Daodejing
Spiritual Politics of Laozi
Spiritual Politics of Laozi
Quick link to the sections of Daodejing:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
孔子解释道："吾乃忧大道不行，仁义不施，战乱不止，国乱不治也，故有人生短暂，不能有功于世、不能有为于民之感叹矣。"
Kongzi explains [his concerns]:
“I am worried that should the great Dao be not moving/functioning, that benevolence and righteous be not applied/practised, there will be no end to the chaos of war, there will be no governance/cure to the chaos in countries. Human life is short and temporary, yet I have no successful contribution to society and no useful service to the populace. This is why I am lamenting/sighing here [by the bank of the river].”
老子道："天地无人推而自行，日月无人燃而自明，星辰无人列而自序，禽兽无人造而自生，此乃自然为之也，何劳人为乎？人之所以生、所以无、所以荣、所以辱，皆有自然之理、自然之道也。顺自然之理而趋，遵自然之道而行，国则自治，人则自正，何须津津于礼乐而倡仁义哉？津津于礼乐而倡仁义，则违人之本性远矣。犹如人击鼓寻求逃跑之人，击之愈响，则人逃跑得愈远矣!"
Laozi says:
“Heaven and earth have no human pushing but move/function by themselves. Sun and moon have no human lighting but shine/illuminate by themselves. The constellation of stars have no human arranging but are in proper-order by themselves. Birds and beasts have no human constructing but are born by themselves. This is action naturally-as-such-by-itself. It burdens not on human to act for them. As for humans, why they come to be born, come to be non-existent, come to rise in fame/glory, come to sink in disgrace/obscurity, it all has its reason/pattern naturally-as-such-by-itself too, it all has its way/dao naturally-as-such-by-itself too. Accord to the natural reason/pattern and walk, accord to the natural way/dao and move, countries will come to be governed/cured by themselves, humans will come to be correct/upright by themselves. What’s the need then to indulge in propriety/ritual-music/pleasure to advocate benevolence and righteousness? To indulge in propriety/ritual-music/pleasure to advocate benevolence and righteousness is actually to deviate far from the original nature that’s of human. Just like someone striking the drum hard to seek those people who are fleeing away. The more booming the strike, the further the people flee away!”
- An excerpt of a supposed exchange between Laozi (attributed author of Daodejing) and Kongzi (aka Confucius) by the bank of the Yellow River. The exact source to this excerpt is unknown, but it is likely inspired by one of the Outer Chapters of the Book of Zhuangzi - 庄子·天道 (Zhuangzi: Dao/way of Heaven).
{1i} 道可道 非常道. 名可名 非常名.
The dao1 that can be [defined/named as] dao is not the constant Dao2.
[Because] the name3 that can become a [defined] name is not the [definitive] constant name.
{1ii} 無 名天地之始. 有 名萬物之母.
Non-Being4 is named the origin/beginning of heaven and earth.
Being5 is named the mother/source of ten-thousand things.
{1iii} 故常 無欲以觀其妙. 常 有欲以觀其所徼.
Hence constant, is Non-Being’s inclination in displaying/manifesting its subtlety/possibility/seedling.
Constant, is Being’s inclination in displaying/manifesting the limit/boundary/end of its things.
{1iv} 此兩者同 出而異名.
These two (Being and Non-Being) are symmetrical/equivalent6, but emerge/activate with differing names.
{1v} 同謂之玄 玄之又玄 衆妙之門.
Symmetrical is considered dark7.
Dark upon dark (symmetry within symmetry), door to the multitude of subtleties/possibilities/seedlings.
.
1. Dao (道 dao) is usually translated as ‘way’, like the way of governance or the guiding way. So dao can mean the way universal laws/principles regulate order, or it can mean the way humans enforce order through invented rules/methods.
2. The constant Dao (常道 chang dao) probably refers to the way of natural governance that is constant and lasting. It is unlike the type of governance we have in our countries/societies/organizations these days, basically relying on human invented rules and beliefs to enforce order. The problem with such invented rules/beliefs is that rules/beliefs often have to change according to circumstances, and that they require intentional education and deliberate policing/enforcement to ensure compliance from people. Therefore forms of governance (which rely on human rules/beliefs) cannot be considered the constant way/Dao. In contrast, there is a natural order in the universe governed by constant laws/principles which function throughout the world, like that of the natural order of celestial objects cycling regularly in the sky/heaven. This natural order which has lasted since ancient time happens without help or intervention from humans. It does not require intentional education and deliberate enforcement from humans. Such lasting natural order is probably the utopian ideal aimed for by this text. Therefore it is to be noted that, whenever we encounter the term “Dao” in this text, it is likely referring to that of the constant Dao (natural constant governance that is lasting) and not the humanly defined ways/dao of governance which are transient.
3. Name (名 ming) can mean definition, phenomenon, or the defined form/characteristic/description of the phenomenon. It is also to be noted that name is closely associated with human governance, by way of defining what’s good-bad/right-wrong, by way of defining the proper privileges and responsibilities according to one’s named status (正名 zheng ming), by way of defining the legal sanctions/penalties against various named crimes (刑名 xing ming).
4. Non-Being (無 wu) can be understood as ‘non-existence’, ‘absence’, ‘isn’t’. It is a provisional name used to define the origin/beginning of heaven-and-earth, but this name can’t be applied after the beginning has begun.
5. Being (有 you) can be understood as ‘existence’, ‘presence’, ‘is’. It is a provisional name used to define the mother/source of ten-thousand things, but this name can’t be applied before the ten-thousand things appear.
6. Although Non-Being is a name used to define origin and Being is a name used to define source, both origin and source are symmetrical/equivalent (同 tong) to each other.
7. Dark (玄 xuan) is a key theme of this text and can be understood as ‘latent’, ‘unspecified/undifferentiated’, ‘mysterious’. It is also used here to indicate the symmetry of supposed polar opposites like that of non-being and being. Dark is kind of like a seed, which although not yet a tree in existence, holds the potential of being a tree in existence. So the tree, being dark and latent in the seed (the origin and source), is sort of symmetrically existing and not-existing as a tree-seed.
{2i} 天下皆知美之為美 斯惡已. 皆知善之為善 斯不善已. 故有無相生.
When all under-heaven [discriminatively/attachedly] know beauty as that of a [definitive] beauty to act/strive-for, it’s bad already.
When all [discriminatively/attachedly] know goodness as that of a [definitive] goodness to act/strive-for, it’s not good already.
Because being and non-being birth each other1.
{2ii} 難易相成 長短相較 高下相傾 音聲相和 前後相隨.
[Just like] difficult and easy accomplish each other, long and short shape each other, high and low lean on each other, frequency and sound synchronize/resonate each other, front and back follow each other.
{2iii} 是以聖人處無為之事 行不言之教 萬物作焉而不辭.
And so sages2 deal with the matter of non-discriminative/non-attached action (wu wei) and practice the teaching that’s without words/instructions/ideologies.
The ten-thousand things [are allowed to] work thus without exception/rejection.
{2iv} 生而不有 為而不恃 功成而弗居. 夫唯弗居 是以不去。
[So] give birth/life to without making existent [the notion of goodness/beauty]3, act without making reliance/attachment [to the notion of goodness/beauty]4.
When the deed is accomplished, dwell not.
For only in dwelling not, [the accomplishment] thus leaves not5.
.
1. Refer to section {1iv} where constant is said to be Being’s (existence’s) inclination in manifesting the limit of its things. So basically this line is explaining that when goodness and beauty are made explicitly and discriminatively known to everyone, it will give rise to its opposite, just as being good/beautiful manifests its limit to give rise to what’s not good/beautiful.
2. Sages (聖人 sheng ren) are virtuous rulers that govern and guide the people in accord to Dao.
3. Most ways of governance involve the naming/definition of certain things to be good and beautiful, making existent these specific goods and beauty so that people will know them and crave for them and thus pursue them. But as indicated in section {2i}, this will only give rise to the opposite. Kind of like the Greek story of King Midas who believed gold to be absolutely good and beautiful, and thus wished and gained the ability to turn everything he touched into solid gold, including his food and drink and beloved daughter. As such, he suffered hunger and thirst and grief and despair, and thus wished instead to undo the terrible consequences of his golden-touch. This is perhaps why it is stated in section {2iii} that sages deal with the matter of non-discriminative/non-attached action (wuwei) and practice the teaching that’s without ideology. Governance should be pragmatic and impartial. The ten-thousand things of the world have their uses and functions. None should be rejected because of ideological biasedness. So just as gold has its uses, so do rice and fruits and even dung. They all have their part to play in the ecosystem.
4. Action (為 wei) should not be driven by discriminative knowledge. It should not come attached with agendas like that of pursuing goodness or beauty. Therefore one should act without making reliance/attachment to notional knowledge of goodness/beauty. Because as mentioned in section {18ii}, actions based on such notional knowledge are considered artificial/imitative actions.
5. Refer to section {1i} where it is stated that named/defined ways are not constant. They are only expedient ways, temporary remedies, like that of medicine for the treatment of an illness. When the illness is gone, the medicine should not be taken anymore. Because to insist on taking the medicine when the illness is already gone will result in yet another sickness, thus negating the accomplishment of the medicine. So this is probably what’s meant by: When the deed is accomplished, dwell not. For only in dwelling not, the accomplishment thus leaves not.
{3i} 不尚賢 使民不爭. 不貴難得之貨 使民不為盜. 不見可欲 使心不亂.
Promote not [specific] merits/morals/talents1, so that the populace will not fight/contend [with one another].
Value/exalt not [limited] goods which are difficult to obtain2, so that the populace will not act to steal/rob.
[When] desirable temptations are not seen/displayed, the heart/mind is not in turmoil.
{3ii} 是以聖人之治 虛其心 實其腹 弱其志 強其骨.
Hence the sages’ governance/remediation/treatment, is in emptying the heart/mind and filling the belly, weakening the ambition and strengthening the bone.
{3iii} 常 使民無知無欲 使夫知者不敢為也.
Constant, is ensuring that the populace is devoid of [discriminative] knowledge and desire/craving, ensuring that those with [discriminative] knowledge dare not act [upon their craving].
{3iv} 為無為 則無不治.
Act for no [discriminative/attached] action (wei wu wei)3, then there is nothing that cannot be treated/remedied/governed.
.
1. Promoting merits (尚賢 shang xian), famously associated with Mohism, is basically the idea of meritocracy. It is an idea that runs counter to the prevailing ideology of aristocracy then, because in Zhou dynasty the practice is that of hereditary rulership (where the eldest son usually inherits the power upon the father’s death). So appointment of rulership in Zhou dynasty is not based on merits like talent or moral, but that of blood relations. Yet, as attractive as the idea of meritocracy is, this text actually does not recommend promoting specific merits. It states that promotion of specific merits will lead to a competitive society (with people probably contending and fighting each other to be seen as meritorious). It is also indicated in section {3iii & iv} that the ills of Zhou dynasty are actually that of discriminative knowledge and craving. Promotion of specific merits will only fuel more discrimination and craving, which are actually the roots ills to be treated.
2. A key job of governance is that of distributing limited goods fairly. Because by virtue of their limitation, not everyone will have access to these goods. Therefore, in prizing/exalting these limited goods, it will only incite discontentment and robberies and thefts. As such, an important theme of this text is on knowing the inexhaustible wholeness/sufficiency, as mentioned in section {33ii}, {44iii} and {46ii}. Contentment comes from knowing wholeness/sufficiency (知足 zhi zu), not from craving after limited and exhaustible goods – no matter how prized and exalted they are.
3. 為無為 (wei wu wei) refers to actions taken towards the ending of discriminative/deliberate-actions among the people. This is the basis of how the sage remedies the ills of the society to govern the community – by ensuring that people are devoid of discriminative knowledge and desire/craving, by ensuring that those with discriminative knowledge dare not act upon their craving.
{4i} 道沖而用之 或不盈淵兮 似萬物之宗.
Dao, in emptying, is thus in use/function1.
Puzzlingly never filled/occupied, alas [it is] abyss-deep, like the source/ancestor/font of ten-thousand things.
{4ii} 挫其銳 解其紛 和其光 同其塵. 湛兮 似或存。
Blunt its sharpness, unravel its entanglement, synchronize/harmonize its light, symmetricalize/equalize its dust.
And thus, a profound-clearness/deepness [that’s] puzzlingly remnant-like.
{4iii} 吾不知誰之子 象帝之先.
I don’t know whose descendant it is, but [Dao] appears to be that before Deity/God2.
.
1. If the constant Dao as stated in section {1} is indeed constant and lasting, then it is through emptying all that which can be emptied that this remnant-like Dao can function in clarity. Therefore it is said in the previous section that the sage governs by emptying people of their discriminative knowledge and craving.
2. Deity/God (帝 di) here probably refers to the supreme all-powerful Deity/God that’s venerated by people in Shang dynasty. But after Shang dynasty, in what’s called the Zhou dynasty, this idea of a supreme Deity/God (帝 di) was slowly replaced by a more naturalistic concept of Heaven (天 tian). Eventually Heaven was recognized to be the divine ancestor of the Zhou people, and the ruler of Zhou dynasty was thus called ‘Son of Heaven’ (天子 tian zi).
{5i} 天地不仁 以萬物為芻狗. 聖人不仁 以百姓為芻狗.
Heaven and earth do not [hold on to] ren1. They regard the ten-thousand things as straw-dogs2.
Sages do not [hold on to]3 ren. They regard the hundred-surnames4 as straw-dogs.
{5ii} 天地之間 其猶橐籥乎？虛而不屈 動而愈出.
That which is between heaven and earth, isn’t it like the bellows?
Spacious/empty yet not deflated/subscribing-to-[anything]; the more the activation, the more the production/emergence.
{5iii} 多言數窮 不如守中.
[Filled with] excessive words/instructions/ideologies, capacity/possibilities/measures are depleted/limited.
Why not guard neutrality/fittingness5 [instead]?
.
1. The context of 仁 (ren) here is likely that of a human-virtue proposed by Confucius during the Spring Autumn Period to remedy the ills plaguing the feudalistic/aristocratic system of governance of that time. 仁 (ren) is meant to be a sort of reciprocal benevolent social love, which has to be held on to always by people, to support the rigidly codified social hierarchy of the Zhou dynasty. Because the goal of Confucius is not to create a new world order, but to restore the old order of Zhou dynasty back to its former glory.
2. Straw dogs (芻狗 chu gou) are dog figurines made of straw. They are used as objects of ceremonial offerings to be discarded after use. Like the raft parable of Buddhism, where after bringing the person over to the other shore, the raft is to be discarded. It is not to be held on to. So similarly in this text, it seems that the concept of ren and the aristocratic system of hundred surnames are not to be held on to always. They are to be discarded when no longer required.
3. It is important to note that the actual Chinese term used in this line is 不仁 (bu ren), and not 無仁 (wu ren). As such, some English translations which interpret this first line of {5i} as "sages do not have ren" might be inaccurate. This line is perhaps better understood as "sages do not [hold on to] ren, in accordance to the Chinese term of 不仁 (bu ren).
4. The hundred-surnames (百姓 bai xing) are the numerous aristocratic clans of officials/nobles operating within the governing feudalistic system (fengjian system) of Zhou dynasty. It is these aristocratic clans, in their frequent fights against one another to occupy more land and become more powerful, that are the main contributors of widespread chaos and suffering during Zhou dynasty. Eventually the country/state of Qin, in adopting the harsh measures proposed by the so-called Legalist School, managed to thumb down its group of aristocratic clans (noble houses) and seized power from them. It then went on to conquer all other countries/states to finally form the Qin dynasty. But the harsh measures implemented could only hold the Qin dynasty together for fifteen years. It soon collapsed, and the land once again lapsed into widespread chaos and warfare.
5. The teaching of Daodejing in this section is basically that of pragmatism. Instead of being restrained by ideologies, be pragmatic and neutral and impartial. Do that which fits the situation, not that to fit an ideology. When one is not fixated to any preconceived idea or ideology, numerous possibilities open up. But when one is fixated, options will seem limited.
{6i} 谷神不死 是謂玄牝.
The spirit of valley-stream1 which is deathless2, is called the dark female-gorge3.
{6ii} 玄牝之門 是謂天地根.
The door of the dark female-gorge is called the root of heaven and earth.
{6iii} 綿綿若存 用之不勤.
Faintly-continuously, as if [always] remaining, its use cannot be exhausted.
.
1. It isn’t clear exactly what valley-stream (谷 gu) represents in this text. But given the emphasis in {5ii} where the bellow is said to be empty but undeflated, with the capacity for continuous production, and given also the emphasis in {4i} where Dao is said to function as the font of myriad things upon emptying, it is thus possible to interpret valley-stream as representing that of an emptying-away and hollowing-down to a valley such that water-stream is flowing through it. Somehow this reminds of the physics concept of zero-point energy whereby ‘vacuum space’ is said to have some sort of inexhaustible intrinsic energy flowing through it.
2. Deathless (不死 bu shi) reminds of the constant Dao mentioned in {1i}.
3. Dark (玄 xuan) can be understood as ‘latent/potential’ here. So dark female-gorge (玄牝 xuan pin) probably refers to the female potential to give birth and reproduce life. Dark is also mentioned in Section {1} as the symmetry of Being (mother/source) and Non-Being (origin/beginning). Hence dark female-gorge might be highlighting the Being (mother) aspect of the symmetry.
{7i} 天長地久.
Heaven is long; earth is enduring.
{7ii} 天地所以能長且久者 以其不自生 故能長生.
Heaven and earth can be long and also enduring, because [they] do not live for themselves, therefore [they] can live for long.
{7iii} 是以聖人後其身而身先 外其身而身存.
Hence sages consider themselves last and so put themselves forward [to serve], disregard themselves and so they remain [in service].1
{7iv} 非以其無私耶 故能成其私.
Thus it is only when they are without personal [selfishness] that they can accomplish the personal [matters they have set upon doing].
.
1. Probably a criticism of late Zhou dynasty, where instead of service leadership, the kings and dukes think more about themselves when stepping forward to lead. Their intention is not to serve the people, but to grab more power for themselves. And so in a bid to be the hegemonic (霸 ba) ruler, these dukes and kings pitted their might against each other, launching numerous wars which caused widespread suffering among the people. It is said that there were initially over 140 countries/states during the Spring-Autumn period. But by the time of the Warring-States, there were only seven left. Eventually the country/state of Qin succeeded in conquering all six others to form the Qin dynasty. But Qin dynasty itself lasted only about 15 years, and then it collapsed.
{8i} 上善如水.
High goodness is like water.
{8ii} 水善利萬物而不爭 居眾之所惡 故幾於道矣.
Water is good at benefitting the ten-thousand things, by not contending [with them], by dwelling good where most disdain1.
Therefore [it is] nearly Dao2.
{8iii} 居善地 心善淵 予善天. 言善信 正善治 事善能 動善時.
In dwelling good to the [low/humble] ground, [with] the mind/heart good as the [deep/capacious] pool, [with] the interaction/giving good as the [rain-providing] sky/heaven,
[then] the words/instructions will be good to be trusted, the governance will be good in remedying/correcting [the ill/chaos], the work/service will be good in effectiveness/capability, the action/movement will be good in timing.
{8iv} 夫唯不爭 故無尤.
Only by not contending/competing/fighting can there thus be no fault.
.
1. Most people fight and compete in order to climb upwards, so that they can dwell in high positions above others. Water, in contrast, contends not with anything. It tends to go downwards instead, dwelling and pooling in low places where most people disdain.
2. There may be some people who mistakenly believe that everything is Dao. But the myriad things are not Dao. Water is, as stated here, nearly Dao, but it is not Dao. As to why water is nearly Dao, the two reasons given are that it benefits other things without contending with them and that it dwells good where most disdain. It isn’t about flowing or going along with the flow of things that makes it nearly Dao. It is non-contention and dwelling where most disdain that make it so.
{9i} 持而盈之 不若其已. 揣而銳之 不可長保.
Filling up for the sake of holding on, is not comparable to using it up.
Sharpening for the sake of striking, [the sharpness] cannot be preserved for long.
{9ii} 金玉盈室 莫之守也. 貴富而驕 自遺咎也.
[Hence] filling the room up with gold and jade, don’t stick to it.
The haughtiness that is due to prizing/exalting wealth will by itself lead to ruin.
{9iii} 功遂身退 天之道也.
Withdraw the body/self when the work is done1 – this is the Dao of sky/heaven2.
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1. We might consider this line – withdraw the body/self when the work is done – a criticism of the hereditary rulership system of Zhou dynasty. In the immediate aftermath of Shang dynasty’s collapse, the political situation was still volatile and unstable. As such various clans were appointed rulership roles in different lands to ensure peace in this initial period of Zhou dynasty. But even after peace and stability was ensured, these clans stayed on in their high positions. And using their power, they grew richer and richer, probably like what the text states – filling their rooms up with gold and jade. And eventually many of these rich powerful clans, out of haughtiness and greed and fear, fought viciously against one another in late Zhou dynasty, leading to their ruin and collapse.
2. The sky/heaven provides for rain, by first having the rain-clouds fill up the sky/heaven. But this filling up is not for the sake of holding on (as mentioned in {9i}). The rain-clouds are meant to be used – to provide rain for the earth. And when the work is done, the sky/heaven is then cleared of its body of thick clouds. This is an example of the Dao/Way of sky/heaven (天之道 tian zhi dao), and probably why heaven is long-lasting as stated in {7i}.
{10i} 載營魄抱一 能毌離乎!
Nourishing the entire physical/yin-spirit1 through embracing oneness2, there can [thus] be no departure!
{10ii} 專氣至柔 能嬰兒乎!
Turning qi3 to utmost softness (non-substantiality/non-existence), there can [thus] be [a return to being] an embryo [in the womb]!
{10iii} 脩除玄監 能毌有疵乎!
Cleansing clear to dark mirror/reflection/reference4, there can [thus] be no blemish/obscuration/distortion/flaw of existence!
{10iv} 愛民活國 能毌以知乎!
Loving the people to enliven the state/country, it can [be done] without using [discriminatory] knowledge5!
{10v} 天門啟闔 能為雌乎!
Opening the cover/lid of heaven’s doorway, there can be actions [continuously born of the] female6!
{10vi} 明白四達 能毌以知乎!
Illuminating/discerning plainly throughout the four directions, it can [be done] without using [discriminatory] knowledge!
.
1. Physical/yin-spirit (魄 po) can be regarded as the animated physical form. It is usually pair with yang-spirit (魂 hun), which is immaterial animation without physical form – something like that of soul or ghost.
2. Oneness (一 yi) is described in {14i} as that which cannot be seen by looking and cannot be heard by listening. A similar description is made in {35ii} of the emerging point of Dao. So it’s likely that oneness is this doorway to Dao where things emerge from. This doorway called oneness should also be that of the root of heaven-and-earth mentioned in {6ii} whose life-giving capacity cannot be exhausted. It should also be that of the door to the multitude of subtleties/seedlings mentioned in {1v}.
3. Qi (氣 qi) can be appreciated as manifested energy.
4. Dark mirror/reflection/reference (玄監 xuan jian) might refer to the emulation of Dao, with its dark symmetry of being/existence and non-being/non-existence as mentioned in {1iv} and {1v}.
5. Knowledge (知 zhi) here likely refers to the discriminatory knowledge mentioned in {2i}, which reminds of the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil’ as stated in the Christian bible. Having eaten the fruit of this tree and having gained the discriminatory knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve could no longer remain in paradise. They were expelled thus from the Garden of Eden.
6. Female (雌 ci) here might be referring to the dark female-gorge whose door is the root of heaven-and-earth as mentioned in {6ii}.
{11i} 生之 畜之. 生而弗有 長而弗宰也. 是胃玄德.
Produce/give life to; store/maintain it1.
In producing/giving life without being-existent, in leading/guiding without dominance, this is called dark De2.
{11ii} 卅楅同一轂 當其無 有車之用也.
Thirty spokes unite a wheel, [but] it is non-existence [in the middle to fit an axle] that there exists a vehicle to be used.
{11iii} 然埴而為器 當其無 有埴器之用也.
Clay forms a container/vessel, [but] it is non-existence [within the vessel] that there exists a container/vessel to be used.
{11iv} 戶牖 當其無 有室之用也.
Doors and windows, it is non-existence that there exists a room which can be used.
{11v} 故有之以為利 無之以為用.
Therefore, existence provides benefit, [but it is] non-existence [which] allows usage [of existence].
.
1. According to {51i}, Dao is that which produces/gives life to, while De (virtue/attainment) is that which stores/maintains it.
2. De (德 de) means virtue. It can also mean attainment. In the context of this text, dark De (玄德 xuan de) can be understood as the virtue which attains to dark (a symmetricality and simultaneity of existence and non-existence which accesses to Dao) thus allowing for the storage/maintenance of the life given and produced by Dao.
{12i} 五色令人目盲 五音令人耳聾 五味令人口爽.
[Indulging] in the five colours causes a person’s eye to go blind.
[Indulging] in the five sounds causes a person’s ear to go deaf.
[Indulging] in the five tastes causes a person’s mouth to go stale.
{12ii} 馳騁田獵 令人心發狂. 難得之貨 令人行妨.
[Indulging] in racing and hunting causes a person’s mind to go wild.
[Indulging] in rare/limited goods causes a person’s behaviour to become restricted/rigid.
{12iii} 是以聖人為腹不為目 故去彼取此.
Therefore sages act for the abdomen [but] not act for the eye [or other senses], thus abandoning that and adopting this1.
.
1. This section seems to imply that the sages’ way of governance is to abandon that (of sensory wants) and adopt this (of survival needs). Hence sages act for the needs of the abdomen and not for the wants of the eye or other senses, so that our eye/ear/mouth/mind/body can help meet our survival needs. Because as indicated in the previous section, for things to be used, there is the requirement of emptiness. Therefore if our senses are filled to saturation, like stated in {12i}, they will be rendered un-usable. It’s only by emptying our senses that they can then be used, hence that of abandoning that and adopting this.
{13i} 寵辱若驚 貴大患若身.
The stain of indulgence-love is that of startle.
The great affliction of nobility/high-ranking/exaltedness is that of a body/self [of attachments].
{13ii} 何謂寵辱若驚? 寵為下: 得之若驚 失之若驚: 是謂寵辱若驚。
What is meant by [the phrase] – “the stain of indulgence-love is that of startle”?
Indulgence-love goes down to this – receiving [the object of craving] startles; losing [the object of craving] startles.
This is what’s meant by “the stain of indulgence-love is that of startle”.
{13iii} 何謂貴大患若身? 吾所以有大患者 為吾有身. 及吾無身 吾有何患?
What is meant by [the phrase] – “the great affliction of nobility/high-ranking is that of a body/self [of attachments]”?
[If] I have great affliction, it is because I have a body/self [of attachments].
If I don’t have a body/self [of attachments], what affliction do I have1?
{13iv} 故貴以身為天下 若可寄天下. 愛以身為天下 若可託天下.
Therefore, high-ranking/nobility is using [one’s] body/self to act for all under heaven2, and so [one] can be delivered to all [that is] under heaven.
Love is using [one’s] body/self to act for all under heaven3, and so [one] can be depended upon by all [that is] under heaven.
.
1. The body of Dao has no body/self. It does not attach to or hold on to anything, hence there can be no affliction to Dao. All is used to act for all, without discrimination, without retaining anything.
2. The text is possibly reframing the concept of high-ranking/nobility/exaltedness (貴 gui) to that of one who gives what he/she has to others, instead of the conventional idea then of regarding someone as noble and exalted just because of his/her accumulated wealth and possessions. This is probably similar to Confucius’s attempt to reframe nobility/prince-liness (君子 jun zi) to that of one’s character and conduct instead of one’s birth and blood relation which was the aristocratic convention then.
3. Love (愛 ai) here should be contrasted with that of indulgence-love (寵 chong) mentioned in {13ii}. The love (愛 ai) described in this last line is more like an altruistic giving sort of love where one acts for the sake of others, whereas indulgence-love is more related to grasping and clinging.
{14i} 視之而弗見 名之曰微. 聽之而弗聞 名之曰希. 搏之而弗得 名之曰夷.
That which cannot be seen by looking, its name (characteristic) is said to be minuscule/exquisite.
That which cannot be heard by listening, its name (characteristic) is said to be sparse/rare/silent.
That which cannot be attained by grabbing, its name (characteristic) is said to be even/flat/homogeneous.
{14ii} 三者不可至計 故混而為一.
When these three cannot arrive at being measured/quantified, they are thus in an [undifferentiated] blend that’s regarded as ‘oneness’1.
{14iii} 一者 其上不攸 其下不忽. 尋尋呵不可.
This ‘oneness’, initially has no space-time, subsequently has no abrupt-annihilation. Searching and searching, alas, it cannot be [found].
{14iv} 名也 復歸於無物 是胃無狀之狀.
[Its] names/characteristics repeatedly return to that of non-thing, which is called the status of no status.
{14v} 無物之象 是胃惚恍. 隨而不見其後 迎而不見其首.
The phenomenon of non-thing, is called formless and traceless.
[Such that] in following – its back cannot be seen (traceless); in meeting – its head/face cannot be seen (formless).
.
1. This oneness (一 yi) is first mentioned in this text at {10i}. It will be mentioned again later in {21v}, {39i} and famously in {42i} which states that Dao gives life to oneness.
{15i} 執今之道 以御今之有 以知古始 是胃道紀.
Abide to the Dao at present – to drive/manage that of the being/existence at present, to [thus] know that of the ancient origin.
This is called the annal/principle/governance of Dao.
{15ii} 古之善為士者 必微妙玄達 深不可識 是以為之頌：
Those of ancient past who are good as functionaries [of Dao], are surely exquisitely subtle and darkly/profoundly talented.
Deep beyond recognition, they can only be sung of as such:
{15iii} 豫乎若冬涉川 猶乎其若畏四鄰 嚴乎其若客 渙乎其若釋 屯乎其若樸 沌乎其若濁.
“Cautious as if crossing a [frozen] river in winter, worrying/hesitant as if afraid of [disturbing] the neighbours in all four directions, solemn/proper as if guests [in other people’s house], loose/dissipative as if melting, whole/stored as if an uncarved [block], blended as if a muddle.”
{15iv} 孰能濁以靜者 將徐清. 孰能牝以主者 將徐生.
Whoever can muddle to quiescence, there will gradually be clarity.
Whoever can [have] the female (softness) as host, there will gradually be life.
{15v} 保此道者 不欲尚盈 是以能敝而不成.
Those who maintain/protect this Dao, do not desire to promote filling-up-full1.
[They maintain/protect this Dao] through their capacity to wear out without establishing [anything].
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1. As mentioned in {9i} and {9ii}, filling-up (盈 yin) for the sake of holding-on-to is not recommended. Instead functionaries of Dao should make use of their capacity to wear out without establishing anything. Because, like as stated in {45i}, the great filling/fullness is through emptying, so that its usage cannot be depleted/exhausted.
{16i} 致虛極 守靜篤.
Devote to utmost emptiness, guard/maintain the quiescent/stillness single-mindedly.
{16ii} 萬物並作 吾以觀復.
The entire working of ten-thousand things – I regard as manifestation of repetition/report/pattern.
{16iii} 夫物芸芸 各復歸其根.
Regarding this multitude of things, each repeatedly returns back to its root.
{16iv} 歸根曰靜 是謂復命. 復命曰常.
Return to root is said to be quiescence/dormancy/stillness. It is called reporting-back/awaiting-new-order1.
[This] reporting-back/awaiting-new-order is said to be constant.
{16v} 知常曰明. 不知常 妄作凶.
Knowing constant is said to be discernment/illumination/enlightenment.
Not knowing constant, dangerous are the actions [based on] delusion.
{16vi} 知常容 容乃公 公乃王 王乃天 天乃道.
For in knowing constant, [there is] acceptance. Acceptance is impartiality. Impartiality is king. King is heaven/sky. [And] heaven/sky is Dao.
{16vii} 道乃久 沒身不殆.
Dao is enduring, [because] without a body/self, there can be no peril [to it]2.
.
1. Reporting-back/awaiting-new-order (復命 fu ming) is a term which can be used to describe a person, having completed his mission, reporting back to his boss and awaiting new mission orders. It can be understood here also as a neutral state of readiness – uncommitted yet, but quietly alert. In badminton, for example, this can be understood as the alert ready stance, whereby after hitting the shuttlecock over the net, the player quickly returns to his alert ready stance – to observe his opponent’s movement and stroke before committing to a retaliation.
2. As mentioned in {13v}, it is only because of a body/self of attachments that there can be great affliction. The body of Dao is however without a body/self, hence there can be no peril. Because how do you injure that which is empty and without existence? Therefore there is the instruction of guarding quiescence/stillness and devoting to utmost emptiness at the start of this section.
{17i} 太上 下知有之. 其次 親而譽之. 其次 畏之. 其次 侮之.
The ultimate highest [ruler]1, is that those below merely know there is [such a ruler].
Next, is that [those below] are close/fond-of [the ruler] and thus give their praises.
Next, is that [those below] fear [the ruler].
Next, is that [those below] belittle [the ruler].
{17ii} 信不足焉 有不信焉.
When trust is not of fullness/wholeness, there will not be trust.
{17iii} 悠兮其貴言. 功成事遂 百姓皆謂我自然.
Thus sparingly few [should] the exalted words/instructions [of rulers] be2.
[Such that when] the task is accomplished and the matter done, the hundred-surnames3 will all proclaim: “We are [naturally] as-such-by-ourselves!”
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1. The ultimate highest ruler probably refers to Dao. It does not have substantial existence. It does not issue new instructions/rules or make new social media posts every now and then. It neither exerts control nor manipulate in deliberate discrimination. There is nothing of Dao to be fond of, to be fearful of, to belittle.
2. Because with trust, there is no need for lengthy instructions and words and propaganda.
3. The hundred-surnames (百姓 bai xing) should be the numerous aristocratic clans of officials/nobles operating within the governing feudalistic system of Zhou dynasty.
{18i} 大道廢 有仁義. 六親不和 有孝慈. 國家昏亂 有忠臣.
[It’s when] the great Dao is disabled/disused/neglected, that there are [notions of] being ren and yi1.
[It’s when] the six kinships2 are not harmonious, that there are [notions of] being filial and kind.
[It’s when] the nation/country is in chaotic confusion, that there are [notions of] being loyal ministers.
{18ii} 智慧出 有大偽.
[It’s when such notional] knowledge and wisdom emerge, that there is great artificial/imitative actions3.
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1. Ren (仁 ren) and yi (義 yi) are two key ideological concepts highlighted in Confucianism. Ren basically refers to benevolent social love, and yi basically refers to righteous action.
2. Wang Bi (a philosopher of the Wei-Jin dynasty), in his commentary to Daodejing, states that the six kinships (六親 liu qin) are that of three pairs of social relationship – father and son, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife.
3. For example, a small boy is taught that kindness means giving his seat up to old folks on the bus. And so this boy deliberately gives his seat up each time an old folk is seen on the bus. Is this really kindness? Or is this just obedience – an artificial/imitative action? Or is it perhaps vanity – imitating the act of kindness for the sake of being seen as kind? Do kind people try to act kind? Do they hold on to the notion of being kind? This is perhaps why {38i} states that “the high virtue (De) clings not to virtue and so there is virtue, while the low virtue aims not to lose virtue and so there is no virtue”.
{19i} 絕聖棄智 民利百倍. 絕仁棄義 民復孝慈. 絕巧棄利 盜賊無有.
Terminate [notion of] sagacity, abandon [notion of] knowledgeable – the populace will benefit a hundredfold.
Terminate [notion of] ren, abandon [notion of] yi1 – the populace will return to being filial and kind.
Terminate [notion of] cleverness/craftiness, abandon [notion of] profits/benefits – robbers and thieves will be non-existent.
{19ii} 此三者以為文不足。
These three pairs (the ideological notions of sagacity-knowledge, ren-yi, cleverness-benefits) act to decorate/sculpt/carve on the basis of reducedness/incompleteness2.
{19iii} 故令有所屬: 見素抱樸 少私寡欲.
Therefore, to allow the currently existent their belonging:
meet the unadorned and embrace the uncarved3,
remove selfishness and abandon craving/desire.
{19iv} 絕學無憂.
Terminate [ideological] education/learning, and there will be no trouble/ailment.
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1. Ren (仁 ren) and yi (義 yi) are two key ideological concepts highlighted in Confucianism. Ren basically refers to benevolent social love, and yi basically refers to righteous action.
2. When the sculptor holds only a specific shape in mind, the uncarved block will be cut biasedly and discriminatedly into that specific shape in mind. All other parts are ignored and discarded. But in nature, there is nothing that is not used. Everything comes together to work as a whole complete system, like what is stated in {2iii} – “the ten-thousand things are allowed to work thus without exception/rejection”.
3. Unadorned (素 su), like that of an unadorned cloth, is a representation of plainness/simplicity. Uncarved (樸 pu), like that of an uncarved block, is a representation of fullness/wholeness/completeness. Such that the teaching “meet the unadorned and embrace the uncarved” is meant to counter that of other philosophical schools which teach to educate people on the basis of their reduced incompleteness. Like in the Confucianist text of ‘Record of Ritual’ (禮記li ji) – under the chapter on ‘Record of Learning/Education’ (學記 xue ji) – it is stated that “Jade if not carved/cut, does not become a vessel. Human if not learned/educated, does not know Dao”. This text, however, recommends that of being unadorned and uncarved.
{20i} 唯之與阿 相去幾何? 善之與惡 相去若何? 人之所畏 不可不畏 荒兮其未央哉！
Actual-compliance to it versus mere-acknowledgement [of it], how far is the distance between them? Being good at it versus being bad [at it], what is the distance between them?
That which is to be feared by people, mustn’t not be feared – [for] its barrenness has just yet to become disastrous only!
{20ii} 衆人熙熙 如享太牢 如春登臺. 我獨怕兮其未兆 如嬰兒之未孩 儽儽兮 若無所歸.
While most people are in [their] bustling merriment, like [animals] enjoying the grand sacrifice/cage1, like spring parading on the stage,
I alone park at that which is yet to become a sign, like an [unborn] embryo which is yet to become a child, feebly/gently, as if there’s none to return back to.
{20iii} 衆人皆有餘 而我獨若遺. 我愚人之心也哉 沌沌兮!
While most people all have [their] possessions [accumulated] in excess, I alone [live] on what seems remaining. Ah, this uneducated mind of mine, simply an undifferentiated murk!
{20iv} 俗人昭昭 我獨若昏. 俗人察察 我獨悶悶. 澹兮其若海 飂兮若無止.
As worldly people are gloriously bright, I alone am dazedly dull. As worldly people are stridently sharp; I alone am boringly dumb. Tranquilly as if the ocean, breezingly as if without cease.
{20v} 衆人皆有以 而我獨頑似鄙 我獨異於人 而貴食母.
While most people all have [their] possessions as reliance, I alone am stubbornly-aloof as if despised, [for] I alone differ from [these] people, valuing instead to feed from the mother/source2.
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1. Grand sacrifice/cage (太牢 tai lao) can mean the cage that’s used to hold animals which are about to be killed for the grand sacrificial feast. It can also refer to the sacrificial animals themselves, which are well-fed and well-treated before being slaughtered.
2. While most people feed on the temporal things they possess, Laozi (the supposed author of this text) choose to feed directly from the mother/source of these things instead. The mother/source (母 mu) here probably refers to the dark female-gorge mentioned in section {6}, whose supply is endless and deathless.
{21i} 孔德之容 唯道是從. 道之為物 唯恍唯惚.
The operation/appearance of vast De1, follows only Dao.
[With] Dao as thing – only tracelessness, only formlessness2.
{21ii} 惚兮恍兮 其中有象. 恍兮惚兮 其中有物. 窈兮冥兮 其中有精. 其精甚真 其中有信.
Formlessly tracelessly, there is phenomenon within. Tracelessly formlessly, there is thing within.
Deeply dimly, there is essence within. This essence is certainly real; there is trusted information within.
{21iii} 自古及今 其名不去 以閱衆甫. 吾何以知衆甫之狀哉? 以此:
From the past till now, its name/characteristic goes away not, [thus] to be inspected as the father/origin of everything.
How do I know the status of the father/origin of everything? With this:
{21iv} 曲則全 枉則直 窪則盈 弊則新 少則得 多則惑.
Yield/relinquish to be fulfilled3; bend to go direct/straight.
Hollow-out to be filled4; wear-out to grow anew.
[Having] less results in attainment5; [having] more results in confusion.
{21v} 是以聖人抱一為天下式.
Hence it is that sages embrace oneness6 as the model for all under heaven.
.
1. De (德 de) means virtue/attainment. Generally it refers to the human virtue/attainment of certain goodness. But in the context of Daodejing, especially when paired together as vast De (孔德 kong de), it should be referring to the virtue/attainment of Dao.
2. As stated in {38i}, the high De (virtue/attainment) does not hold on to De (attainments) and so there is the De (attainment of Dao). As such, under the operation of the vast De, the attainment of Dao as thing is traceless and formless. This Dao, as a traceless and formless thing, is also considered to be the phenomenon of non-thing indicated in {14v}. This thing of non-thing seems also to be the dark (玄 xuan) talked about in {1iv}, where non-being and being are said to be symmetrical.
3. Yield/relinquish to be fulfilled seems similar to the Buddhist goal of nirvana, which is fulfilled through renunciation/relinquishment.
4. Hollow-out to be filled reminds of the spirit of the valley-stream mentioned in {6i}.
5. It seems that by having less and less until there is none, this results in the attainment of the non-thing Dao as thing (oneness).
6. Since the description of oneness in section {14} similarly mentions that of tracelessness and formlessness, oneness here is probably referring to the attainment of Dao as thing, which is also the ‘thing’ that’s the father/origin of everything.
{22i} 不自見 故明. 不自是 故彰. 不自伐 故有功. 不自矜 故長.
In not [making] views for yourself, [there is] thus clarity/discernment/enlightenment.
In not [trying] to be right for yourself, [truth becomes] thus evident/revealed.
In not bragging for yourself, [there] is thus accomplishment.
In not upholding/clinging to yourself, [there is] thus lastingness/leadership.
{22ii} 夫唯不爭 故天下莫能與之爭.
Only in not contending/fighting [for yourself], that therefore all under heaven can’t contend/fight with [you].
{22iii} 古之所謂 曲則全者 豈虛言哉! 誠 全而歸之.
What the ancients said - “yield/relinquish to be fulfilled1”, [they] are not false/empty words2!
Be sincere [to these words], and be fulfilled in return.
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1. Yield/relinquish to be fulfilled is a teaching mentioned in the {21iv}. In this section, the teaching here seems to be about yielding and relinquishing your-self.
2. Although this text seems to be against words and instruction, it isn’t actually so. To realise the so-called Dao, most of us would still need to heed the words and instructions and teachings in this text. It should be that only upon realising Dao, that words and instructions can be given up. Kind of like the Buddhist parable of the raft, whereby upon reaching the other shore, the raft can be abandoned. Because if words and instructions are totally useless, why is this text written in the first place? It is like what’s said in {56i}: “In knowing, words are not needed. Words are for those who do not know.” The point of this text isn’t to condemn words and instructions, but to help people accord with Dao such that words and instructions are naturally no longer needed.
{23i} 希言自然. 故飄風不終朝 驟雨不終日.
Words/instructions [going] silent, is [naturally] as-such-by-itself.
Just as gales don’t last the whole morning, and storms don’t last the whole day.
{23ii} 孰為此者? 天地. 天地尚不能久 而況於人乎?
Who makes/does this so? Heaven and earth.
Yet [even] heaven and earth themselves cannot last/endure [forever], how much more so humans [who make up words/instructions]1?
{23iii} 故從事於道者 同於道. 德者 同於德. 失者 同於失.
Therefore, administrate in service to Dao, to equal Dao.
[Administrate in service to] De, to equal De.
[Administrate in service to] the loss [of words/instructions], to equal the loss [of words/instructions].
{23iv} 同於道者 道亦樂得之. 同於德者 德亦樂得之. 同於失者 失亦樂得之.
For those equal to Dao, Dao is thus gladly attained by [them].
For those equal to De, De is thus gladly attained by [them].
For those equal to the loss [of words/instructions], the loss [of words/instructions] is thus gladly attained by [them].
{23v} 信不足焉 有不信焉.
When trust is not of fullness/wholeness2 (such that words/instructions are continuously required), there will not be trust.
.
1. Can refer to {1i} on the note made to the term ‘constant Dao’ (常道 chang dao). Governance based on human invented rules is not enduring and lasting.
2. In some organizations, there are managers who do not trust others, frequently micromanaging the workers with words and instructions, thus breeding a culture of distrust between management and labour. What this section seems to suggest is that those who administrate in service to Dao do not work to sustain or proliferate words and instructions. When words and instructions are no longer necessary, there should be a return to silence, as indicated in {23i}. Might be helpful to compare this section with that of {17} on the topic of trust.
{24i} 企者不立. 跨者不行.
Tiptoeing – can’t stand [firmly].
Straddling – can’t move [freely].
{24ii} 自見者不明. 自是者不彰. 自伐者無功. 自矜者不長.
In [making] views for yourself, [there is] no clarity/discernment/enlightenment.
In [trying] to be right for yourself, [truth] won’t be evident/revealed.
In bragging for yourself, [there is] no accomplishment.
In upholding/clinging to yourself, [there is] no lastingness/leadership.
{24iii} 其在道也 曰: 餘食贅行 物或惡之 故有道者不處.
To be within Dao, it is said: “Feeding excessively and acting superfluously1 are things that are being repelled/revulsed. Hence those of Dao do not stay in this.”
.
1. It seems like this line is saying not to make extraneous gestures to feed and bloat the self, like tiptoeing to look more prominent or straddling to try to own and control more things. All these do not accord with Dao.
{25i} 有物混成 先天地生. 寂兮寥兮 獨立不改 周行而不殆 可以為天下母.
There is a blended1 thing, before the birth of heaven-and-earth.
Quiescently, solitarily; independent and unchanging; cycling without fatigue – [it] can be the mother/source of all under heaven2.
{25ii} 吾不知其名 字之曰道.
I don’t know how to name/define/characterise it, [but] its label is called ‘Dao’.
{25iii} 強為之名曰大. 大曰逝. 逝曰遠. 遠曰反.
Forcing a name/definition/characteristic, [Dao could] be said to be great3.
Great [could] be said to be fading.
Fading [could] be said to be diffusing/far-spreading.
Diffusing/far-spreading [could] be said to be reversion.
{25iv} 故道大 天大 地大 王亦大. 域中有四大 而王居其一焉.
Therefore [as] Dao [reverses] in greatness, heaven [reverses] in greatness, earth [reverses] in greatness, the king also [reverses] in greatness.
There are four great [reversions] in this realm, and the king is positioned within as one.
{25v} 人法地 地法天 天法道 道法自然.
[Such that] humans follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows Dao, Dao follows [what’s naturally] as-such by-itself4.
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1. Blended (混 hun) is likely a description of the symmetrical/dark (玄 xuan) mentioned in section {1}, where both non-being and being are said to be symmetrical, as if blended together. It is simultaneously the father/origin of heaven-and-earth and the mother/source of the ten-thousand things.
2. It’s interesting that in this section the ‘blended thing’ is described as the mother/source of all under heaven, but in section {21} this ‘thing’ is described as the father/origin of everything.
3. There are some who think that Dao cannot be named. This isn’t correct. Dao can be named, as what’s done here in {25iii} and in other sections. It’s just that whatever name given to Dao, it isn’t an absolute constant one, but a relative dependent one. So even though Dao is named ‘great’ here, it is also named ‘small’ in {34ii}. The name depends on context.
4. [Naturally] as-such by-itself (自然 zi ran) is that which moves and happens independently by itself. It is rather like the scientific concept of entropy where there is always this natural tendency for things to move towards maximum spread/blend, like the phenomenon of a drop of coloured ink diffusing in plain water. This concept of [naturally] as-such by-itself (自然 zi ran) is also mentioned in {17iii} and {23i}.
{26i} 重為輕根 靜為躁君.
Weight acts to root lightness; quiescence acts to rule haste.
{26ii} 是以聖人終日行 不離輜重. 雖有榮觀 燕處超然.
Hence it is that the sage in [his] travels/actions throughout the day, departs not from [his root of] weighty-supplies1.
[Such that] even though there are alluring/glorious sights, he stays [quiescently] at ease and transcendently [in charge].
{26iii} 奈何萬乘之主 而以身輕天下?
Yet alas, why is it that the ten-thousand-chariots’ master2 keeps his body/self light across the world under heaven?
{26iv} 輕則失本 躁則失君.
Lightness loses the basis. Hastiness loses the rulership.
.
1. Weighty-supplies (輜重 zi zhong) generally refers to the logistic-centre or supply-train meant for a military campaign. Here it seems to be about being full and heavy with De, where De is the virtue/attainment of Dao which gives/supplies life, as stated in {51i}. So this section is probably implying that a country’s ruler should be like the sage, heavy with De that’s rooted in Dao, so that he would not be lured by temptations into acting lightly and hastily, thus losing the basis (Dao) and also his rulership.
2. According to Zhou dynasty’s propriety convention, ten-thousand-chariots’ master (萬乘之主 wan cheng zhi zhu) refers to the ruler of a big powerful state/country, which presumably can have a military force of up to ten-thousand chariots.
{27i} 善行 無轍迹. 善言 無瑕讁. 善數 不用籌策.
Those good at travelling, leave no indented tracks behind1.
Those good at words/instructions, leave no flawed cracks/stains behind.
Those good at calculating, make no reliance on counting devices.
{27ii} 善閉 無關楗而不可開. 善結 無繩約而不可解.
[To] those good at shutting, there is no securing/bolting mechanism which cannot be opened.
[To] those good at binding, there is no rope-restraint/fetter which cannot be freed.
{27iii} 是以聖人 常善救人 故無棄人; 常善救物 故無棄物.
As the sage is constantly good at saving people, there is therefore no one abandoned, [because there is no one that cannot be saved].
[As the sage] is constantly good at saving things, there is therefore nothing abandoned, [because there is nothing that cannot be saved].
{27iv} 是謂襲明 故善人者 不善人之師; 不善人者 善人之資.
What’s called the heritage of enlightenment/discernment2, is therefore [this]:
People who are good become teachers to people who are not good, while people who are not good are the supply of people who [will later become] good.
{27v} 不貴其師 不愛其資 雖智 大迷.
In not valuing the teacher (who is better than you), in not loving the supply (who is worse than you) – although [you can appear] knowledgeable, it is [just] great delusion/confusion.
{27vi} 是謂要妙:
This is called the essential subtlety/seedling/sprouting.
.
1. In the Arahantavagga Sutta of Buddhism, there is a similar description of arahants – “their track cannot be traced, like that of birds in the air; [their] path cannot be traced, like that of birds in the air.”
2. Heritage of enlightenment/discernment (襲明 xi ming) reminds of {16v} where “knowing constant” is said to be enlightenment/discernment. So the idea here might be to describe some sort of constancy of continuity whereby people who “know the constant” enlighten others to the same realization of this constant such that they can continue this heritage.
{28i} 知其雄 守其雌 為天下谿. 為天下谿 常德不離 復歸於嬰兒.
Know its masculinity, guard its femininity, be the gully for all under heaven.
To be the gully for all under heaven, depart not the De of constancy, reverting back to embryo1.
{28ii} 知其白 守其黑 為天下式. 為天下式 常德不忒 復歸於無極.
Know its white, guard its black, be the standard/model for all under heaven.
To be the standard/model for all under heaven, exceed/deviate not the De of constancy, reverting back to no-polarity/no-extremity.
{28iii} 知其榮 守其辱 為天下谷. 為天下谷 常德乃足 復歸於樸.
Know its glory/emergence, guard its obscurity/submergence, be the valley of all under heaven.
To be the valley for all under heaven, the De of constancy is to be whole/full/complete, reverting back to uncarved.
{28iv} 樸散則為器. 聖人用之則為官長 故大制不割。
When the uncarved is segmented2, [it] thus become vessels/tools.
By using [it], the sage thus becomes chief of all officials, then the great cutting-making/administration/system3 is not divided/torn [with parts discarded].
.
1. It might be interesting to note that stem cells derived from embryo (嬰兒 ying er), although undifferentiated, are capable of generating and differentiating into all types of specialized cell in the human body. These stem cells also have the ability to renew themselves indefinitely.
2. When the sculptor only has a specific shape of sculpture in mind, the uncarved block (樸 pu) is cut specifically to that fixed shape he has in mind. All other parts are discarded and disregarded. But in nature, there is nothing that is not put to use. Everything is regarded and put to work as different segments of the whole, thus coming together as a full and complete system, like what is stated in {2iii} – “the ten-thousand things are allowed to work thus without exception/rejection”.
3. 制 (zhi) can refer to the cutting and making of garments. It is a process which segments a whole piece of cloth into parts to be then sewed together to make clothes. This idea can be compared to how the Zhou dynasty ruled then, by demarcating the land into different pieces/states/countries and bestowing them to various officials/clans to govern. This was the fengjian (封建 feng jian) system of Zhou dynasty, for which the challenge of being a sage-ruler was to be chief of all these powerful officials/clans, by dissolving away contentions and conflicts so that governance would not be divided and torn apart.
{29i} 將欲取天下而為之 吾見其不得已.
To make use of craving to grasp/seize the world under heaven and thus strive/act – I see such [a goal of seizing] as unattainable already.
{29ii} 天下神器 不可為也.
The world under heaven is a spiritual vessel/tool, which cannot be [seized] through [such] striving/actions.
{29iii} 為者敗之 執者失之.
Actions [based on craving] result in defeat of these [actions].
Holding/seizing [based on craving] result in loss of [the held/seized].
{29iv} 故物 或行或隨 或歔或吹 或強或羸 或挫或隳 是以聖人 去甚 去奢 去泰.
Hence whether things are moving [forward] or following [behind], are [gently] sighing or [vigorously] blowing, are powerful or weak, are broken-down or destroyed, the sage [just] vanishes the exceeding, vanishes the excessive, vanishes the extreme1.
.
1. The principle here seems to be that of vanishing the exceeding/excessive/extreme. Because, even as we humans crave to seize the world absolutely under our control, we can't attain to such total control. Things will still happen. But when things happen, we should let them unfold in our care, under a management policy of preventing spikes and soaking up spillages (vanishing the exceeding/excessive/extreme). This is kind of like the idea of ‘flattening the curve’, which many countries adopted in dealing with the Covid-19 virus crisis, by implementing lockdowns, mask-wearing and social-distancing to reduce spikes and super-spreading incidents.
{30i} 以道佐人主者 不以兵強天下. 其事好還.
Rulers, who use Dao to guide people, do not use military-might to force/coerce all under heaven.
[Because] such a matter [of military-might] tends to rebound/return/retribute.
{30ii} 師之所處 荊棘生焉. 大軍之後 必有凶年.
Where warring troops reside, thistles and thorns will grow. When the great battle is over, there will inevitably be bad/unfavourable/famine years.
{30iii} 善有果而已 不敢以取強.
Good [usage of military-might] is just to produce a fruit/effect only; [it is] not with dare/enthusiasm that [military-might] is used to force/coerce.
{30iv} 果而勿矜. 果而勿伐. 果而勿驕. 果而不得已.
[Produce] the fruit/effect, but do not be conceited.
[Produce] the fruit/effect, but do not bully/boast.
[Produce] the fruit/effect, but do not be haughty.
[Produce] the fruit/effect, [only] because there is no other [choice].
{30v} 果而勿強 物壯則老 是謂不道. 不道早已.
[Produce] the fruit/effect, but do not [make use of] force/coercion – for when things become robust/strong/forceful, they age instead.
This is called not-Dao1. [What’s] not-Dao, ends early.
.
1. Some people hold the mistaken notion that all phenomenon is Dao and that it’s impossible for any actions to not be Dao. Here, it’s shown that there can be actions and phenomena that are not-Dao. {55iii} shows another example of what’s not-Dao.
{31i} 夫佳兵者 不祥之器 物或惡之. 故有道者不處.
[Even] the best weapon/military-might, is an inauspicious tool which things loathe. Therefore those of Dao don’t stay [with it].
{31ii} 君子居則貴左 用兵則貴右. 兵者不祥之器 非君子之器 不得已而用之.
Residence of nobility values the left; employment of military-might values the right1.
Military-might is a tool of inauspiciousness, not a tool of nobility, only to be employed when there is no other [choice]2.
{31iii} 恬淡為上 勝而不美. 而美之者 是樂殺人. 夫樂殺人者 則不可以得志於天下矣.
Peaceful simplicity is superior, [such that even] when victorious [in battles], beautify/glorify [these victories] not. To beautify/glorify [military victories] is to delight in killing.
Those who delight in killing, will alas not be able to [receive] the will of all under heaven.
{31iv} 吉事尚左 凶事尚右.
[Hence] fortunate matters incline to the left [which are noble ways]; dangerous matters incline to the right [which are military ways].
{31v} 偏將軍居左 上將軍居右 言以喪禮處之. 殺人之衆 以哀悲泣之; 戰勝 以喪禮處之。
[So while] the deputy general resides the left [to assist] and the vanguard general resides the right [to lead the attack/killing], the command/word is that [such killings] are to be treated as solemn funerals.
The massive killings are to be grieved upon with sorrow and compassion, such that [even] in victory, [the victory] is to be treated as a solemn funeral.
.
1. The left seems to suggest that of peace and cooperation and auspiciousness, while the right seems to suggest that of violence and contention and danger.
2. This is a continuation of the previous section’s criticism on the use of military-might. The background to this is that the Spring-Autumn period and Warring States period of late Zhou dynasty are periods of widespread suffering, in which dukes and kings repeatedly engaged in military warfare to try to subjugate one another. In {30iii}, it is emphasized that good usage of military-might is only meant to produce an effect. Here in {31ii}, it is emphasized that military-might should only be employed when there is no other choice.
{32i} 道常無 名樸. 雖小 天下莫能臣也.
Dao, [that’s] constantly of non-being/non-existence, is named uncarved1.
Although small [because it is non-existent], all under heaven cannot subordinate it.
{32ii} 侯王若能守之 萬物將自賓.
If dukes and kings can maintain [this uncarvedness], the ten-thousand things will submit-by-themselves [to Dao].
{32iii} 天地相合以降甘露. 民莫之令 而自均.
[Just as] heaven and earth mutually unite to shower sweet rain – without [requiring any] order/command from people, [the water submits into] an even distribution by-itself2.
{32iv} 始制有名 名亦既有 夫亦將知止. 知止所以不殆。
When an administration has existent name/definition/form, it also has [definite form] thus in existence.
Know also then to cease [this existence/beingness back into uncarvedness].
Knowing cessation, there will thus be no disaster3.
{32v} 譬道之在天下 猶川谷之與江海.
It is just as Dao [operates] under heaven, where valley-streams [will distribute and lose themselves] in merging with rivers and oceans, [instead of establishing their own existence/beingness].
.
1. In {14v} the phenomenon of non-thing is described as formless. Here in {32i}, this phenomenon of non-being/non-existence/non-thing is named uncarved (樸 pu). There are also mentions of uncarved previously in section {19} and {28}.
2. This is like the scientific concept of entropy/diffusion where things have the natural tendency to spread out by themselves without requiring any deliberate interference. This natural by-themselves tendency is similar to what is being said in {32ii} – “the ten-thousand things will submit-by-themselves” – whereby without any education/indoctrination or coercion/intimidation, things simply submit to Dao by themselves. It is unlike the typical sort of government/administration whereby people are artificially forced to submit to certain rulers/leaders by way of education/indoctrination or coercion/intimidation.
3. The various forms of government/administration invented by humans have come and gone through the ages. Yet the administration of Dao, which has no defined form of existence, continues to last. Perhaps this is why it is suggested here that knowing cessation of existence/beingness, there will thus be no disaster. This idea of knowing cessation in order to last long will be repeated again in {44iii}.
{33i} 知人者智 自知者明. 勝人者有力 自勝者強.
Knowing others [requires] knowledge, [but] knowing that which happens-by-itself is discernment/enlightenment1.
Winning over others [requires] the existence of force, [but] that which wins-over-by-itself is [natural] power/strength.
{33ii} 知足者富. 強行者有志.
Knowing wholeness/fullness/completeness is wealth2.
Doing/moving with power, [there] exists the will.
{33iii} 不失其所者久. 死而不亡者壽.
That which does not lose what it has, is lasting.
That which even in death is [still] not gone3, is longevity.
.
1. As mentioned in {32ii}, there is a natural power/strength in which things happen by-themselves without any external intervention. Therefore it is said in this line - knowing that which happens-by-itself is discernment/enlightenment. This is in contrast to the deliberate discriminative actions (為 wei) made by humans to craft and cause certain happenings in order to satisfy their own cravings. Such deliberate discriminative actions are not in accord to Dao.
2. That which is whole and complete is the treasury of all things that thus come and thus go. Therefore, it can be said to know such a wholeness/completeness is to be wealthy.
3. According to the Chinese, when people have died, they are not gone. They become formless ghosts which can still administer rewards and punishments to humans. So perhaps in reference to {32iv}, this line is saying that even when all humanly forms of administration have died, the great formless administration of Dao still remains. This reminds of the supposed conversations between Confucius and Laozi. While Confucius asked about reviving the old order of Zhou dynasty’s ritual/propriety (礼 li) as the way of administration, Laozi gave the advice that the bone of ritual/propriety had already rotted. Laozi supposedly also said that there’s a natural order to things (like that of the sun and moon and stars) which can regulate themselves without human intervention and administration. This is probably the Dao that’s discussed in this text.
{34i} 大道汎兮 其可左右. 萬物恃之 而生 而不辭. 功成不名有.
The great/big Dao pervades, to the left and to the right.
The ten-thousand things depend on it for life1 without leaving.
[Even in] accomplishing this deed of [giving life], [Dao] is not named/defined as being existent.
{34ii} 衣養萬物 而不為主 常無欲 可名於小.
Protecting and nourishing the ten-thousand things, [Dao] does not act to control/own them.
Constantly without [selfish] craving, [Dao] can be named/defined to be small2.
{34iii} 萬物歸焉 而不為主 可名為大.
[Even] as the ten-thousand things return/belong thus to it3, [Dao] does not act to control/own [them].
[Thus Dao] can be named/defined as big4.
{34iv} 以其終不自為大 故能成其大.
[It is] because [Dao] does not ever make big of itself, that it can therefore accomplish its greatness/bigness5.
.
1. In {51i}, it is stated that Dao is that which gives/produces life.
2. It’s like Dao is always giving and is always selfless without existence, and so it can be named/defined to be small.
3. This reminds of {16iii} where it is said that the “multitude of things, each repeatedly returns back to its root”.
4. It’s like Dao is always accommodating and always taking things in, such that everything returns to it, and so it can be named/defined as big.
5. This is another example of dark (玄 xuan), which is the symmetry of non-being and being, as mentioned in {1iv}. Here in this section, Dao is regarded as not-being big and being big simultaneously. As such, it can be named/defined as both small and big. And as mentioned in {1i} – “the name that can become a defined name is not the constant name of [Dao]”.
{35i} 執大象 天下往. 往而不害 安平大.
Abiding the phenomenon of greatness/bigness1, all under heaven come [together to Dao]. Coming to, [they] are unharmed.
The greatness/bigness is peaceful and even.
{35ii} 樂與餌 過客止. 道之出口 淡乎其無味; 視之不足見 聽之不足聞 用之不足既.
Pleasurable-music and baiting-food2 stop passers-by [by hooking them with cravings3]. Yet the emerging point of Dao is bland like there’s no taste.
Looking at, is not whole enough to see it. Listening to, is not whole enough to hear it.
[Even] usage will not wholly exhaust it.
.
1. This is a continuation from the previous section on the theme of Dao’s greatness/bigness.
2. This line can probably be read as a criticism of the manner in which propriety/ritual (礼li) brings about peace and order, because it’s been taught that the performance of propriety/ritual (礼li) is to be accompanied by music and food, to probably enhance its efficacy of making people come together. This is unlike the great/big Dao, which as stated in this section, is bland and harmless in bringing all under heaven together. So what’s implied here is that using pleasurable-music and baiting-food to stop people from going away is a way that is both limited and harmful, probably because they are based on craving.
3. Craving can be inferred here from pleasurable-music (樂 le/yue) and baiting-food (餌 er), and from the immediate next section which talks about dealing with craving.
{36i} 將欲歙之 必固張之. 將欲弱之 必固強之. 將欲廢之 必固興之. 將欲奪之 必固與之.
To [forcibly] have cravings shrunk, this will surely expand them [instead].
To [forcibly] have cravings weakened, this will surely strengthen them [instead].
To [forcibly] have cravings terminated, this will surely flourish them [instead].
To [forcibly] have cravings taken away, this will surely contribute to them [instead].
{36ii} 是謂微明: 柔弱勝剛強.
What is called the discernment/enlightenment of tininess/exquisiteness, [is that] soft-weak succeeds over tough-strong1.
.
1. To cease cravings, harsh forceful methods should not be deliberately employed because they will result in the opposite effect. Instead, it is the usage of soft-weak that can subdue tough-strong cravings, as will be further elaborated in the next chapter in relation to uncarvedness.
{37i} 魚不可脫於淵 國之利器不可以示人.
Fishes should not be [discriminatively] removed from the deep [pool].
The beneficial tools/vessels of nationhood should not be [deliberately] publicized to people.
{37ii} 道常無為 而無不為.
Dao is constantly without [discriminative] action, and so there is nothing that [Dao] does not act for.
{37iii} 侯王若能守之 萬物將自化.
Should dukes and kings be able to abide by [this non-discriminative action], the ten-thousand things would naturally change/adapt/evolve [in accordance to Dao] by-themselves1.
{37iv} 化而欲作 吾將鎮之以無名之樸. 無名之樸 夫亦將無欲.
[With natural] change, should cravings arise, I shall subdue [them] with the nameless/undefined uncarvedness2.
[With] the nameless uncarvedness, there will correspondingly be no cravings.
{37v} 不欲以靜 天下將自定.
Not craving in order to be quiescent, all under heaven will stabilize by-itself3.
.
1. This seems related to the first line in {37i}, where fishes probably represent the ten-thousand things and the deep pool probably represents Dao. So instead of ideologically discriminating against certain things and deliberately publicizing certain other things as beneficial, things should be allowed to adapt and evolve on their own under the process of natural selection. This is the non-discriminative leadership and non-ideological teaching of sages mentioned in {2iii} where “the ten-thousand things are allowed to work thus without exception/rejection”. This natural selection is probably also related to the “official killer’ mentioned in {74iii}.
2. Instead of forcibly diminishing and eliminating cravings (as mentioned in the previous section), here it is stated that cravings can be subdued by the unnameable/undefinable uncarvedness. This is because cravings are driven by discriminative knowledge whereby certain things are named and defined as good/beneficial, thereby rousing cravings in people to seek and pursue these goods/benefits. Thus the way to subdue craving is not by injecting more discriminative knowledge into the mix, but by the soft approach of not naming and publicizing so-called goods/benefits (as mentioned in {37i}). This is probably what is meant by subduing cravings with the nameless/undefined uncarvedness.
3. When people are not burning feverish hot with cravings and discrimination, and when there is a return to cool quiescence, the world will then stabilize by-itself. This theme of by-itself (自 zi) is a continuation from that of {37iii}, {33i}, {32iii} and {32ii}.
{38i} 上德不德 是以有德. 下德不失德 是以無德.
The high De1 [clings] not to de, and so there is De.
The low de [aims] not to lose de, and so there is no De2.
{38ii} 上德無為 而無以為也. 上仁為之 而無以為也. 上義為之 而有以為也. 上禮為之 而莫之應也 則攘臂而乃之.
The high De acts for nothing [specific]3, and relies on nothing [specific] for action4.
The high ren5 acts for something [specific], [though it] relies on nothing for action [too].
The high yi6 acts for something, and relies on something for action.
The high propriety7 acts for something, but when people do not respond to it, there is then the baring of arms (coercion/violence) for compliance.
{38iii} 故失道矣而后德. 失德而后仁. 失仁而后義. 失義而后禮. 夫禮者 忠信之泊也而亂之首也。
Therefore, when Dao is lost, what comes after is De.
When De is lost, what comes after is ren.
When ren is lost, what comes after is yi.
When yi is lost, what comes after is propriety.
Yet propriety is just a flake of loyalty and trust; it is already the precursor of chaos.
{38iv} 前識者 道之華也而愚之首也. 是以大丈夫 居其厚而不居其泊 居其實而不居其華. 故去罷而取此.
Hence those with foresight, [perceiving] façades of dao and precursors of foolishness, would as a great person dwell in the thick [of Dao] and not its flake, dwell in the essence [of Dao] and not its façade, therefore forsaking that [of the flake and façade], and choosing this [of the thick and essential].
.
1. De (德 de) means virtue/attainment. In the context of this text, especially when paired with adjectives like high (上 shang), it refers to the virtue that attains to Dao. Therefore the virtue that is high is that which attains to Dao, by paradoxically not clinging to being a virtue.
2. This reminds of {5i} where it is said that “heaven and earth do not hold on to ren, regarding the ten-thousand things as straw-dogs”. Because when virtues like ren are named/defined into an ideology to be held on to for discriminative purposes, they become low virtues that do not attain to Dao anymore.
3. Acts for nothing [specific] is 無為 (wu wei), which as taught in Section {2}, is about not engaging in deliberate actions that are driven by discriminative knowledge and craving.
4. Relies on nothing [specific] for action is related to 自然 (zi ran), which as mentioned in the footnote to {25v} is that which moves and happens independently by-itself.
5. Ren (仁 ren) is a key teaching in Confucianism. It can mean benevolent social love, and is usually regarded to be a virtue of humanity. Although said to arise naturally in human from within, it was also promoted and taught by the followers of Confucianism. It was defined mainly in terms of familial relationships and kinships, probably for the purpose of supporting the rigid propriety and social hierarchy of Zhou dynasty. In contrast, even though the followers of Mohism agree that the lack of ren (social love) is a primary reason for the ills of Zhou dynasty, they argue that ren should be non-hierarchical and non-discriminative. It should be a virtue of all-encompassing social love which extends equally to everyone, favouring no one of any particular status or familial relationship/kinship. What Daodejing advocates, however, is simply and radically that of not clinging to ren or even any virtue at all, as stated in {38i}.
6. Yi (義 yi) is another key teaching in Confucianism. It generally means righteousness. Yi acts for what is right based on a person’s moral sense of what is right and wrong.
7. Propriety (禮 li) can also mean ritual/rite and protocol. It was a sort of code of conduct in Zhou dynasty for the nobles to follow, and was supposedly a key factor in initially holding the land together in order and harmony. But as the power of Zhou rulers waned, while that of the dukes and kings of other states/countries grew, more and more of the protocols laid out in the Zhou propriety were ignored.
{39i} 昔之得一者: 天得一以清; 地得一以寧; 神得一以霝; 浴得一以盈; 侯王得一而以為正.
In the past these attained oneness1:
Sky/heaven attained oneness to become clear.
Earth attained oneness to become stable/calm.
Spirit attained oneness to become responsive/sentient.
Stream-valley attained oneness to become filled/flowing.
Dukes and kings attained oneness to assume rulership/correctness.
{39ii} 其致之也: 胃天毌已清將恐裂; 胃地毌已寧將恐發; 胃神毌已霝將恐歇; 胃浴毌已盈將恐渴; 胃侯王毌已貴以高將恐蹶.
When such [attainment to oneness] comes to an end, it is said that:
Sky/heaven will not be clear, probably going to crack soon.
Earth will not be stable/calm, probably going to quake soon.
Spirit will not be responsive/sentient, probably going to sleep soon.
Stream-valley will not be filled/flowing, probably going to dry soon.
Dukes and kings will not be exalted at the top, probably going to fall soon.
{39iii} 故必貴而以賤為本. 必高矣而以下為基. 夫是以侯王自胃: 孤, 寡, 不穀: 此其賤之本與.
Hence in order to be exalted, there must be reliance on the lowly as its basis, [to attain oneness]. In order to be on top, there must be reliance on the bottom as its foundation, [to attain oneness.]
This is why dukes and kings title themselves “orphans, widowers, childless2” – to be in association with the lowly basis.
{39iv} 非也 故致數與無與. 是故不欲祿祿若玉 硌硌若石.
In contrast, faulting/shedding such association is to have no association [with the basis, thus losing the attainment to oneness].
Hence, [dukes and kings] should not crave to become wealthy-looking like [exalted] jades, [aloofly] stacked-up like rocks [without support from the bottom]3.
.
1. In reference to section {14}, oneness can be regarded as “an undifferentiated blend” which is formless and traceless.
2. In Zhou dynasty, dukes and kings use the terms “orphans (孤 gu), widowers (寡 gua), childless (不穀 bu gu)” when referring to themselves. Even after Zhou dynasty, emperors of subsequent dynasties also use these terms of orphans (孤家 gu jia) and widowers (寡人 gua ren) when referring to themselves.
3. This line is probably warning against class divide in society, when there is an exclusive upper class whose members try to stack themselves higher and higher away from members of the lower class. And as warned in the last line of {39ii}, when there is no oneness between the upper and lower class, the upper class will not be exalted anymore and will probably fall soon.
{40i} 返者道之動. 弱者道之用.
Reversion/returning is the movement of Dao.
Weakness/faintness is the usage of Dao1.
{40ii} 天下之物 生於有 有於無.
Things under heaven are given life from existence/being, [while] existence/being [is given life] from non-existence/non-being.
{40iii} 上士聞道 勤能行於其中. 中士聞道 若存若亡. 下士聞道 大笑之.
When the high functionary hears of [this] Dao, [he/she] is earnestly able to practice in it.
When the middle functionary hears of [this] Dao, [it’s] as if lingering, as if gone.
When the low functionary hears of [this] Dao, [he/she] laughs loudly at it.
{40iv} 弗大笑 不足以為道矣.
Not being laughed at loudly, [it is] not enough to be Dao2.
.
1. In {51i}, it is stated that Dao gives/produces life. As such, to use Dao is to give/produce life. So what this line probably means is that weakness/faintness (弱 ruo) taps on Dao to result in life. Interestingly, it is mentioned in {78i} that weakness/faintness (弱 ruo) is due to the aspect of non-existence/non-being, which therefore ties in with {40ii} where it is stated that things under heaven are ultimately given life from non-existence/non-being.
2. Probably because most people desire to be strong and powerful, whereas this text teaches to be weak and soft to accord with Dao, that therefore it might seem laughable to most people. Interestingly in Christianity, Jesus supposedly also taught that ‘blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth’, which probably would seem laughable to many people too.
{41i} 是以建言有之:
For there are such established sayings:
{41ii} 明道如悖. 夷道如類. 進道如退. 大白如辱.
Enlightenment/discernment of Dao is as if a paradox1.
The uniform Dao is as if variable/numerous.
The entering of Dao is as if retreating.
[Such that] great plainness/whiteness is as if veiled/black.
{41iii} 上德如谷. 廣德如不足. 建德如偷. 質真如渝.
High De is as if the [low] valley-stream.
Broaden/expand De as if lacking/incomplete.
Establish/build-up De as if stealing [without anyone knowing]2.
[Until] the essence/substance is true as if overflowing.
{41iv} 大方無隅. 大器免成. 大音希聲. 天象無形.
The great land/squareness3 has no corners.
The great tool/vessel doesn’t finish.
The great pitch/frequency silences sound.
[There is] no form/shape to the phenomenon of heaven/sky.
{41v} 道隱無名. 夫唯道 善始且成.
Dao is hidden, without definite-names/characteristics.
Dao just is good at originating and accomplishing/finishing [things].
.
1. This probably can be appreciated as a continuation from {40iv} on why Dao seems laughable – because the sayings about Dao all appear contradictory and ridiculous.
2. To establish their so-called ‘De’ (virtue/attainment), there are many who engage in acts of virtue-signalling or humble-bragging just to portray how ‘virtuous’ they are to other people. But there are still some people who are sincere about building up De, committing virtuous acts quietly without others knowing. Perhaps their quiet actions are what’s meant by establish/build-up De as if stealing [without anyone knowing].
3. According to the Yin-Yang school, it is said that the sky is round and the earth is square, such that the term squareness (方 fang) has also come to mean ‘land/earth’.
{42i} 道生一 一生二 二生三 三生萬物. 萬物負陰而抱陽 沖氣以為和.
Dao gives birth/life to oneness, oneness gives birth/life to twoness, twoness gives birth/life to threeness, threeness give birth/life to the ten-thousand things1.
The ten-thousand things bear yin to embrace yang, thus emptying/levelling their qi (energy) to achieve harmony/balance.
{42ii} 人之所惡 唯孤, 寡, 不穀 而王公以為稱. 故物或損之而益 或益之而損.
What people loathe to be are orphans-widowers-childless, yet kings and dukes title themselves as such2.
[This is] because things are either lost/diminished [first] to then be gained/enhanced, or gained/enhanced [first] to then be lost/diminished.3
{42iii} 人之所教 我亦教之. 強梁者不得其死 吾將以為教父.
[This is] what’s taught to the people, [which] I too receive the teachings.
[This] all-powerful that doesn’t attain its death4, I shall regard as the teaching father.
.
1. It isn’t clear what this threeness is exactly, but the idea that threeness can give birth to ten-thousand things is similar to the atomic model in science whereby the triad of electron-proton-neutron can give rise to the myriad forms of matter we find on earth.
2. This is a repetition of what’s mentioned in {39iii}, where the exalted dukes and kings refer to themselves with the loathed names of orphans, widowers, childless. In reversing the exaltation, in mixing with the loathed, dukes and kings can then possibly empty what they bear to embrace the opposite, thus achieving the harmony and balance mentioned in the last line of {42i}. The challenge, of course, is whether these exalted dukes and kings are willing to sincerely embrace the loathed and lowly.
3. This is a general statement of the principle of reversion at work. In striving to gain, one only loses. But in striving to lose, one gains instead. This is probably what’s meant in {40i} – “Reversion is the movement of Dao.”
4. [This] all-powerful that doesn’t attain its death is probably the reversion principle of Dao. Nature never stops demonstrating this principle, as if constantly 'teaching' the way. And this is perhaps why it’s regarded as the teaching father. (In the past, Chinese culture has it that the father is the one who has the responsibility of teaching the children, such that if the children misbehave it is the fault of the father.)
{43i} 天下之至柔 馳騁於天下之致堅. 無有入於無閒.
That which is of the ultimate softness1 under heaven, traverses that which is of the ultimate hardness under heaven, [because] the non-substantial/non-existent/non-attached [can] enter [that which is] gap-less/crack-less/crevice-less.
{43ii} 吾是以知無為之有益也.
It is through [this] that I know the benefit of non-attached/non-discriminative action.
{43iii} 不言之教 無為之益 天下希能及之矣.
The teaching that’s without words/instructions/ideologies [to attach to], the advantage of non-attached/non-discriminative action2 – [they are] unmatchable under heaven.
.
1. Just as with the concept of weakness in {40i & ii}, softness (柔 rou) is also associated with the aspect of non-existence/non-being (無 wu).
2. This reminds of {2iii} where it is said: “And so sages deal with the matter of non-discriminative/non-attached action (wuwei) and practice the teaching without words/instructions/ideologies.”
{44i} 名與身孰親? 身與貨孰多? 得與亡孰病?
Name/fame attached to body, is it dearer?
Body attached to goods/property/wealth, is it more numerous?
Gain attached to loss, is it a disease?
{44ii} 甚愛必大費 厚藏必多亡.
[With regards to name/fame and property/wealth]:
Overly-loving them will surely [lead to] great exhaustion;
Thickly-hoarding them will surely [lead to] many losses.
{44iii} 故知足不辱 知止不殆 可以長久.
Therefore know that of wholeness/fullness which is without deflation/stain1.
Know that of the cessation [of existent name and property] which is without disaster/danger2.
[Then] there can be long lastingness.
.
1. Without deflation reminds of the empty yet un-deflated bellows mentioned in {5ii}: “That which is between heaven and earth, isn’t it like the bellows? Empty yet not deflated; the more the activation, the more the production/emergence.” Without stain reminds of Section {13} where indulgence-love is said to be a stain that’s like great affliction because there is a body of attachments.
2. This idea of knowing cessation which is without disaster/danger is also mentioned in {32iv} – “Know then to cease existence/beingness back into uncarvedness. Knowing cessation, there will thus be no disaster.”
{45i} 大成若缺 其用不敝. 大盈若沖 其用不窮.
The great accomplishment is through lacking, so that its usage does not tear/fail.
The great fullness is through emptying, so that its usage cannot be depleted/exhausted.
{45ii} 大直如詘. 大巧如拙. 大贏如絀.
The great straightness/directness is like crooked1.
The great skillfulness/cleverness is like stupid/simple.
The great victory/success is like surrendering/yielding.
{45iii} 趮勝寒 靜勝熱. 清靜可以為天下正.
Agitation/activity beats the cold; quiescence/stillness beats the heat.
[And so it is that] pure/clear quiescence can help correct/remedy [all heated problems] under heaven2.
.
1. The direct/straightforward way of resolving problem may seem to be that of instituting certain solutions to fix the symptoms, but such solutions when added and instituted will present other problems further down the road. There will be no end to them. Kind of like the many problems we face today are actually due to yesterday’s solutions instituted. This is because the key issues underlying the problems are not addressed. Only the symptoms are treated, not the root causes of discriminative knowledge and craving/greed. So what this text seems to recommend is that of cooling and quieting the activities that are fueling the problem, focusing on removal instead of adding and instituting more things. Because when there is no fuel to sustain the problem any longer, it will diffuse naturally by-itself in accordance to Dao, as mentioned in {37v} and {44iii}. So the goal to arrive at, is that of having no-matter to service, as stated in {48ii}. Therefore great straightforwardness is actually to go crookedly past the presenting symptoms to deal directly with the root causes instead.
2. The hot problem of late Zhou dynasty during the period of Warring States was that of repeated warfare. It’s like there’s a heat burning the dukes and kings mad for more power and fame and possessions (as implied in section {44}). And unlike the Confucianist proposal for more active intervention in terms of ritual/propriety and moral education, the remedy proposed in this Daoist text seems primarily to be that of quiescence/stillness – to quell the discrimination and craving burning in people. Similarly and interestingly, extinguishment (nirvana) is also taught in Buddhism, where the practice is to extinguish the fire that’s burning our senses aflame with passion-aversion-delusion-suffering.
{46i} 天下有道 卻走馬以糞. 天下無道 戎馬生於郊.
When all under heaven is with Dao, horses are used to transport dung1 (for farming purposes).
When all under heaven is not with Dao, warhorses are bred in rural areas (for fighting to gain more possessions).
{46ii} 禍莫大於不知足. 咎莫大於欲得. 故知足之足 常足矣.
There is no calamity bigger than not knowing wholeness/sufficiency/contentment2.
There is no fault bigger than craving for gain.
Hence, know the sufficiency/contentment of wholeness, [and thus] constantly be whole/contented.
.
1. Dung are wastes of humans/animals, but fertilisers for plants which grow to become food for humans and animals. This is like the statement in {2iii} – “The ten-thousand things work thus without exception/rejection.”
2. Needs can be sufficiently fulfilled, but cravings for gain can never be. With craving, we just keep wanting more and more. With craving, it is never enough. Hence, to know wholeness/sufficiency is to be contented. To know dissatisfaction is to suffer.
{47i} 不出於戶以知天下. 不規於牖以知天道. 其出也彌遠 其知也彌少.
Without leaving the door/house to thus know [the world] under heaven; without looking out the window to thus know the Dao of heaven1:
The further [one] leaves [the door/house], the lesser [one] knows.
{47ii} 是以聖人弗行而知 弗見而名 弗為而成.
Hence the sage is able to know without travelling, able to name without seeing, able to accomplish without acting.
.
1. Presumably one is able to realise Dao through meditation. There is an early record of Daoist meditation found in the text known as ‘Inner Enterprise/Training’ (內業 nei ye), which is attributed to Guanzi, a prominent official who lived supposedly about a century earlier than Laozi in Zhou dynasty.
{48i} 為學日益 為道日損. 損之又損 以至於無為. 無為而無不為.
To enact that of education, [there will be] daily increase/gain. [But] to enact that of Dao, [there will be] daily decrease/loss.1
Decreasing and still decreasing, until there is nothing to discriminatively enact/act for.
[With] nothing to discriminatively enact/act for, [there is then] nothing that [Dao] doesn’t enact/act for.2
{48ii} 取天下常以無事. 及其有事 不足以取天下.
[Therefore] to take the world under heaven, it is constantly through [having] no-matter to service.
Such that if there is any matter/issue still to be serviced, it will not be whole/sufficient enough to take the world under heaven.
.
1. To govern by means of educating people to discriminative knowledge, this will only increase the number of matters to deal with. Because as people become more and more educated to specific notions of good and bad, their demands will also correspondingly increase. But to govern in accord with Dao, this will decrease daily the number of matters that need to be dealt with. This point is further elaborated in note 3 of the next section.
2. This exact same line is mentioned also in {37ii}, where section {37} talks about subduing craving to arrive at quiescence and stability of the world under heaven.
{49i} 聖人無常心 以百姓心為心. 善者善之; 不善者亦善之; 德善. 信者信之; 不信者亦信之; 德信.
The sage has no constant mind.
[He/she] has the minds of the hundred-surnames as [his/her own] mind.1
Those who are good, be good to them.
Those who are not good, also be good to them.
This is the De2 of goodness.
Those who are trustworthy, be trustworthy to them.
Those who are not trustworthy, also be trustworthy to them.
This is the De of trustworthiness.
{49ii} 聖人在天下 歙歙為天下渾其心. 百姓皆注其耳目 聖人皆孩之.
When the sage is in the world under heaven, [he/she] unbiasedly/unimposingly acts to blend the minds of [everyone] in the world under heaven3.
As the hundred-surnames all focus their ears and eyes [on him/her], the sage regards them all as [his/her] children.
.
1. This is a little like the idea of service leadership, where the leader’s job is to serve her people. She does not become a leader to further her own benefits, but to look after the welfare of the people under her.
2. De means virtue/attainment.
3. Governance becomes problematic when people are of different minds. For instance, some people may feel strongly that animals (like snakes and monkeys) do not belong in a city, while others may lobby instead for these animals to live undisturbed alongside humans. Or some people may find death penalty an effective deterrent of crime while others may find it abhorrent. These differences, and maybe even conflicts, make governance difficult. And it’s probably that as people become more and more educated, they will have more and more opinions on how things should be run, and hence an increase in the number of matters the government has to deal with (as mentioned in {48i}). In contrast, Daodejing teaches to blend the minds of everyone, to eventually terminate education and discrimination and desires/cravings. Thus there likely won’t be so many differing opinions to contend with and so many matters that need to be serviced.
{50i} 出生入死. 生之徒 十有三; 死之徒 十有三.
Emerging to life and entering to death:
There are many who complete1 the journey of [emerging to] life; there are many who complete the journey of [entering to] death.
{50ii} 而民生生 動皆之死地之十有三.
Of the populace who [contrive to] multiply/extend life, there are many who complete the activities that all activate the death-ground2.
{50iii} 夫何故? 以其生生也.
Why is it [that these people’s activities activate the death-ground]?
Because they [contrive to] multiply/extend life.
{50iv} 蓋聞善執生者 陵行不辟兕虎 入軍不被甲兵. 兕無所投其角 虎無所昔其爪 兵無所容其刃.
It is often heard that those who are good at maintaining/harnessing life, do not hack rhinos and tigers when travelling in the hills, do not bear armour and weapon when serving in the military, [such that] there is no [reason] for a rhino to pierce its horn in them, no [reason] for the tiger to slash its claw in them, no [reason] for a soldier to use his blade on them.
{50v} 夫何故? 以其無死地.
Why is it [that these people are good at maintaining/harnessing life]?
Because they have no death-ground.
.
1. 十有三 (shi you san) literally means ‘ten have three’. In Chinese, ten (十 shi) can be interpreted as ‘many’ and three (三 san) can be interpreted as ‘complete’. Therefore for this Chinese phrase, I’ve translated it as ‘there are many who complete’.
2. Death-ground (死地 si di) seems to be the ground where seeds of death are planted. For instance, those who hack at rhinos/tigers end up planting the causes and conditions of being killed later by these rhinos/tigers, kind of like seeds germinating in the death-ground just waiting to sprout.
{51i} 道生之 德畜之 物形之 器成之. 是以萬物 莫不尊道而貴德.
Dao produces/gives life, De stores [life]. Things [of life] are formed, vessels/tools [of life] are accomplished.
Hence of the ten-thousand things, none honour not Dao and exalt not De.
{51ii} 道之尊 德之貴 夫莫之命常自然. 故道生之 德畜之: 長之育之 亭之毒之 養之覆之.
The honoring of Dao and exalting of De, happen not by command, but happen by-itself1 constantly.
Because as Dao produces life and De stores [life], [all things can thus] grow and develop, mature and ripen, [under] the nurturance and blanket-protection [of Dao and De].
{51iii} 生而不有 為而不恃 長而不宰 是謂玄德.
Producing [life] without existence, acting without dependence/contrivance, leading without dominance/control, this is called dark2 De.
.
1. A key theme of Daodejing is that of natural phenomenon which happens by-itself (自然 zi ran). Here it is stated that there is no need to command things to honour Dao and exalt De, unlike how some leaders have to force and coerce people into honoring and exalting them.
2. Dark (玄 xuan) is a key theme of Daodejing. It can be understood to be the symmetry of existence and non-existence as mentioned in {1v}.
{52i} 天下有始 以為天下母. 既得其母 以知其子. 既知其子 復守其母. 沒身不殆。
[When all things] under heaven originate, [there is what’s] regarded as the mother of all-under-heaven1.
Since the mother is attained, the children are then known.
Since the children are known, return [then] to guarding/abiding to the mother.
Having no body/self, there will be no disaster.
{52ii} 塞其兌，閉其門，終身不勤。開其兌，濟其事，終身不救。
Block the holes to close the doors, service not any part throughout the body/self.
Open the holes to attend-to/relieve matters, [but] save not any part throughout the body/self.
{52iii} 見小曰明，守柔曰強。用其光，復歸其明，無遺身殃；是為習常。
Seeing the small2 is said to be enlightenment, guarding/abiding the soft3 is said to be strong.
Use the light to return/reverse back to enlightenment.
[Where] there is no remnant of a body/self for calamity [to strike], this is practising/inheriting the constant.
.
1. The mother of all-under-heaven basically represents the source of all originated things. Originated things can be said to have body/self but the source of these things can’t be said to have a body/self.
2. Small (小 xiao) refers to lack of selfishness or existence, which as suggested in the last line of {52i} is that of having no body/self.
3. Soft (柔 rou) refers to non-substantiality which, as taught in {43i}, can penetrate and traverse the hardest. Therefore it is said here that abiding the soft is strong.
{53i} 使我介然有知 行於大道 唯施是畏. 大道甚夷 而民好徑.
If I have the tiniest of knowledge to practise/walk the great Dao, [my] only fear would be going astray.
For even though the great Dao is very level/flat, people prefer by-ways/shortcuts.
{53ii} 朝甚除 田甚蕪 倉甚虛, 服文綵 帶利劍 厭飲食 財貨有餘: 是謂盜夸 非道也哉!
[And so when] more of the government is abandoned, [when] more of the fields are uncultivated, [when] more of the granaries are empty,
[and yet there are more people who] wear ornamented robes, [who] carry sharp swords, [who] eat till satiated, [who] own a surplus of wealth and goods.
This is called (dao) robbery1, not Dao!
.
1. The Chinese character here – 盜 (dao) – means robbery. It has the same pronunciation as 道 (dao). So this line is a play on words that have the same sound, where one dao (盜) is not the same as the other Dao (道).
{54i} 善建不拔 善抱者不脫 子孫以祭祀不輟.
Good building plucks away not, good embracing strips away not1 – descendants can worship [thus] without end.
{54ii} 修之於身 其德乃真. 修之於家 其德乃餘. 修之於鄉 其德乃長. 修之於國 其德乃豐. 修之於天下 其德乃普.
Practising [this] on the body, the De2 is [that of] realness.
Practising [this] on the clan, the De is [that of] surplus.
Practising [this] on the hometown, the De is [that of] endurance.
Practising [this] on the country, the De is [that of] prosperity.
Practising [this] on all under heaven, the De is [that of] universality3.
{54iii} 故以身觀身 以家觀家 以鄉觀鄉 以國觀國 以天下觀天下.
Hence contemplate/manifest the body with regards to the body.
[Then] contemplate/manifest the clan with regards to the clan.
[Then] contemplate/manifest the hometown with regards to the hometown.
[Then] contemplate/manifest the country with regards to the country.
[Then] contemplate/manifest all under heaven with regards to all under heaven.
{54iv} 吾何以知天下然哉? 以此.
How do I know all under heaven [can be] as such [in universality]?
Through this [contemplation/manifestation].
.
1. This notion of plucking away not and stripping away not might be a reference to ‘uncarvedness’ (樸 pu) as mentioned in {19iii}, where everything is put to work without exception/rejection. It might also be referring to the great cutting-making administration (大制 da zhi) as mentioned in {28iv}.
2. De (德 de) means virtue/attainment.
3. To have all under heaven in universality would probably mean that everything in the world is considered part of the system and thus regarded with equal status to everything else.
{55i} 含德之厚 比於赤子. 蜂蠆虺蛇不螫 猛獸不據 攫鳥不搏. 骨弱筋柔而握固.
[One who] has the thick of De within, is comparable to a newborn son.
Stinging bees and poisonous snakes don’t harm; ferocious beasts don’t paw; birds-of-prey don’t claw1. [Though] bones weak and tendons soft, his grip/hold is firm.
{55ii} 未知牝牡之合而全作 精之至也. 終日號而不嗄 和之至也. 知和曰常 知常曰明.
Not yet knowing the copulation of female-and-male, [his penis] is fully erect. This is essence at its ultimate.
Crying throughout the day, [his voice] is not hoarse. This is accord/harmony2 at its ultimate.
Knowing accord/harmony is said to be constant; knowing constant is said to be enlightenment/discernment.
{55iii} 益生曰祥 心使氣曰強 物壯則老 謂之不道. 不道早已.
[Even though] discriminative-addition to life is said to be fortunate/blessing and wilful-employment of qi (energy) is said to be strengthening, when things become robust/strong/forceful, they age instead. This is called not-Dao3.
[What’s] not-Dao, ends early.
.
1. Probably related to the idea of death-ground in {50ii}, because newborns supposedly have not made any contrived activity that would plant the seeds of future death.
2. It is taught in {42i} that accord/harmony (和 he) is achieved when qi/energy is emptied/levelled, when things which bear yin energy embrace yang energy.
3. {30v} also states that when things become robust/strong/forceful, they age instead, thus not-Dao (不道 bu dao).
{56i} 知者不言 言者不知.
In knowing1, words/concepts/definitions are not [needed].
Words/concepts/definitions are [for those who] do not know.
{56ii} 塞其兑 閉其門 和其光 同其塵 挫其銳 解其分 是謂玄同.
In blocking/filling the holes, closing the doors, harmonising the light, symmetricalising the dust, blunting the sharp/prominent, dissolving the division/separateness – this is called dark symmetry2.
{56iii} 故不可得而親. 不可得而踈. 不可得而利. 不可得而害. 不可得而貴. 不可得而賤. 故為天下貴.
Because [conceptual definition] cannot be attained, thus [there is also] intimacy.
[Because conceptual definition] cannot be attained, thus [there is also] distance.
[Because conceptual definition] cannot be attained, thus [there is also] benefit.
[Because conceptual definition] cannot be attained, thus [there is also] harm.
[Because conceptual definition] cannot be attained, thus [there is also] worth/value.
[Because conceptual definition] cannot be attained, thus [there is also] worthlessness/cheapness.
Hence [this dark symmetry is] valued by all under heaven.
.
1. This “knowing” (知 zhi) probably refers to the knowing of dark symmetry mentioned in {56ii}. So to know it, one would have to follow the recommendation of blocking/filling the (orifices) holes, closing the (sense) doors, harmonising the light (into one essential illumination), symmetricalising the (differing) dust objects, blunting the sharp prominence, dissolving the division/separateness (of the so-called polar opposites of distance and intimacy, of harm and benefit, of worth and worthlessness). It cannot be pinned by dualistic concepts and definitions.
2. To read more about dark symmetry (玄同 xuan tong), one can refer to {1iv & v}. The symmetry of apparent polar opposites will also be talked about later on in {58i & ii}.
{57i} 以正治國 以奇用兵 以無事取天下.
Use correctness to remedy/cure/govern the country.
Use contrariness/deviantness/deceptiveness for military [campaign].
[But it’s] with no-matter1 that the world under heaven can be taken/ruled over.
{57ii} 吾何以知其然哉? 以此: 天下多忌諱 而民彌貧; 民多利器 國家滋昏; 人多伎巧 奇物滋起; 法令滋彰 盜賊多有.
With what do I know that this is so? With these:
Having lots of societal taboos/restrictions2 under heaven, the populace instead becomes greatly impoverished.
Having lots of powerful vessels/tools/methods among the populace, the countries-clans [instead] breed confusing chaos3.
Having people [become] more crafty/clever, deviant things/incidents [instead] breed in [mass] arising.
Breeding glorification of laws and decrees, there will [instead] be lots more robbers and thieves4.
{57iii} 故聖人云: 我無為 而民自化; 我好靜 而民自正; 我無事 而民自富; 我無欲 而民自樸.
Therefore sages say:
I don’t act discriminatively [for anything], and the populace will instead be transformed/regulated on-its-own.
I prefer quiescence, and the populace will instead be corrected on-its-own.
I [make] no-matter [to fuss/worry about], and the populace will instead be ample/fortunate on-its-own.
I don’t crave [for anything], and the populace will instead be uncarved/plain/simple on-its-own.
{57iv} 其政悶悶 其民淳淳. 其政察察 其民缺缺.
[Because when] the politics is dazedly dull, the populace [becomes] unassumingly simple.
[When] the politics is stridently meddling, the populace [becomes] grudgingly dissatisfied.
.
1. Correctness and deviantness are like polar opposites, while no-matter (無事 wu shi) is like a dark symmetry where correctness and deviantness are not apparent. In instituting correctness to solve problems, it will create further problems down the road. Therefore it is stated in {58ii} that “correctness continued, turns to become deviation”. No-matter (無事 wu shi), however, will allow for the samsaric-like cycle of problems to cease so that the world can actually be considered ruled. There is further discussion on the problem of correctness and deviantness in {58ii}.
2. Having lots of social taboos/restrictions probably means making a big fuss over many trivial things, eventually limiting people’s freedom to the point of impoverishment.
3. It’s like the current situation with social media tools. Instead of propagating facts and truths, these powerful tools are being made used of to fill the internet with all sorts of fake news and misinformation, breeding chaos and confusion among the people.
4. There is an interesting study made by Uri Gneezy and Aldo Rustichini on the problem of instituting monetary penalty to deter parents in coming late to pick up their child at childcare centres. According to the study, after the introduction of monetary fine, the number of late-coming parents actually increased. And even after the fine was removed, there was no reduction in the late-coming to what it was before the penalty. A hypothesis offered involves that of a change of perception of social norm caused by the fine. Before the introduction of monetary fine, the late-coming parents probably felt bad making the teachers stay back late to wait for them (to come pick up their child). But with the monetary fine, the parents might rationalize that they were ‘buying the service’ of the teachers and so feel justified in coming late. The kindness and service of the teachers from then onwards would thus be perceived as that of a commodity to be bought instead. As such, the original self-regulating deterrence to late-coming (feeling of guilt) might actually have been weakened through a change of perception of social norm. It is kind of like what’s highlighted in {57ii}, that by glorifying laws and decrees (which rely on extrinsic punishments and rewards), there will [instead] be lots more robbers and thieves.
{58i} 禍兮福之所倚 福兮禍之所伏. 孰知其極?
Disaster is that which fortune leans on. Fortune is that where disaster lurks behind.
Who can know which pole/extreme [of fortune or disaster] is which?1
{58ii} 其無正. 正復為奇 善復為妖. 人之迷 其日固久.
There is no [ultimate] correctness.
Correctness repeated/continued, turns to become deviation.2
Goodness repeated/continued, turns to become devilry/bewitchment.
The delusion of people these days, is that of [clinging] fixedly for too long.
{58iii} 是以聖人方而不割 廉而不劌 直而不肆 光而不燿.
Hence the sage has to be abidingly-square without being [cuttingly/dismissively] divisive, sharply-honest/upright without being [prejudicedly] injurious, straightforwardly-direct without being indulgently [biased], emptily-illuminating without being [favourably] spotlighting/showcasing, [all these so as not to promote discriminatory dualism and fixation].
.
1. This is like the story of Sai Ong, a man well-versed in fortune-telling. One day his horse ran away. Hearing the news, his nosy neighbours gathered and came offering their sympathy. But Sai Ong was unmoved. He simply replied: “Who knows if it’s bad luck.” The next day, the horse returned, bringing several wild horses back with it. Hearing the news, the nosy neighbours came congratulating Sai Ong. But Sai Ong was unmoved. He simply replied: “Who knows if it’s good luck.” And the next next day when Sai Ong’s son tried to ride one of these wild horses, he was thrown off and thus broke his leg. Again the nosy neighbours gathered to offer their sympathy. But Sai Ong was unmoved. He simply replied: “Who knows if it’s bad luck.” Not long after, the country was invaded. Many soldiers died in the war. Conscription officers came to the village drafting boys of suitable age to fight the invaders. But because Sai Ong’s son had a broken leg, the officers exempted him. The neighbours again gathered and congratulated the family on how well things had turned out. But Sai Ong told them: “Who knows if it’s good luck.”
2. It is with this perspective that perhaps we can better appreciate: the problems we have today might just be deviation resulting from yesterday’s correction/solution instituted. It is like in early Zhou dynasty when the feudal-like aristocratic systems of fengjian (封建) and zongfa (宗法) were implemented to help rule the land after the collapse of Shang dynasty. But it is also because of these instituted systems that the Zhou dynasty eventually lapse into widespread warfare and chaos. Then it was the country of Qin, with the help of the so-called Legalists, which changed their political systems successfully to thus finally conquer all the other warring states/countries and so unite the land again, but this time under the name of Qin dynasty. Yet, because of the harsh systems instituted, Qin dynasty soon collapsed and the land fell into chaos once more. So, perhaps the approach to correcting/solving problems should be like that of applying medicine to illness. When the illness is gone, the medicine should not be applied anymore. Because repeating and continuing the medicine will just bring about another illness. Correctness repeated/continued, turns to become deviation. The ideal as mentioned in {57i} should be that of no-matter (無事 wu shi) in which the world can then be ruled, not institution of correctness.
{59i} 治人事天莫若嗇. 夫唯嗇 是謂早服. 早服謂之重積德.
In the matter of governing people and serving heaven, none is comparable to thrift-like.
Complying with thrift1 is regarded as early-preparation/clothed-in-advance.
Early-preparation is regarded as focusing/prioritizing De-accumulation2.
{59ii} 重積德 則無不克. 無不克 則莫知其極. 莫知其極 可以有國.
When De-accumulation is prioritized, then there’s nothing to counter/overcome.
When there’s nothing to counter/overcome, then there’s no knowing of the poles (of fortune/disaster)3.
When there’s no knowing of the poles, then there can be the existence of country.
{59iii} 有國之母 可以長久 是謂深根固柢 長生久視之道.
[Thus] with [there being] a mother4 to the country’s existence, there can be lasting endurance.
This is called deeply rooted and firmly based – the Dao of lasting life which can be seen to endure.
.
1. Thrift (嗇 lin) can be understood in two ways here. One is that of minimal intervention – like that of being stingy with issuing commands/orders and instituting rules/regulations/punishments/incentives. Such a reading follows Section {57}’s ideal of having no-matter (無事wu shi) to fuss about. The second understanding is that of saving up instead of wasting away, so that one is prepared in advance to handle things while they are easy. Because when one is amply prepared, incidents are easily handled and settled. They will not blow up to become catastrophic disasters requiring massive interventions to counter/overcome. This idea of handling and settling things while they are easy will be further talked about in {63iii}.
2. The De (德 de) of De-accumulation here probably refers to the virtue/attainment of “handling the difficult by its easy through doing the big by its small”, as mentioned in {63i}.
3. Refer to the mutual origination of the poles of fortune/disaster in {58} and the ideal of having no-matter in {57i}.
4. Mother (母 mu), in this context, is that which gives birth/life to the country. And in {59ii}, it is stated that the “no knowing of the poles” of fortune and disaster due to early-preparation and De-accumulation (thrift) is that which allows for the existence of country. So mother here relates to early-preparation and De-accumulation, which are both related to thrift too.
{60i} 治大國若烹小鮮. 以道蒞天下 其鬼不神.
Governing a big country is like cooking a small [dish of] fresh food1.
In using Dao to manage all under-heaven, ghosts2 will not [affect] spirits3.
{60ii} 非其鬼不神 其神不傷人; 非其神不傷人 聖人亦不傷人.
It has to be when ghosts will not [affect] spirits4, that spirits will not injure people.
It has to be when spirits will not injure people, that the sage will also not injure people5.
{60iii} 夫兩不相傷 故德交歸焉.
When both [parties] do not injure each other, there is thus the return to virtuous/symbiotic exchanges.
.
1. In using fresh food to prepare a dish, you try to bring out the natural flavour of the ingredients. This can be done by not over-cooking or over-seasoning. So in terms of governing a country, the same principle can be applied. Avoid excessive intervention, like the addition of more and more rules/regulations or the repeated changing of policies. Such excessive interventions disturb and provoke grievances among the people. This avoidance of excessive intervention might be what the first line of this section is implying; it would also be in line with the teaching of thrift in the previous section.
2. According to the Records of Ritual (礼记 li ji), when people die, they become ghosts (鬼 gui). And in Zhou dynasty, some of these ghosts are considered to be agents of punishment – punitive ghosts meting out justice in response to grievances.
3. According to the Records of Ritual (礼记 li ji), spirits (神 shen) refer to phenomena happening at places of nature – like mountains, valleys, forests or rivers.
4. “Ghosts will not [affect] spirits” probably implies that punitive ghosts will not cause the spirits of nature to react in what’s called ‘natural disasters’ (like earthquake and flooding).
5. Based on the Chinese belief of ‘Mandate of Heaven’ (天命 tian ming), when the ruler of the country is not virtuous and is not acting in accord with Dao, natural disasters will befall the country. These natural disasters are usually interpreted as signs of Heaven’s displeasure with the ruler. As such, what this section seems to be implying is that when the ruler is a sage, punitive ghosts will not affect nature spirits into causing natural disasters. Instead a sage-ruler can bring out the best of nature to benefit the people, just like how a chef preparing a dish using fresh food can bring out the best natural flavour of the ingredients to serve the people.
{61i} 大國者下流: 天下之交 天下之牝.
[When] a big country flows below to the bottom, [it becomes] the meeting/interacting [point] under heaven, the female under heaven.
{61ii} 牝常以靜勝牡 以靜為下. 故大國以下小國 則取小國. 小國以下大國 則取大國.
The female consistently/constantly wins over the male with quiescence, with quiescence as being below.
Therefore the big country that goes below the small country, takes the small country. The small country that goes below the big country, takes the big country.
{61iii} 故或下以取 或下而取 大國不過欲兼畜人 小國不過欲入事人. 夫兩者各得其所欲 大者宜為下.
Therefore, either by going below to take or by going below in order to take, the big country wants nothing more than combining to store-up/accumulate people, while the small country wants nothing more than to join together to service their people.
So with regards to both parties attaining what they want1, it is appropriate that the big [country] acts to be below.
.
1. This is kind of like what we would say nowadays – “win-win situation”. This is also likely a follow-up from the idea of virtuous/symbiotic exchanges mentioned in {60iii}. So with regards to the issue of unifying the various countries/states together during late Zhou dynasty, instead of having the big countries/states swallow up the smaller ones through force and coercion (which was what’s happening in the Spring-Autumn period), this text is proposing another way for these countries/states to unite by having the big countries/states start first in acting from a low quiescent position.
{62i} 道者萬物之奧: 善人之寶 不善人之所保.
The profound-deepness of the ten-thousand things is Dao.
It is a treasury for people who are good, a refuge for people who are not-good.
{62ii} 美言可以市 尊行可以加人. 人之不善 何棄之有?
Beautifying words can make [people] marketable/presentable; glorifying practices can add to people’s [prestige].
[But] what of these people’s not-goodness is discarded through [beautifying and glorifying]?
{62iii} 故立天子置三公 雖有拱璧以先駟馬 不如坐進此道.
Therefore in the enthronement of the son-of-heaven1, in the installation of the three dukes, although there is the ceremonial presentation of the jade disk in front of four-horse chariots [to beautify and glorify these people], why not instead [have them] sit into Dao2 [that’s already profoundly deep within]?
{62iv} 古之所以貴此道者何? 不曰以求得 有罪以免耶 故為天下貴.
Since ancient [time], why is this Dao [of profound-deepness] valued?
[It is because Dao is] not said to be attained by seeking, as if those with sin/fault do not have [it], hence why it is valued by all-under-heaven.
{62v} 為無為 事無事 味無味.
Act towards no acting-for, [to] service the matter of having no-matter-to-service, [to thus taste] the taste of no-taste [which is Dao] 3.
.
1. Son-of-heaven (天子 tian zi) refers to the ruler of Zhou dynasty. He is supposedly the person conferred by heaven to rule all under heaven, as according to the doctrine of the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ founded in early Zhou dynasty.
2. What this section seems to be saying is that the profound deepness of everything is Dao. So since Dao is already deep inside, we just have to sit into the depth to be in accord. And when we are good with Dao, it is our treasure. If we are not good with Dao, it can still be our refuge. Being glorified by words and ceremonies may make us look good, but it doesn’t make us good. To be good with Dao, all seeking and attainment are to be abandoned. Because Dao is already deep inside. Just sit directly into the depth.
3. Order artificially maintained by deliberate human effort will not last, unlike the natural order of stars and planets cycling in the heaven. This natural order is not dependent on deliberate human effort, because unlike human laws which require policing and enforcement, the laws of this natural order are universal and independent. Therefore Dao is said to be already inherently deep in all things. As such the goal of all our actions and effort, is not to create an artificial order which requires more human action and effort to sustain it, but to arrive at a natural order where all human actions and effort can eventually be relinquished. Hence this is probably what’s meant by – Act towards no acting-for, [to] service the matter of having no-matter-to-service, [to thus taste] the taste of no-taste. And as mentioned in {35ii}, the emerging point of Dao is described to be bland with no-taste.
{63i} 大小多少 報怨以德. 圖難於其易 為大於其細.
Big or small, more or less, repay enmity/grievance with De1 - [through] handling the difficult by its easy, [through] doing the big by its small.
{63ii} 天下難事 必作於易. 天下大事 必作於細. 是以聖人終不為大 故能成其大.
The difficult matters under-heaven, are surely worked through the easy.
The big matters under-heaven, are surely worked through the small.
Hence sages never try to do the big, and so they can accomplish the big2.
{63iii} 夫輕諾必寡信 多易必多難. 是以聖人猶難之 故終無難矣.
When promises are treated lightly, surely the trust [between leader and the people] will be little.
So in [going] more and more for the easy, surely the [going] will become more and more difficult3.
Hence sages [go for handling] the difficult by treading carefully/worryingly [over the many nitty gritty issues that are still easy to deal with], so that there will never be any difficulties.
.
1. The problems of the world are often that of people being driven to extremes by their discriminative passions of craving and aversion. They lust this and they hate that, and thus problems arise. So if problems are fuelled by discriminative passions, our response should therefore not be of adding more discriminative passion into the mix, to fuel more lust for this and more hate for that. Instead our response should be to diffuse these passions and empty such discriminations. Perhaps this is how the text is suggesting that the matter of enmity/grievance be dealt with – through De, which in {59i} is described as early preparation, so that matters of enmity/grievance do not blow up to become big raging fires. These matters are to be handled and extinguished early while still small and easy.
2. Leaders should be prepared in advance to handle matters. They shouldn’t be negligent and deal with matters only when they have blown up big. Because it is not through some big grand gestures that difficult matters are settled. Rather, it is through treading carefully and worryingly over all the many nitty gritty issues that matters can be resolved and settled.
3. The promises made to the people must be taken seriously. Leaders can’t afford to go easy on these promises, or the going will become more and more difficult in terms of leading the people, because trust will have been lost. Hence as a leader, there is the need to worry and be careful all the time.
{64i} 其安易持 其未兆易謀 其脆易泮 其微易散.
While in peace, it is easy to maintain [the country]. When there’s no sign [of crisis] yet, it is easy to plan [for the country].
What is fragile, is easy to break apart. What is micro/tiny, is easy to disperse.
{64ii} 為之於未有 治之於未亂. 合抱之木生於毫末; 九層之臺起於累土; 千里之行始於足下.
[So] act while [crisis is] not yet in existence. Remedy while the [situation] is not yet chaotic [and still easy to deal with].
[Because] the tree [whose trunk is so wide that it requires] several people to hug together, is born [but] from a sprout [the size of the tip of the hair].
[Because] a platform of nine-storey, arises [but] from a pile of earth.
[Because] the travel of a thousand miles, begins from under [our] feet.
{64iii} 為者敗之 執者失之. 是以聖人無為故無敗 無執故無失.
If there is any action [which discriminates for the sake of something], there will be failure [in achieving that something]. If there is any clinging [to that of something], there will be loss [of that something].
Hence sages in not acting [discriminatively for anything] therefore do not fail [to achieve anything]; in not clinging [to anything] therefore do not lose [anything].
{64iv} 民之從事 常於幾成而敗之. 慎終如始 則無敗事. 是以聖人欲不欲 不貴難得之貨; 學不學 復衆人之所過: 以輔萬物之自然 而不敢為.
The populace in following/servicing matters, often fail at the verge of succeeding. [Because only] by being careful/cautious at the end, [just] like at the start1, there is then no matters of failure.
And so it is that sages desire un-desiring, [thus] prizing/exalting not the limited goods; [and sages] learn un-learning, [thus] returning/correcting the excesses/mistakes of people. [This is] so as to facilitate the ten-thousand things to be naturally-as-they-are, without [being driven by discriminative desire] into daring/enthusiastic actions.
.
1. This seems to continue the theme mentioned in {63iii} of sages “treading carefully/worryingly” all the time. It is also similar to the brief description of functionaries of Dao in {15iii} as being “cautious as if crossing a [frozen] river in winter, worrying/hesitant as if afraid of [disturbing] the neighbours in all four directions”.
{65i} 古之善為道者 非以明民 將以愚之. 民之難治 以其智多.
Those of the past who are good at acting/implementing Dao, [do so] not by enlightening/educating the populace (to the ideological discriminative knowledge of things), but by keeping them innocent-minded/ignorantly-honest1.
[Because] the difficulty in remedying/governing the populace, is when they are full of educated-knowledge.
{65ii} 故以智治國 國之賊. 不以智治國 國之福.
Therefore use educated-knowledge to remedy the country/state – as a thief of the country/state.
Use it not to govern the country/state – as a blessing of the country/state.
{65iii} 知此兩者亦𥡴式. 常知𥡴式 是謂玄德. 玄德深矣 遠矣 與物反矣, 然後乃至大順.
Know these two (thievery and blessing) as the model of management2.
The constant knowing of this model of management, is called dark De.
Dark De is deep, is diffusing, going-against/reversing things until greatness is in accord with3.
.
1. This reminds of the bible story where Adam and Eve were kicked out of paradise (the Garden of Eden) after consuming the apple which gave them conceptual discriminative knowledge. Should they remain simple and innocent, they would have been able to remain in paradise.
2. Like thievery, use educated-knowledge against educated-knowledge to rid the populace of their educated-knowledge. When there is no educated-knowledge to be rid of, use not educated-knowledge to govern anymore, and the populace will then be blessed with great harmony. This seems to be how dark De goes against things until great accord/harmony is arrived at.
3. Refer to Section 25 on the relationship of diffusing (遠 yuan) and going-against/reversing (反 fan) and greatness (大 da).
{66i} 江海所以能為百谷王者 以其善下之 故能為百谷王.
The reason why large-river and ocean can become king of the hundred valley-streams1, is because they are good at being low, therefore they can become king of the hundred valley-streams [which all flow to them].
{66ii} 是以聖人欲上民 必以言下之. 欲先民 必以身後之.
Should the sage wish to guide people from above, [he] would surely speak from a lowly position.
[Should the sage] wish to lead people from the front, [he] would surely place [his] self-[interests] behind.
{66iii} 是以聖人處上而民不重. 處前而民不害.
That is why when the sage is above, the people are not oppressed.
When the sage is in front, the people's [interests] are not harmed.
{66iv} 是以天下樂推而不厭. 以其不爭 故天下莫能與之爭.
Hence all under-heaven will gladly support [such a sage-king] without revulsion2.
[Because it is] only by not contending/fighting [to be king], that therefore [none] under heaven is able to contend/fight with [him/her as king].
.
1. The hundred valley-streams here might be referring to the so-called hundred-surnames (the hundreds of aristocratic clans or noble houses) which the Zhou ruler is supposed to be king of.
2. It is to be noted that by Zhou dynasty’s period of the Warring States, the leaders of the seven remaining kingdoms are basically in continuous hardcore contention with one another, striving hard to make their countries/states powerful enough to possibly control/rule over all others. When leaders are busy fighting for their own self-interest, can you trust them to protect you? Would you follow a leader whom you cannot trust? Trust is usually given by people to the one who is impartial, to the one who is not selfish, to the one who actually serves the people. Therefore as implied in {66i}, people will flock to such a leader whom they can trust, like streams flowing to the ocean.
{67i} 天下皆謂我道大 似不肖. 夫唯大 故似不肖. 若肖久矣 其細也夫!
All under heaven say that my way/Dao is great/big, [yet] resembles seemingly nothing [of worth].
[But] only because of its greatness/bigness, that therefore it resembles seemingly nothing [of worth]. If it long resembles anything [of worth], it would have been thinned instead!
{67ii} 我有三寶 持而保之. 一曰慈, 二曰儉, 三曰不敢為天下先.
I have three treasures1 that when upheld can maintain [greatness/bigness].
One is altruistic/charitable-kindness2, two is frugal-poverty3, three is not daring to act/strive to become first among all under heaven.
{67iii} 慈故能勇, 儉故能廣, 不敢為天下先 故能成器長.
It's because of altruistic-kindness that there can be motivation/bravery, because of frugal-poverty that there can be massiveness/widespreadness, because of not daring to act/strive to become first among all under heaven that there can be success in being the leader of the vessels/capable-people.
{67iv} 今舍慈且勇, 舍儉且廣, 舍後且先 死矣! 夫慈以戰則勝 以守則固. 天將救之 以慈衛之.
[Yet] these days, abandoning altruistic-kindness [to try] to be motivated/brave, abandoning frugal-poverty [to try] to be massive/widespread, abandoning being last [to try] to be first instead – alas, death!
It's in using altruistic-kindness to offense/war that there is thus victory. It's in using [altruistic-kindness] to defense/maintenance that there is thus security.
For what will be saved/established by heaven, is protected by altruistic-kindness.
.
1. By conventional standards, the three treasures mentioned here would probably resemble nothing of worth.
2. Altruistic/charitable-kindness (慈 ci) might be similar to the Buddhist teaching of metta (goodwill). In {67iii}, it seems to state that motivation should be due to this altruistic/charitable kindness.
3. Frugal-poverty (儉 jian) might be related to the idea of thrift mentioned in {59i}.
{68i} 善為士者 不武. 善戰者 不怒. 善勝敵者 不與.
Those good at performing their function (getting things done), don't use force/violence.
Those good at combat/war, don't [do so] with anger.
Those good at defeating/overcoming enemies, don't engage in praises [about their own victories].
{68ii} 善用人者 為之下. 是謂不爭之德. 是謂用人之力. 是謂配天古之極.
Those good at putting people to use, do so from a low position.
This is called the De of non-contention/fighting1.
This is called power in putting people to use2.
This is called the ultimate fittingness to ancient heaven.
.
1. Refer to {66iv} on the virtue of non-contention/fighting (不爭 bu zheng) whereby none can contend or fight with.
2. This text seems to regard stopping fights and putting people to use instead as the ultimate fittingness to ancient heaven. This might be related to the “matter of non-discrimination” and allowing “the ten-thousand things to work thus without exception/rejection” mentioned in {2iii}.
{69i} 用兵有言: 吾不敢為主 而為客; 不敢進寸 而退尺.
There is a military saying:
"I don't dare be the [aggressor]-host, choosing to be the [provoked]-guest instead. [I] don't dare advance an inch [to acquire], choosing to retreat a foot [to avert] instead."
{69ii} 是謂行無行, 攘無臂, 扔無敵, 執無兵.
This is called practising [the military-force] without putting [the military-force] into practice, baring/flexing [the arm] without [using] the arm, discarding [opposition] without opposition, holding [weapon] without weapon.
{69iii} 禍莫大於輕敵. 輕敵幾喪吾寶. 故抗兵相加 哀者勝矣.
There is no greater disaster than [treating] oppositional warfare lightly.
[Because in treating] oppositional warfare lightly, it will lose me almost my entire treasures1.
Because in stacking military-force more and more against each other, it's grief that wins.
.
1. In {62i}, Dao is regarded as a treasury for those who are good. So to lose almost the entire treasures probably means to lose almost all that Dao can give.
{70i} 吾言甚易知 甚易行; 天下莫能知 莫能行.
My word seems easy to know, seems easy to practice.
[But] all under-heaven cannot know [it], cannot practice [it].
{70ii} 言有宗 事有君; 夫唯無知 是以不我知.
There is a cause/principle to [these] words and there is a master/basis to servicing [these words], which is only to be absent of knowing, which is the knowing not based on “I/self"1.
{70iii} 知我者希 則我者貴. 是以聖人被褐懷玉.
[Those who] know "I", will strive/hope.
[But it is those who] have countered/negated "I", that are prized/precious.
Hence sages wrap [them-selves] in dark/dull clothing while bearing [precious] jade.
.
1. The first knowing that is to be absent of, is likely that of a dualistic cognition based on a subject-object angle of perception. In Yogacara Buddhism, such a dualistic knowing is called vijnana. The second knowing which is not based on “I/self”, is likely that of a non-dualistic cognition where there is no subject to be found. In Yogacara Buddhism, such a non-dualistic cognition is called jnana.
{71i} 知不知上. 不知知病.
Knowing the not knowing [of “I/self”]1, it is highest.
Not knowing [this] knowing, it is sickness.
{71ii} 夫唯病病 是以不病.
Only by sickening the sickness, is there no sickness2.
{71iii} 聖人不病 以其病病 是以不病.
The sage [has] no sickness, [because] of the usage of this sickening of sickness, [to] therefore have no sickness.
.
1. This should be referring to {70ii} on the absent of knowing, which is the knowing that’s not based on “I/self”.
2. The sickness of “I/self” is used to sicken the sickness of “I/self”, hence negating the “I/self”. So in practice, it would be like the practitioner making use of the “I/self” to work towards the realization of “not-I/self”.
{72i} 民不畏威 則大威至.
When the populace is not in fear of might/majesty, it is then that great might/majesty has arrived1.
{72ii} 無狎其所居 無厭其所生. 夫唯不厭 是以不厭.
[Great might/majesty] does not narrow/restrict [the populace’s] places of residence, does not despise [the populace’s] means of livelihood.
For only in not despising [the populace], is there no despising [from the populace].
{72iii} 是以聖人自知不自見 自愛不自貴. 故去彼取此。
Hence sages [use] knowing-by-itself and not viewing-through-the-self2 , [use] loving-by-itself and not prizing-of-the-self3 , therefore abandoning that to adopt this.
.
1. Similar to Machiavellian’s political idea of instilling fear in the people, many of the dukes/kings in late Zhou dynasty made use of military might to coerce others into compliance. Their princely majesty was propped up by fear. But here in this text, it is stated that great might/majesty arrives only when people are not in fear.
2. This probably means using that of a natural independent knowing which happens by-itself, rather than that of the intentional discriminative type of viewing made through the lens of ‘self/I’.
3. This probably means using that of an unconditional loving-kindness which happens by-itself, rather than that of the intentional discriminative prizing/exalting made by the ‘self/I’.
{73i} 勇於敢則殺 勇於不敢則活. 此兩者 或利或害 天之所惡 孰知其故.
Motivation through killing those who dare; motivation through letting those who do not dare live:
These two [motivations], either as benefit/incentive or harm/punishment, are abhored by heaven1.
Who knows the reason why.
{73ii} 天之道 不爭而善勝 不言而善應 不召而自來.
The Dao of heaven:
Without [relying on] fighting/contention, is good at winning over;
Without [relying on] instruction/command, is good at responding/retributing;
Without being beckoned/asked-to, comes/happens by itself2.
{73iii} 繟然而善謀 天網恢恢 踈而不失.
Open and loose and thus being good at considering [everything], the net of heaven is vastly vast3, losing nothing in [its] laxness.
.
1. This is probably a criticism of political measures like those implemented by the Legalist School (法家 fa jia), which makes use of worded rules/laws and incentives like punishments/rewards to condition people into compliance. As mentioned in {67iii}, motivation (勇 yong) should be due to altruistic-kindness, rather than that of punishments and rewards.
2. This line seems to suggest that there is a way of heavenly regulation (a natural order) which happens by itself without need of human intervention. This idea will be mentioned again in {74iii}.
3. 天網恢恢 (tian wang hui hui) - the net of heaven is vastly vast – is now a popular Chinese phrase to suggest the boundless power of heavenly justice.
{74i} 民不畏死 奈何以死懼之?
[If the] populace is not fearful of death, what's the point of threatening [them] with death?
{74ii} 若使民常畏死 而為奇者 吾得執而殺之 孰敢?
If it is to cause the populace to constantly fear death, such that those who are defiant, upon their arrest, were to be killed by me, [then yes,] who will dare [defy me]?
{74iii} 常有司殺者殺. 夫司殺者 是大匠斲. 夫代大匠斲者 希有不傷其手矣.
[But] there is [already] a constant official killer that kills.
This official killer is [also] the great carpenter that shaves/polishes1.
[So] to shave/polish on behalf of [this] great carpenter, rare are those who do not injure their own hands2.
.
1. This is a continuation on the topic of natural order from the previous section of {73ii} and {73iii}. Here, the term official killer (司殺 si sha) seems to suggest something like that of natural selection, and that humans should not interfere with this natural selection of the fittest to survive. Those who jut out and do not fit will naturally be shaved and polished off.
2. Basically the stand of this text seems to be against that of deliberate violence. It’s implied here that violence begets violence, such that few violent rulers will escape the consequences of their brutality.
{75i} 民之飢 以其上食稅之多 是以飢.
The populace is hungry, primarily because food taxes are many/excessive1, therefore [there is] hunger.
{75ii} 民之難治 以其上之有為 是以難治.
The populace is difficult to govern, primarily because [they discriminatively] act/strive for [something]2, therefore [they are] difficult to govern.
{75iii} 民之輕死 以其求生之厚 是以輕死.
The populace dies easy, primarily because [they] seek the thickening/fattening of life3, therefore death [comes] easily [to them].
{75iv} 夫唯無以生為者 是賢於貴生.
Hence only in not [discriminatively] acting/striving for life, is there the merit of valuing/exalting life.
.
1. It is interesting that no other part of this text specifically mentions hunger and food taxes. It might be worth thinking just what these food taxes are for, and why it is said that there are too many of them. Perhaps {46i}, in comparing farm horses with war horses, can give us a clue. The food taxes are probably imposed to support the many wars ongoing in the Warring States period of late Zhou dynasty, as the dukes and kings fight one another for more land and power and possessions. They may temporarily fulfil the ambitious cravings of these dukes and kings (if successful), but the wars don’t benefit the populace. And so when the food taxes are many, when the wars are many, when horses are used for fighting instead of for farming, it’s the people that suffer and go hungry.
2. This reminds of {65i} where it is said that people become difficult to govern when they are educated and full of discriminative knowledge. The link between discriminative knowledge and acting/striving for something is first mentioned in {2i}.
3. This reminds of {50ii} where it is said that people in striving to multiply/extend life, activate the death-ground instead.
{76i} 人之生也柔弱 其死也堅強.
Humans in aliveness are soft and yielding/weak; in death strong and hard/stiff.
{76ii} 萬物草木之生也柔脆 其死也枯槁.
Grass and trees and the ten-thousand things in aliveness are soft and fresh; in death dried and withered.
{76iii} 故堅強者死之徒 柔弱者生之徒.
Therefore hard strongness is a journey of death, [while] soft yielding is a journey of life1.
{76iv} 是以兵強則不勝 木強則共.
Hence when the military/violence is strong there will be no overcoming/winning, [just as] when the wood is strong there will be sacrifice2.
{76v} 強大處下 柔弱處上.
Strong-big stays below, soft-yielding stays above.
.
1. The term journey of death (死之徒 si zhi tu) and the term journey of life (生之徒sheng zhi tu) are also mentioned in {50i}.
2. This reminds of Zhuangzi’s story about the useless tree, in which he said: “You know, while wandering about the world, I saw this incredibly huge tree. Thousands of war chariots were sheltered under it, yet its shade could cover them all with space to spare. I said, ‘Wow, what a tree this is! It must be of extraordinary timber!' But when I looked up at its branches, they were actually all so twisted and crooked that beams surely couldn't be made from them. And when I looked down to its roots, they were all so rounded and loose that coffins surely couldn't be made from them. I then licked one of its leaves and my mouth felt like it was cut and rotten. Even the smell of its leaves made me mad for more than three whole days altogether. 'This indeed is a tree good for nothing,' I proclaimed, 'and so it has attained to such an incredible size.'”
{77i} 天之道 其猶張弓與? 高者抑之 下者舉之; 有餘者損之 不足者補之.
The way/Dao of heaven, is like drawing a bow [to shoot an arrow].
If [pointed] too high, lower it.
If [pointed] too low, raise it.
If [pulled] in excess, decrease it.
If [pulled] insufficiently, increase it.
{77ii} 天之道 損有餘而補不足. 人之道 則不然 損不足以奉有餘.
The way/Dao of heaven is decreasing the excessive to increase the insufficient1.
The way/dao of human2, however, is decreasing the insufficient to offer to the excessive3.
{77iii} 孰能有餘以奉天下，唯有道者。
So who can have excess to offer all under heaven? Only that of Dao4.
{77iv} 是以聖人為而不恃，功成而不處，其不欲見賢。
Hence the sage acts without attachment/reliance, accomplishes without dwelling [on his/her accomplishment].
His/her merit is seen by non-craving5.
.
1. This is rather like the scientific concept of diffusion, where in accordance to entropy, there is an automatic net movement of things distributing from higher concentration to lower concentration. {32iii} gives such an example of rain water distributing itself automatically and evenly without any instruction or command from humans.
2. Late Zhou dynasty is a period of much disorder and warfare, and there were many ways/dao of governance proposed to unite the land and remedy the situation, like for instance the King’s way/dao (王道 wang dao), the Hegemony’s way/dao (霸道 ba dao), the Tyranny’s way/dao (强道 qiang dao). But such proposed ways/dao of governance are still simply ways of human – deliberate, non-lasting and driven basically by selfish discriminative desire to consolidate personal benefits – much like the governments we have seen throughout the ages, whereby nations and states and institutions compete against one another for military/economic/social power. What this text emphasizes is that of a way/Dao of heaven which governs the world with no notion of coercive power and personal property, which governs without reliance on human intervention, and whose governance has lasted supposedly ever since the world began. Hence it is also called the constant way/Dao, as stated in the very first line of this text in {1i}.
3. This is probably pointing to the situation of the Warring States period (of late Zhou dynasty) where the poor were exploited to feed the cravings of the rich, as implied in {75i}. And so the poor becomes poorer while the rich becomes richer.
4. Dao basically does not own or possess anything, such that everything in existence is an excess and thus offered to the world for use.
5. Craving is basically that of wanting more and more, like that of the way/dao of human mentioned in {77ii}. It drives the great social inequality and the numerous continuous warfare (the fighting among noble houses for more land and power) during the Warring States period. Hence it is said here that the merit of the sage is non-craving. This is also why in {3iii & iv} the text states that governance (remediation of this problem) is that of the sage ensuring his/her people to be without discriminative knowledge and craving. Such a diagnosis of the problematic way of human as due to craving is rather like that of Buddhism’s four noble truths. But while this text looks at the problem of craving in terms of governance and thus offers the way/dao of heaven as the guide, the fourth of Buddhism’s four noble truths looks at the problem in terms of personal liberation and thus offers the eightfold-path as the guide.
{78i} 天下莫柔弱於水 而攻堅強者莫之能勝 其無以易之.
Of all that is under heaven, none is softer and weaker than water.
So in invading the strong and hard, none can overcome/succeed better [than water].
For it is the absent aspect [of water] that makes this easy/possible.
{78ii} 弱之勝強 柔之勝剛. 天下莫不知 莫能行.
Weak overcomes strong, soft overcomes hard.
There is none under heaven who does not know [this], [yet] none could practice it.
{78iii} 是以聖人云: 受國之垢 是謂社稷主; 受國不祥 是謂天下王.
Hence the sage says:
"[The one] who bears the filth of the country, is called the master of soil-grain1; [the one] who bears the misfortune of the country, is called the king of all under heaven.
{78iv} 正言若反.
The correct word/saying/instruction is like the opposite/reverse.
.
1. The political term soil-grain can be taken to mean 'society' or the 'fundamentals of society'. Kings supposedly set up altar of soil and grain in their ancestral temples to pray – an act that affirms their sovereignty over the land.
{79i} 和大怨 必有餘怨 安可以為善?
[Even after] resolving great enmity, surely there is still [some] enmity remaining.
How can this be considered as doing good?1
{79ii} 是以聖人執左契 而不責於人. 有德司契 無德司徹.
Hence the sage holds the left portion of the [contractual] agreement2, but doesn't [force] responsibility/blame on the person.
[Because] those who have De officiates [in terms of] agreement, those who have no De officiates [in terms of] exaction/extraction/removal3.
{79iii} 天道無親 常與善人.
The heavenly Dao has no biasedness/familial-relations/kinship4; it is [just] constantly with people who are good.
.
1. The basic idea here is not to incur great enmity in the first place, such that there is no need to even try to resolve it. Because even if major fires are successfully fought against, grievous damage has already been done. What is good instead is for fire disasters to not even start in the first place, or at least, have them extinguished before they can grow big and destroy things. This is similar to what’s stated in {63iii} of dealing carefully the difficult matters while they are small, or that of having no-matters even to deal with as stated in {57i & iii}.
2. The half of the contractual agreement containing details of the debtor.
3. This line might be saying that those who have De will work with the defaulting debtor to come to a new agreement, whereas those who have no De will make use of the previous agreement to exploit and extract maximum penalty from the debtor, thus incurring great enmity.
4. This is probably an implied criticism against the Confucianist’s focus on familial-relations (親 qing) as means of governance.
{80i} 小國寡民.
Small country with few people1.
{80ii} 使有什伯之器而不用. 使民重死而不遠徙.
Causing vessels (tools/equipment) of tenfold and hundredfold efficiency to not be used2.
Causing people to treat death seriously and not venture far.
{80iii} 雖有舟輿 無所乘之. 雖有甲兵 無所陳之.
While there are boats and carriages, there's no place/need to ride them.
While there are armour and weapons, there's no place/need to exhibit their [function].
{80iv} 使民復結繩而用之, 甘其食 美其服 安其居 樂其俗.
Causing people to return to [the time of] knotting ropes as means3 [of record and communication]; [to the time of] making tasty their food, making beautiful their clothes, making peaceful their dwellings, making pleasant their mundane [lives].
{80v} 鄰國相望 雞犬之聲相聞; 民至老死 不相往來.
Neighbouring countries can be mutually seen, the sounds of their roosters and dogs can be mutually heard.
[But] their people, even until they die of old age, do not mutually travel to-and-fro [between countries].
.
1. This section feels like the text praises small town/village living. Probably an utopian ideal of Laozi, or a criticism of big city living.
2. We may have improved the technology of our tools and equipment, and become more powerful than ever. But are we necessarily wiser and more contented? In using more efficient tools and equipment, we should be having much more leisure time for ourselves. Yet we seem to be as busy as ever, or maybe worse still, losing more of our private moments to work-related stuff, due to the many emails and smses and mobile phone calls coming from our colleagues and bosses and clients.
3. In ancient time, before the advent of written language, tied knots are supposedly used as representative means to record and communicate things. Can refer to I-Ching (Chapter 2 of 周易, 系辞下) for more details on governance during the time of tying knots.
{81i} 信言不美 美言不信. 善者不辯 辯者不善.
Trustworthy words do not beautify; words that beautify are not trustworthy.
The good does not persuade/discriminate1; persuading/discriminating is not good.
{81ii} 知者不博 博者不知. 聖人不積.
[Those] who know do not [try to] get/win; [those] who [try to] get/win do not know.
[Hence] sages do not accumulate/hoard.
{81iii} 既以為人己愈有, 既以與人己愈多.
In doing [more] for others, what’s of the self becomes more available/existent.
In giving [more] to others, what’s of the self becomes more abundant.
{81iv} 天之道 利而不害. 聖人之道 為而不爭.
The Dao of heaven is benefiting without harming [anything].
The Dao of sage is doing/acting without contending/fighting [for anything]2.
.
1. Persuade/discriminate here probably implies propaganda made through some sort of appeal to people’s craving/desire for beauty, because many people would rather cling to beautiful-sounding words to comfort themselves than face the bare harsh truth of reality. Hence it is said that trustworthy words do not beautify.
2. This is basically a rephrasing of the line in {77iv} where the merit of sage is said to be non-craving, as contrasted against the way/dao of human which is greed/craving for more and more. So a sage is kind of like a human who has relinquished his/her human-way (of personal greed and craving) to thus be in accord with the way/Dao of heaven.