(These excerpts are a blending, by RCS, of phrasings favored by Charles Muller, Wing-Tsit Chan, Chang Chung-yuan, D.C. Lau, John Wu and Lin Yutang. Muller’s entire text is found at http://www.hm.tyg.jp/~acmuller/contao/daodejing.html.)
The way (tao) that can be followed is not eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not eternal Name.
The Nameless is the origin of heaven and earth,
although naming is mother to the myriad things.4
So avoid desiring if you want to see the subtleties; for lusting, you see
(only) what is on the surface.
These two are really the same;
Only when manifest are they differently named.
They both are called dark, mysterious – darkness upon darkness – the gateway to
all that is subtle. 4
All the world knows that the beautiful is beautiful; that is
(the root of) ugliness.2
All the world knows that Good is good; that is Evil. 2
So Being and Non-Being generate each other.
Difficulty and ease bring one another about.
Long and short delimit each other.
High and low rest each upon the other.
Sound and voice harmonize mutually.
Front and back follow after one another.
Therefore the sage is detached [wu-wei] from (the results of) his
actions and teaches without words.
The myriad things arise; this is the beginning.
Thus the sage produces without possessing, acts without
expectations and achieves without taking credit.1, 2 [cf 10,
51, 77]
It is just because of not claiming credit for it
That no one can take the credit away from him.
3. Doing without doing
Don’t exalt the worthy and there won’t be contention.
If you do not value what is rare, people won’t steal.
If they see nothing to desire, they will not be agitated.
Therefore the governing sage
Clears minds and fills empty [hsu, vs k’ung] bellies,
Reduces ambitions and strengthens bones.
If people lack cleverness and desire,
The crafty dare not meddle (with them).
Avoiding contrivances, there is yet no lack of order.1
Heaven and Earth are ruthless (pu-jen, i.e.,
without kindness), and treat people like straw dogs (i.e., with indifference, once they aren’t needed for
something).
The sage, too, is ruthless (pu-jen), and looks upon everything as straw
dogs.
The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows:
Empty, it is (nonetheless) not exhausted;
Squeeze it and still more comes out.
Lots of noisy speech leads to a dead end;
Better, hold fast to what is within.4 (or ‘to the center’1)
Best it is to be like water:
Water benefits all things without any fuss,
Yet it abides even in despised places.
In that it is like the Tao.
In a dwelling, it is the site that matters.
For a mind/heart, depth is good.
In giving, being heavenly4 (or kindness3) is good.
Goodness in words lies in their honesty.
In government, order is good.
In handling affairs, ability is good.
In action, timeliness is what counts.
If you aren’t contentious, you won’t be blamed.
Thirty spokes join together to share one hub.
It is because of what is not there that the cart is useful.
Knead clay into a vessel;
its emptiness makes the vessel useful.
Cut doors and windows to make a room’s space useful.
It is because of its emptiness that the room is useful.
Therefore turn a profit1 from what is,
But what is absent makes for real usefulness.1
Know the Masculine, cleave to the Feminine
Be the valley for everyone.
Being the valley for everyone
You are always in virtue without lapse
And you return to infancy.
Know the White, cleave to the Black
Be a model for everyone.
Being the model for everyone
You are always in virtue and free from error
You return to limitlessness.
Know Glory but cleave to Humiliation
Be the valley for everyone.
When your constancy in virtue is complete
You return to the state of the “uncarved block.”
The block is cut into implements.
The sage uses them to fulfill roles.
Therefore the great tailor does not cut.
To use the Tao as the principle for ruling,
do not dominate the people with military might.
’What goes around comes around.’
Where the general was encamped
Thorns and brambles now grow.
In the wake of a great army come years of famine.
If you know what you are doing
You will do what is necessary and stop right there.
Do what is needed, but never boast.
Do what is needed, but without show.
Do what is needed, but without arrogance
Do what is needed, but without grabbing.
Do what is needed, but without forcing.
What’s ripe is almost rotten. [lit.: “Things flourish, then they grow old.”]
Saying so (i.e., ‘things are flourishing’) is against Tao;
What is against Tao is soon dead.
The Tao is like a great flooding river.
How can it be directed left or right?
Myriad things rely on it for life but do not set it apart.
It brings to fulfillment, but cannot be said even to exist.
It clothes, feeds people without lording it over them.
It is always without desire, so we call it “the small.”
Myriad things return to it but it doesn’t exact lordship.
Thus can it be called “great.” To the end, it does not regard itself as Great;
thus does it manifest greatness.
Holding to the Great Image (i.e., Tao2),
everything comes to you. It then passes, unharmed and at rest, into the Great
Peace.
For food or music wayfarers stop.
When the Tao comes forth from the mouth3
It is subtle, bland to the taste.
You can’t see it; you can’t hear it;
Use it, and you can’t use it up.
True Virtue is not ‘virtuous’; that is why it has virtue.
Superficial virtue never fails to be virtuous; therefore it it totally without
virtue.
True Virtue does not act, and it has no intent.
Superficial virtue acts, and always has intentions.
True kindness (jen) acts, and it has no purpose.
True righteousness acts, and likewise lacks any aim.
True propriety acts, and if you don’t respond properly they roll up their
sleeves and threaten you.
Thus it is that when Tao is lost there is virtue;
When Virtue is lost there is kindness (jen).
When Kindness (jen) disappears, there is justice;
When Justice disappears, there is propriety.
Now, “propriety” is the outward appearance of loyalty and sincerity; it is, as
well, the beginning of disorder.
Occult practices (e.g., fortune-telling) are all just flowers of the Tao,
and the beginning of foolishness.
So the wise dwell in substance, not in the superficial, and reside in the fruit
rather than the flower.
So they let go all of that and hold this to their hearts.
Turning back around is the motion of the Tao;
Pliability (or Softening, Weakness) is its method.
All things in the cosmos arise out of being.
Being arises from Non-Being. [cf the same idea in 14, 16, 25, 30, 52]
The softest thing in the world overcomes the hardest.
Non-Being can enter where there is no space.
Therefore I know the benefit of purposeless action.
Wordless teaching and action without purpose are rarely seen.
Let there be a small country with few people,
Who, even having much machinery, don’t use it.
Who take death seriously and don’t wander far away.
Though they have boats and carriages, they never ride.
Having armor and weapons, they yet never go to war.
Let them return to measuring by tying knots in rope.
Sweeten their food, give them nice clothes, a peaceful home and relaxing life.
Even though you can see the next country nearby and you can hear the dogs and
chickens, people grow old and die without ever visiting the other’s land.