The wood is consumed but the fire burns on, and we do not know when it will come to an end.

Transcription

1

2 The wood is consumed but the fire burns on, and we do not know when it will come to an end.

3 JANUARY 2019 December February Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday New Year s Day Partial Solar Eclipse 8:41 pm EST 3 Epiphany (Christian) Christmas 6 7 (Orthodox Christian) :28 pm EST Old New Year (Orthodox Christian) G 1:45 am EST Martin Luther King Jr. Day Tu B Shevat (Jewish) 1 Total Lunar Eclipse 12:12 am EST 3 N 12:16 am EST Holocaust 27 Remembrance Day (International) Australia Day (Australia) Republic Day (India) T 4:10 pm EST When Lao Tsu died, Chin Shih went to the funeral. He yelled three times and left. A disciple said, Were you not a friend of the Master? Yes. Then is it proper to mourn him in this way? Yes. When I first arrived, I thought his spirit was really there. Now I know it wasn t. When I went in to mourn, the old people were wailing as though they had lost their son. The young ones were crying as though they had lost their mother. Since they were all together, they talked and wept without any control. This is avoiding heaven, indulging in sentiment, ignoring what is natural. In the old days, it was called the crime of violating the law of nature. The Master came because it was time. He left because he followed the natural flow. Be content with the moment, and be willing to follow the flow; then there will be no room for grief or joy. In the old days this was called freedom from bondage. The wood is consumed but the fire burns on, and we do not know when it will come to an end. Chuang Tsu, Chapter 3 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

4 Speak the truth and do not exaggerate; then you will not be harmed.

5 FEBRUARY 2019 January March Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Imbolc 1 (Pagan/Wiccan) 2 Groundhog Day Chinese New Year (Pig) Waitangi Day (New Zealand) Losar (Tibetan New Year) 0 4:04 pm EST Random Acts Lincoln s Birthday Valentine s Day Flag Day (Canada) 10 of Kindness Week Vasant Panchami (Hindu) G 5:26 pm EST Nirvana Day (Buddhist) Presidents Day Washington s Birthday 23 N 10:53 am EST T 6:28 am EST If states have close ties, their mutual trust is demonstrated by deeds. If they are far apart, their good faith has to be renewed with words in the form of messages. But carrying messages of delight or anger between two parties is the most difficult thing in the world. When they are both pleased, there is bound to be exaggeration of flattery; when they are both angry, there is bound to be exaggeration of criticism. Exaggeration leads away from truth. Without truth, there will be no trust. When there is no trust, the messengers will be in danger. Therefore, it is said, Speak the truth and do not exaggerate; then you will not be harmed. Chuang Tsu, Chapter 4 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

6 Soft and weak overcome hard and strong.

7 MARCH 2019 February April Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Maha Shivaratri Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday, International 3 4 (Hindu) 5 6 Lent Begins (Christian) 7 8 Women s Day 9 Mercury Retrograde Until March :04 am EST Daylight Saving Great Lent 10 Time Begins 11 (Orthodox Christian) G 6:27 am EDT St. Patrick s Day Ostara Holi (Hindu) (Pagan/Wiccan) Spring Equinox 5:58 pm EDT Naw-Ruz (Bahá í & Persian New Year) Purim (Jewish) N 9:43 pm EDT T 12:10 am EDT That which shrinks Must first expand. That which fails Must first be strong. That which is cast down Must first be raised. Before receiving There must be giving. This is called perception of the nature of things. Soft and weak overcome hard and strong. Fish cannot leave deep water, And a country s weapons should not be displayed. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 36 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

8 When there is oneness, there are no preferences.

9 APRIL 2019 March May Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday April Fools Day :50 am EDT Thomas Jefferson s Birthday G 3:06 pm EDT Palm Sunday Good Friday 14 (Christian) (Christian) 20 Passover Begins (Jewish) 1 N 7:12 am EDT Easter (Christian) Earth Day ANZAC Day Arbor Day (Australia, Palm Sunday (Orthodox Christian) Easter Monday (Canada) New Zealand) Freedom Day (South Africa) Pascha (Orthodox 28 Christian) T 6:18 pm EDT Yen Hui saw Confucius and said, I am making progress. Confucius asked, In what way? Yen Hui said, I just sit and forget. Confucius was startled and asked, What do you mean by sitting and forgetting? Yen Hui said, I am not attached to the body and I give up any idea of knowing. By freeing myself from the body and mind, I become one with the infinite. This is what I mean by sitting and forgetting. Confucius said, When there is oneness, there are no preferences. When there is change, there is no constancy. If you have really attained this, then let me become your pupil. Chuang Tsu, Chapter 6 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

10 Less and less is done Until non-action is achieved. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.

11 MAY 2019 April June Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Beltane Yom HaShoah 1 (Pagan/Wiccan) 2 (Jewish) May Day Cinco de Mayo Ramadan Begins 5 (Mexico) 6 (Islamic) :45 pm EDT G 9:12 pm EDT Mother s Day Bike to Work Day Armed Forces Day Vesak (Buddhist) Victoria Day (Canada) N 5:11 pm EDT Memorial Day Ascension of Ascension Observed Bahá u lláh (Bahá í) 30 (Christian) 31 Lailatul Qadr (Islamic) 2 T 12:34 pm EDT In the pursuit of learning, something is acquired every day. In the pursuit of the Tao, every day something is relinquished. Less and less is done Until non-action is achieved. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. The world is governed by letting things take their course. It cannot be governed through interference. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 48 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

12 Great fullness seems empty, Yet it cannot be exhausted.

13 JUNE 2019 May July Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Eid al-fitr (Islamic) Ascension (Orthodox Christian) World Environment Day 0 6:02 am EDT Pentecost (Christian) Loving Day Flag Day Shavuot (Jewish) 1 G 1:59 am EDT Father s Day Saka Dawa Juneteenth World Refugee Day Litha (Tibetan Buddhist) (Pagan/Wiccan) 22 Pentecost (Orthodox Christian) Summer Solstice 11:54 am EDT N 4:31 am EDT St. Jean-Baptiste 24 Day (Quebec) T 5:46 am EDT Great accomplishment seems imperfect, Yet it does not outlive its usefulness. Great fullness seems empty, Yet it cannot be exhausted. Great straightness seems twisted. Great intelligence seems stupid. Great eloquence seems awkward. Movement overcomes cold. Stillness overcomes heat. Stillness and tranquillity restore order in the universe. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 45 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

14 The mind of one who is perfect is like a mirror. It grasps nothing. It expects nothing. It reflects but does not hold. Therefore, the perfect person can act without effort.

15 JULY 2019 June August Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Canada Day (Canada) Total Solar Eclipse Independence Day 1 2 3:23 pm EDT Dalai Lama s Birthday 0 3:16 pm EDT Mercury Retrograde 7 Until July G 6:55 am EDT Bastille Day Partial Lunar Eclipse 14 (France) :31 pm EDT N 5:38 pm EDT T 9:18 pm EDT 0 11:12 pm EDT Do not seek fame. Do not make plans. Do not be absorbed by activities. Do not think that you know. Be aware of all that is and dwell in the infinite. Wander where there is no path. Be all that heaven gave you, but act as though you have received nothing. Be empty, that is all. The mind of one who is perfect is like a mirror. It grasps nothing. It expects nothing. It reflects but does not hold. Therefore, the perfect person can act without effort. Chuang Tsu, Chapter 7 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

16 Realization of your true nature is happiness. When you reach happiness, you are close to perfection. So you stop, yet do not know that you stop. This is Tao.

17 AUGUST 2019 July September Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Lughnasa 1 (Pagan/Wiccan) 2 3 Civic Holiday 4 5 (Canada) G 1:31 pm EDT Tisha B Av (Jewish) Eid al-adha Dormition of (Islamic) 2 the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian) N 8:29 am EDT T 10:56 am EDT :37 am EDT What is acceptable is acceptable; what is not acceptable is not acceptable. A path is formed by walking on it. A thing has a name because of its being called something. Why is it like this? Because it is! Why is it not like that? Because it is not! Everything has its own nature and its own function. Nothing is without nature or function. Consider a small stalk or a great column, a leper or a beauty, things that are great or wicked, perverse, and strange. They are all one in Tao. When there is separation, there is coming together. When there is coming together, there is dissolution. All things may become one, whatever their state of being. Only those who have transcended see this oneness, have no use for differences and dwell in the constant. To be constant is to be useful. To be useful is to realize your true nature. Realization of your true nature is happiness. When you reach happiness, you are close to perfection. So you stop, yet do not know that you stop. This is Tao. Chuang Tsu, Chapter 2 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

18 The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled. Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things!

19 SEPTEMBER 2019 August October Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Muharram Ganesh Chaturthi 1 (Islamic New Year) (Hindu) Labor Day (USA, Canada) G 11:10 pm EDT Grandparents Day Ashurah (Islamic) Patriot Day Mid-Autumn Festival (Asian) International Literacy Day Independence Day Constitution Day (Mexico) N 12:33 am EDT International Day of Peace Autumnal Equinox :50 am EDT Mabon (Pagan/Wiccan) T 10:41 pm EDT Navaratri (Hindu) Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) 1 0 2:26 pm EDT The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled. Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things! Blunt the sharpness, Untangle the knot, Soften the glare, Merge with dust. Oh, hidden deep but ever present! I do not know from whence it comes. It is the forefather of the ancestors. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 4 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

20 Tao is the source of the ten thousand things. It is the treasure of the good and the refuge of the bad.

21 OCTOBER 2019 September November Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Mahatma Gandhi s 1 2 Birthday Yom Kippur (Jewish) G 12:47 pm EDT Indigenous Peoples Day N 5:08 pm EDT Sukkot Begins (Jewish) 1 Thanksgiving (Canada) Birth of the Báb Simchat Torah United Nations Day 20 (Bahá í) (Jewish) T 8:39 am EDT Diwali (Hindu) :38 pm EDT Halloween Mercury Retrograde Until November 20 Samhain (Pagan/Wiccan) Tao is the source of the ten thousand things. It is the treasure of the good and the refuge of the bad. Sweet words can buy honor; Good deeds can gain respect. If people are bad, do not abandon them. Therefore on the day the emperor is crowned, Or the three officers of state installed, Do not send a gift of jade and a team of horses, But remain still and offer the Tao. Why does everyone value the Tao so much? Isn t it because you find what you seek and are forgiven when you sin? Therefore this is the greatest treasure in the universe. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 62 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

22 Those who are contented are never disappointed.

23 NOVEMBER 2019 October December Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday All Saints Day 1 (Christian) 2 Day of the Dead (Mexico) All Souls Day (Christian) Daylight Saving Election Day 3 Time Ends G 5:23 am EST Remembrance Day Birth of Bahá u lláh (Australia, Canada) 12 (Bahá í) Veterans Day N 8:34 am EST Universal Children s Day T 4:11 pm EST Thanksgiving :06 am EST Fame or self: Which matters more? Self or wealth: Which is more precious? Gain or loss: Which causes more pain? Those who are attached to things will suffer greatly. Those who save will suffer heavy losses. Those who are contented are never disappointed. Those who know when to stop do not find themselves in trouble. They remain forever safe. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 44 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

24 Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness.

25 DECEMBER 2019 November January Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Advent Begins World AIDS Day Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day G 1:58 am EST Bodhi Day (Buddhist) Human Rights Day Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic) N 12:12 am EST T 11:57 pm EST Hanukkah Begins Christmas Boxing Day (Jewish) (Canada, UK) Kwanzaa Begins (African American) Winter Solstice 11:19 pm EST Yule (Pagan/Wiccan) New Year s Eve 0 12:13 am EST Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together; Difficult and easy complement each other; Long and short contrast each other; High and low rest upon each other; Voice and sound harmonize each other; Front and back follow each other. Therefore the wise go about doing nothing, teaching no-talking. The ten thousand things rise and fall without cease, Creating, yet not possessing, Working, yet not taking credit. Work is done, then forgotten. Therefore it lasts forever. Tao Te Ching, Chapter 2 Printed on recycled paper. See last page for moon and holiday key.

26 The Tao Te Ching, the esoteric but infinitely practical book written most probably in the sixth century BCE by Lao Tsu, has been translated more frequently than any work except the Bible. Lao Tsu, an older contemporary of Confucius, was keeper of the imperial archives at Luoyang in the province of Henan, China. All his life he taught that the Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao ; but according to ancient legend, as he was riding off into the desert to die sick at heart at the ways of men a gatekeeper in northwestern China persuaded him to write down his teachings for posterity. The essence of Taoism is contained in the 81 chapters of the book roughly 5,000 words. For 2,500 years they have provided one of the major underlying influences in Chinese thought and culture, emerging also in proverbs and folklore. Whereas Confucianism is concerned with day-to-day rules of conduct, Taoism is concerned with a more spiritual level of being. Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters is a companion volume to the Tao Te Ching. Very little is known about Chuang Tsu, and what is known is inextricably woven into legend. It is said that he was a contemporary of Mencius, an official in the Lacquer Garden of Meng in the Henan province around the fourth century BCE. Chuang Tsu was to Lao Tsu as Saint Paul was to Jesus Christ and Plato to Socrates. While other philosophers were busying themselves with the practical matters of government and rules of conduct, Chuang Tsu transcended the whang cheng, the illusory dust of the world, thus anticipating Zen Buddhism s emphasis on a state of emptiness or ego transcendence. With humor, imagery, and fantasy, he captured the depth of Chinese thinking. The seven Inner Chapters presented in this translation are accepted by scholars as being definitely the work of Chuang Tsu. Another 26 chapters are of questionable origin; they are interpretations of his teachings and may have been added by later commentators. This calendar features selections from the best-selling translation of the Tao Te Ching by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English, along with selections from their edition of Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters. Both books are illustrated with Feng s calligraphy and English s photographs. Gia-fu Feng was born in Suzhou in 1919 and educated in China. He came to the United States in 1947 to study comparative religion. He held a BA from Peking University and an MA from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, and directed the Stillpoint Foundation, a Taoist community in Wetmore, Colorado. Gia-fu Feng died in Jane English was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in She attended Mount Holyoke College and received her doctorate in physics from the University of Wisconsin in Her books include Different Doorway: Adventures of a Caesarean Born, Fingers Pointing to the Moon, and translations of the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters, the two books she and Gia-fu Feng collaborated on. Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu Translated into English by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English with Toinette Lippe Introduction by Jacob Needleman Photographs by Jane English No one has done better in conveying Lao Tsu s simple and laconic style of writing, so as to produce an English version almost as suggestive of the many meanings intended. Alan W. Watts This version of the Chinese classic, originally published more than forty years ago, has sold more copies than any other. The philosophy of Lao Tsu is simple: Accept what is in front of you without wanting the situation to be other than it is. Study the natural order of things and work with it, not against it, for to try to change what is only sets up resistance. Nature provides without requiring payment or thanks, without discrimination; therefore, let us present the same face to everyone and treat all as equals, however they may behave. This translation eliminates gender-specific language and other infelicities and is accompanied by many new photographs by Jane English. Published by Vintage Books: Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters A companion to Tao Te Ching Translated into English by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English Introduction by Chungliang Al Huang Photographs by Jane English Chuang Tsu helps us to take all serious matters lightly, and encourages us to be the Laughing Philosopher. Chungliang Al Huang Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters is a companion volume to Gia-fu Feng and Jane English s translation of Tao Te Ching, which has enjoyed great success since its publication in This edition of Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters includes many new photographs by Jane English and is an updated version of the translation originally published in Like the original Chinese, this version uses gender-neutral language wherever possible. Published by Hay House:

27 The Tao in Color For many years, Jane English and I have shared the same appreciation and wish to transmit the ineffable Tao through poetry, movement, and visual images. And I have admired her intuitive ways of revealing the Tao essence in so many of her inspiring photographs. Through the images, together with her uniquely personal understanding and perceptions, she helps us enter into the heart and soul of the living philosophy of Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tsu s Inner Chapters, two of the most important Tao classics. ALSO AVAILABLE ISBN Available at Still Point of the Turning World: The Life of Gia-fu Feng by Carol Ann Wilson Some may still prefer the Tao essence to remain plain and simple, austerely black and white, but I am delighted that Jane has ventured into another dimension of expression the full color spectrum with these marvelous images. This is just as nature has intended for our eyes to see, and it allows our spirits to soar. Chungliang Al Huang A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this calendar will be donated to the Living Tao Foundation, a nonprofit educational network founded by Chungliang Al Huang, an internationally respected tai chi master and authority on East-West cultural synthesis. Living Tao s mission is to correlate Eastern philosophies, physical disciplines, and fine arts with those of the West. Fine art monochrome prints of Jane English s photographs featured in previous books and calendars. Available at I Ching Yarrow Stalks Available at ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS STATEMENT Our wall calendars are printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC ) Certified Mixed Source Paper, which contains 18% recycled content and is processed chlorine free. The FSC label ensures that the wood used to produce the paper comes from well-managed forests, recycled materials, and/or controlled wood from noncontroversial sources. FSC is an international not-for-profit organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world s forests by developing standards and providing independent certification and labeling of forest products ( We further offset our carbon footprint on an ongoing basis by planting trees through Trees for the Future (TREES), a nonprofit agroforestry resource center that helps communities in Central America, Africa, and Asia restore tree cover to their lands. TREES has planted more than 125 million trees since 1989, and by the end of 2017 Amber Lotus had funded the planting of at least 700,000 trees. In addition to removing CO 2 from the atmosphere, these trees help restore degraded land, reverse deforestation, improve soil quality, and augment local standards of living ( We have committed to planting at least 50,000 trees in 2018 to offset the resource usage and carbon footprint associated with the production of our 2018 product line (which includes our 2019 calendars). This is more than 16 times the estimated 3,116 trees used to produce these products. One of the advantages of planting trees as an offset strategy is that they remove CO 2 from the atmosphere on an ongoing basis. TREES estimates that the 700,000 trees we have planted so far will remove 17,500 tons of CO 2 from the atmosphere annually, versus the estimated 590 tons of CO 2 generated by our 2018 production activities, which results in Amber Lotus being Carbon Negative. Our efforts are summarized below. TREES PLANTED TONS OF CO 2 REMOVED ANNUALLY Planted ( ) 700,000 Planted ( ) 17,500 Committed (2018) 50,000 Committed (2018) 1,250 TOTAL 750,000 TOTAL 18,750 ESTIMATED TREES USED (2018) TONS OF CO 2 GENERATED (2018) 2019 Wall Calendars 2, Wall Calendars 502 Other Products and Catalogs 465 Other Products and Catalogs 88 TOTAL 3,116 TOTAL 590 Trees for the Future estimate based on 50 lbs. of CO 2 removed annually by each tree planted. Estimate made using the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator based on 2017 production numbers. The holidays listed in this calendar are accurate to the best of our knowledge and research. All times in this calendar are given in Eastern Standard Time (EST), which is noted as Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) during Daylight Saving Time. 0 New Moon G First Quarter Moon N Full Moon T Last Quarter Moon We hope you enjoyed the Tao wall calendar. It s time to order your new calendar for Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening before the date given. 2. Islamic holidays begin at sundown the evening before the date given. The Islamic calendar is based on lunar observation and thus may vary depending upon the sighting of the crescent moon. Dates apply to North America. 3. Solar and lunar eclipses are not viewable from all regions amberlotus.com

28 TAO Photography by Jane English Calligraphy by Gia-fu Feng The Tao Te Ching, the esoteric but infinitely practical book written in the sixth century BCE by Lao Tsu, has been translated more times than any work except the Bible. For centuries, artists, poets, painters, and even gardeners have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration and guidance. The Tao wall calendar features contemplative nature photographs, gracefully stylized Chinese calligraphy, and translations of the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tsu s Inner Chapters. sample caption: The wood is consumed but the fire burns on, and we do not know when it will come to an end. WE PLANT TREES. A lot of them more than 700,000 and growing! We have committed to planting an additional 50,000 trees in 2018 more than 16 times the number of trees used to produce our products. And even better, the trees we have already planted remove significantly more carbon than we generate. With every Amber Lotus product you purchase, you help us plant more trees. Together we are making a difference. To learn more about our environmental stewardship efforts, please visit amberlotus.com. Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. This calendar features US and Canadian legal holidays, phases of the moon, and important observances of the world s major religions. Design & photographs 2018 Jane English Earth Heart Text & calligraphy 2018 Jane English & Carol Wilson A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this calendar will be donated to the Living Tao Foundation. Copyright 2018 Amber Lotus Publishing. All rights reserved. Designed at our studio in Portland, Oregon. Printed in South Korea amberlotus.com Nurture your heart ~ Renew your soul ~ Expand your mind $14.99 US $18.99 CAN ISBN