Between their births and their deaths,
three out of ten are attached to life,
three out of ten are attached to death,
three out of ten are just idly passing through.
Only one knows how to die and stay dead and still go on living.
That one hasn't any ambitions,
hasn't any ideas, makes no plans.
From this mysterious place of not-knowing
and not-doing he gives birth to whatever
is needed in the moment.
Because he is constantly filling his being
with nonbeing, he can travel the wilds
without worrying about tigers or wild
buffalo, or he can cross a battlefield
without armor or weapon
No tiger can claw him
No buffalo can gore him
No weapon can pierce him
Why is this so?
Because he has died, there isn't any more room for death in him.
three out of ten are attached to life,
three out of ten are attached to death,
three out of ten are just idly passing through.
Only one knows how to die and stay dead and still go on living.
That one hasn't any ambitions,
hasn't any ideas, makes no plans.
From this mysterious place of not-knowing
and not-doing he gives birth to whatever
is needed in the moment.
Because he is constantly filling his being
with nonbeing, he can travel the wilds
without worrying about tigers or wild
buffalo, or he can cross a battlefield
without armor or weapon
No tiger can claw him
No buffalo can gore him
No weapon can pierce him
Why is this so?
Because he has died, there isn't any more room for death in him.