#31 Weapons
#32 Flowing
#33 Within
#34 Embracing
#35 Vision
#36 Correlation
#37 Effortless

Book of Teh
#38 Power
#39 Unity
#40 Circles
#41 Wisdom
#42 Evolution
#43 Nonaction
#44 Endure
#45
#46
#47
#48
#49
#50
#51
#52
#53
#54
#55
#56
#57
#58
#59
#60
#61
#62
#62
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#64
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#81


Taos Tao #9 Extremes Going to extremes is never wise treasure attracts envious eyes a bowl filled to the brim easily spills its contents a knife sharpened to excess quickly dulls and loses its edge when filling your rooms with gold whispering of luck and the Jade you've sold you cannot protect your miser's hoard hubris invites its own reward the braggart's voice is always proud it is better to be soft than loud do not strut your credentials or identify yourself with titles When you have reached your goal be satisfied to walk away time to take a holiday this is truly heaven's way

Interpretation

Writers referenced: Feng - English, McDonald, Merel, Ganson

Moderation is one of the keys to joy and good living. It is wise not to go to extremes and to be kind in ones' life and humble about ones' accomplishments and be interested in what others are doing. Who do we admire more, the healer who is humble and does not trumpet grand titles or the MD who compares himself to God and ventures to tell the mechanic how to do his work? All of us have carried a cup of tea that is filled to the brimmed and when it spills over the edges felt the burn of the heat and seen the results of the floor. It is wise to know when to stop working on something. When to give the task a break, or one may find oneself broken in the heat of the moment. Greed is not the same as prosperity. If one is never satisfied then how can one ever expect to be happy. It is wise to let things go, to let others have their days and when done to retire with love and joy.