| 不 出 戶 [以] 知 天 下 不 闚 牖 [以] (知) 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 | You do not have to go out the door In order to to know the world. You do not have to look out the window In order to to know the Way of heaven. The farther you go out, You know even less. Thus the sage : Does not travel, yet knows. Does not display himself, yet has a reputation. Does not act, yet accomplishes. |
| You do not have to go out the door In order to to know the world2. You do not have to look out the window [peep,spy] In order to to know the Way of heaven. ♦The farther2 you go out, [even more distance] [he] You know even[more] less. [he] Thus2 the sage2 : Does not travel, yet knows. Does not display himself, yet has a reputation. [show] ♦Does not act, yet accomplishes. | Notes Cross-references Way of heaven : #9, #73, #77, #79, #81 not displaying oneself (showing off) : #22, #24, #72, #77 |
Chapter Forty Eight
| 為 學 (者) 日 益 為 道 (者) 日 損 損 之 又 損 以 至 於 無 為 • 無 為 而 無 不 為 • 取 天 下 常 以 無 事 及 其 有 事 • 不 足 以 取 天 下 | The actions of those who learn daily increase. The actions of those who Dao daily decrease. Decreasing and again decreasing, In order to arrive at non-action. Use non-action, and nothing is left undone. To take hold of the world, always use non-interference. When you are compelled to interfere, Then you are not qualified to take hold of the world. |
| ♦The actions of those who learn daily increase. ♦The actions of those who Dao daily decrease. Decreasing [them] and again decreasing, ♦In order to arrive at non-action. ♦Use non-action, and nothing is left undone2. [not made,become,act] To take hold of the world2, always use non-interference2. ♦When you are compelled to interfere°,A [he] [have,possess] ♦Then you are not qualified to3 take hold of the world2. | Notes A : literally, when you “possess interference”; although 事 does not ordinarily mean interfere, this is assumed by reflection from the previous line Cross-references non-action : #2, #3, #37, #38, #43, #57, #63, #64 nothing is left undone : #37 non-interference : #57, #63 possess or take hold of the world or nation : #29, #57, #59, #61 by using non-interference : #57 |
Chapter Forty Nine
| 聖 人 無 常 心 以 百 姓 心 為 心 善 者 吾 善 之 不 善 者 吾 亦 善 之 德 善 • 信 者 吾 信 之 不 信 者 吾 亦 信 之 德 信 • 聖 人 在 天 下 歙 歙 [焉] 為 天 下 渾 其 心 百 姓 皆 注 其 耳 目 聖 人 皆 孩 之 | The sage does not have a constant heart/mind, Thus the 100 families’ heart/minds become his heart/mind. He who is virtuous, I am virtuous to him. He who is not virtuous, I am also virtuous to him. Because De is virtue. He who is honest, I am honest with him. He who is not honest, I am also honest with him. Because De is honesty. The sage lives in the world, gathering it all in. And so he serves the world, merging with their heart/minds. The 100 families all pay attention to their ears and eyes, And the sage treats them all like his children. |
| The sage2 does not have a constant heart/mind, ♦Thus the 100 families’ heart/minds become his heart/mind. ♦He who is virtuous, I am virtuous to him. ♦He who is not virtuous, I am also virtuous to him. ♦Because De is virtue. ♦He who is honest*, I am honest* with him. ♦He who is not honest*, I am also honest* with him. ♦Because De is honesty*. ♦The sage2 lives in the world2, gathering it all in2A. [inhale inhale] ♦And so he serves the world2, merging with their heart/minds.B ♦The 100 families all pay attention to their ears and eyesC, ♦And the sage2 treats them all like [his]D children. | Notes A : compare to #50, which refers to one who “takes in life”; “gathering” is used for consistency with #36; the repeated symbol implies “very”, hence completeness B : this line can be translated in many ways, mainly due to the fact that the symbol for “merges” can also mean “muddled” or “whole”; also 其 (his/their) could be referring to the sage or to the 100 families; the choices made here are consistent with the first two lines of the chapter C : compare to #12, where the sage does not act on what he sees D : adding “his” turns this line from something deragatory (“treats them all like children”, which seems out of character) into something that matches #42, where the sage becomes an “elder teacher” (literally, godfather) Cross-references 100 families : #5, #17 one who is not virtuous : #27, #62, #81 serve the world : #13, #39 baby/infant/child : #10, #20, #28, #55 |
Chapter Fifty
| 出 生 入 死 生 之 徒 十 有 三 死 之 徒 十 有 三 人 之 生 動 之 死 地 亦 十 有 三 (•)夫 何 故 • 以 其 生 生 之 厚 • 蓋 聞 善 攝 生 者 (陵) 行 不 遇 兕 虎 入 軍 不 被 甲 兵 兕 無 所 投 其 角 虎 無 所 措 其 爪 兵 無 所 容 其 刃 (•)夫 何 故 • 以 其 無 死 地 | Between coming out into life and entering death, Followers of life are 3 in 10. Followers of death are 3 in 10. People whose lives are merely moving them towards the place of death Are also 3 in 10. Now : what is the reason? Because they live life for its substance. But I have heard that he who is skilled at taking in life Can travel the mountains and does not meet rhino or tiger, Can enter a battle not wearing armor or weapons. The rhino has no place to thrust its horns, The tiger has no place to use its claws, The weapon has no place to allow its blade. Now : what is the reason? Because for him there is no place of death. |
| ♦Between coming out into life and entering death, ♦FollowersA of life are 3 in 10B. [10 has 3] ♦Followers of death are 3 in 10. [10 has 3] People whose lives are [merely] moving them towards the place of deathC [their] Are also 3 in 10. [10 has 3] Now : what is the reason? Because they live life for its substanceD. ♦But I have heard that he who is skilled at taking inE life Can travel the mountains and does not meet rhino or tiger, ♦Can enter a battle not wearing armor or weapons. [army,military] ♦The rhino has no place to thrust its horns, [send,put in] The tiger has no place to use its claws, [employ] ♦The weapon has no place to allow its blade. Now : what is the reason? Because for him there is no place of death. | Notes A : “follower” as in disciple or one who agrees with a particular way of looking at things B : this phrase can also be interpreted as “13”, possibly referring to the 4 limbs and 9 openings of the human body, but when using “3 in 10” then the first five lines discuss 9 out of 10 people, and the remaining lines seem to talk about the tenth (presumably sage-like) person C : there are many different interpretations of this phrase (and the entire sentence); presumably, the “place of death” is the end destination of the journey of life as opposed to a literal location (a more modern interpretation of the symbols is the “point of death”); while the symbols for this sentence come from WB and HSG and are technically a minority, the phrasing they use here matches that in the third line following D : compare to #38, where living for the “substance” is apparently a good thing, and #75, where it is a bad thing E : compare to #49, where the sage “gathers in the world”; the last part of this sentence could also be translated as “he who has virtue and takes in life” Cross-references die/death : #6, #33, #42, #67, #74, #75, #76, #80 follower of life and follower of death : #76 substance : #38, #55, #75 |
Chapter Fifty One
| 道 生 之 德 畜 之 物 形 之 勢 成 之 是 以 萬 物 莫 不 尊 道 而 貴 德 道 之 尊 • 德 之 貴 • (•)夫 莫 之 命 • 而 常 自 然 • (•)故 道 生 之 德 畜 之 長 之 育 之 亭 之 毒 之 養 之 覆 之 生 而 不 有 • 為 而 不 恃 • 長 而 不 宰 是 謂 玄 德 | Dao creates them, De raises them, Things shape them, Circumstances complete them. Thus among the ten thousand creatures, There are none who do not respect Dao and honor De. Respect of Dao, Honor of De – Now : there is no one who commands this, Yet it is always naturally so. Therefore : Dao creates them, De raises them. Leads them, nourishes them, Shelters them, heals them, Supports them, protects them. Creating but not possessing, Acting but not concerned with the results, Leading yet not governing – This is called deep and mysterious De. |
| ♦Dao creates them, ♦De raises them, Things shape them, Circumstances complete them. [conditions,situations] ♦Thus2 [among] the ten thousand creatures, There are none who do not respect Dao and honor De. ♦Respect of Dao, ♦Honor of De – Now : there is no one who commands this, [they] Yet it is always naturally so2. Therefore : Dao creates them, De raises them. ♦Leads them, nourishes them, ♦Shelters them, heals A them, [booth,pavillion,rest house] [poison(ous)] ♦Supports them, protects them. [cover,screen] ♦Creating but not possessing, ♦Acting but not concerned with [the results], [depend upon,rely upon] Leading yet not governing – ♦This is called deep and mysterious De. | Notes A : Hatcher claims that 覆 (poison) can also mean its opposite, hence “healing” Cross-references naturally so : #17, #23, #25, #64 creating but not possessing : #2, #10 acting but not concerned : #2, #10, #77 leading yet not governing : #10 mystery : #1, #6, #10, #15, #27, #56, #62, #65 deep and mysterious De : #10, #65 |
Chapter Fifty Two