the TAO of TATTOOING 25

Foreword

In this series of blog entries I will offer my fledgling, humble interpretations of Lao-Tsu's 81 chapters of the Tao te ching, as it applies to tattooing.  I am in no way attempting to represent myself as a master of Taoist philosophy, however Lao-Tsu's teachings have inspired me for several decades, and I often look to them for inspiration in dealing with the many challenges of my chosen profession.
   I intend to find my way through each of the chapters, and compile them here in my blog until they are complete, at which time I will publish them in book form for my friends and colleagues in tattooing. I hope that my interpretations might assist and inspire my peers, my clients, my friends, to better understand tattooing, and the meaningful impact it has on all of our lives.  And if perhaps these interpretations lead anyone back to the original teachings of Lao-Tsu, well then I will have truly done something to enrich the world.

the TAO of TATTOOING



25

The whole of the universe,
 is beyond our judgements.
It is therefore perfect.
Of the forces at work within her,
there is some predisposition to balance that exists.
It can be seen everywhere,
in the movement of the galaxies,
in the orbits of planets and electrons,
in the ecosystems of our home.

This force cannot be quantified,
but it causes the universe to be what It is,
without doing anything at all.
For lack of a better name,
we call it the TAO

True omnipresence is totality without remainders.
Being omnipresent it is the universe.
It is the Milky-way galaxy
It is the Earth
It is You
It is your Client
It is the materials you work with,
and the tattoo you create together.

Remembering this while you work,
make choices that honor this balancing tendency,
and move in harmony with the TAO,