Six Sections from Daodejing,
the Classic Book about the Way and Virtue
(1)
the ways that can be walked are not the eternal way
the names that can be named are not the eternal name
the nameless is the origin of heaven and earth
the named is the mother of the myriad things
therefore
always be without desire
to observe its wondrous subtleties
always be with desire
to observe its manifestations
these two
derive from the same source
but have diverged in name
both are called mysteries
mysteries above mysteries
the gateway of manifold wonders
道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。
無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。
故常無欲，以觀其妙；常有欲，以觀其徼。
此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。玄之又玄，衆妙之門。
(8)
the highest good is like water
water is good at benefiting the myriad things without competing
it settles where the multitude of people hates to be
therefore it is near to the Way
the quality of an abode is in its location
the quality of the heart is in its depth
the quality of giving lies in benevolence
the quality of speech lies in trust
the quality of governance lies in orderly rule
the quality of an enterprise lies in ability
the quality of action lies in timing
it is precisely because there is no competition
that there is no grudge
上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭，處衆人之所惡，故幾於道。
居善地，心善淵，與善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，動善時。夫唯不爭，故無尤。
(11)
thirty spokes share one hub
in the empty space
lies the usefulness of the cart
clay is molded into a pot
in the empty space
lies the usefulness of the pot
doors and windows are cut out to make a room
in the empty space
lies the usefulness of the room
therefore
benefit is derived from fullness
but usability derives from emptiness
三十輻，共一轂，當其無，有車之用。
埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。
鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。
故有之以為利，無之以為用。
(47)
without going out-of-doors
one may know all under heaven
without looking out of the window
one may see the way of heaven
the farther one goes
the less one knows
for this reason
the sage knows without moving
understands without looking
accomplishes without acting
不出戶知天下; 不闚牖見天道。
其出彌遠，其知彌少。
是以聖人不行而知，
不見而名，不為而成。
(78)
nothing under heaven
is softer and weaker than water
and yet for overcoming things that are firm and strong
nothing can surpass it
for there is nothing that can take its place
that the soft overcomes the hard
and the weak the strong
is something everyone under heaven knows
but no one can put into practice
therefore the sage says
"he who accepts his country's reproach
is hailed as lord of its altar to earth and millet
he who accepts his country's woes
is hailed as king of all under heaven"
appropriate words seem paradoxical
天下莫柔弱於水，而攻堅強者莫之能勝，其無以易之。
弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，天下莫不知，莫能行。
是以聖人云：受國之垢，是謂社稷主；受國不祥，是謂天下王。
正言若反。
(81)
sincere words are not beautiful
beautiful words are not sincere
the good do not argue
those who argue are not good
those who know are not learned
those who are learned do not know
the sage does not hoard
the more he expends for others
the more he has himself
the more he gives to others
the more possesses of his own
the way of heaven benefits and does not harm
the way of the sage acts and does not contend
信言不美，美言不信。善者不辯，辯者不善。知者不博，博者不知。
聖人不積，既以為人己愈有，既以與人己愈多。
天之道，利而不害；聖人之道，為而不爭。
[The manuscript on silk of the Daodejing
found at Mawangdui (2nd c. BCE)]
The Daodejing is - next to the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita - the most translated book in the world. We have more than a hundred different renditions of this Daoist classic in English (and counting), not to mention other languages. As Victor Mair argues in an interesting article, there are several reasons for this abundance. In the first place, it is the central text of both philosophical and religious Daoism, and therefore one of the centerpieces of Chinese culture. Secondly, it is very short, but all the same packed with food for thought - you can read it again and again and discover still new insights. Thirdly, although seemingly so simple, it is in fact exceedingly impenetrable, which forms an invitation to serious Sinologists and an excuse for those who command not one iota of Chinese and who just add their fanciful paraphrases to the cacophony (the same has happened to Oku no hosomichi, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Basho, another short text). Moreover, next to the traditional text of the Daodejing, in 1972-74 in a tomb in Mawangdui (in Changsha, Hunan Province), 40 manuscripts on silk were found, among which a version of the Daodejing. Although there are no fundamental differences with the traditional text, it helps to elucidate textual problems and some scholars (as Victor Mair, who has made a complete translation) consider the Mawangdui text as a more authentic Daodejing. By the way, another old version - this time a more fragmentary one on bamboo slips - was found
in 1993 in a tomb in Guodian (in Hubei Province), dating back to around
300 BCE.
Although the Daodejing is traditionally ascribed to a philosopher called Laozi, it is certain that such a person never lived and is wholly imaginary (and not "semi-legendary" as Wikipedia says - it seems he first appears in writings of Confucianists and was then adopted by Daoists). The Daodejing represents the accumulated wisdom of centuries and is not the enterprise of a single author. There is not a shred of evidence for the existence of Laozi (which just means "Old Master" - and there may have been many such Masters) - all we have is a collection of sayings attributed to him that seem to have begun to coalesce sometime during the fourth century BCE and was probably written down during the second half of the third century BCE (the traditional version dates from around the beginning of the 3rd c. CE).
[Laozi, by Muqi (1210-1269]
The Daodejing consists of 81 brief sections in about 5,000 Chinese characters. It is divided into two parts (Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue or Integrity)); in the Mawangdui text this order has been reversed). The book was conceived in a period of strife between various states in the Chinese heartland, and also a time of philosophical foment. As D.C. Lau, one of the best scholarly translators, indicates, that is probably also how the Daodejing was originally meant - a treatise on government and personal conduct rather than a mystical treatise (although the one doesn't preclude the other). It advances a philosophy of naturalness and meekness as the way to survival in chaotic and disordered times.
It is the mystic, rhapsodic tone of the Daodejing that makes this book so attractive and has ensured its survival long after its political message lost its relevance. It is subtle, elusive and suggestive and can therefore also be read on a "higher level" as a book of mystical wisdom. And it contains beautiful poetry, as well!
The above translation (based on the traditional text) is my own, with borrowings from Mair (see below) which I regard as the best translation.
Translations:
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, by D.C. Lau (Penguin Classics)
Tao Te Ching: The Classic Book of Integrity and the Way, tr. by Victor Mair (New York, 1990)
Chinese text and James Legge translation at Chinese Text Project
Mawangdui version at Chinese Text Project
Guodian version at Chinese Text project
Links:
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and at Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Previous blog article I wrote about the Daodejing
Photos: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons