Tao Te Ching English Translation Based on His Taoism
Chapter 1
1.I Dao(Truth) can be talked about(theorized in any manner each
person considers viable), though hardly of these theories will be
eternally valid;
Names(Descriptions) can be ascribed [to Dao in any fashion each
person deems workable], yet hardly of these names(descriptions)
will last forever.
1.II The beginning of the Universe(Heaven and Earth) [is beyond us, so
in all honesty it] is indescribable;
[Nevertheless, ] whatever happened to be namable(describable) by us
is the mother(origin) of myriad(all and every) things and creatures.
1.III Accordingly,
I constantly resfrain from my selfish(subjective) desires for the
purpose of exploring its(Nature's) manifested(objective) wonder;
I also constantly maintain my will [to seek objective knowledge] in
order to pursue its(Nature's) deep-seated enigma.
1.IV These two(Dao and De) were originated from the same source,
but they were described with different names by us.
They are both depicted as profound [as each is intricated in its own
right];
The profundity(complexity) intensifies as we fathom its mystery
further and deeper;
Eventually, it will [lead us] to the gateway of all mysteries.
Chapter 2
2.I In our world:
When there was a consensus on what was should be judged as
beautiful, a convention on what should be disliked [as ugly] was
correlatedly brought in [inadvertently] ;
When there was an agreement on what should be deemed good, an
agreement on what was evil(not good) was correspondingdly
decided upon.
2.II Accordingly, [the following contrasting concepts were formulated
because of their relative relations]:
Existence(being) and non-existence(nothing) [concepts] which are
reciprocally dependent;
Difficulty and easiness are determined by comparison;
Long and short are conjointly formulated;
High and low owe their existences to their relative positions [to the
observer];
Tune and sound are distinguished by [the rule whether a stream of
sounds has internal harmonization];
Front and back are joined together by perspective positions [of the
objects to the particular observer].
2.III Accordingly, a Sage(leader) [adopts the following measure to
lead]:
When comes to managing the government, he would practice the
policy of non-interference;
When comes to educating the population, he would avoid making
speeches(through using tantalizing rhetorics);
Even after having had activated and motivated all and every things and
creatures to embark their potentialities on the best possible course,
he will never withdraw from his continuous and painstaking support.
2.IV [A Sage] would help [all creatures he comes into contact with] to
relish their lives without being possssive;
[He] would carry out good deeds without asserting his authority;
[He] would not claim his merit after each success;
It is just because of his avoiding appropriating his contributions,
nothing whatsoever can take away from him his achievements [of De].
Chapter 3
3.I [A Sage] would not exalt sages [with honor and benefit] for the purpose of
preventing sapients from [schemingly] contending [for the title out of
vanity];
[He] would not promote hard-to-get goods so that people will not [be
tempted to] rob and steal;
[He] would keep sense-appealing objects out of people's sight so that
people's hearts(minds) will not be confused.
3.II Accordingly, A Sage rules with the following measure:
Humbling people's heart [to weed out prejudices and conceit from
their minds, so that they are prepared for the reception of true knowledge];
Filling up people's stomachs;
Weakening people's [selfish and improper] desires;
Strengthening people's backbones [for the quest of truth].
3.III [A Sage] would constantly keep people away from [unaccountable] knowledge and [selfish] desires;
By doing so, sly and artful people will not dare to muddle through;
Practicing the principle of non-interference with utmost diligence will bring about orderly and even-handed management .
Chapter 4
4.I Dao [in physical world] is like an empty vessel;
Yet when comes to making use of it, its usefulness would go on and on as if it will never be exhausted.
4.II The profundity [of Dao] is as fathomless as an abyss;
It appears [to me] to be the source of all and every thing and creature [in this world].
4.III [Equilibrium is maintained by followers of Dao in the following fashion:]
It rounds off [hurtful] sharp [edges];
It unties the entangled(disputes);
It tampers the the [disturbing blazing] light
It coalesces with the earthy.
4.III [Dao] is so unfathomably [laying beneath the phenomenon that] seemingly it exists!
I do not know whose offspring it is;
But I know that it existed prior to, as well as surpassed, the [Five] Phenomenon Gods [who were worshipped as heavenly governors of changing of seasons].
Chapter 5
5.I Heaven-and-Earth are not compassionate;
They created and destroyed myriad things and creatures [indiscriminately], in the same manner people made straw-dogs but routinely destroy them for ritual sacrifices [because they had no feeling attached to their destructions];
Most of [so-called] sages(sapients) are not compassionate either;
They , too, treated people [without any feeling] as though they were [as cheap as] ritually disposable straw-dogs.
5.II [The working of Dao] between Heaven and Earth is similar to the activities within a bellows.
A bellows is empty inside, yet a stream of forceful and inexhaustible air can be generated from within [the void];
The more frequently the piston rod is worked up, the more forceful the stream of air is blown out [from the empty tube].
5.III Verbosity exhausts a person of his resources;
It is better to keep quiet and collect oneself and concentrate on individual self's inward serenity.
Chapter 6
6.0 The valley(the void whence birth occurs) and the mysterious force [of growth] will not die out;
They were described [in I Ching] as the function of the "mysterious and inexplicable femininity" [which keeps everything in cosmos in motion];
The unveiling of the mystery of the inexplicable femininity could lead to the roots(basics) which sustains all births and growths between Heaven-and-Earth;
Its existence is long, contiguous, detailed and endless;
Its application is inexhaustible.
