What was Lao Tzu really trying to say?

[iamom]

The following excerpt from Issue 3811 of the Nonduality Highlights has some great wordplay that gave me pause for thought about the Tao Te Ching.

Those who know, do not say. Those who say, do not know.

 

or

 

Those who know do not say, "Those who say, do not know."

 

or

 

Those who know "do not" say [that] those who say "do not," know.

 

or

 

"Those, who know, do not," say those who say. Do not. Know.

 

or

 

"Those, who know, do not," say those who say. Do. Not know.

 

or ??

 

Reply to this with what you think Lao Tzu was really trying to say in that little known book, The Tao Te Ching.

 

--Jerry Katz

 
My favourite one is the second-last:

"Those, who know, do not," say those who say. Do not. Know.

Another part of the same highlights excerpts from an e-book by a writer named Colin Drake the following lucid passage:

Thus there is no dichotomy or duality between the physical world and "awareness" for they are both manifestations of the same essence. The physical universe is just cosmic energy (consciousness in motion) when it is manifest into physical form, and awareness (consciousness at rest) contains this same energy in latent form as potential energy. Therefore there is in reality no multiplicity (nonduality) as there is only consciousness existing in two modes, in motion and at rest.

Amen, brother.