Translation

The way gave birth to the whole.
The whole gave birth to difference.
Difference gave birth to the many.
The many gave birth to all things.

All things suffer the negative and embrace the positive.
Clashing spirits considered harmonious,
As people, we loathe alone, few and not of the valley,
And Kings and princes consider this a suitable match.

Hence, things perhaps lose as well as benefit, and benefit as well as lose.
Of people’s religious teaching, I also teach,
The backbone of effort seldom results in one’s death.
I will take this teaching of my ancestors just so.

road (way, principle; speak; think) give birth to (existence) one (single; same; whole).

one (single; same; whole) give birth to (existence) two (different).

two (different) give birth to (existence) three (more than two; several; many).

three (more than two; several; many) give birth to (existence) all things on earth.

all things on earth carry on back (suffer; owe> negative) yin (feminine or negative) <conj.> hold in arms the sun (open; belonging to this world; yang, masculine or positive principle in nature),

vigorously (facing_pour boiling water on; flush> opposition) gas (air; breath; spirit; enrage) think (believe; consider) gentle (kind; harmonious; peace> and).

human being (man; people; adult) of place loathe (dislike; hate), only (alone) fatherless (orphaned; solitary; ‘I’ used by feudal princes) few (scant; tasteless; widowed) no (not) valley (gorge; grain),

<conj.> princes and dukes (the nobility) think (believe; consider) fit (match; suit),

happening (reason; cause; hence; therefore) thing (matter; the outside world) perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) decrease (lose; damage; > sarcastic > shabby) of <conj.> benifit (advantage; increase), perhaps (or; either…or…; > someone) benifit (advantage; increase; increasingly) of <conj.> decrease (lose; damage; > sarcastic > shabby).

human being (man; people; adult) of place teach (instruct; religion), I (we; self) also (too) teach (instruct; religion) of,

strive (strong; powerful; better_unyielding) roof beam (bridge; ridge)?, no (not) need (must,_get, result in;> satisfied> be finished) his (its, he, it, that; such) die (extremely; to death; implacable; rigid).

I (we) support (bring; handle, will>lead, command) think (believe; consider) teach (instruct; religion) father (elderly man in ancient times) just (only).

Original

道生一。
一生二。
二生三。
三生万物。
万物负阴而抱阳，
冲气以为和。
人之所恶，
唯孤、寡不谷，
而王公以为称，
故物或损之而益，
或益之而损。
人之所教，
我亦教之，
强梁者，
不得其死。
吾将以为教父。甫

Commentary, March 2010

The literal puts it somewhat differently than D.C.Lau’s translation reads. This always feels odd at first, for I’ve been reading D.C.Lau’s translation for about 50 years now. Nevertheless, I approach this, whether D.C.Lau’s or the Chinese, with an intention of having it represent something I know to be so through experience. This has not always been easy, or possible, especially in my younger days. For me, understanding the Tao Te Ching is really about understanding my own experience. This is another way of saying, the Tao Te Ching teaches you nothing you don’t know already. The task is really about understanding cognitively what you know intuitively (i.e., …Shadowy, indistinct. Indistinct and shadowy), and the Tao Te Ching is a useful tool to that end. Now, on with this chapter…

‘The way gave birth to the whole. The whole gave birth to difference’ offers me a deeper view compared to ‘The way begets one; one begets two‘ . One and two also mean whole and difference, but whole and difference mean more to me that one and two (especially in this context).

The word ‘fu‘ (负) translates various ways: carry on back; suffer; owe; betray; lose. D.C.Lau used the carry on their backs, where as I went with suffer. Both meanings are equally fine; I choose suffer as that corresponds with Buddha’s First Noble Truth. Seeking and finding parallels in other scriptures always helps broaden and deepen the view.

Next, There are no words which men detest more than ’solitary’, ‘desolate’, and ‘hapless’, yet lords and princes use these to refer to themselves. I see this as the unintended consequences of rising to the top leadership position. The higher up one goes, the further from the lower position one can get, leaving one with an inevitable sense of isolation. This is a secret of sorts, in that the many at the bottom look up to the select few at the top and see mostly the ‘good’ side (i.e., the success, wealth, power, control, and fame they may aspire to in their dreams). On the other side of the coin, the buck stops with the master at the top! That’s sobering enough to make one feel alone, few, and not of the valley.

Generally, I think the burden of responsibility is only appreciated by those who are carrying it. Why? For one thing, it is an abstract ‘burden’ compared to hauling water up hill, for example, which everybody can picture. The burden of responsibility is a psychological and emotional burden. Indeed, taking on a physical burden often helps lighten the mental and emotional load… as does, or course, following the way and the way only!

Both perhaps lose as well as benefit, and benefit as well as lose and, thus a thing is sometimes added to by being diminished and diminished by being added to, conform to my experience, but in different ways. The literal may put it better for me. It is another way of saying ‘there are no free rides’ in nature. Everything comes with a price. There is no “sometimes” about it, although D.C.Lau’s “sometimes” may be his translation of hou (或) which translates more directly as perhaps. Come to think of it, there is no “perhaps” about it either.