March 2010

Commentary

For nearly 50 years I’ve been interpreting the superior student as referring to students of the way in relation to the Tao Te Ching. Today I broadened my view to include every attempt to study. Along with this, I must also consolidate and simplify my definition of what it means to study. Study normally means concentrating on a subject, which may eventually lead to becoming an expert in that field. This feels like an oddly narrow artifact of civilization, however.

The further back in time we look, we see that individuals ’studied’ (lived) life as an all inclusive whole, i.e., there were no experts to speak of. The way for them was truly broad, reaching left as well as right. Study, in this broader sense, means being as watchful as possible to notice what has yet to be seen, and therefore un-named. As D.C. Lao puts it, the way conceals itself in being nameless. I think of this as studying (watching) life until I can see it beyond the names. Seeing everything as simply symptoms of deeper, subtler, concealed causes helps me reach being capable of not knowing anything. (Now that is an ironic definition of study, eh?)

Entering the way seems like moving backwards, and so on, points to a most tragic, if subtle, aspect of life. We keep looking forward for happiness. Whenever we remain still, we soon become restless and seek out the way that seems bright, unaware that actually the bright way seems hazy and hidden.

This is natural of course. The hunter-gather instinct drives us to keep looking forward. That is where our next meal would be coming from, and so I don’t see this as being  tragic in the wild. Those ancestral ‘wild’ conditions played themselves out slowly which helped maintain balance (in the wild). The main focus of civilization has been to speed up our access to what ever we seek (need, desire, want, crave). This only hinders the ability to cease to desire and remain still.

In an odd way, the more we get, the less we have. Meaning, we can only truly have what we appreciate. Rushing ahead seeking virtue, purity, smooth, and bright is a symptom of less appreciation. This only occurs from a deeper sense of not having enough. Sure, we say, hence in being content, one will always have enough. Isn’t that actually putting the cart before the horse? Contentment comes if and when we feel we have enough. Desire leads to a vicious circle; the more desire, the more we seek, the less we feel appreciation which drives on desire even more. On the other hand, a virtuous circle would be, the less we desire, the less we seek, the more content we feel which leads to less desire. No wonder, therefore, that the sage desires not to desire. I don’t known if that actually breaks the vicious circle of desire, but it can’t hurt, and perhaps slows it down.

Translation

The superior student hearing the way, diligently travels it.
The average student hearing the way, seem to live it, seems to lose it.
The inferior student hearing the way, really ridicules it.
Without this ridicule, it could not be the way.
Hence, we advocate saying,
The bright way seems hazy and hidden.
Entering the way seems like moving backwards.
The smooth way seems rough.
Superior virtue seems like a valley.
Great purity seems disgraceful.
Vast virtue seems insufficient.
Established virtue seems stolen.
Truthful promises seem capricious
Great honesty is without whispers.
Great capacity is a long time coming.
Great sound is scarce sound.
Great appearance is without form.
The way hides from view without name.
The way alone masters perfect forgiveness and accomplishment..

upper (higher; superior) bachelor (scholar; person) hear (news; story; smell) road (way, principle; speak; think) diligent (frequently) <conj.> go (be current; prevail; do) of.

center (middle; in; among) bachelor (scholar; person) hear (news; story; smell) road (way, principle; speak; think) like (seem; as if; if) exist (live; store; keep) like (seem; as if; if) flee (lose; die; conquer).

below (down; lower; inferior; next) bachelor (scholar; person) hear (news; story; smell) road (way, principle; speak; think) big (great) smile (laugh; ridicule) of.

no (not) smile (laugh; ridicule) no (not) foot (leg; enough; full; as much as) use (take; so as to_and) do (act as; be, mean; support) road (way, principle; speak; think).

incident (hence; cause) build (construct; set up; propose; advocate) speech (word; say; talk) have (exist) of.

bright (clear; honest; know) road (way, principle; speak; think) like (seem; as if; if) have hazy notions about (be ignorant of; hide).

advance (enter; receive; eat; take) road (way, principle; speak; think) like (seem; as if; if) move back (retreat; cause to move back; remove).

smooth (safe; exterminate) road (way, principle; speak; think) like (seem; as if; if) ?.

upper (higher; superior) virtue (moral character; heart) like (seem; as if; if) valley ( grain).

big (great) white (clear; pure) like (seem; as if; if) disgrace (dishonour; bring humiliation to; insult).

wide (vast; expand; spread) virtue (moral character; heart) like (seem; as if; if) no (not) foot (leg; enough; full; as much as).

build (construct; set up; establish; advocate).virtue (moral character; heart) like (seem; as if; if) steal (pilfer; secretly; on the sly; find (time).

nature (character; simple <formal> pledge, promise) true (real; genuine) like (seem; as if; if) change (of one’s attitude or feeling).

big (great) square (upright; honest; direction; side; method) nothing (without; not) corner (nook; outlying place).

big (great) utensil (ware; talent) evening (far on in time; late) accomplish (become; result).

big (great) sound (news; tidings; tone) hope (rare; scarce; uncommon) sound (voice; tone).

big (great) elephant (appearance; shape; image) nothing (without; not) form (body; entity; appear).

road (way, principle; speak; think) hidden from view (conceal; dormant; lurking) nothing (without; not) name (given name; fame).

husband (man, master) only (alone) road (way, principle; speak; think) good (perfect; kind; be good at) borrow or lend (shift responsibility, forgive) and accomplish (become; result).

Original

上士闻道勤而行之。
中士闻道若存若亡。
下士闻道大笑之。
不笑不足以为道。
故建言有之。
明道若昧。
进道若退。
夷道若□。
上德若谷。
大白若辱。
广德若不足。
建德若偷。
质真若渝。
大方无隅。
大器晚成。
大音希声。
大象无形。
道隐无名。
夫唯道善贷且成。