The TAO Creed

When a superior man hears of TAO,
he immediately begins to employ it.
When an average man hears of TAO,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of TAO,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be TAO.

The meaning of TAO (according to the Webster dictionary)

Main Entry: Tao
Pronunciation: 'dau, 'tau
Function: noun
Etymology: Chinese (Beijing) dào, literally, way
Date: 1736
  1. a : the unconditional and unknowable source and guiding principle of all reality as conceived by Taoists
    b : the process of nature by which all things change and which is to be followed for a life of harmony

  2. often not capitalized : the path of virtuous conduct as conceived by Confucians

  3. often not capitalized : the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing <the Tao of archery>

More information on Taoism is also available online.

A TAO Fortune

A master was explaining the nature of Tao to one of his novices. "The Tao is embodied in all software -- regardless of how insignificant," said the master.

"Is Tao in a hand-held calculator?" asked the novice.

"It is," came the reply.

"Is the Tao in a video game?" continued the novice.

"It is even in a video game," said the master.

"And is the Tao in the DOS for a personal computer?"

The master coughed and shifted his position slightly. "The lesson is over for today," he said.

-- The Tao of Programming

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Last modified 18:06:18 CST 25 January 2019