The Taoist Trader: Tao Te Ching (Chapter 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.
(By Lao Tsu, translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English)
This chapter shows that following the Tao is following the feminine principle. Other Taoist concepts that describe the feminine are the following: yielding, not doing (being), flowing like water, not using force, nourishing, etc. Why is the Tao equated with the feminine? It is because the Tao is subtle, soft and barely visible. Hence the line, “It is like a veil barely seen.” This line shows how hard it is to follow the Tao.
Butterfly Wings
How can you follow something you can barely see? Obviously, you can’t rely on your physical senses. What is the way to perceive the Tao? Make your mind as soft as butterfly wings. Then you can feel the subtle movements of the Tao like the wind on your wings. Let the Tao’s breath direct your way through your day.
Soft Trading
Terry, what are you telling me to do? Are you telling me to make my mind like mush? I’m not talking about making your mind like mush or Mushi, an album by a Japanese hardcore punk band (The Stalin). In other words, don’t make your mind too soft or too hard. A soft mind allows trading to be more effortless. Let your mind be drawn to the subtleties of the chart patterns. Which way will the wind blow them?
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