Names

[Jan Bosselaers]

Don.Colless at CSIRO.AU wrote:

>On no particular thread, but especially relevant to Phylocode enthusiasts (who would name every node on a cladogram - or if they didn't, would need to say why): may I quote a gem mined recently from the Chinese classic, "Tao Te Ching";
>
>Things have been given names from the beginning.
>We need to know when we have enough names:
>This is wisdom.
>
>Don Colless,
>Div of Entomology, CSIRO,
>GPO Box 1700,
>Canberra. 2601.
>Email: don.colless at csiro.au
>Tuz li munz est miens envirun
>
This translation is popular and published in many similar versions, but
like many translations of the bible, it might be completely wrong. For
another opinion, see
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/taoism/ttcstan3.htm#32, where it
sounds:
When the Tao is divided,
there is a need for names,
for, like the block which is carved,
its parts then are seen.
By stopping in time
from torment and conflict,
strife is defeated, and danger averted.
The people then seek the wisdom of Tao,
just as all rivers flow to the great sea.
I must admit I do not understand what this means, but it does sound
different from the above version.

Best regards,

Jan

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Jan Bosselaers
"Dochterland", R. novarumlaan 2
B-2340 Beerse, Belgium               tel / fax 32-14-615896
home: dochterland at pandora.be  /  hortipes at dochterland.org
work: jbossela at janbe.jnj.com
web: http://www.dochterland.org/ or http://wyith.ch/home/dochterland.org/

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