Chapter 33 – Eternal Self

 He who knows others is wise;
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers others has physical strength.
He who conquers himself is strong.
He who is contented is rich.
He who acts with vigour has will.
He who does not lose his place (with Tao) will endure.
He who dies but does not really perish enjoys long life. 

Translation by Wing-Tsit Chan (1963)

“Know thyself.”  The phrase is inscribed in the court of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.  Pythagoras told us, “No man is free who cannot command himself.”  From Ramana Maharshi we have learned that “Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render to the world.”  In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius advises, “To thine own self be true.”

Everyone seems to know this principle.  Even Rickie Nelson sings, “You can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself” (“Garden Party”).  It seems pretty simple and straightforward, nothing really new…..until we come to the last line.  What can Lao Tzu mean in saying that long life is enjoyed by one who dies but does not really perish?  And then, is that really the correct translation of the last line?

This has been an area of confusion for many students of the Tao Te Ching, as can be seen by comparing how it has been rendered by various translators: Continue reading →

Chapter 32 – Taking Names

 Tao is eternal and has no name
Though its simplicity seems insignificant, none in the world can master it.
If kings and barons would hold on to it, all things would submit to them spontaneously.
 Heaven and earth unite to drip sweet dew. Without the command of men, its drips evenly over all.
 As soon as there were regulations and institutions, there were names.
As soon as there are names, know that it is time to stop.
It is by knowing when to stop that one can be free from danger.
Analogically, Tao in the world may be compared to rivers and streams running into the sea. 

 Translation by Wing-Tsit Chan (1963)

Leadbelly (keep reading to see how he fits in)

In the previous three chapters, Lao Tzu has told us that a ruler will have, at best, limited success if he or she attempts to exert control by force, by war or rebellion or through the use of weapons.  Well, then, the enlightened ruler might ask, how in the world should I govern?

Anyone who has read to this point in the Tao Te Ching would immediately answer:  Duhhhh!  The answer is appropriate both because it is so obvious and because words are inadequate.  Once again, the Old Sage is telling the ruler to follow the Tao and the ways of nature.  If a state were governed according to the Tao, all things – not just all persons – would follow of their own accord, with no need for force or violence or coercion.

Again, too, we are told that the Tao makes no distinctions, as its sweet dew drips evenly over all of the 10,000 things.  This is similar to Jesus’ admonition during the Sermon on the Mount:  “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.  He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous.”  (Matthew 5:44-45)

In these words, Jesus seems to make a distinction between you and your enemies, between the righteous and the unrighteous.  Actually, though, he is also telling us that such distinctions are human constructs that are meaningless to the Father and to the Tao.  In order to be considered righteous or just or evil or an enemy, a person must be judged by some set of rules, regulations or institutions.  From those human means of ordering the world, distinctions are made and names given.

Can there be rules and names that are actually in accord with the Nameless?  In other words, is it not realistic to recognize that no society can long exist in a state of anarchy?  There are probably Taoists (or Tea Party activists) who will say that any attempt by humans to control their society is contrary to the natural law.  However, here Lao Tzu seems to say a government should know when to stop regulating, rather than that there should be no regulation.  His work is on some levels a pragmatic one, after all. Continue reading →

Chapters 30 and 31 – You Must Not Do It Anymore

Chapter 30

 When one leads people
by the way of the Tao,
Force and military strength
are not recommended –
There is usually retaliation.
Thorns and brambles appear
where armies are stationed.
Famine is often the aftermath of war.
A skillful commander
achieves her purpose and then stops,
Not venturing to take the path of force.
She achieves her purpose and does not boast,
She achieves her purpose and does not criticize,
She achieves her purpose and is not proud,
She achieves her purpose with reluctance,
She achieves her purpose without the use of force.
Over development is unnatural and hastens decay.
Not being of Tao, it comes to an early end.

 Chapter 31

Weapons are not good fortune
as they instill fear.
Followers of Tao avoid them.
In ordinary life, masterful rulers
honor the feminine side –
In times of war, they honor the masculine side.
Weapons are not good fortune
and therefore are not the instruments of peace.
The wise woman does not use them.
If unavoidable, she will use them –
But peace is the best policy.
There is no delight in such victory.
There is no glory in the killing of people.
One who enjoys killing cannot expect to thrive in the world.
Happy occasions honor the left.
Sad occasions honor the right.
The second general stands on the left.
The general stands on the right.
This means that war is like a funeral.
The slaughtering of people  goes against one’s heart.
Therefore victory can be treated as a ceremony of mourning.

Chapters 30 and 31 address similar subjects, so I will discuss them together.  The translations above are those used on www.taotechingdaily.com.  I don’t know who the translator is, but they reflect what I think is the spirit of these verses, and Amy Putkonen, whose site that is, originated the idea of Tao Te Ching Tuesdays.  Amy’s comments on both of these chapters are insightful, and certainly worth reading.

Arapahoe High School
Image from CNN

Here, I am going to make only a very succinct comment about the text before going off on a bit of a tangent or two.  None of what Lao Tzu says is very subtle.  He tells us that the use of force brings destruction and counter attacks.  Weapons, he says, should be used only when absolutely necessary and that the so-called “victor” in any conflict should acknowledge the sacrifices of those on all sides.  The “victor” should not boast or celebrate.  The principles stated here apply to wars between nations, to workplace politics, to relations between parents and children, and the list goes on.

The use of force in any situation is an attempt to control that situation.  Trying to control any part of the world or nature is not going to work.  Eventually, there will be some retribution and a cycle of unpleasantness will repeat over and over.  The way of the Tao and of the sage is not to control, but to accept the ways of nature, the ways of the universe, and accomplish what is necessary through wu wei (non-action).  While there is much more I would like to say about some of the lines in these chapters, I want to head off on the tangent I mentioned earlier. Continue reading →

Chapter 29 – There Is a Season

Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.
The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.
So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down.
Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.

 Translation by Jane English and Gia-Fu Feng (1989)

There is a poem in Leonard Cohen’s book, The Energy of Slaves (1972), which is also on the back cover of his Songs of Love and Hate album.  It goes like this:

They locked up a man
Who wanted to rule the world.
The fools,
They locked up the wrong man.

 At least one reviewer has said that this language “descend[s] to the sententiousness of a Rod McKuen.”  While that judgment seems harsh, it can be supported, especially since both the book and the record jacket provide no context or explanation.

The same words can be heard on the recording of Cohen’s performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.  There, he speaks to the crowd saying, “As for the political situation, they locked up a man who wanted to rule the world.  The fools, they locked up the wrong man.”  After some applause from his listeners, Cohen continues:  “A man who eats meat wants to get his teeth into something.  A man who does not eat meat wants to get his teeth into something else.”  Then, after a pause, “If these thoughts interest you for even a moment, you are lost.”

So that gives some context.  It may not pull it much above Rod McKuen’s level, especially considering the words were spoken at about 3:00 a.m. to a crowd that had been up all night, had just experienced Jimi Hendrix and was filtering everything it heard through a haze of psychedelic chemicals.  Still, considering the words in this context brings them closer to what Lao Tzu is saying in this chapter.  He tells us that if we want to rule or change the world, we are lost; we will ruin the world and lose it.  We must live as a part of the natural way, and not fight against it.

Another quotation I would like to share is a familiar one from the Book of Ecclesiastes:

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven;
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 That scripture was read at my father’s funeral after his passing on the day before Thanksgiving in 2010.  My wife’s best friend lost her husband on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.  This year, within a very few days of Thanksgiving a longtime friend of our family succumbed to a cancer; the father of my wife’s sister-in-law suffered a fatal heart attack; an old friend from my school days lost a very dear uncle; and the whole world mourned the passing of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela.

The cycles of time, the cycles of nature, the cycles of light and dark – all of these seemingly come crashing down far too often as the Winter Solstice approaches.  The weight of the universe is showing us that we need to pause and truly give thanks, despite the media trying to work us into a shopping frenzy.  It has been three years now, and (especially through the holidays) I still miss my father – and my mother and my brother and some good friends.  I miss them, but I am most thankful for the time I was able to spend with each.

Those losses and those feelings are a part of nature.  They are part of the Way, of the Tao.  They are, Lao Tzu tells us, a sacred part of the universe.  “Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses and complacency.”

Nevertheless, I think the sage sometimes sheds a silent tear just like the rest of us.

Chapter 28 – One Approach to Translating

If you are brave, be humble! And then the entire nation will follow you.
If you become a leader among people, let Great Te be your Guide.
And be a pure, gentle, and subtle soul, like a child!

 Abiding in good, do not forget about the existence of evil!
And be an example of righteousness for everyone!
The one who becomes such an example for everybody does not differ by the quality of the soul
from Great Te and moves then to Mergence with Eternal Tao.

 Such a person—though knowing about personal achievements and merits—stays unknown,
 and thus becomes a wise leader.
It is favorable that such a wise person be a leader among people,
then there will be order in such a country.

 Translation by Dr. Vladimir Antonov (2007)

Uncarved Block

Choosing a translation for this week’s Tao Te Ching Tuesday comments was difficult.  I reviewed many translations and found all of them different in subtle, and not so subtle, ways.  I settled on the above wording from Dr. Antonov because it seemed the most different of them all.  I look at this translation (which is available at http://www.path-to-tao.info/tao_te_ching.html) almost every week, and find it  more a commentary than a standard translation.  In fact, I expect to find a commentary (with which I sometimes agree and other times do not) because Dr. Antonov states, “The work on creating this edition of the translation of Tao Te Ching was done at the personal request of Lao Tse and with His help.”

Hmmm.

Continue reading →

Chapter 27 – The Essential Mystery

A good traveler leaves no track or trace.
A good speech leaves no flaws.
A good reckoner uses no counters.
A well-shut door needs no bolts, and yet it cannot be opened.
A well-tied knot needs no rope and yet none can untie it. 

Therefore the sage is always good in saving men and consequently no man is rejected.
He is always good in saving things and consequently nothing is rejected.
This is called following the light (of Nature). 

Therefore the good man is the teacher of the bad,
And the bad is the material from which the good may learn.
He who does not value the teacher,
Or greatly care for the material,
Is greatly deluded although he may be learned.

Such is the essential mystery.

 Translation by Wing-Tsit Chan (1963)

 Happy Thanksgiving!

You know, after studying a chapter of the Tao Te Ching  and comparing translations, meditating on the words for a bit, and taking the time to write down my thoughts on the material,  I always feel grateful when someone stops by the website and reads some of the words – I hope that each reader is able to learn something.  I feel grateful, too, for the Tao Te Ching Daily’s concept of Tao Tuesdays for anyone who wishes to comment on a chapter of Lao Tzu’s work.

Mostly, though, I am grateful for you – yes, YOU, personally.  You are a good person, and 2,500 years ago Lao Tzu wrote these words to remind you, and inform the rest of us, why you are in this world.  You are “the good man [who] is the teacher of the bad.”  So I would like to take this opportunity to thank you.  I do value your teaching and care for the material.

 It took an ancient Chinese master to show me the subtle ways in which you give guidance.  He tells us first that a person who is good or skilled in some activity acts in such a natural manner that even the most amazing results seem to occur without effort.  Imagine a traveler who passes by with no track or trace or a carpenter who builds such a perfect door that it can be secured without locks.

A sage like you has similar skills.  You seem to be doing nothing but leading your own life, following the light of nature, while you are showing the Way (the Tao) to humanity and to the 10,000 things.  Thank you for being just who you are.  I had thought the good teacher would bring lectures or sermons.  Those aren’t necessary, are they?

I also hope that you – yes, YOU – have learned something from what I have written or how I have lived.  Following the light of nature does not require that you know who I am, or that I know you.  That is part of the essential mystery.  Perhaps one of us will soon learn the rest of that mystery.  Then you/I can teach me/you to avoid the delusions.

Chapter 26 – Nada

 The heavy is the root of the light;
The still is the lord of the restless. 

Therefore the gentleman when travelling all day
Never lets the heavily laden carts out of his sight.
It is only when he is safely behind walls and watch-towers
That he rests peacefully and is above worries.
How, then, should a ruler of ten thousand chariots
Make light of his own person in the eyes of the empire? 

If light, then the root is lost;
If restless, then the lord is lost.

Translation by D. C. Lau (1963)

D. C. Lau’s translation of Chapter 26 differs from most of the others I have seen.  I have chosen it for this week’s belated Tao Te Ching Tuesday reflection because, at least in this English rendition, it plays with words in a way that I like to think a sage and a poet such as Lao Tzu may have done in his ancient Chinese.

I can picture a faint smile on his face as he wrote that “the heavy is the root of the light” and the still is the  lord of the restless,” knowing that in just a few more lines he would tell us, “if light, then the root is lost” and “if restless, then the lord is lost.”  Think about that; and as you do, let us consider the lines in between. Continue reading →

Chapter 25 – Only Human

There is something formlessly created
Born before Heaven and Earth
So silent! So ethereal!
Independent and changeless
Circulating and ceaseless
It can be regarded as the mother of the world

I do not know its name
Identifying it, I call it “Tao”
Forced to describe it, I call it great
Great means passing
Passing means receding
Receding means returning
Therefore the Tao is great
Heaven is great
Earth is great
The sovereign is also great
There are four greats in the universe
And the sovereign occupies one of them
Humans follow the laws of Earth
Earth follows the laws of Heaven
Heaven follows the laws of Tao
Tao follows the laws of nature

Translation by Derek Lin (2006) (see www.taoism.net)

It is a little bit comforting to think that even Lao Tzu, the Old Master, was only human and not omniscient.  Just like the rest of us, his heart and soul created questions that his mind could not answer.  The big question here is, What was there before the Beginning?

What brought the physical world from the formless?  Before the so-called Big Bang, was there an energy or consciousness?

Lao Tzu was able to conclude that yes, there was something.  He called it “Tao” (the Way) for lack of a better word.  Beyond that he called it “great,” but used that term in a special sense – the sense of passing, receding (moving away) and returning.  In other words, the Creator or creative force is cyclical, just as the nature we observe around us is cyclical.  Then, using that meaning, he tells us that Heaven and Earth and the sovereign also follow cycles, as they are aspects of the nameless Way.  He seems to use the words “sovereign” and “humans” interchangeably here (at least in this translation); and certainly the sovereign is now recognized as only human, even if that was not always so in ancient China..

Like our friend Lao Tzu, other great spiritual leaders were, in fact, only human.  Continue reading →

Chapter 24 – I Don’t Want To Brag

On tiptoe your stance is unsteady;
Long strides make your progress unsure;
Show off and you get no attention;
Your boasting will mean you have failed;
Asserting yourself brings no credit;
Be proud and you will never lead.

To persons of the Way, these traits
Can only bring distrust; they seem
Like extra food for parasites.
So those who choose the Way,
Will never give them place.

Translation by R. B. Blakney (1955)

 Don’t you just hate those people who live in their ego and miss out on real life outside the illusion of the physical world?  I’m glad I’m not like that.  I am modest – and proud of it.  I am careful to do all things in moderation.  My wife says I always take moderation to an extreme – yep, and I’m proud of it.  I am not like those folks who always have to be the center of attention.  I think I’ll write about a blog about them so everyone can read my own modest, but critical, appraisal of those social parasites.

I don’t even need the external world with all of those phonies; I can simply meditate and go within.  That is something I am really good at doing.  I can probably reach a state of satori in 45 seconds – really.  Do you want to race?

Just to show you how modest I am, you don’t even have to call me Kahuna any more.  I am a Reiki Master, of course; so you can call me Master.  Or call me Shaman or Blessed or Sri.  It doesn’t matter; I will answer to any of those.

And, you know, I can be really good at sarcasm.  I don’t want to brag about it; but hey!

_______________________________________________

Oh my.  I have read entirely too many books and essays and blogs that come off that way; or at least they come off that way in my perception.

Continue reading →

Chapter 23 – When you Open Yourself

Nature uses few words:
when the gale blows, it will not last long;
when it rains hard, it lasts but a little while;
What causes these to happen? Heaven and Earth. 

Why do we humans go on endlessly about little
when nature does much in a little time?
If you open yourself to the Tao,
you and Tao become one.
If you open yourself to Virtue,
then you can become virtuous.
If you open yourself to loss,
then you will become lost.

If you open yourself to the Tao,
the Tao will eagerly welcome you.
If you open yourself to virtue,
virtue will become a part of you.
If you open yourself to loss,
the lost are glad to see you.

“When you do not trust people,
people will become untrustworthy.”

 Translation by J. H. McDonald (1996)

If ever a chapter called for brevity in interpretation, this is it (and here is my smile emoticon).

 First, to provide a thorough commentary, it should be mentioned that the last two lines essentially repeat some of the language of Chapter 17.  This is important when the Tao Te Ching is considered advice for rulers or even for the personal interactions of us common people.  If you expect that others (or your subjects) cannot be trusted, then they will be untrustworthy and you expectations will be met.  If you do not have faith in those others, they will have no faith in you.

This chapter also tells of the temporal nature of the physical world.  Wind or rain come as they are supposed to in the natural course and then become calm or dry up as the cycles of nature continue.  These are physical phenomena, so they will not last forever.  If Heaven and Earth cannot produce the constant and the eternal, then how much less can human beings accomplish? Continue reading →