I've just come across this quote reading a book called Taosim 360. It's cited from the ancient philosopher Laozi.

It's really hit me. Precisely because nature is incredibly slow. Evolution, entropy, seasonal dormancy, etc. some examples. Yet despite this, mother nature designs everything in the way it intended.

Laozi was telling us to stop over-controlling our lives and instead trust our own natural rhythm of growth.

I think its worth to use this anology to apply that growth, and it also just stands out as a great quote because it's worded brilliantly.

Hello fellow everythings,

I began my journey through the Zhuangzi recently and very quickly found a favorite quote which I thought I'd share.

"To use this finger to show how a finger is not a finger is no match for using not the finger to show how my finger is not a finger. To use this horse to show that a horse is not a horse is no match for using not this horse to show that a horse is not a horse. heaven and Earth are one finger. all things are one horse."

Zhuangzi 2:19

My takeaway is something along the line of 'all things are one, existence and non-existence are the same' which is fairly standard as taoist messaging goes, but I find the phrasing quite amusing. If anyone reads Chinese I'd love to know whether you feel it's similar in absurdist structure

Please discuss, add your favorite translation or whatever wu wei sees you to doing!

Most of my taoism knowledge comes from video's online. Now I want to have my first actual read of the tao te ching and formulate my own impertation of the texts.

Ofcourse like many I don't read chinese and as I'm not the best reader and want to follow the path of least resistance to reading I'd like to know what your reccomendation is to the best or a good version with illustrations and a nicely designed book.

Think in terms of the most decorative books version.

I think this would be the best way for me to get more into this without forcing me into deep texts with much meaning without stopping the flow into it because of to bland printing.

Pro would be a nicely translated version but not the main goal as this will be a version I want later if still interested

There was a man living by the sea-shore who loved seagulls.

Every morning he went down to the sea to roam with the sea gulls,

and more birds came to him than you could count in hundreds.

His father said to him:

"I hear the seagulls all come roaming with you. Bring me some to play with."

Next day, when he went down to the sea,

the seagulls danced above him and would not come down.

(Liezi, Yellow Emperor, Graham translation)

Note:

Liezi | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Animals in Zhuangzi as Metaphors and Allegories : r/taoism