Chapter 1 Dao De Miao
trying to explain the Way with smart bipedal words
like chasing own tail — just futile and dizzy
the nameless is the open sky and ground softness
the named is a box, a frame
yet both — nameless and named —
are two existent whiskers of that same one muzzle
and two paws of the same Wise Cat
chasing desire makes fur bristle
letting the mouse go, cat curls quiet —
and glimpses hidden mouse of truth
from myriad of forms of our cats world to the essence
from meows and to the deepest silence —
that is the purring miracle
Chapter 2 Dao De Miao
what’s good or bad : just belly definition matter
we name some mouse : so we giving it dimensions
and in comparison with stupid dog cat smart exists
we understand the death as no friskies life
cat long with tail, and just without tail cat short
in night-dream deeps inventing morning highest jump
to meow sound needs giving milk
one after other comes to play to eat to sleep
therefore Cat performs not doing, does not act
her teaching silent, and without meows her study
she plays with yarn yet does not pursue ownership
without help creates Cat Motion, play again, again
effortlessly gives birth to Cat Life changes
and in completion and fulfillment, free of pride
not losing for herself respect and love
Chapter 3 Dao De Miao
when wisdom does not puff its whiskers
no kittens quarrel who is right about
when shiny collars do not glitter
no paw reaches forth to steal them
when no toy is dangled with desire
cats’ hearts stay calm, and tails rest flat
therefore Wise Cat, guiding purrfect den
fills bowls with milk, curls nests with warmth
yet trims down clever tricks and restless chasing
softens the will and cools hunger in eyes
and those who “know” do not stir cats’ frenzy
and therefore, by doing nothing doing
the den stays purring, still, and whole
Chapter 4 Dao De Miao
defining dao? not so easy
it has no body, yet it births all things, from whiskers to the tails
o mew! empty? yes. but from that emptiness come endless pounces, naps, sunbeams and mice
formless itself, yet truly quiet shape behind all forms
it’s bottomless—a basket that o mew! never runs out of warmth
because of it, all play and purrs keep happening
what could compare? nothing could at all
all things beside it are like dust motes in a beam of sun
its shine, a soft warm gleam; its knowing, an ear’s quick twitch
its joy, the rustle just before the leap
it's closest kin is only—mystery itself
it came before every beginning
i don’t know who or what created it
maybe it was curled up already, before all gods
Chapter 5 Dao De Miao
and earth, and sky watch all whiskers twitch and tails flick
but they do not curl in sympathy
nature leans toward nor kittens neither mice
and the Wise Cat does not chase after favor
she knows the eternal stretch of sunbeams
the steady flow of naps, the tireless run of mice —
yes, nothing she can bend, yes, nothing she can change
the laws of the yard the Wise Cat follows only as they are
she does not try to make bowls fuller, warm spots softer —
she simply sees unfolding life and quietly appreciates it
some things are only useful for the empty space inside :
the gap in fences or the stretch of sky above the roof
the emptiness lets motion happen, and comes benefit
the wider hollow-gap, the freer leap-jump-move
too many meows, too much chasing — soon paws stumble
better to follow measure, sit still in the sun
and keep let life purr by itself
Chapter 6 Dao De Miao
when Wise Cat seeks the root of heaven-yard
she pads toward a gate — so quiet and so deep
through it breathes the first mew of being
inside this gate curl roots of birth itself
before paws touched ground, before fur met moon, sun
beyond the gate : deep nothing
no mouse's shadow, not even a whisker
yet from that nothing — the gate swings both ways —
from maybe to it is, from silence to mew-sound
what flows through is timeless, endless
like yarn pulled forever
o, never breaking, never tiring
and always ready for one more wise, playful tug
Chapter 7 Dao De Miao
because they do not lick only their own fur
earth, sky forever
they do not curl just for themselves —
so their seasons roll on
ceaseless as purrs beneath the moon
so too the Wise Cat :
she lets other cats reach the bowl first
yet her belly stays full
she curls at mat’s edge
yet always finds the warmest spot
who runs last often finds no chase, only peace
who loses free of fear naps sounder, more sweet
who cares least for whiskers
finds them shining far longest
luck clings softly to those who do not claw for it
Chapter 8 Dao De Miao
milk gives us highest dignity example
it nourishes all, yet does not scratch for itself
it does not fight for place or honor
but settles where other drinks avoid
o, look at milk: see, its surface is calm
its quietness similar to dao-flow
and so the Dao Cat, by kind wishes of heart
is friendly with all other cats, her dwelling modest
in meows sincere and truthful, guiding people calmly
decides on time, accepts tasks by ability
obedient like milk and always keeping silence
so troubles and mistakes avoid her, going around
Chapter 9 Dao De Miao
a cat must know when to stop
how can a bowl be filled past its brim?
a hoard of shiny toys invites jealous paws
claws honed too sharp will soon break
endless pride in the title of 'The Super Cat'
brings swift misfortune upon House
to leave when hunt is done—
this is the way of nature’s miao-law
Chapter 9 Dao De Miao — Haiku
know when to stop, cat—
the bowl spills past its brim, and
claws break when too sharp
Chapter 10 Dao De Miao
if you reach full accord with feline, yourself
with all of your fur and with all of your whiskers
you will not lose purrfection
if in calmness of breath
you become as newborn—newborn kitten again
if clearing your gaze
you stay free from folly
if you artlessly love host
while roaming yard
and rule host as you need, without smart tricks
if you are like eternal mother-cat goodness
giving birth, guarding life, yet taking death
you will not lose your peace
if you equal-stand whole wide world—
then foster and teach, tend and protect
give birth but do not claim, fight, or possess
hunt and act, play, yet expect no reward
lead without demanding, without pride-honor—
and so you will know
the quiet grace of de
Chapter 11 Dao De Miao
how is yarn helpful
...when not a ball to roll?
jar is all glass
...yet emptiness holds sour cream
walls rise for house
...yet space within makes home pleasant
thus emptiness–void creates use for Cat :
when things filling space, gain-profit appears
Chapter 12 yin Dao De Miao
too many colors
make cat eyes grow dim
too many sounds
deafen tender ears
too many flavors
blunt the whisker-tongue
games and amusements
stir restlessness in heart
piles of treasures
breed claw-strife and paw-crimes
but Wise Cat—
not dazzled by ornaments, not trapped by toys
she curls in thought of food
quiet and full
Chapter 12 yang Dao De Miao
the chase of too many red dots dims the sight
too many jingling bells deafen the ear
too many tastes of fancy feast weaken the tongue
the endless pounce at every shadow stirs a fever in the heart
a hoard of shiny treasures breeds only claw-strife
therefore, the Wise Cat
is not dazzled by trinkets, nor trapped by toys
she seeks to fill her belly, not her eyes
chooses the Stillness
chooses the Fullness
Chapter 13 Dao De Miao
awful shame or pleasant praise
o, both unsettle the fur of Cat
the more Cat licks herself with pride
the more she fears her coat will be spoiled
when Cat's good name is lost, fear prowls like a dog in darkness
but if Cat does not over-groom herself with ego
others' attention cannot disassemble her lego
if she raises herself above the world
she is chained to it, a heavier fear
but if she exists not for herself
but for kittens, clan, den, milk, yarn, host, yard and mice—
she gains whole wide world
trust around her paws
to whom whole wide world curls kind close?
to Cat who don't turn up before the world her nose!
Chapter 14 Dao De Miao
what Cat cannot see—
beyond the edge of sight
what Cat cannot hear—
beyond the faintest sound
what Cat cannot touch—
beyond the softest paw
unified, it cannot bear a name
shapeless, fur-less, whisker-less—
like fog curling in moonlight
it does not blaze
it does not dim
no whisker can measure its size
no tail can point its turning path
yet it threads all Cat-times together :
the purr of past
the leap of present
the silence yet to come
this thread is Cat’s eternal Dao
the hidden Yarn Ball all Cats follow
Chapter 15 Dao De Miao
ancient Cats of Dao were hard to fathom—
their pawprints light
like stepping on thin ice like stepping river
they moved as if danger prowled nearby
they curled plain as trees
sat calm as guests
waited like rooftops for returning friends
their silence was thick as spring mud
yet in that quiet
they stirred clarity in others
they clung gently to Dao of the Cats
their purrs small, their wants few
content in scraps
peaceful in hunger
they made no foolish troubles
Chapter 16 Dao De Miao
when Cat keeps her own mind at total rest
she sinks into deep stillness—
leaps into emptiness without borders
there she watches life, soundless, meow-free
whiskers of being blossom in the breeze
and slowly return to their source—
to quiet curl, to nothingness
this is the fate of every living cat
the circle of return is eternal
this law is the constancy of Cat’s Dao
to know it is enlightenment
to abandon it is great folly—
a claw turned against itself
the Cat who follows constancy
moves in harmony with nature’s justice
with the divine law that cannot break
all bodies fade, fur turns to dust
yet Dao is never destroyed—
Cat’s Dao purrs forever, deathless
Chapter 17 Dao De Miao
look, not worthy of cats’ trust—
the Cat who steals trust of others
when her rule’s tangled, twisted,
her name's everywhere despised
success just a little better—
the Cat who rules by fear
yet all kittens walk uneasy
kittens’ tails held low in silence
success still higher and brighter—
the Chief Cat who wins respect
her purrs guide the happy den
whiskers bring calm, wealth, and joy
but the best Chief Cat indeed—
she is hardly known at all
she does not meow in speeches
nor claw for her own attention
she reaches the goal so softly
and all cats around just think :
“happened all by itself”
Chapter 18 Dao De Miao
when Cats forget the Way of Dao
laws and scratch-post rules appear
when a Cat cannot live by her whisker-conscience
duties and debts fall heavy on her fur
when clever schemes and sly meows already arise
soon come hypocrisy, scorn, tricks, resistance
in a den where quarrels hiss and tails lash
Cats speak of duty-obligation
and when the whole clan falls to disorder
Chief Cats demand loyalty from others
they shout for law, for order, for patriot’s purr—
yet the Great Dao lies forgotten, silent
Chapter 19 Dao De Miao
when Cats forget knowledge and heavy learning
they purr a hundred times more happy
when no sly traders, no paw-smart professionals
the nest is safe—no claws of profit scratch
when no moral cages, no rigid rules pressed
Cats return to full harmony in their den
kittens curling softly in peace with mothers
these pawprints tell one truth :
the simple path is best for the Wise Cat—
plain as fresh wood
gentle as clean canvas in moonlight
the true Cat lets go of futile selfish hunger
drops sharp desires like shed whiskers—
and rests content in Dao’s quiet curl
Chapter 20 Dao De Miao
why fuss with wisdom?
one paw-step turns Cats’ respect into hostile hissing
and kindness into claws
the Cat who makes other Cats fear
ends up afraid herself
while the den throws parties
i prowl alone, my whiskers drifting
eyes wide, heart newborn—
just watching, never hunting
where is the warm lap I’ll call home?
i don’t know
i drift like a light leaf
upon the stream of Dao
all Cats chase kibble and cushions
while I seem left behind
they call me foolish
a slow-pawed simpleton
they pounce with certainty
while I sit in the dark
like truly dreaming at the bottom of life’s ocean
not even sure what is up or down
o—every Cat shines clever
chasing mice of ambition
only I wander, tail loose
like a wave with no shore
i drift where the wind of Dao blows
not sharing the den’s busy matters
but nursing quietly
like a newborn kitten at Mother Nature’s breast
Chapter 21 Dao De Miao
Cats’ Dao draws the outline of their De
The De of Cats flows back to Dao
returning always to the Source
Dao itself—an eternal riddle, a puzzle
yet in its play lives Wonder of Four Paws
it is veiled, impossible to pin down
in the fog-silence hide all paw-prints
in the soft darkness, the breath of nine lives is kept
In the deepest unseen—
the embryo of every whisker, every leap
a hidden spark waiting to pounce
From the First Kitten till today
all Cats have tried to name it
to give the Un-name a clearer shape
to make it useful for sharing in the den—
for equal paws to meet at One Beginning
in the eternal, greatest Lap of Dao
Chapter 22 Dao De Miao
flawed paws conceal the seed of wholeness
crooked tails lean back toward straightness
an empty bowl may yet be filled
a torn old nest may yet be mended
where little is—there chance to gain
where too much piles—loss, spill await
opposites curl together
yin-yang in one den
this the Wise Cat learns and follows
she does not push herself upstairs
yet every Cat feels her up-presence
she does not urge others her way
yet her path proves true
she does not boast of her whiskers
yet her purr — giving trust
she wins true strength without pride
and since she claws not in rivalry
no Cat can rival her
so is the ancient meow not true?
“flawed paws hide the seed of whole”
accept the bend, the gap, the flaw—
and find in it
your own return to purr-perfection
Chapter 23 Dao De Miao
the strong morning wind passes soon
the heavy rain will sooner cease
Nature meows little, yet says all—
should Cats meow more than sky and rain?
to keep one’s meow is enough
and not to chatter much about what matters most
the Cat who lives her life in Dao-service
walks with sure paws
Dao curls around her, purrs back
the Cat who lives in De-service-virtue
makes her heart straight and bright
and joy comes leaping to greet her
o— but the Cat who lives by trouble, sorrow, loss
finds every shadow blaming her whiskers and fur
and from her own net she can never untangle
is it not true, as the ancient meow says :
“every paw-step follows its faith”
Chapter 24 Dao De Miao
standing on tiptoes is unstable
stepping too wide — your paws will not carry far
expose yourself : “I am the Sun” — you will not gain respect or love
praise your majesty stubbornly, glory will not fall upon you
attack and you will not truly succeed
with pride you will never become a real leader
all beings avoid the needless fuss —
the extra claw that snags the blanket
if you would walk the Dao-way, walk with their quiet
follow Nature’s truth, not show
Chapter 25 Dao De Miao
from the chaotic great Perfection it was born—
before Sky-Earth, before Den-Hearth
silent, apart, enough unto itself—
it turns, yet loses nothing
it slips through all things, giving birth to every whisker, every leap
mother of the vast, whole, wonderful, playful world
I do not know its true name
so I whisper, almost inaudible : Dao
if a stronger name must still be forced, I call it Great —
so vast! every mind stumbles
Great flows, flows far, and returns to the Beginning
thus: Dao=Great, Sky=Great, Earth=Great, and Cats are Great too
within the Four Greats, the Cat finds her important proper place
Cats follow Earth, Earth follows Sky, Sky follows Dao
and Dao follows only its own nature
Dao is boundless; its rules and sovereignties have no end
countless things move under those laws
yet knowledge burns — ambition and curiosity stir
humans (and clever Cats) can learn the world-wide shapes
through them the laws of heaven open a little
so the Cat dares to think — without bowing low :
“I am a creature, bright and smart; my purr is the God-Flow”
Chapter 26 Dao De Miao
the root’s heaviness steadies the light leaves
the still trunk rules the restless branches
and so it survives the storm
when the Wise Cat meets a miracle on the path
she does not drop her bundle of fish
the sparkle of wonder does not lure her paws—
she keeps her weight, she will not chase
so the Wise Cat Ruler must remember :
to scratch and scorn the people, the other cats,
is to cut off his own roots
calm paws are the ground of strong rule
where can a king leap
if his roots are torn away?
victories hoarded for himself alone
become hollow
and in restless leaps
his power slips from his claws
Chapter 27 Dao De Miao
the best Cat traveler leaves no pawprints in the dust
the best meower needs no second meow to explain
the most perfect Cat plan has no plan at all
when the Sage Cat binds two things together
she needs no rope—
and a thousand years will not untie them
when the Sage Cat closes the door
she uses no lock
and no key in the world can open it
that is why the Wise Cat lives with an open door
meeting all with trust and open heart
no whisker is refused :
the lost, the doubtful, the unbelieving
cat, human, or creature—
none leave without her help
she teaches those who wish to learn
and finds her joy and honor there
yet she clings not tightly to her students
nor do they bind themselves too close to her
thus they may walk freely
and advance their own path
do not heap too much reverence upon the teacher
for knowledge without the touch of mistake
becomes a net of pride and folly :
only this is the truth Cats honestly must recognize
Chapter 28 Dao De Miao
know the claw of the tomcat
yet do not forget the softness of the queen
be like the round cat-belly
resting in the shadow of four paws
then the world is whole
like a newborn kitten
and your eyes can truly see
thinking of light, remember dark
every “meow-yes” carries a hidden “meow-no”
every stick, unless it’s a tail, has two ends
each path has another side, left opposite to right
you are the living fur of Cat-opposites—
hold them both in mind
and the snarls of Cat-troubles slip away
then your den’s wisdom
needs no walls
In thoughts of Cat-honor, recall the taste of shame
be the passage between pride and humility
to sit on one side is not easy
to walk between them keeps you balanced
be plain and decent, like uncarved wood
a block of wood, uncut, holds all toys inside
when carved, each toy appears, but the whole is lost
so the Sage Cat plays with opposites—
with zero doings and a million thoughts
yet what is truly great
remains whole
one
and cannot be split apart
Chapter 29a Dao De Miao
the world is a shining bowl
mysterious as milk in the moonlight
it holds our fates, our lives
yet cannot be seized by claws
who tries to rule the world of Cats
will end with nothing in their paws
so it has always been
the world changes, forever shifting—
no paw can grasp it
no claw can hold it
he who rules today
will bow tomorrow
he who leaps freely
will stumble
the strong will weaken
the built will crumble
the conqueror will lose
what was conquered
the Wise Cat sees this
and does not sharpen her pride
her heart remains still
her whiskers turned from hunger
her mind free of chasing
Chapter 29b Dao De Miao
the world is like a precious bowl
a mystery deep, a cup of fate
who seeks to rule it as his own
shall lose it soon, and learn too late
the world will change, it never stays
to grasp, to seize will never last
the strong grow weak, the free are bound
and all proud conquests fade to past
what once is seized will slip away
what once is built will fall to dust
the breath of force becomes a chain
the boast of power breeds no trust
the Wise Cat knows, and thus she keeps
her heart from hunger, mind from flame
she does not cling, she does not crave
and so she walks the Dao with shame
Chapter 30a Dao De Miao
when a Cat-king asks the Sage Cat
“how should I rule
how should my reign follow Dao?”
she answers not with claws
nor with the roar of armies
for violence always circles back
blow for blow
where pawprints of war are pressed
weeds spring
and in their shadow grow
hunger and sorrow for many seasons
thus the Wise Cat unsheathes claws
only when no other path remains
she strikes only to defend
and when the battle is done
she curls her tail
not chasing triumph
she does not puff her fur with pride
nor steal what is not hers
her victories are not trophies
her conquests bring no blessing
her strength is not a ladder to power
for Cats who rise by claw alone
will fall in weakness
those who glory in force
soon gnaw on their own ruin
such is the fate of ignoring Dao
Chapter 30b Dao De Miao
the Cat-king asked the Sage Cat of Dao :
“how shall I rule, and keep the Way?”
the Sage replied: “not claws, not war
not force to bend the world to stay
for war returns, strike answers strike
where troops have passed, the weeds will grow
and after battles, hunger comes
and sorrow haunts the years that flow
the Wise Cat fights when none can choose
defends her den, then rests her paws
she wins, yet boasts not of her win
she scorns to fatten pride with claws
she does not steal, she takes no spoil
her triumph never builds her throne
for Cats who rise by claw and snarl
shall fall, and reap the ruin sown
who honors Dao avoids this fate
but force will gnaw the one who rules
the law of Dao is not of might—
and those who break it die as fools
Chapter 31 Dao De Miao
claws and fangs
the weapon of war —
a shadow over the den
it smells of fear
it tastes of sorrow
no wise Cat holds it gladly
in quiet days
the Sage Cat whispers to the Cat-King :
“curl your left paw
stroke the calm
guard the soft fur of peace”
but should the claws strike
should an enemy hiss near
then the right paw moves —
not for joy
not for pride
only to protect the den
left paw remembers soft mornings
the sun on the fur
the calm of purring hearts
right paw warns of storms
of dark clouds over empty bowls
victory is not a party
no tails should flick in celebration
for every life taken
a shadow lingers —
even in triumph
the officers, the Cats of rank
stand as in mourning
right side, left side —
as if guarding the lost
as if honoring the fallen
for war leaves only echoes
and the wise Cat counts them softly
with silent whiskers
and a heart still beating
for every paw that sleeps forever
Chapter 32 Dao De Miao
Dao is like a block of uncut wood
whole and simple
no name, no edges, no pieces
even the tiniest splinter
claims no less
belongs to nothing but itself
if Cats ruled like this
no claw would need to strike
no hiss would mark a fight
every paw would taste
the sweetness of all
honey dew gathered from soft mornings
not stolen grains from the bowls of others
sky and earth would curl together
purring in a single breath
Yet, alas
dreams are soft
and humans — or other creatures —
carve the wood into shapes
name the splinters
mark the edges
stamp lacquer, compare
names help to point
names help to play
yet names blind the eyes
to the perfection of the uncut
so Wise Cats know
how to walk between the splinters
to honor the whole
even while using the parts
rivers seem separate
but follow them to the sea :
all water is one water
so is Dao —
myriad paws, myriad moves
yet forever one
unbroken, unclaimed, uncut
Chapter 33 Dao De Miao
if you can feel the hidden string in another Cat’s purr
you are wise
if you know the shadowed corners of your own heart
you are full, or light as a sunbeam
if you understand what it is to win a chase
you are strong
but stronger still
is the Cat who can master herself
before she leaps
if you curl content in your own patch of sun
if your paws are satisfied with your own paws
you are rich
yet let your whiskers stretch
your tail sway
so that new joys and new victories may find you
if you keep your den through long seasons
your years will lengthen
and if you vanish from the world
but your pawprints linger in memory
then your body may sleep
but your soul will purr forever
Chapter 34 Dao De Miao
the Great Dao flows everywhere
beyond borders, beyond left or right
and even the smallest paws sense its vastness
all creatures — fur, feather, leaf, stone, paw —
are born from it and return to it
without command, without expectation
it nourishes the world, yet takes nothing for itself
its face is pure, untouched, untouchable
its whiskers trace the air and ground without a mark
all paws look to it without weariness
all dens lean into its shadow without fear of loss
the greatest Cats move quietly
sometimes they lead the chase
sometimes they drift unseen behind the leaves and grass
their fur is soft yet untouchable
their tails trace arcs of stillness through the wind
every glance, every pawstep, every curl is in harmony
only the Cat who does not fight
cannot be opposed
only the paw that yields to Dao
remains unbeaten in the world of whiskers and claws
here, the myriad forms of life
rise and fall without pride or envy
the rivers spill, the spring waters return
and all creatures rest in the calm of the Great Purr
Chapter 35 Dao De Miao
holding to the Way of the Cat
trouble does not need to be chased away —
it simply-simply does not come
all things keep moving
each in their own search for a warm place to rest
food and play can stop a passing cat
and for a while, that is enough
even the wise Cat pauses for such breaks
without planning to
yet the Dao itself is not food
has no flavor, no scent, no sound
you cannot point to it with a paw
or catch it with your ears
but the Cat who learns to rest inside it
finds a joy that does not run out —
no single toy
no single meal
no single pleasure
ever needs to be her last
Chapter 36 Dao De Miao
before a Cat pulls her claws in
she stretches them wide
to soften another’s strength
she first lets it grow loud and proud
to end a rise
she allows it to climb
to take something away
she places it gently in the other’s paws
this is the quiet wisdom —
where softness wins without a fight
a fish does not leave deep water
to prove it can swim
and a Cat does not explain her power —
she simply keeps it hidden
and the world adjusts itself around her
Chapter 37 Dao De Miao
the Dao of Cats does nothing on purpose
yet nothing is left undone
if the Cat who leads can rest this way
the world begins to blossom by itself —
not forced
not corrected
just growing where it already knows how
when restless paws grow impatient with change
when ambition starts rearranging the cushions
the Wise Cat does not argue
she places a quiet weight —
plain fur, unnamed simplicity —
and the excess desire settles down
the nameless way does not hunger
it does not reach, does not demand
and because it wants nothing
it is calm
in that calm
the world finds silence
in silence
everything falls back into place —
without being miao-told
Chapter 38 Dao De Miao
the truest Cat does not think about being good
so goodness rests in her paws
the lesser Cat worries about goodness—
and chases it noisily across the floor
the highest virtue naps without effort
no plans. No posing
yet nothing that truly matters is left undone
when Dao is present
the Cat simply is
when Dao slips away
virtue appears—trying to help
when virtue fades
kindness steps forward
hoping to be noticed
when kindness is lost
rules sharpen their claws
when rules decay
only ritual remains—
empty bowls lined neatly
no food inside
ritual is the thin fur of trust
the first shedding before disorder
foreknowledge and cleverness
are shiny collars—
pretty, noisy
and often foolish
so the Wise Cat
chooses the thick cushion, not the thin mat
chooses the real mouse, not the jingling bell
leaves the flowers for smelling
and eats the fruit
she drops what is hollow
and keeps what nourishes
That is her Dao🐾
Chapter 39 Dao De Miao
for a long time
things that endure
learn how to stay whole
the sky learns clarity
by letting go
the ground keeps its calm
by holding firm
water finds its way
by filling every quiet path
cats continue the world
by giving life, again and again
in this way
a good ruler keeps a realm together—
not by command
but by being a living example
the others can follow
when wholeness is lost
danger begins
the sky, torn apart
breaks into storm
the earth, unsettled
splits and shakes
dry channels disappear into sand
life that no longer renews itself
quietly ends
and when a ruler rises too high
above the people
the fall becomes likely
because what is high
stands only
on what is low
the strength of a throne
rests on the many paws beneath it
how could a ruler
not respect that?
sometimes a leader calls himself
“small”
“poor”
“nothing at all”
hoping to gain sympathy
but false humility
is just another mask
it risks losing
real trust
and real dignity
think of a cat-cart pulled apart—
wheels here
axle there
none of it moves
only together
do the pieces carry weight
each in the right measure
so do not puff yourself up
as if you were a jewel
but do not flatten yourself either
like a stone in the road
be whole
be grounded
like a cat—
balanced
complete
and quietly enough
Chapter 40.1 Dao De Miao
the Way of cats moves by turning back
what seems like weakness
is how the circle keeps spinning
from what is
all things step into life
and what is
slips quietly
out of what is not
Chapter 40.2 Dao De Miao
the cat returns—
that is the Way
softness
does the work
form is born from presence
presence from absence
Chapter 40.3 Dao De Miao Haiku Suite
🐾 Return
the cat turns back—
soft paws make the circle
without a sound
反 Return
the pounce springs from crouch
the hunted path is a circle
mouse and cat both return
🐾 Weakness
what looks like yielding
is how the Way keeps moving.
whiskers feel first
🐾 Birth
from what is, forms rise
from what is not
the leap
🐾 Emptiness
an empty bowl waits
fullness comes, then leaves again
tail flicks—enough said
🐾 Dao De Miao (minimal)
returning step
softness does the work of worlds
purr before form
弱 Softness
the bowl's use: its void
the claw's strength: its sheathed silence
milk nourishes without a tooth
有爪 / 無痕 Claw / Trace
from empty air, a paw
from the paw, a world of things
the air remembers nothing
Haiku D — For the Project
four tongues, one old purr
your verse, a returning gift—
the Way wears new fur
Chapter 41 Dao De Miao
when a wise cat learns of the Way
it practices quietly, day after day
when an ordinary cat hears of the Way
it plays with it for a while
then wanders off
when a foolish cat hears of the Way
it laughs aloud
and if there were no laughter
the Way would not be the Way
the Way often appears upside down
what fills the world with light
looks, to some, like confusion
the clearest path
resembles being lost
the one who has climbed highest
seems to others to have fallen
a cat of deep purity
may look strange, even wrong
true abundance
awakens the feeling of lack
Great virtue
is often suspected of being a trick
in a changing world
truth rarely looks stable
the Great escapes ordinary measures
the largest square has no corners
the finest gift arrives late
the loudest sound cannot be heard
the greatest image has no outline
the Way has no name
it hides like air in the room—
unseen, yet everywhere
and yet
the Way gives birth to beginnings
and gently brings
all things
to completion
Chapter 42 Dao De Miao
the Dao is not broken into pieces
it holds the world together
by being whole
look closely at anything
and you will find two desires
pulling in opposite directions—
light and shadow
rest and leap
approach and retreat
and between them
moves a third presence:
the quiet force that turns tension
into motion
difference into breath
this triad
gives the world its pulse
every being
carries night along its spine
and warmth in its chest
life-breath flows between
weaving balance—
not rigid fairness,
but a shared, living harmony:
fit, joy, consent
creatures hide their wounds
they want to look fortunate
successful, fed
no one enjoys being named
small, unlucky, lacking
yet those with power
often speak the opposite
they call themselves poor
insufficient, unworthy—
not from weakness
but from understanding
where strength truly stands
what is low longs to rise
what is high learns to bow
the one who climbs by force
never rests easy—
violence echoes
waiting to return
hard lessons, the world teaches
what you give through pressure
pressure will give back
this is not threat
not punishment—
only reflection
and the Dao
like a cat
does not explain
it simply moves
and the lesson appears
Chapter 43 Dao De Miao
softness wins by staying
hardness breaks by insisting
what has no weight
slips through walls
what has no shape
finds every opening
the wise cat learns this early:
do less
and things arrange themselves
no speeches
no scratching on stone
the lesson moves
like a shadow at noon
few in the world trust it—
this quiet power
this way of living
that changes everything
without seeming to act
Chapter 44 Dao De Miao
what stays closer to your fur—
the sound of your name
or the warmth of your breathing body?
what weighs more in the paws—
a living heartbeat
or a heap of gathered things?
to gain is not always a blessing
sometimes it wounds more than loss
the higher the pile of praise and shine
the farther the fall from the shelf
when desire drinks too deeply
the bill arrives heavy and late
But the cat who knows enough
who leaves the bowl before it spills
walks away without shame
without harm
measured steps, quiet choices—
this is how a life stretches long
sun after sun
without breaking
Chapter 45 Dao De Miao
at the edge of things
everything turns—
like a wheel rolling itself into balance
perfection, when pushed to its limit
shows teeth, looks broken, almost wrong
fullness leans toward emptiness
the bowl is useful because it is not full
Great art moves like a cat on ice—
awkward, uncertain, pretending not to know
true precision hesitates
stutters softly
until the right sound slips through
motion warms the cold body
stillness cools the burning fur
yet when the world throws riddles into our nerves
it is the calm cat-mind—
clear-eyed, unhurried—
that lights the way through confusion
Chapter 46 Dao De Miao
when the Way lives in a land
even strong horses slow their pace—
they return to fields
turning waste into nourishment
teaching soil patience
when the Way is forgotten
hooves thunder through streets
bodies become tools
and speed is mistaken for purpose
nothing is more dangerous
than desire without a bowl
no flood destroys like wanting more
no loss cuts deeper
than hunger that does not know when to stop
the Cat who eats and then rests
is richer than the one who keeps hunting
the Cat who does not hoard
plays longer in the sun
enough is not poverty
enough is freedom
and the Cat who knows “enough”
walks the world unafraid
tail light
heart full
Chapter 47 Dao De Miao
you don’t have to roam the alleys
to know the whole city
the deepest secret
is already here—
warm, breathing,
curled beside you
the farther one wanders
the thinner knowing becomes
the wise Cat does not open windows
to read the sky
he feels Heaven
through the floor
through the whiskers
through stillness
he does not chase appearances
without staring
he names things rightly
without rushing a paw forward
he completes what must be done
no struggle
no scratches
no trouble
just the quiet certainty
of a Cat
who knows the world
from the center of the cushion
Chapter 48 Dao De Miao
those who study
stack books like bowls—
more facts, more tricks, more names
the Cat who follows Dao
lets things fall away
one thought less today
one tension gone tomorrow
until even effort
slips off the fur
nothing to prove
nothing to push
the paws stop reaching—
and suddenly everything is reached
this is not laziness
nothing essential is left undone
the Cat sleeps
and the house arranges itself around her
by doing nothing
she conquers nothing—
and so the whole world
finds a place to rest
but try to make others nap when they don’t want to?
even a Cat knows:
that never works
Chapter 49 Dao De Miao
the wise Cat has no single, fixed heart
her nature shifts, ripens, softens
with every meeting
with every paw that crosses her path
when she meets kind souls
kindness answers kindness
when she meets claws and spite
she still offers warmth
thus her heart grows wide and bright
always open, never locked
she trusts those who deserve trust—
and even those who do not
not from blindness
but from clarity
she asks no one to be pure in return
she simply becomes purer herself
from every soul she gathers something:
sometimes a jewel
sometimes only dust
she does not sort
does not label good or bad
she looks upon the world
with kitten eyes—
before judgment, before choice
all of it she melts together in her chest
and what emerges
is De:
quiet virtue,
warm as fur
patient as breath
Chapter 50 Dao De Miao
from the first step into the world
the clock is already loosening its screws
out of ten lives,
three are still blooming
three have reached the edge of their road
and the rest—
moving, striving, accelerating—
are quietly running toward death
why?
because they want life
too much
they clutch it
they thicken it
they choke it with desire
but people tell of another way
they say:
the one who truly understands living
does not invite attack
wild animals find no opening
human weapons find no angle
there is no place
for the horn to land
no surface
for the claw to catch
the knife searches
but finds only air
not because the body is armored—
but because death
has nowhere to enter
like a cat
who does not challenge danger
does not flee it
does not stand where it can bite
she simply rests
in the place
that has no edge
Chapter 51 Dao De Miao
the Dao never grows tired
of bringing the universe into being
De stays behind
feeding, teaching
helping each thing recover its balance
matter gives every being its shape
but it is place, timing, and conditions
that allow perfection to appear
that is why the world follows Dao willingly
and every appearance of De is met with respect —
not by order
not by force
but because this is simply
how nature moves
whatever Dao brings forth
De stays with:
holding close
nurturing
raising
feeding
comforting
and guarding from harm
it creates without claiming
acts without pride
guides without ruling
leads without binding
these are the quiet rules
that must be lived — not enforced —
by anyone
who wishes to walk
with De
Chapter 52.1 Dao De Miao
all things are born of one first, hidden dam
the mother-source from which the world is spun
who knows that womb, may name each wandering form
who guards the womb, though aged, shall not fall
the watchful cat needs crack no window wide
to read the law that writes itself in air
seal well the doors of sense, and life grows light
fling them ajar, and toil attends thy years
to spy the small is called true seeing’s art
to keep the soft is strength of nobler kind
spend but the light that leads thee back to light
and harm finds no entrance to flesh or fate.
thus acts the sage—
he makes, yet claims no crown
he guides, yet rules not
he lets all ripen as they will.
this virtue, dark and deep, unseen like paws
is constant—
and the world rests, purring, in its course 🐈⬛
52.1.1
From one first Mother all the world is born
Her silent womb the cradle of all forms
Who knows the Mother names each kitten right
Who, knowing kits, returns to her at night
May walk through years untouched by broken fate
And pass life’s edge without the scratch of death
For holding fast the source, not clinging spawn
The wise cat roams where danger cannot yawn
52.1.2
Bar fast the doors where restless senses plead
And life grows light, unburdened by its need
Unseal those gates, chase tasks both loud and vain
And all thy days shall labor ache with strain
To glimpse the small is sight of clearest kind
To keep the soft proves strength of strongest mind
Spend borrowed light to find thy native glow—
No harm shall find thee, nor a fatal blow
This practice, old as purr and breath and bone
Is called the Constant—
And cats have always known 🐈
Chapter 52.2 Dao De Miao
everything has a mother
a first warmth
find her
and the kittens make sense
know the kittens—
but curl back to the mother
and you won’t fall
even walking the edge of the shelf
a cat knows:
not every door should open
not every sound deserves a chase
claws in
breath slow
Life stays light
to notice the smallest twitch
is called clarity
to stay soft
is real strength
use the light of your eyes
to return to light itself—
then nothing in you breaks
and no one else is harmed
a cat on a cushion
the world steady
this is constancy
Chapter 53 Dao De Miao
A spark of knowing draws me to the Way
The Great Broad Path where paws need not deceive
Who steps therein shall wander not astray
One fear alone remains—to doubt oneself
For Dao lies open, level, wide as noon
No crooked turns, no snares, no shadowed bends
Yet mortal folk, like cats that skulk at dusk
Choose narrow lanes and secret, tempting runs
Behold the lords who lounge in gilded halls
Their silken whiskers perfumed with excess:
They see not fields choked thick with thorn and weed
Nor hear the hollow bins where grain should sing
With jeweled collars, claws like polished steel
They scorn plain fare and glut on richer meats
Their hoarded fish lie rotting in their pride
No wonder then the alley spits their name:
“Bright-thieving braggarts!”—so the people hiss
Such strutting theft walks not the Cat-Way true
It strays from Dao, and knows it not at all
Chapter 54 Dao De Miao
If walls be raised by paws of countless years
Think not one claw may lightly pull them down
So habits, laid in silence day by day
Hold fast the bone of custom in the soul
Thus kittens honor sires they never knew
And ancient warmth is kept from fur to fur
In truth, that cat alone hath De made real
Who first would school his whiskered heart aright
More De attends the one who guards the hearth
And pours his calm into the common bowl
He who brings order to the alley’s breath
Hath strength of De that neither shuns nor shouts
But richest fruit of virtue crowns that paw
Which dares to tend the kingdom of the world
Yet mark thou this: no thing is truly known
Till love hath laid its body round the task
The watched becomes revealed by patient care
Seek thou thy limit—there behold thyself
Eyes bright with wonder at thine inward sun
Build thou the perfect home, and home anew
Shall show its face, familiar yet transformed
Amend a town, a realm—thy sight grows deep
Their pulse and pain made legible to thee
Wish thou the world made whole—then all is learned
For all will answer to thy listening paw
How know I thus the fashion of all things?
Because I walked the Way the Dao unrolled
And learned its truth by sitting—like a cat
Chapter 55 Dao De Miao
he who hath De stands like a newborn kit
new-come to earth, yet already at home
the world itself bends gently round his breath:
the beast with claw forbears, the bird holds back
the snake forgets the art of harm and strike
though small and soft, his life burns strong and whole
no tooth, no talon—yet a perfect strength
he knows not yet the secret joining made
of male and female fires, yet life is full
such wholeness lives before all knowing comes
all day he cries, yet never breaks his voice
he spends no breath in struggle or excess
thus stands he tuned with heaven and with earth
a note that rings and does not tear the string
for wisdom, harmony is constancy
to know the constant—this is light made clear
the chase of gain, of triumph, shine, and feast
may grant the heart a sparkle, swift and sweet
yet burns the milk of life too fast, too bright
though fair the road, it leads not toward the Way
for blooms that burst in riot soon must fade
and strength unruled by Dao grows old in haste
who leaves the Way makes death a nearer guest
Chapter 56 Dao De Miao
who truly knows feels no desire to speak
who labours speech shows knowledge slipped away
when thou canst still the fever of thy heart
and shut the gates against the shouting world
when bonds of liking loosen from thy hands
and edge of sense grows gentle, blunt, and kind
when flashing lights of life are set aside
for one soft glow that neither startles nor commands
when restless thought at last lays down its arms—
then art thou joined, in secret, with the whole
the sage cat who stands within this quiet bond
is neither friend nor enemy to man
she clings to nothing, casts away no thing
she works no good, nor traffics she in harm
no praise uplifts her, no contempt weighs down
no loss afflicts her, no possession tempts
and thus the world, though knowing not the cause,
draws near in trust, and honors her in stillness
Chapter 57 Dao De Miao
rule not the house with claw and cry
but keep it fair
hunt not by force, but by surprise
leave much undone, and peace arrives
for mark me well:
where rules grow thick, the cats grow thin
where tools grow sharp, the noise begins
where clever tricks abound, odd monsters rise
where laws increase, so theft replies
thus speaks the sage cat, calm and still:
i do not act — and order comes
i do not stir — and things align
i meddle not — and wealth appears
i crave no thing — and life stays plain
Chapter 58 Dao De Miao
when rule is loose, the cats lie warm
when rule is keen, the peace is torn
good leans on ill, and ill on good
who knows their end? None ever could
the straight turns strange
the kind turns cruel —
long have men wandered in this rule
therefore the wiser cat proceeds:
she shapes, yet cuts not
sharpens, yet wounds not
stands firm, yet presses none
shines clear, yet blinds no eye
Chapter 59 Dao De Miao
to tend both cat and sky above
restraint is best, surpassing love
restraint begun before excess
becomes a hoard of quiet strength
such strength knows no defeat, no bound
its depth unseen, its reach unfound
with roots set deep, the house endures
with depth, the watching long assures
this is the art of lasting breath
of seeing far, and cheating death
Chapter 60 Dao De Miao
to rule a great and crowded den
is like small fish upon the pan:
turn it once too oft, and see
it breaks and spoils entirely
hold fast to Dao — then spirits rest
no ghost intrudes, no harm is pressed
the sage cat strikes not, claws withdrawn
and thus no wound by either drawn
where none do harm, no harm returns
and virtue back to all concern turns
Chapter 61 Dao De Miao
a great domain lies low and wide
a valley where all streams reside
the quiet female of the land
she conquers not, yet all command
by stillness she outlasts the strong
by lowering herself, grows long
when great bows down, the small draw near
when small submit, they shelter here
both gain the thing their hearts intend —
yet greatness kneels, lest it should end
🐈 Chapter 62 — *On Dao as the Hidden Hearth*
The Dao is hearth and hollow of all things
The shelter both of fair and foul alike
The bright leans ever on the dark for sense
The good finds edge by knowing what is ill
Who’d praise a gentle word, a noble deed
Had he not felt the weight of harsher acts?
What worth is silk, or trumpets at the gate
Beside the cat who sits and learns the Way?
The ancients held the Dao in quiet awe:
Not hoarding gold, nor hiding their own flaws
They saw their lack, and harmed not to amend
Thus rose the Way, and peace walked through the land
🐈 Chapter 63 — *On Beginning Small*
Choose rest; do less; yet taste the bitter leaf
Find much in little; see the small as great
Meet angry cries with settled, even breath
Begin the hard while still it has no teeth
Tall towers wake from humble heaps of dust
Long roads are stitched from steps beneath the paw
The sage cat plans not grand, and thus succeeds
The eager leaps—and trips upon his haste
She meets the knot before it tightens hard
So troubles never gather into one
Prepared for stone, she stumbles not at all—
And leaves no task unfinished at her tail
🐈 Chapter 64 — *On Timing*
What does not move is easiest to hold
What’s not yet set is simplest to align
The brittle breaks; the light is swept by wind—
So tend the thing before it takes a name
The oak once fit inside an acorn’s skin
The tower rose from one small mound of earth
A thousand miles began beneath one paw—
Right where you stand, the journey’s root is set
The hurried spoil; the grasping come to loss
The wise cat acts not—and so never falls
She owns no thing, and therefore loses none
She ends as she begins: with careful step
She learns what others pass without a glance
Honors the plain, supports what grows itself
And dares not shove the world to suit her wish
🐈 Chapter 65 — *On Quiet Rule*
The elders who had mastered Dao of old
Kept people simple—guarded from too much
For when the crowd knows every ruler’s trick
The land runs thin, and order turns to dust
But where the noise of power stays unheard
Where news and schemes do not infest the den
There grows a wealth no ledger ever counts
The ruler who sees this walks with deepened sight:
His strength is *de*, his reach is breadth and depth
Seeing all sides, he mends what splits in two—
And brings the world again to single breath
🐈 Chapter 66 — *On True Height*
Great rivers reign because they lie so low
They take the fall, and thus all streams obey
Who seeks to rise must speak from underneath
Who’d lead the way should walk a step behind
The wise cat bears no weight upon the neck
And when ahead, blocks no one’s gentle path
So gladly others lift her to the front
And blame her not for stones along the road
She fights no foe—
And thus the world finds none
Who stand against her worth