The most massive tree grows from a sprout; the highest building rises froma pile of earth; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Those who contrive spoil it; those who cling lose it. Thus sages contrive nothing, and so spoil nothing. They cling to nothing, and so lose noting.
Therefore people's works are always spoiled on the verge of completion. Be as careful of the end as of the beginning, and nothing will be spoiled.
Thus sages want to have no wants; they do not value goods hard to get. They learn not learning to recover from people's excesses, thereby to assist the naturalness of all beings, without daring to contrive.
65
In ancient times, good practitioners of the Way did not use it to enlighten the people, but to make them unsophisticated.
When people are unruly, it is because of their sophistication. So to govern a country by cunning is to rob the country. Not using cunning to govern a country is good fortune for the country.
Too know these two is also a model. Being always aware of the model is called hidden virtue.
Hidden virtue is deep, far-reaching, in contrast to ordinary people. Only when it i thus does it reach great accord.
66
The reason why rivers and seas can be lords of the hundred valleys is that they lower themselves to them all; therefore they can be lords of the hundred valleys.
So when sages wish to rise above people, they lower themselves to them in their speech. When they want to preceed people, they go after them in status.
So when sages rule, people don't take it gravely. And when sages are in the forefront, people don't attack them. Therefore the world happily backs them and does not tire of them.
Because they do not contend, no one in the world can contend with them.
67
Everyone in the world says my Way is great, but it seems incomparble. It is just because it is great that it seems incomparable: when comparisons are long established it becomes trivialized.
I have three treasures that I keep and hold: one is mercy, the second is frugality, the third is not presuming to be at the head of the world.
By reason of mercy, one can be brave. By reason of frugality, oe can be broad. By not presuming to be at the head of the world, one can make your potential last.
Now if one were bold but had no mercy, if one were broad but were not frugal, if one went ahead without deference, one would die.
Use mercy in war, and you win; use it in defense, and you're secure. Those whom heaven is going to save are those it guards with mercy.
68
Good warriors do not arm, good fighters don't get mad,
good winners don't contend, good employers serve their workers.
This is called the virtue of noncontention; this is called mating with the supremely natural and pristine.
69
There are sayings on the use of arms: "Let us not be aggressors, but defend." "Let us not advance an inch, but retreat a foot."
This is called carrying out no action, shaking no arm, facing no enemy, wielding no weapon.
No calamity is greater than underestimating opponents. If you underestimate opponents, you're close to losing your treasure.
So when opposing armies clash, the compassionate are the ones who win.
70
My sayings are easy to recognize, and very easy to apply. But no one in the world can recognize them, and no one can apply them.
Sayings have a source, events have a leader. It is only through ignorance that I am not known. Those who know me are rare; those who emulate me a noble.
This is why sages dress plainly, and conceal what is precious.
71
To know unconsciously is best. To presume to know what you don't is sick. Only by recognizing the sickness of sickness is it possible to be not sick.
The sages' freedom from ills was from recognizing the sickness of sickness, so they didn't suffer from sickness.
72
When the people are not awed by authority, then great authority is attained.
Their homes are not small to them, their livelihood not tiresome. Just because they do not tire of it, it is not tiresome to them.
Therefore sages know themselves but do not see themselves. They take care of themselves but do not exalt themselves. So they take one and leave the other.
73
Boldness in daring means killing; boldness in not daring means life.
These two may help and may harm. Who knows the reason for what heaven dislikes? That is why even sages find it hard for them.
The Way of heaven wins well without contest, responds well without speech, comes of itself uncalled, relaxed yet very resourceful.
The net of heaven is vast; the holes are large but don't let slip.
74
If people usually don't fear death, how can death be used to scare them?
If people are made to fear death, and you catch them and kill them when they act oddly, who would dare?
There are always executioners. And to kill in the place of an executioner is taking the place of a master carver. Those who take the place of a master carver rarely avoid cutting their hands.
75
When people are starving, it is because their governments take too much, causing hem to starve.
When people are hard to control, it is because of the contrivances of their governments, which make them hard to control.
When people slight death, it is because of the earnestness with which they seek life; that makes them slight death. Only those who do not contrive to live are wise in valuing life.
76
When people are born they are supple, and when they die they are stiff..
When trees are born they are tender, and when they die they are brittle.
Stiffness is thus a companion of death, flexibility a companion of life.
So when an army is strong it doe not prevail. When a tree is strong, it is cut for use.
So the stiff and strong are below, the supple and yielding on top.
77
The Way of heaven is like drawing a bow: the high is lowered, the low is raised; excess is reduced, need is fulfilled.
The Way of heaven reduces excess and fills need, but the way of humans is not so: they strip the needy to serve those who have too much.
78
Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it.
So the flexible overcomes the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.
This is why the sages say those who can take on the disgrace of nations are leaders of lands; and those who can take on the misfortune of nations are rulers of the world. True sayings seem paradoxical.
79
When you harmonize bitter enemies, yet resentment is sure to linger, how can this be called good?
Therefore sages keep their faith and do not pressure others.
So the virtuous see to their promises, while the virtueless look after precedents.
The Way of heaven is impersonal; it is always with good people.
80
A small state has few people. It has the people keep arms but not use them. It has them regard death gravely and not go on distant campaigns.
Even if they have vehicles, they have nowhere to drive them. Even if they have weapons, they have nowhere to use them.
It has the people go back to simple techniques, relish their food, like their clothes, be comfortable in their ways, and enjoy their work.
Neighboring states may be so close they can hear each other's dogs and roosters, but they make it o that the people have never gone back and forth.
81
True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true.
The good are not argumentative, the argumentative are not good.
Knowers do not generalize, generalists do not know.
Sages do not accumulate anything but give everything to others, having more the more they give.
The Way of heaven helps and does not harm. The Way for humans is to act without contention.
English_Correa_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
Chinese - English by
Nina Correa, 2005
Vorwort/Foreword
MY DAO DE JING
(The Path of Love and Happiness)
Attempting my own translation of the Dao De Jing has been a daunting task. Every time I came up with an understanding of a specific chapter (based on the Chinese characters), when I read through it again a few months later I found how wrong I had been. How could I ever expect to write an interpretation that I抎 be satisfied with?
As I looked into my own heart, I found a temporary answer. One thing that抯 always stayed with me about the essence of the DDJ is the message of Love and Happiness. So, that抯 the way I抳e approached my own translation and commentary.
Throughout the years, many people have asked: 揥hich translation of the Dao De Jing is the most accurate - the closest to what Laozi was actually saying I fall back on Zhuangzi抯 words: 揌ow could I know that br>
The Dao De Jing has been translated many times, and it抯 amazing to me how many of the translators claim to be providing a literal or definitive translation. If there was actually a possibility of interpreting Laozi抯 words accurately, then why would all the scholars and sinologists have come up with such a variety of interpretations?
I don抰 claim to know what Laozi was actually saying, but I do know what his words are saying to me. There抯 a sense of warmth in that, and all I can offer is my own warmth to you.
1
Dao may be accepted as "Dao"; that conflicts with the constant motion of Dao.
A name may be accepted as a "Name"; that conflicts with the constant motion of what is named.
Nameless - all living things began in the womb.
Named - all living things were born from the womb.
Therefore:
Constant motion without desires; this enables contemplation of what is yet to come.
Constant motion with desires; this enables contemplation of where it will all end up.
These both fit together while emanating by different names.
Fitting them together is said to be a mystery.
In addition to being mysterious, the many things that are not yet born provide an entrance.
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2
When everyone in the world knows that beauty is exemplified by beautiful actions, what is seen as ugliness will end.
When everyone knows how pleasant it can be, they will no longer be cruel.
There would be nothing to prevent mutual enjoyment of life.
Success can be reached whether the process is difficult or easy.
Shapes are formed by both long and short lines.
A pit is filled by what is on the bottom and what is on the top.
Harmony is reached by using both the sound of individual notes and a blend of notes.
What is in the lead or what is in the rear are following something.
It's naturally right for a wise person:
Not to interfere with another's performance in their affairs, and not to use demanding words.
Then all living things will naturally arise on their own, and won't be given a starting point.
They will take actions but won't depend on the results.
They will succeed but won't dwell on their success.
You see, it is only by not dwelling on their success
That they won't depart from what they already have.
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3
Don't place a lot of value on being superior; then that will cause people not to argue with each other.
Don't hold as precious objects that are hard to come by; that will cause people not to steal from one another.
Don't be willing to pay too much attention to those desires; that will cause people not to be confused.
It's just natural for a wise person to rule by:
Emptying their hearts;
Satisfying their stomachs;
Weakening their determination;
Strengthening their bones;
Constantly reminding people to accept ignorance while eliminating their desires.
That causes the kind of understanding that doesn't require being foolishly adventurous;
Not being willing to act, but to contentedly stop.
Follow that procedure and there will be nothing that doesn't cure problems.
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4
Dao is constantly being emptied, and its usefulness comes from the fact that it can never be completely filled.
Bottomless!
It began before any living cell.
It smoothes down the sharp edges.
It unties what is tangled.
It softens the harsh glare.
It settles the dust.
--It makes all the pieces of daily life in this world fit together.
Unfathomable!
It had a beginning or perhaps it has always existed.
My intellect doesn't understand whose child it could be.
It seems to have preceded the first concept of existence.
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5
The universe doesn't have compassion for living things that act like straw dogs.
The wise person doesn't have compassion for the general public who act like straw dogs.
Isn't the vast space of the universe like a bagpipe?
It can be empty, yet it doesn't collapse.
As it changes position, even more seems to issue out from it.
Many theories are given as to how it could eventually come to an end.
It doesn't seem to guard what is in its middle.
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6
The spiritual valley can never be extinguished.
It is correctly refered to as the mysteries of the receptive.
The entrance to mysterious receptivity is correctly refered to as the origin of the whole universe.
It is continuous and unbroken!
Its usefulness seems to persevere without effort.
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7
The heavens increase; the earth endures.
The universe in this way has the ability to increase, and at the same time be something which endures.
Because it doesn't exist solely for itself, it therefore has the ability to increase life.
It is natural for the wise person to:
Refuse to take her physical body any further, yet her body still moves forward.
Remain outside of her body, yet her body perseveres.
Doesn't she seem to be unselfish?
That's how she can attain true selfishness.
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8
The foremost goodness is like water.
Water is good at benefiting all living things, even though there are arguments about how it could reside in places that most people hate.
In that way it is very close to being like Dao.
It is good at residing in the earth; the mind sees that goodness as bottomless.
It is good at giving through nature; words express that goodness with sincerity.
