June 2009

Commentary

I’ve long seen this chapter as pointing out symptoms that reveal one’s deeper reality (i.e., underlying causes). For example, D.C. Lau translation says ‘He who brags will have no merit‘. This implies that bragging causes one to have no merit. Seeing it that way is putting the cart before the horse. Bragging is simply a way to compensate for feeling a lack of merit (a sense of self worth). In other words, we counterbalance our inner reality with external opposites. The more extreme the inner, the more extreme the external ‘counterbalance’ one can notice. That is, provided one knows this counterbalancing process runs the show. There’s the hitch. The tendency judge a book by its cover blinds us to underlying causes.

Interestingly, the original says: ‘self (one’s own, certainly) fell (cut down, strike, attack) (thing) nothing (without, not, regardless of) merit (achievement)’. How faithful is D.C. Lau’s translation? A translation is, in part, an interpretation arising from one’s own world view. I’m guessing D.C. Lau holds the view that ‘he who brags will have no merit’. The word will gives the time line, i.e., this will produce that. On the other hand, simply saying ‘He who brags is without merit’ is closer to the original and more vague as to which causes which.

Again, the original states: self (one’s own, certainly) fell (cut down, strike, attack) (thing) nothing (without, not, regardless of) merit (achievement). D.C. Lau translated this as ‘He who brags will have no merit‘ while last time I translated this as In self attack, we achieve nothing. Let’s break that down: When one achieves nothing, one often attacks oneself (self blame). That is a more symptomatic point of view. The achieving nothing precedes the self blame. Of course, if one is always attacking one’s self, one will not achieve much of anything. I suppose both are true. The fundamental cause though, is a sense of lacking. This drives self blame which in turn inhibits achievement. It can become a vicious circle leading one to seek therapy or booze!

This time I am inclined to put it this way: Cutting down one’s self is without merit, or perhaps, Cutting down one’s self regardless of one’s merit. Both sound reasonable. The former says there is no merit in demeaning yourself. The later says just the opposite in a ‘positive’ way. To put it another way, take the lower position regardless of any meritorious achievements.

While I rather prefer the later, ‘positive’ view, I went with: Attacking your self is without merit. This illustrates the role one’s own world view plays in ‘understanding’ the Tao Te Ching. At best, in truth, you only end up ‘understanding’ your own world view a bit more broadly. In this case, I have two opposing ways to ‘understand’ it. The bottom line: I can not learn what I do not ‘know’ already for the learning is a function of what is already within my current world view. Goodness, what a radical view! It’s something Chuang Tzu might have liked.

The ‘stand on tiptoe (look forward to) (thing) not stand (found; exist; live); step (stride; go beyond) (thing) not go (be current; prevail; do; competent) ‘ also raises the question of which causes which. I experience it this way: not existing in the here and now causes me to look forward; not being current causes me to go beyond. Again, this easily becomes a vicious circle. The more I look forward the less here and now I am; the less here and now I am, the more I look forward to… foreknowledge

We must be innately set up to see the symptoms we see, not as the symptoms they are, but as causes. I suppose this is biologically more expedient survival wise, especially for species that don’t think. That way an animal need not sweat reality’s details, but simply react to how reality appears. The downside for humans is that we fail to get to the bottom of ‘things’. ‘Thing’ being the mountains we make out of the mole holes we see. Regarding what I see ‘out there’ as merely a symptom of something ‘in here’ helps me get deeper toward the bottom of ‘things’, and so avoid the vicious circle my mind can sometimes lead me into.

Translation

What we look forward to, does not exist;
What we chase after, will not prevail.
Seeing your self, is not honest;
Of course, this is not evident.
Attacking your self is without merit;
Self pity is does not endure.
Such ways are called surplus food and superfluous forms.
Such matters of the outside world are distasteful,
Hence one who has the way does not dwell in them.

stand on tiptoe (look forward to) (thing) not stand (found; exist; live);

step (stride; go beyond)  (thing) not  go (be current; prevail; do; competent).

self (one’s own; certainly) see (catch sight of_ appear; become visible) (thing) not bright (clear; honest; know);

naturally (of course) (thing)  not clear (evident; conspicuous).

self (one’s own; certainly) fell (cut down; strike; attack) (thing) nothing (without; not; regardless of) merit (achievement);

self (one’s own; certainly)  pity (sympathize with; self-important; conceited) (thing) not of long duration (forte).

his (her; its; their, he, she, it, they; that; such) exist (be living) road (way, principle; speak; think) also (too; as well; either) say (call; name); surplus (more than; over) bring food to (feed) superfluous (redundant; be cumbersome) form (entity; look).

matter (the outside world as distinct from oneself) perhaps (or> someone) evil (fierce~dislike; hate) of,

happening (reason; hence) have (there is; exist) road (way, principle; speak; think)(thing) not place (part~be situated in; manage> dwell; live).

Original

企者不立；
跨者不行。
自见者不明；
自是者不彰。
自伐者无功；
自矜者不长。
其在道也曰：
余食赘形。
物或恶之，
故有道者不处。