Translation

The outside world passes for the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
Still and silent, it alone does not change.
Goes round yet doesn’t harm,
It can serve as the mother of all under heaven and earth.
We don’t know its name,
Powerful, of words we call it the way,
Striving, of reputation we call it great.
Great we call death, death we call distant, distant we call reversal.
Hence, the way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and man is also great.
In the center there exists four ‘greats’, and people reside as one.
People follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the way,
And the way follows that which is natural and free from affectation

have (there is; exist) matter (the outside world) mix (confuse; pass for) accomplish (become; turn into) earlier (first) heaven and earth (universe) give birth to (existence).

still (silent; solitary) few (silent; deserted) only (single; alone) stand (set up) no (not) change (rectify),

make a circuit (all) go (be current; prevail; do; competent) <conj.> no (not) danger (nearly almost),

can (may) do (serve as; be; mean) land under heaven mother.

I (we) no (not) know (realize; tell) self (one’s own; certainly) name (fame; reputation),

strong>stubborn (unyielding>powerful>strive) word of say (call) road (way, principle; speak; think).

stubborn (unyielding>powerful>strive) do (become; mean~ stand for, support) of name (fame; reputation) say (call) big (great; heavy rain, loud etc).

big (great; heavy rain, loud etc) say (call) pass (die), pass (die) say (call) far (distant), far (distant) say (call) reverse (turn over; in an opposite direction; revolt).

reason (cause; hence) road (way, principle; speak; think) big (great; heavy rain, loud etc), sky (heaven; day; nature) big (great; heavy rain, loud etc), earth big (great; heavy rain, loud etc), man also big (great; heavy rain, loud etc).

field (region, area) center (middle; in; among) have (there is; exist) four big (great; heavy rain, loud etc), <conj.>) people reside (dwell; live) his (its, he, it, that; such) one here (how; why).

person method (follow; model after) earth, earth method (follow; model after) sky (heaven; day; nature), sky (heaven; day; nature) method (follow; model after) road (way, principle; speak; think),

road (way, principle; speak; think) method (follow; model after) natural (free from affectation)

(*) One symptom of not finding an answer that ultimately satisfies is the fervency with which we hold on to our beliefs, and sometimes try to convert others these belief. After all, the belief with the most ‘votes’ must surely be the true one. Fervently holding on is symptomatic of the tenuousness we feel. On the other hand, when you know you ‘have it’, ‘it’ can become darkly visible, (and) only seems as if it were there.

Original

有物混成
先天地生。
寂兮寥兮独立不改，
周行而不殆，
可以为天下母。
吾不知其名，
强字之曰道。
强为之名曰大。
大曰逝，
逝曰远，
远曰反。
故道大、
天大、
地大、
人亦大。
域中有四大，
而人居其一焉。
人法地，
地法天，
天法道，
道法自然。

Commentary, July 2009

This chapter downplays “The Tao”, and reduces it to merely “tao”. How? This chapter ends with, And the way follows that which is natural and free from affectation, or D.C. Lao put it, And the way on that which is naturally so. The Chinese word for nature is ziran, which is a combination of two characters: (自) zi = self; oneself; one’s own; certainly; of course; from; since, and (然) ran = right; correct; so; like that. This stands in sharp contrast to how nature is often viewed in the West. We give the word a moralistic, bordering on Godlike, quality in the West. For example, a plastic bottle isn’t natural and artificial foods aren’t natural.

I’ve always felt nature was much more profound than anything humans did or didn’t do. This moralized view is symptomatic of how taken we are with our own self importance, which in turn, is symptomatic of our ideal of self, which leaves us with a deep sense of disconnection and insignificance, which is why we have religion in the first place. (Boy, that was a long sentence.) The Chinese word for nature expresses a broader view of nature. What is ‘tao’, but the unfolding way of nature?

Inquiries into reality, its nature, origin and fate, are among the earliest and continuing questions humanity asks about the outside world. As long as we expect an objective answer, our inquiries will continue. It is an odd thing really, like asking where a circle begins and ends. Of course, biology hoodwinks us into perceiving reality as contrasts; the greater the contrasts, the more acute the perceptions, and the more real the outside world feels.

Therefore, ironically, as long as we insist on answering the mystery in terms that allow us to feel we have a solid answer, we can never find the answer that ultimately satisfies(*). To paraphrase chapter two, Thus Answer and Question produce each other, complement each other, off-set each other, harmonize with each other, and follow each other.

Simply said, the answer is the question, the beginning is the end, etc., (and visa verse naturally). Of course, just saying that doesn’t offer any emotional relief, but it may tell one where to look.