tao te ching: a new english version
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TaoTeChing
ANewEnglishVersion,withForewordandNotes,byStephenMitchell
TOVICKI
Whocanfindagoodwoman?
Sheispreciousbeyondallthings.
Herhusband’shearttrustshercompletely.
Sheishisbestreward.
PROV.31:10-11
Contents
Foreword1Thetaothatcanbetold…2Whenpeopleseesomethingsasbeautiful…3Ifyouoveresteemgreatmen…4TheTaoislikeawell…5TheTaodoesn'ttakesides…6TheTaoiscalledtheGreatMother…7TheTaoisinfinite,eternal…8Thesupremegoodislikewater…9Fillyourbowltothebrim…10Canyoucoaxyourmindfromitswandering…11Wejoinspokestogetherinawheel…12Colorsblindtheeye…13Successisasdangerousasfailure…14Look,anditcan'tbeseen…15TheancientMasterswereprofoundandsubtle…16Emptyyourmindofallthoughts…17WhentheMastergoverns,thepeople…18WhenthegreatTaoisforgotten…19Throwawayholinessandwisdom…20Stopthinking,andendyourproblems…21TheMasterkeepshermind…22Ifyouwanttobecomewhole…23Expressyourselfcompletely…24Hewhostandsontiptoe…25Therewassomethingformlessandperfect…26Theheavyistherootofthelight…27Agoodtravelerhasnofixedplans…28Knowthemale…
29Doyouwanttoimprovetheworld…30WhoeverreliesontheTaoingoverningmen…31Weaponsarethetoolsofviolence…32TheTaocan'tbeperceived…33Knowingothersisintelligence…34ThegreatTaoflowseverywhere…35ShewhoiscenteredintheTao…36Ifyouwanttoshrinksomething…37TheTaoneverdoesanything…38TheMasterdoesn'ttrytobepowerful…39InharmonywiththeTao…40ReturnisthemovementoftheTao…41WhenasuperiormanhearsoftheTao…42TheTaogivesbirthtoOne…43Thegentlestthingintheworld…44Fameorintegrity:whichismoreimportant…45Trueperfectionseemsimperfect…46WhenacountryisinharmonywiththeTao…47Withoutopeningyourdoor…48Inthepursuitofknowledge…49TheMasterhasnomindofherown…50TheMastergiveshimselfup…51Everybeingintheuniverse…52InthebeginningwastheTao…53ThegreatWayiseasy…54WhoeverisplantedintheTao…55HewhoisinharmonywiththeTao…56Thosewhoknowdon'ttalk…57Ifyouwanttobeagreatleader…58Ifacountryisgovernedwithtolerance…59Forgoverningacountrywell…
60Governingalargecountry…61Whenacountryobtainsgreatpower…62TheTaoisthecenteroftheuniverse…63Actwithoutdoing…64Whatisrootediseasytonourish…65TheancientMasters…66Allstreamsflowtothesea…67Somesaythatmyteachingisnonsense…68Thebestathlete…69Thegeneralshaveasaying…70Myteachingsareeasytounderstand…71Not-knowingistrueknowledge…72Whentheylosetheirsenseofawe…73TheTaoisalwaysatease…74Ifyourealizethatallthingschange…75Whentaxesaretoohigh…76Menarebornsoftandsupple…77Asitactsintheworld,theTao…78Nothingintheworld…79Failureisanopportunity…80Ifacountryisgovernedwisely…81Truewordsaren'teloquent…NotesAcknowledgmentsAbouttheTranslatorCreditsCopyrightAboutthePublisher
Foreword
TaoTeChing (pronounced,more or less,DowDeh Jing) canbe translated asTheBookoftheImmanenceoftheWayorTheBookoftheWayandofHowItManifestsItselfintheWorldor,simply,TheBookoftheWay.SinceitisalreadywellknownbyitsChinesetitle,Ihaveletthatstand.
AboutLao-tzu,itsauthor,thereispracticallynothingtobesaid.HemayhavebeenanoldercontemporaryofConfucius(551-479B.C.E.)andmayhaveheldthepositionofarchive-keeperinoneofthepettykingdomsofthetime.Butalltheinformationthathascomedowntousishighlysuspect.Eventhemeaningofhisnameisuncertain(themostlikelyinterpretations:“theOldMaster”or,morepicturesquely,“theOldBoy”).LikeanIroquoiswoodsman,heleftnotraces.Allheleftusishisbook:theclassicmanualontheartofliving,writteninstyleofgemlike lucidity, radiantwith humor andgrace and largeheartedness anddeepwisdom:oneofthewondersoftheworld.
PeopleusuallythinkofLao-tzuasahermit,adropoutfromsociety,dwellingserenely in some mountain hut, unvisited except perhaps by the occasionaltravelerarrivingfroma’60sjoketoask,“Whatisthemeaningoflife?”Butit’sclearfromhisteachingsthathedeeplycaredaboutsociety,ifsocietymeansthewelfareofone’sfellowhumanbeings;hisbookis,amongotherthings,atreatiseontheartofgovernment,whetherofacountryorofachild.Themisperceptionmayarisefromhisinsistenceonweiwuwei,literally“doingnot-doing,”whichhasbeenseenaspassivity.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.
Agoodathletecanenterastateofbody-awarenessinwhichtherightstrokeorthe rightmovement happens by itself, effortlessly,without any interference ofthe conscious will. This is a paradigm for non-action: the purest and mosteffectiveformofaction.Thegameplaysthegame; thepoemwrites thepoem;wecan’ttellthedancerfromthedance.
Lessandlessdoyouneedtoforcethings,
untilfinallyyouarriveatnon-action.
Whennothingisdone,
nothingisleftundone.
Nothingisdonebecausethedoerhaswholeheartedlyvanishedintothedeed;thefuel has been completely transformed into flame. This “nothing” is, in fact,everything.Ithappenswhenwetrusttheintelligenceoftheuniverseinthesamewaythatanathleteoradancertruststhesuperiorintelligenceofthebody.HenceLao-tzu’semphasisonsoftness.Softnessmeans theoppositeofrigidity,andissynonymouswith suppleness, adaptability, endurance.Anyonewhohas seenat’aichioraikidomasterdoingnot-doingwillknowhowpowerfulthissoftnessis.
Lao-tzu’scentralfigureisamanorwomanwhoselifeisinperfectharmonywith theway thingsare.This isnotan idea; it isa reality; Ihaveseen it.TheMasterhasmasteredNature;notinthesenseofconqueringit,butofbecomingit.InsurrenderingtotheTao,ingivingupallconcepts,judgments,anddesires,her mind has grown naturally compassionate. She finds deep in her ownexperiencethecentraltruthsoftheartofliving,whichareparadoxicalonlyonthesurface:thatthemoretrulysolitaryweare,themorecompassionatewecanbe;themoreweletgoofwhatwelove,themorepresentourlovebecomes;theclearerourinsightintowhatisbeyondgoodandevil,themorewecanembodythe good. Until finally she is able to say, in all humility, “I am the Tao, theTruth,theLife.”
The teaching of the Tao Te Ching is moral in the deepest sense.Unencumberedbyanyconceptofsin, theMasterdoesn’tseeevilasaforcetoresist, but simply as an opaqueness, a state of self-absorption which is indisharmonywiththeuniversalprocess,sothat,aswithadirtywindow,thelightcan’t shine through. This freedom frommoral categories allows him his greatcompassionforthewickedandtheselfish.
ThustheMasterisavailabletoallpeople
anddoesn’trejectanyone.
Heisreadytouseallsituations
anddoesn’twasteanything.
Thisiscalledembodyingthelight.
Whatisagoodmanbutabadman’steacher?
Whatisabadmanbutagoodman’sjob?
Ifyoudon’tunderstandthis,youwillgetlost,
howeverintelligentyouare.
Itisthegreatsecret.
The readerwill notice that in themany passageswhere Lao-tzu describes theMaster, I have used the pronoun “she” at least as often as “he.” TheChineselanguagedoesn’tmake this kindof distinction; inEnglishwehave to choose.Butsinceweareall,potentially,theMaster(sincetheMasteris,essentially,us),I felt it would be untrue to present amale archetype, as other versions have,ironically,done.Ironically,becauseofallthegreatworldreligionstheteachingofLao-tzuisbyfarthemostfemale.Ofcourse,youshouldfeelfree,throughoutthebook,tosubstitute“he”for“she”orviceversa.
As to method: I worked from Paul Carus’s literal version, which providesEnglish equivalents (often very quaint ones) alongside each of the Chineseideograms. I also consulted dozens of translations into English, German, andFrench.Butthemostessentialpreparationformyworkwasafourteen-year-longcourseofZentraining,whichbroughtmefacetofacewithLao-tzuandhistruedisciplesandheirs,theearlyChineseZenMasters.
Withgreatpoetry, the freest translation is sometimes themost faithful.“Wemust try its effect as anEnglish poem,”Dr. Johnson said; “that is theway tojudgeofthemeritofatranslation.”Ihaveoftenbeenfairlyliteral—orasliteralasonecanbewithsuchasubtle,kaleidoscopicbookastheTaoTeChing.ButIhavealsoparaphrased,expanded,contracted, interpreted,workedwith the text,playedwithit,untilitbecameembodiedinalanguagethatfeltgenuinetome.IfI haven’t always translated Lao-tzu’swords,my intention has always been totranslatehismind.
TaoTeChing
1
Thetaothatcanbetold
isnottheeternalTao.
Thenamethatcanbenamed
isnottheeternalName.
Theunnamableistheeternallyreal.
Namingistheorigin
ofallparticularthings.
Freefromdesire,yourealizethemystery.
Caughtindesire,youseeonlythemanifestations.
Yetmysteryandmanifestations
arisefromthesamesource.
Thissourceiscalleddarkness.
Darknesswithindarkness.
Thegatewaytoallunderstanding.
2
Whenpeopleseesomethingsasbeautiful,
otherthingsbecomeugly.
Whenpeopleseesomethingsasgood,
otherthingsbecomebad.
Beingandnon-beingcreateeachother.
Difficultandeasysupporteachother.
Longandshortdefineeachother.
Highandlowdependoneachother.
Beforeandafterfolloweachother.
ThereforetheMaster
actswithoutdoinganything
andteacheswithoutsayinganything.
Thingsariseandsheletsthemcome;
thingsdisappearandsheletsthemgo.
Shehasbutdoesn’tpossess,
actsbutdoesn’texpect.
Whenherworkisdone,sheforgetsit.
Thatiswhyitlastsforever.
3
Ifyouoveresteemgreatmen,
peoplebecomepowerless.
Ifyouovervaluepossessions,
peoplebegintosteal.
TheMasterleads
byemptyingpeople’smindsand
fillingtheircores,byweakeningtheirambition
andtougheningtheirresolve.
Hehelpspeopleloseeverything
theyknow,everythingtheydesire,
andcreatesconfusion
inthosewhothinkthattheyknow.
Practicenot-doing,
andeverythingwillfallintoplace.
4
TheTaoislikeawell:
usedbutneverusedup.
Itisliketheeternalvoid:
filledwithinfinitepossibilities.
Itishiddenbutalwayspresent.
Idon’tknowwhogavebirthtoit.
ItisolderthanGod.
5
TheTaodoesn’ttakesides;
itgivesbirthtobothgoodandevil.
TheMasterdoesn’ttakesides;
shewelcomesbothsaintsandsinners.
TheTaoislikeabellows:
itisemptyyetinfinitelycapable.
Themoreyouuseit,themoreitproduces;
themoreyoutalkofit,thelessyouunderstand.
Holdontothecenter.
6
TheTaoiscalledtheGreatMother:
emptyyetinexhaustible,
itgivesbirthtoinfiniteworlds.
Itisalwayspresentwithinyou.
Youcanuseitanywayyouwant.
7
TheTaoisinfinite,eternal.
Whyisiteternal?
Itwasneverborn;
thusitcanneverdie.
Whyisitinfinite?
Ithasnodesiresforitself;
thusitispresentforallbeings.
TheMasterstaysbehind;
thatiswhysheisahead.
Sheisdetachedfromallthings;
thatiswhysheisonewiththem.
Becauseshehasletgoofherself,
sheisperfectlyfulfilled.
8
Thesupremegoodislikewater,
whichnourishesallthingswithouttryingto.
Itiscontentwiththelowplacesthatpeopledisdain.
ThusitisliketheTao.
Indwelling,liveclosetotheground.
Inthinking,keeptothesimple.
Inconflict,befairandgenerous.
Ingoverning,don’ttrytocontrol.
Inwork,dowhatyouenjoy.
Infamilylife,becompletelypresent.
Whenyouarecontenttobesimplyyourself
anddon’tcompareorcompete,
everybodywillrespectyou.
9
Fillyourbowltothebrim
anditwillspill.
Keepsharpeningyourknife
anditwillblunt.
Chaseaftermoneyandsecurity
andyourheartwillneverunclench.
Careaboutpeople’sapproval
andyouwillbetheirprisoner.
Doyourwork,thenstepback.
Theonlypathtoserenity.
10
Canyoucoaxyourmindfromitswandering
andkeeptotheoriginaloneness?
Canyouletyourbodybecome
suppleasanewbornchild’s?
Canyoucleanseyourinnervision
untilyouseenothingbutthelight?
Canyoulovepeopleandleadthem
withoutimposingyourwill?
Canyoudealwiththemostvitalmatters
bylettingeventstaketheircourse?
Canyoustepbackfromyourownmind
andthusunderstandallthings?
Givingbirthandnourishing,
havingwithoutpossessing,
actingwithnoexpectations,
leadingandnottryingtocontrol:
thisisthesupremevirtue.
11
Wejoinspokestogetherinawheel,
butitisthecenterhole
thatmakesthewagonmove.
Weshapeclayintoapot,
butitistheemptinessinside
thatholdswhateverwewant.
Wehammerwoodforahouse,
butitistheinnerspace
thatmakesitlivable.
Weworkwithbeing,
butnon-beingiswhatweuse.
12
Colorsblindtheeye.
Soundsdeafentheear.
Flavorsnumbthetaste.
Thoughtsweakenthemind.
Desireswithertheheart.
TheMasterobservestheworld
buttrustshisinnervision.
Heallowsthingstocomeandgo.
Hisheartisopenasthesky.
13
Successisasdangerousasfailure.
Hopeisashollowasfear.
Whatdoesitmeanthatsuccessisasdangerousasfailure?
Whetheryougouptheladderordownit,
yourpositionisshaky.
Whenyoustandwithyourtwofeetontheground,
youwillalwayskeepyourbalance.
Whatdoesitmeanthathopeisashollowasfear?
Hopeandfeararebothphantoms
thatarisefromthinkingoftheself.
Whenwedon’tseetheselfasself,
whatdowehavetofear?
Seetheworldasyourself.
Havefaithinthewaythingsare.
Lovetheworldasyourself;
thenyoucancareforallthings.
14
Look,anditcan’tbeseen.
Listen,anditcan’tbeheard.
Reach,anditcan’tbegrasped.
Above,itisn’tbright.
Below,itisn’tdark.
Seamless,unnamable,
itreturnstotherealmofnothing.
Formthatincludesallforms,
imagewithoutanimage,
subtle,beyondallconception.
Approachitandthereisnobeginning;
followitandthereisnoend.
Youcan’tknowit,butyoucanbeit,
ateaseinyourownlife.
Justrealizewhereyoucomefrom:
thisistheessenceofwisdom.
15
TheancientMasterswereprofoundandsubtle.
Theirwisdomwasunfathomable.
Thereisnowaytodescribeit;
allwecandescribeistheirappearance.
Theywerecareful
assomeonecrossinganiced-overstream.
Alertasawarriorinenemyterritory.
Courteousasaguest.
Fluidasmeltingice.
Shapableasablockofwood.
Receptiveasavalley.
Clearasaglassofwater.
Doyouhavethepatiencetowait
tillyourmudsettlesandthewaterisclear?
Canyouremainunmoving
tilltherightactionarisesbyitself?
TheMasterdoesn’tseekfulfillment.
Notseeking,notexpecting,
sheispresent,andcanwelcomeallthings.
16
Emptyyourmindofallthoughts.
Letyourheartbeatpeace.
Watchtheturmoilofbeings,
butcontemplatetheirreturn.
Eachseparatebeingintheuniverse
returnstothecommonsource.
Returningtothesourceisserenity.
Ifyoudon’trealizethesource,
youstumbleinconfusionandsorrow.
Whenyourealizewhereyoucomefrom,
younaturallybecometolerant,
disinterested,amused,
kindheartedasagrandmother,
dignifiedasaking.
ImmersedinthewonderoftheTao,
youcandealwithwhateverlifebringsyou,
andwhendeathcomes,youareready.
17
WhentheMastergoverns,thepeople
arehardlyawarethatheexists.
Nextbestisaleaderwhoisloved.
Next,onewhoisfeared.
Theworstisonewhoisdespised.
Ifyoudon’ttrustthepeople,
youmakethemuntrustworthy.
TheMasterdoesn’ttalk,heacts.
Whenhisworkisdone,
thepeoplesay,“Amazing:
wedidit,allbyourselves!”
18
WhenthegreatTaoisforgotten,
goodnessandpietyappear.
Whenthebody’sintelligencedeclines,
clevernessandknowledgestepforth.
Whenthereisnopeaceinthefamily,
filialpietybegins.
Whenthecountryfallsintochaos,
patriotismisborn.
19
Throwawayholinessandwisdom,
andpeoplewillbeahundredtimeshappier.
Throwawaymoralityandjustice,
andpeoplewilldotherightthing.
Throwawayindustryandprofit,
andtherewon’tbeanythieves.
Ifthesethreearen’tenough,
juststayatthecenterofthecircle
andletallthingstaketheircourse.
20
Stopthinking,andendyourproblems.
Whatdifferencebetweenyesandno?
Whatdifferencebetweensuccessandfailure?
Mustyouvaluewhatothersvalue,
avoidwhatothersavoid?
Howridiculous!
Otherpeopleareexcited,
asthoughtheywereataparade.
Ialonedon’tcare,
Ialoneamexpressionless,
likeaninfantbeforeitcansmile.
Otherpeoplehavewhattheyneed;
Ialonepossessnothing.
Ialonedriftabout,
likesomeonewithoutahome.
Iamlikeanidiot,mymindissoempty.
Otherpeoplearebright;
Ialoneamdark.
Otherpeoplearesharp;
Ialoneamdull.
Otherpeoplehaveapurpose;
Ialonedon’tknow.
Idriftlikeawaveontheocean,
Iblowasaimlessasthewind.
Iamdifferentfromordinarypeople.
IdrinkfromtheGreatMother’sbreasts.
21
TheMasterkeepshermind
alwaysatonewiththeTao;
thatiswhatgivesherherradiance.
TheTaoisungraspable.
Howcanhermindbeatonewithit?
Becauseshedoesn’tclingtoideas.
TheTaoisdarkandunfathomable.
Howcanitmakeherradiant?
Becausesheletsit.
Sincebeforetimeandspacewere,
theTaois.
Itisbeyondisandisnot.
HowdoIknowthisistrue?
Ilookinsidemyselfandsee.
22
Ifyouwanttobecomewhole,
letyourselfbepartial.
Ifyouwanttobecomestraight,
letyourselfbecrooked.
Ifyouwanttobecomefull,
letyourselfbeempty.
Ifyouwanttobereborn,
letyourselfdie.
Ifyouwanttobegiveneverything,
giveeverythingup.
TheMaster,byresidingintheTao,
setsanexampleforallbeings.
Becausehedoesn’tdisplayhimself,
peoplecanseehislight.
Becausehehasnothingtoprove,
peoplecantrusthiswords.
Becausehedoesn’tknowwhoheis,
peoplerecognizethemselvesinhim.
Becausehehasnogoalinmind,
everythinghedoessucceeds.
WhentheancientMasterssaid,
“Ifyouwanttobegiveneverything,
giveeverythingup,”
theyweren’tusingemptyphrases.
OnlyinbeinglivedbytheTao
canyoubetrulyyourself.
23
Expressyourselfcompletely,
thenkeepquiet.
Beliketheforcesofnature:
whenitblows,thereisonlywind;
whenitrains,thereisonlyrain;
whenthecloudspass,thesunshinesthrough.
IfyouopenyourselftotheTao,
youareatonewiththeTao
andyoucanembodyitcompletely.
Ifyouopenyourselftoinsight,
youareatonewithinsight
andyoucanuseitcompletely.
Ifyouopenyourselftoloss,
youareatonewithloss
andyoucanacceptitcompletely.
OpenyourselftotheTao,
thentrustyournaturalresponses;
andeverythingwillfallintoplace.
24
Hewhostandsontiptoe
doesn’tstandfirm.
Hewhorushesahead
doesn’tgofar.
Hewhotriestoshine
dimshisownlight.
Hewhodefineshimself
can’tknowwhohereallyis.
Hewhohaspoweroverothers
can’tempowerhimself.
Hewhoclingstohiswork
willcreatenothingthatendures.
IfyouwanttoaccordwiththeTao,
justdoyourjob,thenletgo.
25
Therewassomethingformlessandperfect
beforetheuniversewasborn.
Itisserene.Empty.
Solitary.Unchanging.
Infinite.Eternallypresent.
Itisthemotheroftheuniverse.
Forlackofabettername,
IcallittheTao.
Itflowsthroughallthings,
insideandoutside,andreturns
totheoriginofallthings.
TheTaoisgreat.
Theuniverseisgreat.
Earthisgreat.
Manisgreat.
Thesearethefourgreatpowers.
Manfollowstheearth.
Earthfollowstheuniverse.
TheuniversefollowstheTao.
TheTaofollowsonlyitself.
26
Theheavyistherootofthelight.
Theunmovedisthesourceofallmovement.
ThustheMastertravelsallday
withoutleavinghome.
Howeversplendidtheviews,
shestaysserenelyinherself.
Whyshouldthelordofthecountry
flitaboutlikeafool?
Ifyouletyourselfbeblowntoandfro,
youlosetouchwithyourroot.
Ifyouletrestlessnessmoveyou,
youlosetouchwithwhoyouare.
27
Agoodtravelerhasnofixedplans
andisnotintentuponarriving.
Agoodartistletshisintuition
leadhimwhereveritwants.
Agoodscientisthasfreedhimselfofconcepts
andkeepshismindopentowhatis.
ThustheMasterisavailabletoallpeople
anddoesn’trejectanyone.
Heisreadytouseallsituations
anddoesn’twasteanything.
Thisiscalledembodyingthelight.
Whatisagoodmanbutabadman’steacher?
Whatisabadmanbutagoodman’sjob?
Ifyoudon’tunderstandthis,youwillgetlost,
howeverintelligentyouare.
Itisthegreatsecret.
28
Knowthemale,
yetkeeptothefemale:
receivetheworldinyourarms.
Ifyoureceivetheworld,
theTaowillneverleave
youandyouwillbelikealittlechild.
Knowthewhite,
yetkeeptotheblack:
beapatternfortheworld.
Ifyouareapatternfortheworld,
theTaowillbestronginsideyou
andtherewillbenothingyoucan’tdo.
Knowthepersonal,
yetkeeptotheimpersonal:
accepttheworldasitis.
Ifyouaccepttheworld,
theTaowillbeluminousinsideyou
andyouwillreturntoyourprimalself.
Theworldisformedfromthevoid,
likeutensilsfromablockofwood.
TheMasterknowstheutensils,
yetkeepstotheblock:
thusshecanuseallthings.
29
Doyouwanttoimprovetheworld?
Idon’tthinkitcanbedone.
Theworldissacred.
Itcan’tbeimproved.
Ifyoutamperwithit,you’llruinit.
Ifyoutreatitlikeanobject,you’llloseit.
Thereisatimeforbeingahead,
atimeforbeingbehind;
atimeforbeinginmotion,
atimeforbeingatrest;
atimeforbeingvigorous,
atimeforbeingexhausted;
atimeforbeingsafe,
atimeforbeingindanger.
TheMasterseesthingsastheyare,
withouttryingtocontrolthem.
Sheletsthemgotheirownway,
andresidesatthecenterofthecircle.
30
WhoeverreliesontheTaoingoverningmen
doesn’ttrytoforceissues
ordefeatenemiesbyforceofarms.
Foreveryforcethereisacounterforce.
Violence,evenwellintentioned,
alwaysreboundsupononeself.
TheMasterdoeshisjob
andthenstops.
Heunderstandsthattheuniverse
isforeveroutofcontrol,
andthattryingtodominateevents
goesagainstthecurrentoftheTao.
Becausehebelievesinhimself,
hedoesn’ttrytoconvinceothers.
Becauseheiscontentwithhimself,
hedoesn’tneedothers’approval.
Becauseheacceptshimself,
thewholeworldacceptshim.
31
Weaponsarethetoolsofviolence;
alldecentmendetestthem.
Weaponsarethetoolsoffear;
adecentmanwillavoidthem
exceptinthedirestnecessity
and,ifcompelled,willusethem
onlywiththeutmostrestraint.
Peaceishishighestvalue.
Ifthepeacehasbeenshattered,
howcanhebecontent?
Hisenemiesarenotdemons,
buthumanbeingslikehimself.
Hedoesn’twishthempersonalharm.
Nordoesherejoiceinvictory.
Howcouldherejoiceinvictory
anddelightintheslaughterofmen?
Heentersabattlegravely,
withsorrowandwithgreatcompassion,
asifhewereattendingafuneral.
32
TheTaocan’tbeperceived,
Smallerthananelectron,
itcontainsuncountablegalaxies.
Ifpowerfulmenandwomen
couldremaincenteredintheTao,
allthingswouldbeinharmony.
Theworldwouldbecomeaparadise.
Allpeoplewouldbeatpeace,
andthelawwouldbewrittenintheirhearts.
Whenyouhavenamesandforms,
knowthattheyareprovisional.
Whenyouhaveinstitutions,
knowwheretheirfunctionsshouldend.
Knowingwhentostop,
youcanavoidanydanger.
Allthingsendinthe
Taoasriversflowintothesea.
33
Knowingothersisintelligence;
knowingyourselfistruewisdom.
Masteringothersisstrength;
masteringyourselfistruepower.
Ifyourealizethatyouhaveenough,
youaretrulyrich.
Ifyoustayinthecenter
andembracedeathwithyourwholeheart,
youwillendureforever.
34
ThegreatTaoflowseverywhere.
Allthingsarebornfromit,
yetitdoesn’tcreatethem.
Itpoursitselfintoitswork,
yetitmakesnoclaim.
Itnourishesinfiniteworlds,
yetitdoesn’tholdontothem.
Sinceitismergedwithallthings
andhiddenintheirhearts,
itcanbecalledhumble.
Sinceallthingsvanishintoit
anditaloneendures,
itcanbecalledgreat.
Itisn’tawareofitsgreatness;
thusitistrulygreat.
35
ShewhoiscenteredintheTao
cangowhereshewishes,withoutdanger.
Sheperceivestheuniversalharmony,
evenamidgreatpain,
becauseshehasfoundpeaceinherheart.
Musicorthesmellofgoodcooking
maymakepeoplestopandenjoy.
ButwordsthatpointtotheTao
seemmonotonousandwithoutflavor.
Whenyoulookforit,thereisnothingtosee.
Whenyoulistenforit,thereisnothingtohear.
Whenyouuseit,itisinexhaustible.
36
Ifyouwanttoshrinksomething,
youmustfirstallowittoexpand.
Ifyouwanttogetridofsomething,
youmustfirstallowittoflourish.
Ifyouwanttotakesomething,
youmustfirstallowittobegiven.
Thisiscalledthesubtleperception
ofthewaythingsare.
Thesoftovercomesthehard.
Theslowovercomesthefast.
Letyourworkingsremainamystery.
Justshowpeopletheresults.
37
TheTaoneverdoesanything,
yetthroughitallthingsaredone.
Ifpowerfulmenandwomen
couldcenterthemselvesinit,
thewholeworldwouldbetransformed
byitself,initsnaturalrhythms.
Peoplewouldbecontent
withtheirsimple,everydaylives,
inharmony,andfreeofdesire.
Whenthereisnodesire,
allthingsareatpeace.
38
TheMasterdoesn’ttrytobepowerful;
thusheistrulypowerful.
Theordinarymankeepsreachingforpower;
thusheneverhasenough.
TheMasterdoesnothing,
yetheleavesnothingundone.
Theordinarymanisalwaysdoingthings,
yetmanymorearelefttobedone.
Thekindmandoessomething,
yetsomethingremainsundone.
Thejustmandoessomething,
andleavesmanythingstobedone.
Themoralmandoessomething,
andwhennooneresponds
herollsuphissleevesandusesforce.
WhentheTaoislost,thereisgoodness.
Whengoodnessislost,thereismorality.
Whenmoralityislost,thereisritual.
Ritualisthehuskoftruefaith,
thebeginningofchaos.
ThereforetheMasterconcernshimself
withthedepthsandnotthesurface,
withthefruitandnottheflower.
Hehasnowillofhisown.
Hedwellsinreality,
andletsallillusionsgo.
39
InharmonywiththeTao,
theskyisclearandspacious,
theearthissolidandfull,
allcreaturesflourishtogether,
contentwiththewaytheyare,
endlesslyrepeatingthemselves,
endlesslyrenewed.
WhenmaninterfereswiththeTao,
theskybecomesfilthy,
theearthbecomesdepleted,
theequilibriumcrumbles,
creaturesbecomeextinct.
TheMasterviewsthepartswithcompassion,
becauseheunderstandsthewhole.
Hisconstantpracticeishumility.
Hedoesn’tglitterlikeajewel
butletshimselfbeshapedbytheTao,
asruggedandcommonasastone.
40
ReturnisthemovementoftheTao.
YieldingisthewayoftheTao.
Allthingsarebornofbeing.
Beingisbornofnon-being.
41
WhenasuperiormanhearsoftheTao,
heimmediatelybeginstoembodyit.
WhenanaveragemanhearsoftheTao,
hehalfbelievesit,halfdoubtsit.
WhenafoolishmanhearsoftheTao,
helaughsoutloud.
Ifhedidn’tlaugh,
itwouldn’tbetheTao.
Thusitissaid:
Thepathintothelightseemsdark,
thepathforwardseemstogoback,
thedirectpathseemslong,
truepowerseemsweak,
truepurityseemstarnished,
truesteadfastnessseemschangeable,
trueclarityseemsobscure,
thegreatestartseemsunsophisticated,
thegreatestloveseemsindifferent,
thegreatestwisdomseemschildish.
TheTaoisnowheretobefound.
Yetitnourishesandcompletesallthings.
42
TheTaogivesbirthtoOne.
OnegivesbirthtoTwo.
TwogivesbirthtoThree.
Threegivesbirthtoallthings.
Allthingshavetheirbackstothefemale
andstandfacingthemale.
Whenmaleandfemalecombine,
allthingsachieveharmony.
Ordinarymenhatesolitude.
ButtheMastermakesuseofit,
embracinghisaloneness,realizing
heisonewiththewholeuniverse.
43
Thegentlestthingintheworld
overcomesthehardestthingintheworld.
Thatwhichhasnosubstance
enterswherethereisnospace.
Thisshowsthevalueofnon-action.
Teachingwithoutwords,
performingwithoutactions:
thatistheMaster’sway.
44
Fameorintegrity:whichismoreimportant?
Moneyorhappiness:whichismorevaluable?
Successorfailure:whichismoredestructive?
Ifyoulooktoothersforfulfillment,
youwillnevertrulybefulfilled.
Ifyourhappinessdependsonmoney,
youwillneverbehappywithyourself.
Becontentwithwhatyouhave;
rejoiceinthewaythingsare.
Whenyourealizethereisnothinglacking,
thewholeworldbelongstoyou.
45
Trueperfectionseemsimperfect,
yetitisperfectlyitself.
Truefullnessseemsempty,
yetitisfullypresent.
Truestraightnessseemscrooked.
Truewisdomseemsfoolish.
Trueartseemsartless.
TheMasterallowsthingstohappen.
Sheshapeseventsastheycome.
Shestepsoutoftheway
andletstheTaospeakforitself.
46
WhenacountryisinharmonywiththeTao,
thefactoriesmaketrucksandtractors.
WhenacountrygoescountertotheTao,
warheadsarestockpiledoutsidethecities.
Thereisnogreaterillusionthanfear,
nogreaterwrongthanpreparingtodefendyourself,
nogreatermisfortunethanhavinganenemy.
Whoevercanseethroughallfear
willalwaysbesafe.
47
Withoutopeningyourdoor,
youcanopenyourhearttotheworld.
Withoutlookingoutyourwindow,
youcanseetheessenceoftheTao.
Themoreyouknow,
thelessyouunderstand.
TheMasterarriveswithoutleaving,
seesthelightwithoutlooking,
achieveswithoutdoingathing.
48
Inthepursuitofknowledge,
everydaysomethingisadded.
InthepracticeoftheTao,
everydaysomethingisdropped.
Lessandlessdoyouneedtoforcethings,
untilfinallyyouarriveatnon-action.
Whennothingisdone,
nothingisleftundone.
Truemasterycanbegained
bylettingthingsgotheirownway.
Itcan’tbegainedbyinterfering.
49
TheMasterhasnomindofherown.
Sheworkswiththemindofthepeople.
Sheisgoodtopeoplewhoaregood.
Sheisalsogoodtopeoplewhoaren’tgood.
Thisistruegoodness.
Shetrustspeoplewhoaretrustworthy.
Shealsotrustspeoplewhoaren’ttrustworthy.
Thisistruetrust.
TheMaster’smindislikespace.
Peopledon’tunderstandher.
Theylooktoherandwait.
Shetreatsthemlikeherownchildren.
50
TheMastergiveshimselfup
towhateverthemomentbrings.
Heknowsthatheisgoingtodie,
andhehasnothinglefttoholdonto:
noillusionsinhismind,
noresistancesinhisbody.
Hedoesn’tthinkabouthisactions;
theyflowfromthecoreofhisbeing.
Heholdsnothingbackfromlife;
thereforeheisreadyfordeath,
asamanisreadyforsleep
afteragoodday’swork.
51
Everybeingintheuniverse
isanexpressionoftheTao.
Itspringsintoexistence,
unconscious,perfect,free,
takesonaphysicalbody,
letscircumstancescompleteit.
Thatiswhyeverybeing
spontaneouslyhonorstheTao.
TheTaogivesbirthtoallbeings,
nourishesthem,maintainsthem,
caresforthem,comfortsthem,protectsthem,
takesthembacktoitself,
creatingwithoutpossessing,
actingwithoutexpecting,
guidingwithoutinterfering.
ThatiswhyloveoftheTao
isintheverynatureofthings.
52
InthebeginningwastheTao.
Allthingsissuefromit;
allthingsreturntoit.
Tofindtheorigin,
tracebacktothemanifestations.
Whenyourecognizethechildren
andfindthemother,
youwillbefreeofsorrow.
Ifyoucloseyourmindinjudgments
andtrafficwithdesires,
yourheartwillbetroubled.
Ifyoukeepyourmindfromjudging
andaren’tledbythesenses,
yourheartwillfindpeace.
Seeingintodarknessisclarity.
Knowinghowtoyieldisstrength.
Useyourownlight
andreturntothesourceoflight.
Thisiscalledpracticingeternity.
53
ThegreatWayiseasy,
yetpeoplepreferthesidepaths.
Beawarewhenthingsareoutofbalance.
StaycenteredwithintheTao.
Whenrichspeculatorsprosper
whilefarmerslosetheirland;
whengovernmentofficialsspendmoney
onweaponsinsteadofcures;
whentheupperclassisextravagantandirresponsible
whilethepoorhavenowheretoturn—
allthisisrobberyandchaos.
ItisnotinkeepingwiththeTao.
54
Whoeverisplantedinthe
Taowillnotberootedup.
Whoeverembracesthe
Taowillnotslipaway.
Hernamewillbeheldinhonor
fromgenerationtogeneration.
LettheTaobepresentinyourlife
andyouwillbecomegenuine.
Letitbepresentinyourfamily
andyourfamilywillflourish.
Letitbepresentinyourcountry
andyourcountrywillbeanexample
toallcountriesintheworld.
Letitbepresentintheuniverse
andtheuniversewillsing.
HowdoIknowthisistrue?
Bylookinginsidemyself.
55
HewhoisinharmonywiththeTao
islikeanewbornchild.
Itsbonesaresoft,itsmusclesareweak,
butitsgripispowerful.
Itdoesn’tknowabouttheunion
ofmaleandfemale,
yetitspeniscanstanderect,
sointenseisitsvitalpower.
Itcanscreamitsheadoffallday,
yetitneverbecomeshoarse,
socompleteisitsharmony.
TheMaster’spowerislikethis.
Heletsallthingscomeandgo
effortlessly,withoutdesire.
Heneverexpectsresults;
thusheisneverdisappointed.
Heisneverdisappointed;
thushisspiritnevergrowsold.
56
Thosewhoknowdon’ttalk.
Thosewhotalkdon’tknow.
Closeyourmouth,
blockoffyoursenses,
bluntyoursharpness,
untieyourknots,
softenyourglare,
settleyourdust.
Thisistheprimalidentity.
BeliketheTao.
Itcan’tbeapproachedorwithdrawnfrom,
benefitedorharmed,
honoredorbroughtintodisgrace.
Itgivesitselfupcontinually.
Thatiswhyitendures.
57
Ifyouwanttobeagreatleader,
youmustlearntofollowtheTao.
Stoptryingtocontrol.
Letgooffixedplansandconcepts,
andtheworldwillgovernitself.
Themoreprohibitionsyouhave,
thelessvirtuouspeoplewillbe.
Themoreweaponsyouhave,
thelesssecurepeoplewillbe.
Themoresubsidiesyouhave,
thelessself-reliantpeoplewillbe.
ThereforetheMastersays:
Iletgoofthelaw,
andpeoplebecomehonest.
Iletgoofeconomics,
andpeoplebecomeprosperous.
Iletgoofreligion,
andpeoplebecomeserene.
Iletgoofalldesireforthecommongood,
andthegoodbecomescommonasgrass.
58
Ifacountryisgovernedwithtolerance,
thepeoplearecomfortableandhonest.
Ifacountryisgovernedwithrepression,
thepeoplearedepressedandcrafty.
Whenthewilltopowerisincharge,
thehighertheideals,thelowertheresults.
Trytomakepeoplehappy,
andyoulaythegroundworkformisery.
Trytomakepeoplemoral,
andyoulaythegroundworkforvice.
ThustheMasteriscontent
toserveasanexample
andnottoimposeherwill.
Sheispointed,butdoesn’tpierce.
Straightforward,butsupple.
Radiant,buteasyontheeyes.
59
Forgoverningacountrywell
thereisnothingbetterthanmoderation.
Themarkofamoderateman
isfreedomfromhisownideas.
Tolerantlikethesky,
all-pervadinglikesunlight,
firmlikeamountain,
supplelikeatreeinthewind,
hehasnodestinationinview
andmakesuseofanything
lifehappenstobringhisway.
Nothingisimpossibleforhim.
Becausehehasletgo,
hecancareforthepeople’swelfare
asamothercaresforherchild.
60
Governingalargecountry
islikefryingasmallfish.
Youspoilitwithtoomuchpoking.
CenteryourcountryintheTao
andevilwillhavenopower.
Notthatitisn’tthere,
butyou’llbeabletostepoutofitsway.
Giveevilnothingtooppose
anditwilldisappearbyitself.
61
Whenacountryobtainsgreatpower,
itbecomeslikethesea:
allstreamsrundownwardintoit.
Themorepowerfulitgrows,
thegreatertheneedforhumility.
HumilitymeanstrustingtheTao,
thusneverneedingtobedefensive.
Agreatnationislikeagreatman:
Whenhemakesamistake,herealizesit.
Havingrealizedit,headmitsit.
Havingadmittedit,hecorrectsit.
Heconsidersthosewhopointouthisfaults
ashismostbenevolentteachers.
Hethinksofhisenemy
astheshadowthathehimselfcasts.
IfanationiscenteredintheTao,
ifitnourishesitsownpeople
anddoesn’tmeddleintheaffairsofothers,
itwillbealighttoallnationsintheworld.
62
TheTaoisthecenteroftheuniverse,
thegoodman’streasure,
thebadman’srefuge.
Honorscanbeboughtwithfinewords,
respectcanbewonwithgooddeeds;
buttheTaoisbeyondallvalue,
andnoonecanachieveit.
Thus,whenanewleaderischosen,
don’toffertohelphim
withyourwealthoryourexpertise.
Offerinstead
toteachhimabouttheTao.
WhydidtheancientMastersesteemtheTao?
Because,beingonewiththeTao,
whenyouseek,youfind;
andwhenyoumakeamistake,youareforgiven.
Thatiswhyeverybodylovesit.
63
Actwithoutdoing;
workwithouteffort.
Thinkofthesmallaslarge
andthefewasmany.
Confrontthedifficult
whileitisstilleasy;
accomplishthegreattask
byaseriesofsmallacts.
TheMasterneverreachesforthegreat;
thussheachievesgreatness.
Whensherunsintoadifficulty,
shestopsandgivesherselftoit.
Shedoesn’tclingtoherowncomfort;
thusproblemsarenoproblemforher.
64
Whatisrootediseasytonourish.
Whatisrecentiseasytocorrect.
Whatisbrittleiseasytobreak.
Whatissmalliseasytoscatter.
Preventtroublebeforeitarises.
Putthingsinorderbeforetheyexist.
Thegiantpinetree
growsfromatinysprout.
Thejourneyofathousandmiles
startsfrombeneathyourfeet.
Rushingintoaction,youfail.
Tryingtograspthings,youlosethem.
Forcingaprojecttocompletion,
youruinwhatwasalmostripe.
ThereforetheMastertakesaction
bylettingthingstaketheircourse.
Heremainsascalm
attheendasatthebeginning.
Hehasnothing,
thushasnothingtolose.
Whathedesiresisnon-desire;
whathelearnsistounlearn.
Hesimplyremindspeople
ofwhotheyhavealwaysbeen.
HecaresaboutnothingbuttheTao.
Thushecancareforallthings.
65
TheancientMasters
didn’ttrytoeducatethepeople,
butkindlytaughtthemtonot-know.
Whentheythinkthattheyknowtheanswers,
peoplearedifficulttoguide.
Whentheyknowthattheydon’tknow,
peoplecanfindtheirownway.
Ifyouwanttolearnhowtogovern,
avoidbeingcleverorrich.
Thesimplestpatternistheclearest.
Contentwithanordinarylife,
youcanshowallpeopletheway
backtotheirowntruenature.
66
Allstreamsflowtothesea
becauseitislowerthantheyare.
Humilitygivesititspower.
Ifyouwanttogovernthepeople,
youmustplaceyourselfbelowthem.
Ifyouwanttoleadthepeople,
youmustlearnhowtofollowthem.
TheMasterisabovethepeople,
andnoonefeelsoppressed.
Shegoesaheadofthepeople,
andnoonefeelsmanipulated.
Thewholeworldisgratefultoher.
Becauseshecompeteswithnoone,
noonecancompetewithher.
67
Somesaythatmyteachingisnonsense.
Otherscallitloftybutimpractical.
Buttothosewhohavelookedinsidethemselves,
thisnonsensemakesperfectsense.
Andtothosewhoputitintopractice,
thisloftinesshasrootsthatgodeep.
Ihavejustthreethingstoteach:
simplicity,patience,compassion.
Thesethreeareyourgreatesttreasures.
Simpleinactionsandinthoughts,
youreturntothesourceofbeing.
Patientwithbothfriendsandenemies,
youaccordwiththewaythingsare.
Compassionatetowardyourself,
youreconcileallbeingsintheworld.
68
Thebestathlete
wantshisopponentathisbest.
Thebestgeneral
entersthemindofhisenemy.
Thebestbusinessman
servesthecommunalgood.
Thebestleader
followsthewillofthepeople.
Allofthemembody
thevirtueofnon-competition.
Notthattheydon’tlovetocompete,
buttheydoitinthespiritofplay.
Inthistheyarelikechildren
andinharmonywiththeTao.
69
Thegeneralshaveasaying:
“Ratherthanmakethefirstmove
itisbettertowaitandsee.
Ratherthanadvanceaninch
itisbettertoretreatayard.”
Thisiscalled
goingforwardwithoutadvancing,
pushingbackwithoutusingweapons.
Thereisnogreatermisfortune
thanunderestimatingyourenemy.
Underestimatingyourenemy
meansthinkingthatheisevil.
Thusyoudestroyyourthreetreasures
andbecomeanenemyyourself.
Whentwogreatforcesopposeeachother,
thevictorywillgo
totheonethatknowshowtoyield.
70
Myteachingsareeasytounderstand
andeasytoputintopractice.
Yetyourintellectwillnevergraspthem,
andifyoutrytopracticethem,you’llfail.
Myteachingsareolderthantheworld.
Howcanyougrasptheirmeaning?
Ifyouwanttoknowme,
lookinsideyourheart.
71
Not-knowingistrueknowledge.
Presumingtoknowisadisease.
Firstrealizethatyouaresick;
thenyoucanmovetowardhealth.
TheMasterisherownphysician.
Shehashealedherselfofallknowing.
Thussheistrulywhole.
72
Whentheylosetheirsenseofawe,
peopleturntoreligion.
Whentheynolongertrustthemselves,
theybegintodependuponauthority.
ThereforetheMasterstepsback
sothatpeoplewon’sbeconfused.
Heteacheswithoutateaching,
sothatpeoplewillhavenothingtolearn.
73
TheTaoisalwaysatease.
Itovercomeswithoutcompeting,
answerswithoutspeakingaword,
arriveswithoutbeingsummoned,
accomplisheswithoutaplan.
Itsnetcoversthewholeuniverse.
Andthoughitsmeshesarewide,
itdoesn’tletathingslipthrough.
74
Ifyourealizethatallthingschange,
thereisnothingyouwilltrytoholdonto.
Ifyouaren’tafraidofdying,
thereisnothingyoucan’tachieve.
Tryingtocontrolthefuture
isliketryingtotakethemastercarpenter’splace.
Whenyouhandlethemastercarpenter’stools,
chancesarethatyou’llcutyourself.
75
Whentaxesaretoohigh,
peoplegohungry.
Whenthegovernmentistoointrusive,
peoplelosetheirspirit.
Actforthepeople’sbenefit.
Trustthem;leavethemalone.
76
Menarebornsoftandsupple;
dead,theyarestiffandhard.
Plantsareborntenderandpliant;
dead,theyarebrittleanddry.
Thuswhoeverisstiffandinflexible
isadiscipleofdeath.
Whoeverissoftandyielding
isadiscipleoflife.
Thehardandstiffwillbebroken.
Thesoftandsupplewillprevail.
77
Asitactsintheworld,theTao
islikethebendingofabow.
Thetopisbentdownward;
thebottomisbentup.
Itadjustsexcessanddeficiency
sothatthereisperfectbalance.
Ittakesfromwhatistoomuch
andgivestowhatisn’tenough.
Thosewhotrytocontrol,
whouseforcetoprotecttheirpower,
goagainstthedirectionoftheTao.
Theytakefromthosewhodon’thaveenough
andgivetothosewhohavefartoomuch.
TheMastercankeepgiving
becausethereisnoendtoherwealth.
Sheactswithoutexpectation,
succeedswithouttakingcredit,
anddoesn’tthinkthatsheisbetter
thananyoneelse.
78
Nothingintheworld
isassoftandyieldingaswater.
Yetfordissolvingthehardandinflexible,
nothingcansurpassit.
Thesoftovercomesthehard;
thegentleovercomestherigid.
Everyoneknowsthisistrue,
butfewcanputitintopractice.
ThereforetheMasterremains
sereneinthemidstofsorrow.
Evilcannotenterhisheart.
Becausehehasgivenuphelping,
heispeople’sgreatesthelp.
Truewordsseemparadoxical.
79
Failureisanopportunity.
Ifyoublamesomeoneelse,
thereisnoendtotheblame.
ThereforetheMaster
fulfillsherownobligations
andcorrectsherownmistakes.
Shedoeswhatsheneedstodo
anddemandsnothingofothers.
80
Ifacountryisgovernedwisely,
itsinhabitantswillbecontent.
Theyenjoythelaboroftheirhands
anddon’twastetimeinventing
labor-savingmachines.
Sincetheydearlylovetheirhomes,
theyaren’tinterestedintravel.
Theremaybeafewwagonsandboats,
butthesedon’tgoanywhere.
Theremaybeanarsenalofweapons,
butnobodyeverusesthem.
Peopleenjoytheirfood,
takepleasureinbeingwiththeirfamilies,
spendweekendsworkingintheirgardens,
delightinthedoingsoftheneighborhood.
Andeventhoughthenextcountryissoclose
thatpeoplecanhearitsroosterscrowingand
itsdogsbarking,theyarecontenttodieofoldage
withouteverhavinggonetoseeit.
81
Truewordsaren’teloquent;
eloquentwordsaren’ttrue.
Wisemendon’tneedtoprovetheirpoint;
menwhoneedtoprovetheirpointaren’twise.
TheMasterhasnopossessions.
Themorehedoesforothers,
thehappierheis.
Themorehegivestoothers,
thewealthierheis.
TheTaonourishesbynotforcing.
Bynotdominating,theMasterleads.
Notes
CHAPTER1
Describing the indescribable, teaching theunteachable,pointing thewayto theWay—whatdoesLao-tzuthinkheisdoinghere?Itcan’tbedone.Noway.
HencePoChü-i,poetandstand-upcomedian,wrote,
“Hewhotalksdoesn’tknow,
hewhoknowsdoesn’ttalk”:
thatiswhatLao-tzutoldus,
inabookoffivethousandwords.
Ifhewastheonewhoknew,
howcouldhehavebeensuchablabbermouth?
That’stheproblemwithspiritualteachers.Theyhavetobeblabbermouths.Buttheir words are (in the traditional Buddhist metaphor) fingers pointing at themoon;ifyouwatchthefinger,youcan’tseethemoon.HowmeticulousthegreatMastershadtobe!
AmonkaskedMa-tsu,“Whydoyouteach,‘MindisBuddha’?”
Ma-tsusaid,“Tostopababyfromcrying.”
Themonksaid,“Whenthecryinghasstopped,whatthen?”
Ma-tsusaid,“ThenIteach,‘Notmind,notBuddha.’”
Themonksaid,“Howaboutsomeonewhoisn’tattachedtoeither?”
Ma-tsusaid,“Iwouldtellhim,‘Notbeings.’”
The monk said, “And what if you met a man unattached to all things: whatwouldyoutellhim?”
Ma-tsusaid,“IwouldjustlethimexperiencethegreatTao.”
Infact, the truth is rightbeforeoureyes; rightunderournoses;sosimple thateverychildunderstandsit;andyet,asBankeisaid,thefartheryouenterintoit,thedeeperitis.WhereisthewaytotheWay?Whataquestion!
Still,forcomplicatedminds,drasticmeasuresareneeded.Lao-tzu’sbookwaswritten as a response, out of grandmotherly kindness.According to the oldestbiography,
Lao-tzulivedforalongtimeinthecountryofChou,butseeingitsdeclinehedeparted.Whenhereached the frontier, theguardsaid,“Sinceyouaregoing away, Sir, could you write a book to teachme the art of living?”ThereuponLao-tzuwrotehisbookabouttheTao,anddeparted.
Thisislegend,butitisanaccuratedescriptionofthewayinwhichtrueteachinghappens.Hewhoknowsdoesn’t talk,butwordsarenohindrance forhim.Heusesthemashewouldusegardeningtools.Whensomeoneasks,heanswers.
Thetaothatcanbetold/isnottheeternalTao:Thetextreads,“Thetaothatcanbetao-ed[onemeaningoftaobeing‘toexpress’]/isnottheeternalTao.”Other possible renderings: “The way that can be weighed is not the eternalWay,”“TheforcethatcanbeforcedisnottheeternalForce.”
you realize the mystery: Infinitely marvelous, yet as ordinary as sunlight.Impossibletoknow,yetaseasyastouchingyournosewhenyouwashyourface.
Thissourceiscalleddarkness:Becausenoneofoursensescanperceiveit.Itisalsocalled“light,”becausethelessweobstructit,themoreradiantweare.
Thegatewaytoallunderstanding:Inordertounderstand,wehavetoremaininthedarknessofnot-knowing.
CHAPTER2
actswithout doing anything:Her actions are appropriate responses. Thus theyare effortless. She embodies compassion, yet she doesn’t try to becompassionate.Shedoesn’tstruggletomakemoney,yetsheenjoysspendingitwhenitcomestoher.Shegoesherownway,yetsheacceptshelpgratefullyandhasnopride inwalkingalone.She isnot elatedbypraise,notdiscouragedbyneglect.Shedoesn’tgiveevenamoment’sthoughttorightorwrong.Sheneverhastomakeadecision;decisionsarisebythemselves.Sheislikeanactresswholovesherrole.TheTaoiswritingthescript.
teaches without saying anything: The way she buys oranges or ties hershoelacesisateaching.Herfaceismoreeloquentthananyscripturecouldbe.
Thatiswhyitlastsforever:Notintimeandspace,butinquality.
CHAPTER3
emptyingpeople’sminds:Heemptiesthemofconcepts,judgments,anddesires.Thustheycanreturntoastateofchildlikesimplicity.
filling theircores:He fills themwithasenseof theiroriginal identity.Thustheycanreturntoastateofjoy.
weakeningtheirambition:Whentheyhavenofalseselftonourishordefend,theyfindthatgreed,hatred,andarrogancevanishbythemselves.
toughening their resolve: Their innermost intention. They develop enoughself-reliancetogiveuptheideaofself.
CHAPTER4
FollowingCh’enKu-ying,IhavedeletedthesecondstanzaoftheChinesetext,whichseemstobeaninterpolationfromchapter56.
ItisolderthanGod:ThereisnoGodwhenthereisnothingbutGod.
CHAPTER5
The Tao doesn’t take sides; / it gives birth to both good and evil: Literally,“Heaven and earth are impartial; they treat all things like straw dogs,” as theMaster “treats all people like straw dogs,” Straw dogs were ritual objects,veneratedbeforetheceremonybutafterwardabandonedandtrampledunderfoot.The point here is not that the Tao is cruel to things, nor that the Master isruthless with people, but that they are impartial. The Master sees all beingsarising from the same source, working out their karma (usually with greatsuffering),andreturningtothesource.Andsincepeopleareinconstantflux,sheunderstands that at any moment they are capable of the most astonishingspiritualtransformations.Whyshouldshepinthemmotionlesswithajudgmentof“good”or“bad”?
CHAPTER6
First stanza: Literally, “The spirit of the valley never dies. It is called themysteriousfemale.Thegateofthemysteriousfemaleistherootofheavenandearth.”ChuHsi said,“The female isonewhoreceivessomethingand,with it,creates.Thiscreativeprincipleisthemostmarvelousthingintheuniverse.”
CHAPTER7
TheTaoisinfinite,eternal:Hereiseverywhere.Anytimeisnow.
The Master stays behind; that is why she is ahead: She is like a turtle:whereversheis,ishome.Actually,sheisneitherbehindnorahead,butexactlyevenwithallthings.
Sheisdetached:Bunansaid,“Itiseasytokeepthingsatadistance;itishardto be naturally beyond them.” Detachment results in clarity; clarity expressesitself in love. Her heart is like a mirror, which reflects all faces, withoutjudgment,exactlyastheyare.
CHAPTER8
Thesupremegoodis likewater:IaskedmyfriendandteacherEmilieConrad-Da’oud,founderofContinuum,tocommentonthisverse.Shesaid,
Wateristhesourceofalllife,life’smatrixandfecundity;itoverflowsintoeverything, it moves everywhere. We are fundamentally water: muscledwater. And the idea that we ever leave the amniotic fluid is amisconception. The amniotic fluid is the state of total nourishment andunconditional love. It isalwayspresent forusandcontainseverythingwecouldpossiblywant.Infact,wearethatfluidoflove.
CHAPTER9
Doyourwork,thenstepback:Whenyoudoyourworkwholeheartedly,youaregladtoletitgo,justasaparentletsachildgo,intoitsownlife.
CHAPTER10
Canyou letyourbodybecome:Literally,“Canyouconcentrateyourchi [vitalenergy]untilitbecomes…”
suppleasanewbornchild’s:EmilieConrad-Da’oud’scomment:
There is no self-consciousness in the newborn child. Later on, the mindwandersintoself-images,startstothinkShouldIdothis?Isthismovementright? and loses the immediacy of the moment. As self-consciousnessdevelops, the muscles become less supple, less like the world. But theyoung child is pure fluidity. It isn’t aware of any separation, so all itsmovementsarespontaneousandaliveandwholeandperfect.
If an adult body becomes truly supple, though, there’s a quality to itsmovement that the child’s doesn’t have, a texture of experience, a fourthdimensionoftime.Whenwewatchaseventy-year-oldhandmove,wefeel,“Yes,thathandhaslived.”Allthebodiesithastouched,alltheweightsithas lifted, all the heads it has cradled are present in its movement. It isresonant with experience; the fingers curve with a sense of having beenthere.Whereasinachild’shandthere’sasenseofjustarriving.Thechild’smovement ispristineand innocentanddelightful,buta trulysuppleadultmovementisawesome,becausealllifeisincludedinit.
until youseenothingbut the light:That is,untilyourheart isatpeace.ThegreatmodernIndiansageRamanaMaharshisaid,
Thereisnogreatermysterythanthis,thatwekeepseekingrealitythoughinfactwearereality.Wethinkthatthereissomethinghidingourrealityandthatthismustbedestroyedbeforerealityisgained.Howridiculous!Adaywilldawnwhenyouwilllaughatallyourpastefforts.Thatwhichwillbeonthedayyoulaughisalsohereandnow.
Can you love people and lead them / without imposing your will: EmilieConrad-Da’oud’scomment:
Themore suppleyourbody is, the lessdictatorial you’ll be.Themilitarystanceisthemostinvasivestancethatyoucanpossiblytake.Itsopposite—
the boneless, wishy-washy posture of someone who doesn’t stand foranything—is just as unhealthy.Suppleness is really fluidity. It transcendsstrengthandweakness.Whenyourbody is supple, it feels like there’snobarrierinyou,youcanflowinanydirection,yourmovementisacompleteexpressionofyourself.
bylettingevents taketheircourse:Literally,“bybecomingthefemale.”TheHo-shangKungcommentarysays,“Inarrangingone’slifeproperly,oneshouldbeascalmandflexibleasawoman.”
CHAPTER11
non-beingiswhatweuse:Thetrueteacherrealizesthatthereisnothingtoteach;that’swhyhecanteachanyonewhowantstolearn.Thetrueloverrealizesthatthereisnoonetolove;that’swhyheisavailabletoanyonewhoneedshim.TheMasterrealizesthatthereisnowheretostand;that’swhyhecanstandanywhere.
CHAPTER12
Colorsblindtheeye,etc.:Weneedspaceinordertosee,silenceinordertohear,sleep inorder tocarryonwithourwakefulness. If thesensesare tooclutteredwithobjects,theylosetheiracutenessandwilleventuallydecay.
Desires wither the heart: Once it has let go of desires, the heart naturallyoverflowswithlove,likeDavid’scupinPsalm23.
his innervision:There isno insideoroutside forhim.He reflectswhateverappears, without judgment, whether it is a flower or a heap of garbage, acriminal or a saint.Whatever happens is all right.He treats his own anger orgriefjustashewouldtreatanangryorgrievingchild:withcompassion.
openas thesky:Theskyholdssun,moon,stars,clouds, rain,snow,orpureazure.Becauseitdoesn’tcarewhichoftheseappear,ithasroomforthemall.
CHAPTER13
keepyourbalance:Thetrickistogoupordowntheladderwithyourfeetontheground.Bravo!Bravissimo!!
Seetheworldasyourself:Theoutermirrorstheinner.
CHAPTER14
Look, and it can’t be seen: Anotherway of saying this: “Look, and it’s rightbeforeyoureyes.”
CHAPTER15
till your mud settles: “Mud” stands for concepts, judgments, desires,expectations—everythingthatobscuresandnarrowsreality.TheMaster’slifeispureandplacid:predictableliketheseasons,obviouslikethemoon.Whenourmind/heartbecomestransparent,thelightoftheTaoshinesthrough.
the water is clear: I asked my old teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn, tocommentonthisverse.Hesaid,
Our mind is like a glass of clear water. If we put salt into the water, itbecomes salt water; sugar, it becomes sugar water; shit, it becomes shitwater.Butoriginallythewaterisclear.Nothinking,nomind.Nomind,noproblem.
CHAPTER16
Emptyyourmind:Thisdoesn’tmean“suppressyour thoughts,”but“stepbackfrom them.” Insight into the Tao has nothing to do with the intellect and itsabstractions.Whenwestepoutofself-consciousness,westepintotheTao.LinChing-hsisaid,
The mind is originally empty, and only when it remains empty, withoutgraspingorrejecting,canitrespondtonaturalthings,withoutprejudice.Itshouldbelikearivergorgewithaswanflyingoverhead;theriverhasnodesire to retain the swan, yet the swan’spassage is tracedby its shadow,without any omission. Another example: A mirror will reflect all thingsperfectly, whether they are beautiful or ugly; it never refuses to show athing, nor does it retain the thing after it is gone.Themind shouldbe asopenasthis.
Doesthissoundanti-intellectual?ButlistentoEinstein:
Thescientist’sreligiousfeelingtakestheformofarapturousamazementatthe harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of suchsuperioritythat,incomparisonwithit,allthesystematicthinkingofhumanbeings is an utterly insignificant reflection. This feeling is the guidingprincipleofhislifeandwork.
CHAPTER17
Oneofseveralchaptersthatareasrelevanttochild-rearingastogovernment.
TheMasterdoesn’t talk,heacts:Hiswordsare inperfectharmonywithhisactions.Heisalwaysgenuine.
CHAPTER18
thegreatTao:JayatasaidtoVasubandu,“Ifyouhavenothingtoaskforinyourmind,thatstateofmindiscalledtheTao.”
goodnessandpietyappear:WhentheTaoisforgotten,peopleactaccordingtorules,notfromtheheart.ThisgoodnessisasinsecureasJob’sandcanbeasself-satisfiedasLittleJackHorner’s.Whereasagoodfatherhasnointentionofbeinggood;hejustactsnaturally.
CHAPTER19
Throw away holiness and wisdom: When some folks are called saints, otherfolks think of themselves as sinners. When one fellow is called wise, othersimagine that there is something they need to know. TheMaster doesn’t havethesecategories;forher,nooneiswiseorholy;thus,inherpresenceeveryonefeelsathome.
CHAPTER20
yesandno:
Chao-chouaskedNan-ch’üan,“WhatistheTao?”
Nan-ch’üansaid,“EverydaymindistheTao.”
Chao-chousaid,“HowcanIapproachit?”
Nan-ch’üansaid,“Themoreyoutrytoapproachit,thefartherawayyou’llbe.”
“ButifIdon’tgetclose,howcanIunderstandit?”
The Master said, “It’s not a question of understanding or not understanding.Understanding is delusion; not understanding is indifference. But when youreachtheunattainableTao, it is likepurespace, limitlessandserene.Where isthereroominitforyesorno?”
Ialonedon’tcare:Ifgoodhappens,good;ifbadhappens,good.
I am like an idiot: First you erase the blackboard; then you can writesomethingnew.
Iamdifferentfromordinarypeople:Iammoreordinary.WhenIamhungry,Ieat;whenIamtired,Isleep;that’sall.Pai-changsaid,
Afterenlightenmentoneisstillthesameasonewasbefore.Oneissimplyfreefromunrealityanddelusion.Theordinaryperson’smindisthesameasthe sage’s, becauseOriginalMind is perfect and complete in itself.Afteryouhavehadthisrecognition,pleasedon’tloseit.
CHAPTER21
before time and space: Philo said, “Todaymeans boundless and inexhaustibleeternity.Months and years and all periods of time are concepts ofmen, whogaugeeverythingbynumber;butthetruenameofeternityisToday.”
CHAPTER22
Ifyouwanttobecomewhole,etc.:Unlessyouacceptyourself,youcan’tletgoofyourself.
Because he doesn’t knowwho he is: From the standpoint of personality, heknowsverywellwhohe is; that iswhat allowshim tousehis personality forpeople’sbenefit, rather thanbeusedby it.But from the standpointofhis trueself,thereisnowheretostandandnoselftoknow.Hedoesn’tknow;hejustis.
OnlyinbeinglivedbytheTao:ThisiswhatPaulofTarsusmeantby,“NotI,butChristinme.”Or,inamorelight-heartedvein,thelittleboywhowhenhismothergotannoyedandsaid“Stopsneezing!”answered,“I’mnotsneezing!It’ssneezingme!”
CHAPTER23
trustyournaturalresponses:Trusttheintelligenceofthebody.
CHAPTER24
poweroverothers:Theotheristheself.Whenweunderstandthis,weareabletousepowerwisely.
CHAPTER25
motherof theuniverse:Aschapter51says,“TheTaogivesbirth toallbeings,nourishesthem,maintainsthem,caresforthem,comfortsthem,protectsthem,/takesthembacktoitself.”
Thesearethefourgreatpowers:Ho-hum.
CHAPTER26
withoutleavinghome:Sheneverlosestouchwithwhoshereallyis.Inthemidstofjoyorangerorsorrow,sheremainsimperturbable.
CHAPTER27
ThisisoneofthemostimportantchaptersintheTaoTeChing.
Firststanza:Ihavebeenveryfreehere,becausethecentralpoint—opennessto reality, openheartedness—needs to be made as clearly as possible. Theoriginaltextreads:
Agoodwalkerleavesnotracesortracks.Agoodspeakermakesnoslipsorerrors. A good calculator needs no counting-sticks or tallies. A goodlocksmithusesnoboltsorkeys,yetnoonecanopen.Agoodbinderusesnoropesorcords,yetnoonecanloosen.
availabletoallpeople:Becauseheisnotattachedtohisownideas.
youwill get lost: Inmoral judgments.TheTree of theKnowledge ofGoodandEvilistheTreeofDeath.
CHAPTER28
Know themale, I yet keep to the female: Keeping to the receptive allows thecreative to arise. Actually, the creative and the receptive are complementarysidesofthesameprocess.
CHAPTER29
Doyouwanttoimprovetheworld:RamanaMaharshisaid,
Wanting to reform the world without discovering one’s true self is liketryingtocovertheworldwithleathertoavoidthepainofwalkingonstonesandthorns.Itismuchsimplertowearshoes.
It can’t be improved: This is the Sabbath mind, as in the first chapter ofGenesis:whenGod,fromastateofperfectrepose,looksattheworldandsays,“Behold, it is verygood.”Actually, this “it can’t be improved” is thegreatestpossible improvement. Compare chapter 35: “She perceives the universalharmony,/evenamidgreatpain,/becauseshehasfoundpeaceinherheart.”
CHAPTER30
doesn’ttrytoforceissues:Heletstheissuesresolvethemselves.
outofcontrol:Outofthecontrolofhisown,tiny,personal,consciousself.
CHAPTER31
Peaceishishighestvalue:Peacemeanswholeness.
CHAPTER32
Smallerthananelectron:Neithersmallnorlarge.Neitherherenorthere.Neitherpast nor future nor present. Also (as long as we’re discussing this) all of theabove.
CHAPTER33
truewisdom:WhenIknowmyself,Iknowothers.WhenImastermyself,Idon’tneedtomasterothers.
CHAPTER34
itdoesn’tcreatethem:Itismorelikeamotherthanlikeanartisan,givingbirthratherthanmaking.Itactswithoutanyconsciousplanorpurpose.Goddoesn’tsay,“Lettherebelight.”Thelightsimplyis,andisGod.
CHAPTER35
peaceinherheart:Sheiscenteredinthepeace;thusshecangiveherselffullytothepain.
withoutflavor:ZenMasterSeungSahn’scomment:
TheGreatWayhasnogate.
Clearwaterhasnotaste.
Thetonguehasnobone.
Incompletestillness,astonegirlisdancing.
CHAPTER36
Ifyouwanttoshrinksomething:Forexample,defects inyourcharacter.Whensuppressed or ignored, they continue; butwhen allowed to be present in yourawareness, they eventually wither away. Or, as Blake said from a slightlydifferentperspective,“Theroadofexcessleadstothepalaceofwisdom.”
CHAPTER37
Ifpowerfulmenandwomen/couldcenterthemselvesinit:Theycan!
CHAPTER38
TheMasterdoesnothing:Hehasnogoalinmind,doesn’tthinkthatheisdoinganything.He’sjustalongfortheride.
yetheleavesnothingundone:Noexpectations.Noregrets.Noresidue.
WhentheTaoislost:YoucanneverlosetheTao.Butyoucanfindit.
ThereforetheMasterconcernshimself/withthedepthsandnotthesurface:In the depths, there is no distinction between depths and surface. Fruit inautumn,flowersinspring.Heenjoystheflowers,asheenjoysthefruit.
CHAPTER39
letshimselfbeshapedbytheTao:Asapieceofmarbleletsitselfbeshapedbythe sculptor, so that the statue inside can be revealed.Hammer and chisel arenecessaryagents.Ouch.
CHAPTER40
Beingisbornofnon-being:“Non-being”meansbeyondthecategoriesofbeingandnon-being.
CHAPTER41
thegreatestloveseemsindifferent:Becauseithasnopreferences.Agoodfatherlovesallhischildrenequally,whethertheyturnouttobethievesorcarpentersormessiahs.AsJesusofNazarethsaid,“Loveyourenemies[i.e., treat themwithgenerosity and compassion], so that you may be children of your father inheaven:forhemakeshissunriseontheevilandonthegood,andsendshisrainonthejustandontheunjust.”
CHAPTER42
TheTaogivesbirthtoOne:Whenit’scalledOne,itisnolongertheTao.(Whenit’scalledtheTao,itisnolongertheTao.)OnegivesbirthtoTwo:Oy!
TwogivesbirthtoThree:Wherewillitend?
Threegivesbirthtoallthings:Iknewit!Nowoncemorefromthetop,withfeeling.
All things have their backs to the female, etc.: Literally, “The ten thousandthingscarry[attheirbacks]theyinandembrace[infront]theyang;throughtheblendingoftheenergy[chi]ofthesetwo,theyachieveharmony.”
Laststanza:Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
People hate to be orphans, widowers, starvelings. Yet kings and princestake these names as their titles.Therefore sometimes you gain by losing;sometimesyoulosebygaining.Whatothershavetaught,Iteachalso:‘Theviolent will not die a natural death.’ I will make this the father of myteaching.
CHAPTER43
gentlest…/hardest…:Examples:waterandrock,loveandhostility.
CHAPTER44
Fameor integrity, etc.:Butwhybecaught in thesedichotomies?Oncehehassurrendered to the Tao, the Master accepts whatever comes to him. If famecomes, he uses it with integrity. If money comes, he uses it as pure energy.Successandfailureareequally irrelevant tohim,becausehisheart rests in theTao.
CHAPTER45
True perfection: A cracked coffee cup. The sound of traffic outside yourwindow.
Truefullness:Attention,forexample.
CHAPTER46
Whoever can see through all fear: This is the only real defense. PresidentRooseveltsaid,“Wehavenothingtofearbutfearitself.”Iwouldsay,“Noteventhat.”
CHAPTER47
Themoreyouknow:Themoreyouknowwithoutknowingyourself.
CHAPTER48
everydaysomethingisdropped:Gratefully.
True mastery can be gained: Actually, it can’t be gained. True mastery islettingthingstaketheircourse.
CHAPTER49
TheMasterhasnomindofherown:Shehasastrongwillandastrongcharacter,but she is permeable. And hermind is so subtle that, in comparisonwith therigidthought-anddesire-structuresofotherpeople,itseemstobepurespace.
Shealsotrustspeoplewhoaren’ttrustworthy:Likeaparentwhosechildhasbrokenarule.Ofcourse,ifaparentisgenuine,thechildwillbegenuinetoo.
CHAPTER50
There are a number of passages in theTaoTeChingwhere amuch narrowerconsciousness is atwork than in the rest of the book.These passagesmay beinterpolations (several show a concern with immortality, as the later, magicalTaoism did). Or perhaps the old fellow had indigestion on the days hewrotethem.Butsincemy jobwas to re-create theessentialmindofLao-tzu, Icouldnotingoodconscienceincludetheminthisversion.WhatIhavedoneinsteadistomake improvisations on the passage’s theme, always taking care to remainwithin theconsciousnessand languageof themainbodyof the text.For thosewhoarecurious,Ihaveincludedliteraltranslationsinthesenotes.
Thetextherereads:
Cominginis life;goingout isdeath.Threeintenarecompanionsof life;threeintenarecompanionsofdeath.Andthreeintenaremovingfromlifeto the place of death.Why is this?Because they live life too intensely. Ihave heard that he who knows how to preserve his life meets neitherrhinocerosnortigerwhenhetravelsbyland,andisuntouchedbytheswordwhenheenters abattle.The rhinoceros findsnoplace inhim todrive itshorn;thetigerfindsnoplaceinhimtosinkitsclaws;thesoldierfindsnoplace inhim to thrusthis sword.Why is this?Because inhim there isnoplaceofdeath.
hehasnothingleft:ZenMasterSeungSahn’scomment:
Cominginemptyhanded,
goingoutemptyhanded.
Whatisyouroriginalface?
Themoonisshiningeverywhere.
CHAPTER51
spontaneously honors the Tao: Honoring the Tao means respecting the waythings are. There is a wonderful Japanese story (adapted here from ZenkeiShibayamaRoshi’sAFlowerDoesNotTalk)whichportraysthisattitude:
A hundred and fifty years ago there lived awoman named Sono, whosedevotionandpurityofheartwererespectedfarandwide.OnedayafellowBuddhist,havingmadealongtriptoseeher,asked,“WhatcanIdotoputmy heart at rest?” She said, “Every morning and every evening, andwheneveranythinghappenstoyou,keeponsaying,‘Thanksforeverything.Ihavenocomplaintwhatsoever.’”Themandidashewasinstructed,forawhole year, but his heart was still not at peace. He returned to Sono,crestfallen.“I’vesaidyourprayeroverandover,andyetnothinginmylifehaschanged;I’mstillthesameselfishpersonasbefore.WhatshouldIdonow?” Sono immediately said, “‘Thanks for everything. I have nocomplaintwhatsoever.’”Onhearingthesewords,themanwasabletoopenhisspiritualeye,andreturnedhomewithagreatjoy.
CHAPTER52
tracebackthemanifestations:Wheredoyoucomefrom?
CHAPTER53
ThegreatWayiseasy:ZenMasterSeng-ts’ansaid,
ThegreatWayisnotdifficult
ifyoudon’tclingtogoodandbad.
Justletgoofyourpreferences:
andeverythingwillbeperfectlyclear.
CHAPTER54
genuine:Themarkofagenuinepersonisstraightforwardness.Hehasnothingtohide,nothingtodefend.
CHAPTER55
likeanewbornchild:Chuang-tzusaid,
Theinfantcriesalldaylongwithoutstrainingitsthroat.Itclenchesitsfistall day long without cramping its hand. It stares all day long withoutweakeningitseyes.Freefromallworries,unawareofitself,itactswithoutthinking,doesn’tknowwhythingshappen,doesn’tneedtoknow.
TheMaster’spowerislikethis,etc.:Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
To know harmony is to know the eternal; to know the eternal is to haveinsight.Toimproveuponlifeisominous;tocontrolthechibythemindisaggressiveness.When they are too aggressive, things decay. This is non-Tao.Non-Taosoonends.
CHAPTER56
Thosewhoknowdon’ttalk.Theydon’ttalkforthesakeoftalking,ortoprovesomething, or to display themselves. They talk only if it’s appropriate (and iftheyfeelliketalking).
Those who talk don’t know: This is ignorance, not the openness of not-knowing.
CHAPTER57
theworldwillgovernitself:JustasNatureregulatesitself,withoutanyneedofourbrightideas.
CHAPTER58
Secondstanza:Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
Prosperityrestsondisaster;disasterishiddeninprosperity.Whoknowstheline that separates them? The normal becomes the perverted, the goodbecomesthemonstrous.Peoplehavelongbeenconfusedaboutthis.
CHAPTER59
Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
Ingoverningpeopleandservingheaven,nothingisbetterthanmoderation.Only he who is moderate can prepare in advance. He who prepares inadvanceaccumulatesareserveofte[virtueorpower;theTaoasitinformsthings and acts in the world]. He who accumulates a reserve of teovercomesallobstacles.Hewhoovercomesallobstacleshasnolimits.Hewhohasnolimitscanpossessacountry.Hewhopossessesthemotherofacountrycankeepitforalongtime.Thisiscalledhavingdeeprootsandastrongstem,longlifeandenduringvision.
CHAPTER60
stepoutofitsway:Itwillbelikeaswordcuttingtheair.Noharm.
CHAPTER61
Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
Alargecountry is like the lowerpartofariver. It is themeeting-pointofthe universe, the female of the universe. The female, by tranquility,conquersthemale.Bytranquilityshetakesthelowerposition.Thereforealarge country by placing itself in a lower position can conquer a smallcountry.Asmallcountrybybeinginalowerpositioncanconqueralargecountry. Therefore the one conquers by placing itself lower, the otherconquers by being naturally lower. A large country wants nothing morethan to gather people and nourish them. A small country wants nothingmorethantoenterandservethepeople.Sincebothgetwhattheywant,thelargecountryshouldtakethelowerposition.
CHAPTER62
TheTaoisthecenteroftheuniverse:Thecenteriseverywhere.
thegoodman’streasure:Itislikethemagicpurse:hecanspenditfreely,andthereisalwaysmore.
thebadman’srefuge:Itdoesn’tjudgehim.Thushecanstepoutsidehisideaofhimself.Thereisalwaysanotherchance.
noonecanachieveit:Becausethereisno“it.”
Offerinstead/toteachhimabouttheTao:Betteryet,don’toffer.TheMastersimplyrespondstocircumstancesintheappropriateway.Ifthepresidentorthepopeoraborderguardhasaquestion,hewillbegladtoanswerit.Otherwise,hemindshisbusinessandleaveseverythingtotheTao.
CHAPTER63
Whensherunsintoadifficulty:Adifficultyislikealetterwithheraddressonit.
CHAPTER64
HecaresaboutnothingbuttheTao:Whichisnottosaythathedoesn’tlovehiswife, children, friends, country, planet. But he sees them in the properperspective:ofeternity.AndsinceheandhiswifelovetheTaoevenmorethantheyloveeachother,theirmarriageisradiantwithlove.ThisisthemeaningoftheBiblicalverse“YoushalllovetheUnnamableyourGodwithallyourheart,withallyoursoul,andwithallyourstrength.”
CHAPTER65
kindly taught them tonot-know:The ancientMasters taught them the supremevalue of Don’t-know Mind, which is forever fresh, open, and fertile withpossibilities.(AnothernameforitisBeginner’sMind.)
CHAPTER66
TheMaster is above the people:Not that she feels superior, but that, lookingfromahighervantagepoint,shecanseemore.
Thewholeworldisgratefultoher:Eventhosewhothinktheyareungrateful.
noonecancompetewithher:Sheseeseveryoneasherequal.
CHAPTER67
Secondstanza:Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
I have three treasures which I preserve and treasure. The first iscompassion,thesecondisfrugality,thethirdisdaringnottobefirstintheworld.Whoeverhascompassioncanbebrave.Whoeverhas frugalitycanbe generous.Whoever dares not to be first in theworld can become theleaderoftheworld.Buttobebravewithoutcompassion,generouswithoutfrugality, prominent without humility: this is fatal. Whoever showscompassioninbattlewillconquer.Whoevershowscompassionindefensewillstandfirm.Heavenhelpsandprotectsthosewithcompassion.
CHAPTER68
Ihaveimprovisedhere.Thetextreads:
A skillful officer isn’t warlike. A skillful fighter isn’t violent. A skillfulconqueror isn’t competitive. A skillful employer places himself belowothers.Thisiscalledtheteofnotcompeting.Thisiscalledthepowertousemen’sabilities.Thisiscalledcomplyingwithheaven.Sinceancienttimesithasbeenthebestway.
CHAPTER69
Underestimatingyourenemy:Eventhinkingofhimasanenemyisdangerous.Ifyouneedaword,use“opponent.”Maythebestman(astheysay)win.
CHAPTER70
easytoputintopractice:Grassesandtreeshavenotroublewithit;animalsareperfectdisciples.
lookinsideyourheart:Andkeeplooking.Keeplistening,too,untilthesightsandthesoundsdisappearbythemselves.
CHAPTER71
Firstrealizethatyouaresick:Novalissaid,“Weareclosetowakingupwhenwedreamthatwearedreaming.”
CHAPTER72
ThereforetheMasterstepsback:Hedoesn’tactasguruormessiah,becausehedoesn’twant to keeppeople dependent onhim, and thus spiritually immature.Whenpeoplestarttotreathimlikeaholyman,henipstheiradorationinthebudandpointsthemtotheirinnermessiah.
peoplewillhavenothingtolearn:Theyjustneedtounlearn.
CHAPTER73
TheTaoisalwaysatease:Ateasewithherself,theMasterputseveryoneelseatease.
CHAPTER74
Tryingtocontrolthefuture:Thinkingthatyouknowwhatisgoodorbad,whatisadvantageousorharmful.TheHuaiNanTzu tellsastoryabout this:Apoorfarmer’s horse ran off into the country of the barbarians. All his neighborsofferedtheircondolences,buthisfathersaid,“Howdoyouknowthatthisisn’tgoodfortune?”Afterafewmonthsthehorsereturnedwithabarbarianhorseofexcellent stock. All his neighbors offered their congratulations, but his fathersaid,“Howdoyouknowthatthisisn’tadisaster?”Thetwohorsesbred,andthefamily became rich in fine horses. The farmer’s son spent much of his timeridingthem;onedayhefelloffandbrokehishipbone.Allhisneighborsofferedthe farmer their condolences, but his father said, “Howdoyouknow that thisisn’t good fortune?” Another year passed, and the barbarians invaded thefrontier. All the able-bodied young men were conscripted, and nine-tenths ofthemdiedinthewar.Thusgoodfortunecanbedisasterandviceversa.Whocantellhoweventswillbetransformed?
CHAPTER75
leavethemalone:Offerthemthegiftofnotbeingdependentonyou.
CHAPTER76
discipleoflife:Thelessrigid,thereadierforlifeordeath.
CHAPTER77
anddoesn’tthinkthatsheisbetter:Sheissimplymoretransparent.
CHAPTER78
heispeople’sgreatesthelp:Thegreatesthelpiswholeheartedlytrustingpeopletoresolvetheirownproblems.Atruephilanthropist, likeagoodparent,bringspeopletothepointwheretheycanhelpthemselves.
Truewordsseemparadoxical:Onlywhenthemindisclutteredwithuntruth.
CHAPTER79
Ifyoublamesomeoneelse:Confuciussaid,
Inthearcherthereisaresemblancetothematureperson.Whenhemissesthemark,heturnsandseeksthereasonforhisfailureinhimself.
CHAPTER80
without ever having gone to see it: Not that they are lacking in appropriatecuriosity.Buttheyhavetheirprioritiesstraight.
CHAPTER81
TheMaster has no possessions: These no-possessionsmay include a house, acar,acomputer,aroomfulofbooks,andanelectrictoothbrush.
Themorehedoes forothers, / thehappierhe is:Becausehe isdoing it forhimself.
Themorehegivestoothers,/thewealthierheis:Thelessheholdsonto,themorehecangivehimself toothers.Whenhecangivehimselfcompletely,hiswealthisinfinite.
Acknowledgments
Lao Tzu: Text, Notes, and Comments by Ch’en Ku-ying (Chinese MaterialsCenter,1981)furnishedhelpontextualmattersandcommentaries.Ofthemanytranslations that I consulted,LiouKia-Hway’sTaoTöKing (Gallimard,1967)was particularly useful. Occasionally I have borrowed a phrase from thetranslationofGia-fuFengandJaneEnglish(Vintage,1972).
John Tarrant, Jane Hirshfield, Jacob Needleman, and Robert Aitken Roshireadthemanuscriptandmadehelpfulsuggestions.
Forhisconsiderableshareinthemakingofthisbook,Iwouldliketoexpressmydeepgratitudetothatprinceamongagents,myfriendMichaelKatz.
AbouttheTranslator
StephenMitchellhaswrittenextensivelyaboutspirituality,drawingfrombothEasternandWesterntraditions.Heisapoetandoneoftheworld’spreeminenttranslators—ofRilke;Psalms;Genesis;Job;ofYehudaAmichai;theBhagavadGita; Tao Te Ching; and of other essential works. He is the author of thebestselling and critically acclaimed novel Meetings with the Archangel; theeditor of such collections as The Enlightened Mind (sacred prose) and TheEnlightenedHeart(sacredpoetry).HisbooksforchildrenincludeTheWishingBoneandOtherPoems;TheCreation;TheNightingale.StephenMitchell’sTheGospelAccordingtoJesus,fromwhichhisJesus:WhatHeReallySaidandDidis derived, is one of the definitive and most-heralded books on the Jesus ofhistoryandoffaith.
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Credits
Coverdesign©1999byDavidBullen
Copyright
TAOTECHING.Copyright©1988byStephenMitchell.AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenon-exclusive,non-transferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,down-loaded,decompiled,reverseengineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyanymeans,whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,withouttheexpresswrittenpermissionofHarperCollinse-books.
EPubEdition©JULY2004ISBN:9780061807398
AboutthePublisher
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TableofContentsCoverTitlePageDedicationEpigraphContentsForewardChapter1Chapter2Chapter3Chapter4Chapter5Chapter6Chapter7Chapter8Chapter9Chapter10Chapter11Chapter12Chapter13Chapter14Chapter15Chapter16Chapter17Chapter18Chapter19Chapter20Chapter21Chapter22Chapter23Chapter24Chapter25Chapter26Chapter27Chapter28Chapter29
Chapter30Chapter31Chapter32Chapter33Chapter34Chapter35Chapter36Chapter37Chapter38Chapter39Chapter40Chapter41Chapter42Chapter43Chapter44Chapter45Chapter46Chapter47Chapter48Chapter49Chapter50Chapter51Chapter52Chapter53Chapter54Chapter55Chapter56Chapter57Chapter58Chapter59Chapter60Chapter61Chapter62Chapter63Chapter64Chapter65Chapter66Chapter67Chapter68
Chapter69Chapter70Chapter71Chapter72Chapter73Chapter74Chapter75Chapter76Chapter77Chapter78Chapter79Chapter80Chapter81NotesAcknowledgmentsAbouttheTranslatorCreditsCopyrightAboutthePublisher
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