Such an offering would not be equal to a lesson of this Tao, which one might present on his knees.

Excerpt

Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though a prince were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses in the court-yard, such an offering would not be equal to a lesson of this Tao, which one might present on his knees. Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not because It could be got by seeking for It, and the guilty could escape from the stain of their guilt by It? This is the reason why all under heaven consider It the most valuable thing.

Source Tao Te King, chapter 62 · 📖 Read the full passage

✨ To meditate on today

According to Lao-tzu, honours (the jade tablet, the four-horse chariot) are worth less than sitting still, at peace, to advance in the Tao, the Way, which is found without chasing after It and which offers even the guilty freedom and life. Today, take ten minutes to sit without doing anything, simply present, and let peace come by itself.

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