This file is the work of Stan Rosenthal. The author has asked that no hard copies, ie. paper copies, are made.
Stan Rosenthal may be contacted at 44 High street, St. Davids, Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, Wales, UK. Email [email protected].
LAO TZU
1. THE EMBODIMENT OF TAO
Even the finest teaching is not the Tao itself.
Without words, the Tao can be experienced,
To conduct one's life according to the Tao,
Though words or names are not required
Through knowledge, intellectual thought and words,
Both knowledge and experience are real,
By using the means appropriate,
2. LETTING GO OF COMPARISONS
We cannot know the Tao itself,
Thus, that which is seen as beautiful
That which a person knows he has
In comparison, the sage,
Through his experience,
3. WITHOUT SEEKING ACCLAIM
By retaining his humility,
The person who possesses many things,
Those who are jealous of the skills or things
Satisfied with his possessions,
By being supple, he retains his energy.
It is for reasons such as these,
Ensuring a sufficiency for all,
Administrators who are wise
4. THE UNFATHOMABLE TAO
It is the nature of the Tao,
The Tao therefore cannot be said
When tempered beyond its natural state,
Even the hardest tempered sword,
Just as the finest swordsmith
With wise administrators, all can exist in unity,
Through conduct not contrived for gain,
5. WITHOUT INTENTION
Nature acts without intent,
In this respect, the Tao is just the same,
Therefore, even when he seems to act
The sage retains tranquility,
By this means he is empty of desire,
6. COMPLETION
Like the sheltered, fertile valley,
Since both energy and stillness,
In the meditative state,
7. SHEATHING THE LIGHT
When living by the Tao,
The sage does not contrive to find his self, It is by sheathing intellect's bright light
8. THE WAY OF WATER
Great good is said to be like water,
In this way
Like water, the sage abides in a humble place;
Because he does not act for his own ends,
9. WITHOUT EXTREMES
The cup is easier to hold
The blade is more effective
Gold and jade are easier to protect
He who seeks titles,
The sage works quietly,
10. CLEANING THE DARK MIRROR
Maintaining unity is virtuous,
The sage avoids their separation,
He cleans the dark mirror of his mind,
He cultivates without possessing,
By leading from behind,
11. THE UTILITY OF NON-EXISTENCE
Though thirty spokes may form the wheel,
It is not the clay the potter throws,
Without a door, the room cannot be entered,
Such is the utility of non-existence.
12. THE REPRESSION OF DESIRES
Through sight, the colours may be seen,
Apprehending the tones of sound,
The wise person fulfills his needs,
The ordinary man seeks honour, not dishonour,
The ordinary man seeks to make himself
14. EXPERIENCING THE MYSTERY
The Tao is abstract,
Without form or image, without existence,
Standing before it, it has no beginning;
15. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TAO IN MAN
The sage of old was profound and wise;
Desiring nothing for himself,
Being watchful, he had no fear of danger;
He was courteous like a visiting guest,
Receptive and mysterious,
Pure in heart, like uncut jade,
By remaining calm and active,
16. RETURNING TO THE ROOT
It is only by means of being
When society changes
Being one with the Tao is to be at peace,
When the consistency of the Tao is known,
It is by being at one with the Tao,
Throughout his life,
TAO TE CHING
TRANSLATED BY S.ROSENTHAL
Even the finest name is insufficient to define it.
and without a name, it can be known.
is to conduct one's life without regrets;
to realize that potential within oneself
which is of benefit to all.
to live one's life this way,
to describe it, words and names are used,
that we might better clarify
the way of which we speak,
without confusing it with other ways
in which an individual might choose to live.
the manifestations of the Tao are known,
but without such intellectual intent
we might experience the Tao itself.
but reality has many forms,
which seem to cause complexity.
we extend ourselves beyond
the barriers of such complexity,
and so experience the Tao.
nor see its qualities direct,
but only see by differentiation,
that which it manifests.
is beautiful compared with that
which is seen as lacking beauty;
an action considered skilled
is so considered in comparison
with another, which seems unskilled.
is known to him by that which he does not have,
and that which he considers difficult
seems so because of that which he can do with ease.
One thing seems long by comparison with that
which is, comparatively, short.
One thing is high because another thing is low;
only when sound ceases is quietness known,
and that which leads
is seen to lead only by being followed.
in harmony with the Tao,
needs no comparisons,
and when he makes them, knows
that comparisons are judgements,
and just as relative to he who makes them,
and to the situation,
as they are to that on which
the judgement has been made.
the sage becomes aware that all things change,
and that he who seems to lead,
might also, in another situation, follow.
So he does nothing; he neither leads nor follows.
That which he does is neither big nor small;
without intent, it is neither difficult,
nor done with ease.
His task completed, he then lets go of it;
seeking no credit, he cannot be discredited.
Thus, his teaching lasts for ever,
and he is held in high esteem.
the talented person who is also wise,
reduces rivalry.
but does not boast of his possessions,
reduces temptation, and reduces stealing.
possessed by others,
most easily themselves become possessed by envy.
the sage eliminates the need to steal;
at one with the Tao,
he remains free of envy,
and has no need of titles.
He minimizes his desires,
and does not train himself in guile,
nor subtle words of praise.
By not contriving, he retains
the harmony of his inner world,
and so remains at peace within himself.
that an administration
which is concerned
with the welfare of those it serves,
does not encourage status
and titles to be sought,
nor encourage rivalry.
helps in reducing discontent.
do not seek honours for themselves,
nor act with guile
towards the ones they serve.
that even though used continuously,
it is replenished naturally,
never being emptied,
and never being over-filled,
as is a goblet
which spills its contents
upon the ground.
to waste its charge,
but constantly remains
a source of nourishment
for those who are not so full of self
as to be unable to partake of it.
the finest blade will lose its edge.
against water, is of no avail,
and will shatter if struck against a rock.
When untangled by a cutting edge,
the cord in little pieces lies,
and is of little use.
tempers the finest blade
with his experience,
so the sage, with wisdom, tempers intellect.
With patience, tangled cord may be undone,
and problems which seem insoluble, resolved.
each with the other,
because no man need feel that he exists,
only as the shadow of his brilliant brother.
awareness of the Tao may be maintained.
This is how its mysteries may be found.
so cannot be described
as acting with benevolence,
nor malevolence to any thing.
though in reality it should be said
that nature follows the rule of Tao.
in manner kind or benevolent,
the sage is not acting with such intent,
for in conscious matters such as these,
he is amoral and indifferent.
and is not by speech or thought disturbed,
and even less by action which is contrived.
His actions are spontaneous,
as are his deeds towards his fellow men.
and his energy is not drained from him.
the meditative mind is still,
yet retains its energy.
of themselves, do not have form,
it is not through the senses
that they may be found,
nor understood by intellect alone,
although, in nature, both abound.
the mind ceases to differentiate
between existences,
and that which may or may not be.
It leaves them well alone,
for they exist,
not differentiated, but as one,
within the meditative mind.
awareness of self is not required,
for in this way of life, the self exists,
and is also non-existent,
being conceived of, not as an existentiality,
nor as non-existent.
for he knows that all which may be found of it,
is that which it manifests to sense and thought,
which side by side with self itself, is nought.
that the sage remains at one with his own self,
ceasing to be aware of it, by placing it behind.
Detached, he is unified with his external world,
by being selfless he is fulfilled;
thus his selfhood is assured.
sustaining life with no conscious striving,
flowing naturally, providing nourishment,
found even in places
which desiring man rejects.
it is like the Tao itself.
in meditation, without desire;
in thoughtfulness, he is profound,
and in his dealings, kind.
In speech, sincerity guides the man of Tao,
and as a leader, he is just.
In management, competence is his aim,
and he ensures the pacing is correct.
nor cause unnecessary conflict,
he is held to be correct
in his actions towards his fellow man.
when not filled to overflowing.
if not tempered beyond its mettle.
if possessed in moderation.
invites his own downfall.
seeking neither praise nor fame;
completing what he does with natural ease,
and then retiring.
This is the way and nature of Tao.
for the inner world of thought is one
with the external world
of action and of things.
by breathing as the sleeping babe,
and thus maintaining harmony.
so that it reflects without intent.
He conducts himself without contriving,
loving the people, and not interfering.
thus providing nourishment,
he remains receptive
to changing needs,
and creates without desire.
attending to that
which must be done,
he is said to have attained
the mystic state.
it is the hole within the hub
which gives the wheel utility.
which gives the pot its usefulness,
but the space within the shape,
from which the pot is made.
and without windows it is dark.
but too much colour blinds us.
too much sound might make us deaf,
and too much flavour deadens taste.
When hunting for sport, and chasing for pleasure,
the mind easily becomes perplexed.
He who collects treasures for himself
more easily becomes anxious.
rather than sensory temptations.
13. UNMOVED AND UNMOVING
cherishing success and abominating failure,
loving life, whilst fearing death.
The sage does not recognise these things,
so lives his life quite simply.
the centre of his universe;
the universe of the sage is at his centre.
He loves the world, and thus remains unmoved
by things with which others are concerned.
He acts with humility, is neither moved nor moving,
and can therefore be trusted in caring for all things.
and therefore has no form,
it is neither bright in rising,
nor dark in sinking,
cannot be grasped, and makes no sound.
the form of the formless, is beyond defining,
cannot be described,
and is beyond our understanding.
It cannot be called by any name.
even when followed, it has no end.
In the now, it exists; to the present apply it,
follow it well, and reach its beginning.
like a man at a ford, he took great care,
alert, perceptive and aware.
and having no desire
for change for its own sake,
his actions were difficult to understand.
being responsive, he had no need of fear.
and as yielding as the springtime ice.
Having no desires, he was untouched by craving.
his knowledge was unfathomable,
causing others to think him hesitant.
he cleared the muddy water
by leaving it alone.
the need for renewing is reduced.
that non-being may be found.
from its natural state of flux,
to that which seems like chaos,
the inner world of the superior man
remains uncluttered and at peace.
By remaining still, his self detatched,
he aids society in its return
to the way of nature and of peace.
The value of his insight may be clearly seen
when chaos ceases.
and to be in conflict with it,
leads to chaos and dysfunction.
the mind is receptive to its states of change.
that the sage holds no prejudice
against his fellow man.
If accepted as a leader of men,
he is held in high esteem.