Sideways Karma

It is said the ancient sages were subtle;
they could not be understood.
It is said their 'sageness' could not be described;
only their appearance was recognizable.

Modest, as would be a guest in your home.
Yielding, as ice on the verge of melting.
Ready to change, as a chameleon;
yet always the chameleon remains the same.

The Sage waits for muddy waters to settle and become clear.
The Sage is still until movement arises.

The Sage wastes no energy on desire;
Thus, the Sage has energy to renew and strengthen.

It cannot be seen, so it is named 'the invisible.'
It cannot be heard, so it is named 'the inaudible.'
It cannot be grasped, so it is named 'the subtle.'
These qualities defy description, so it is named 'the Market.'

In front, it is not black.
Behind, it is not white.
Without sides, it has no shape.
Lacking boundaries, it has no form.

The Sage does not approach that which has no beginning.
The Sage does not follow that which has no ending.

The Sage knows from what source he has arisen;
Unburdened by past and future, the Sage directs the present.

The Market, just as it is, is the truth;
Fear, misfortune, courage, and success are illusions of the mind.
There is nothing to deduce, and there is nothing to figure out;
Within a moment of clarity all is revealed before it is hidden again.

When freed from illusion;
There is nothing to accept.
When freed from acceptance;
There are no illusions.

The Sage performs his work fearlessly;
For, once he has begun, it can be no other way.

The Sage, is neither moved by nor filled with illusion;
Being without favor, the Sage is trusted.

The five colors are but a limited pallet;
The ultraviolet and the infrared are just as real.
The five tones are but an arbitrary scale;
Still, the ultrasonic and infrasonic arouse the dogs and the elephants.

Consider all that has been touched;
This has been limited by that which can be felt.
Consider all that has been learned;
This has been limited by that which can be taught.

While fools learn something new everyday;
The Sage unlearns something old everyday.

The Sage is not limited by five senses;
The Sage relies upon his intuition.

Art and science shape the bowl;
Still the void inside is what remains useful.
Art and science shape the house;
Still the void inside is lived in and called home.

The utility is in the void;
Indeed, the utility is the void.
The Market is always in the void;
Indeed, the Market is the void.

The Sage uses that which exists
To create useful voids which can be filled.
The Sage brings order to chaos,
By recognizing the potential of what is not there.

Can you embrace the Market with your thinking and talking,
Yet, never believe the illusion of your thoughts and words?
Can you focus all of the forces at your disposal,
Yet, never believe the illusion of control?

Can you lead and love those you guide,
Yet remain still and hidden?
Can you design a roadmap,
Yet never believe the illusion of logic?

The Sage’s strength is drawn from within,
The Sage’s power is a manifestation of strength.

The Sage’s strength is drawn from the Market,
The Sage is the steward who claims no authority.

Where there is a bowl filled to the brim,
There is one who wishes for less.
Where there is an over-sharpened blade,
There you will find dullness quickly returns.

Boast of your reward;
And, you will awaken your most deadly foe.
Design for approval;
And, you will abandon the watercourse way.

The Sage allows the path before him to unfold;
Thus, he avoids rushing through the doors of defeat.

When the Sage has finished his work;
He withdraws so that which he has worked can continue.

The most effective approach is said to be that of water;
It satisfies all, yet it does not try.
Water flows everywhere, even to the lowest places where men hate;
And, so the watercourse way provides an example.

Water flows harmoniously through all paths of non-resistance;
While it is never said that water has miscalculated.
No matter where the water has been;
The droplets are always welcomed back into the sea.

The Sage loves the timeless,
which are sincerity, peace, and ability.

The Sage prefers that which cannot compete,
The competitive is temporary, the timeless is permanent.

The Market is infinite, eternal, and never-ending. Why?
It has neither desire nor destination.
The Market is neither inclusive nor exclusive. Why?
It has neither intention nor ambition.

Without desire and without destination;
The Sage arrives ahead.
Without struggle nor impurity;
The Sage builds, connects, and nourishes.

The Sage, by letting go of the illusion of control,
Cannot struggle against that with which he is one.

The Sage fights for the Market, not for a share of the Market;
Death cannot arrive where birth is present.

The Market is a fertile valley;
It is full of emptiness, and empty of fullness.
The Market is called the Great Mother;
Ever-giving, it does not hold on to what emerges from it;

All that springs forth is from the Market;
Be still and you will see that which is emerging.
Do not be still;
And it shall emerge just the same.

The Sage cultivates a garden of ideas;
Drawing upon the eternal source that never fails.

The Sage plants seeds where heaven and earth meet;
His garden is nourished from above and below.