The Power of Needing Less

Which is dearer, name or life?
Which mean more, life or wealth?
Which is worse, gain or loss?

The stronger the attachments, the greater the cost.
The more that is hoarded, the deeper the loss.

Know what is enough; be without disgrace.
Know when to stop; be without danger.

In this way one lasts for a very long time.

LAO TZU

(translated by RL WING)

19 comments:

Dave said...

'one lasts for a very long time' but life is pretty bland.

I, Like The View said...

I guess it all depends on one's definition of "enough". . .

(. . .but, unlike yeserday, that doesn't make me think of any poetry!)

(was this set of thoughts "enough" to persuade you to start looking for a dog then?)(I mean that in a nice way, of course)

Mel said...

Oh....brain fodder! :-)

This is a good thing, being trapped here without my usual Sunday routine......

:-)

I, Like The View said...

you're trapped? why?! no routine!

YIKES!!!

(but you have coffee, right?)

Mel said...

Yes, ma'am......DO have coffee.

O
M
G what a horror that would be.

*shrugs* Icky roads make travel a stupid proposition this morning.

Himself was relieved I opted out.
I--on the other hand--was irritated about 7 tads.

I, Like The View said...

better safe than sorry, tho

if the roads are that bad you'd not want to end up in a jam - or, worse, a crash. . .

hopefully you'll get lots done at home! (with coffee to hand, of course)

<---- suddenyl feels the need for java!

(I'm liking the tad scale!)

Mel said...

<-- attempting to apply Lao Tzu to emotional attachment vs physical wealth

Brain fodder!!!!

Mel said...

<-- likes the 'tad' scale lots

<-- might haffta steal it....

I, Like The View said...

the tad scale is at your disposal, ma'am. . .

as for emotional attachment vs physical wealth, that's a little like your pointing out to me during one of my Malsow moments, that the "foundation" might be honesty not bricks and mortar

isn't it

I don't think one should let go a +ve, healthy, reciprocated, loving relationship. . .

"less" wouldn't be "more" in that case, would it

(would/should, dangit)

hope you know what I meant

I, Like The View said...

(always GOOD to FEED the brain tho!)

Mel said...

*nodding*


Yup.....bit like that......LOL

Doesn't stop me from twirling it 'round in my brain and having FUN with it.

*laughing*

Mel said...

OH......look!!!! A chicken!!!!!!

Scrambled eggs, tomato and mushrooms......

Himself is cooking me breakfast!

:-)

k.....different fodder....

:-D

I, Like The View said...

sounds like a good old English breakfast to me. . .

very yummy, if one's hungry!

(so long as the tomatoes are grilled to almost a cinder and then covered with lots of freshly grated black pepper. . . and did you have those huge field mushrooms that make the butter all black and inky. . . and I hope he knows how to do scrambled eggs really really well)

I have complete faith in the man!

(-:

(I saw a cooking show during the week - by accident, you understand - and the chef served asparagus with a soft boiled egg: he took the top off the egg and then dripped a little olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar into it and then grated some pepper into it, and you had to dip the asparagus into the egg and it was like dipping it into a little personal container of hollandaise sauce! very cute)(not that one normally has asparagus for breakfast. . .)

I, Like The View said...

(see, that's how my brain twirls)

(*SIGH*)

Mel said...

Yup--I SEE how it twirls and swirls and does backflips!

I gotta admit that himself makes THE bestest scrambled eggs. Dunno how he gets 'em so 'fluffy', but he's got it down to an art. And yup, big ol' mushrooms...and tomatoes that look burnt--but aren't--kwim?

It was wayyyyy good! :-)

katherine. said...

am being reminded of something I posted eons ago...

be right back

katherine. said...

hmmm..can't find it...that's a bit odd...

I, Like The View said...

katherine I often can't find what I'm looking for. . .

. . .but you might have inspired me for today's tune

so, sometimes, you discover something that you didn't even know you wanted!

(-:

Mel glad it was good. . .

. . .but, erm, KWIM?

!

I, Like The View said...

OH!! it just stopped swirling and settled for a moment (like snowlakes in a storm)

KNOW
WHAT
I
MEAN

I do now!

yeah, that's exactly what I meant by the tomato thing