Translation
All that came before fulfills the One.
Heaven fulfills the One and is clear.
Earth fulfills the One and is tranquil.
Mind fulfills the One and is effective.
Valley fulfills the One and is full.
Existence fulfills the One and grows.
Rulers fulfill the One and support the empire faithfully.
The One causes.
Heaven without clarity brings dreadful splitting.
Earth without tranquility brings dreadful waste.
Mind without effectiveness brings dreadful stoppage.
Valley without fullness brings dreadful exhaustion.
Existence without growth brings dreadful extinction.
Rulers without faithfulness bring dreadful setbacks.
Hence, the precious take the lowly as the origin.
The high take low as the base.
This, and so rulers call themselves solitary, scant, pathetic
Is this not taking the lowly as a foundation of heresy?
No.
Extreme reputation is without reputation
Not to desire jewelry is comparable to beauty.
Jewelry is comparable to stone.
1) former time (the past) of need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one (者). 昔之得一者。(xī zhī dé yī zhĕ.)
2) sky (heaven; day; nature; God) need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) unmixed (clear; thoroughly; settle). 天得一以清。(tiān dé yī yĭ qīng.)
3) earth need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one use (take; so as to_and; as well as) peaceful (tranquil). 地得一以宁。(dì dé yī yĭ zhù.)
4) god (spirit; mind; smart) need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) quick (clever; effective). 神得一以灵。(shén dé yī yĭ ling.)
5) valley (grain) need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) be full of (have a surplus of). 谷得一以盈。(gŭ dé yī yĭ yíng.)
6) all things on earth need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) give birth (bear; grow; existence; life). 万物得一以生。(wàn wù dé yī yĭ shēng.)
7) nobleman (high official) king (<frml> great) need (have to_ get, obtain, gain > satisfied) one think (believe; consider that) land under heaven loyal (faithful; divination). 侯王得一以为天下贞。(hóu wáng dé yī yĭ wéi tiān xià zhēn.)
8) his (its, he, it, that; such) send (deliver; devote; result in) of. 其致之。(qí zhì zhī.)
9) sky (heaven; day; nature; God) nothing (without) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) unmixed (clear; thoroughly; settle) support (bring; handle, will> lead, command) fear (dread; terrify; intimidate) split (crack). 天无以清将恐裂。(tiān wú yĭ qīng jiāng kŏng liè.)
10) earth nothing (without) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) peaceful (tranquil) support (bring; handle, will> lead, command) fear (dread; terrify; intimidate) give up (abandon; abolish; waste; useless). 地无以宁将恐废。(dì wú yĭ zhù jiāng kŏng fèi.)
11) god (spirit; mind; smart) nothing (without) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) quick (clever; effective) support (bring; handle, will> lead, command) fear (dread; terrify; intimidate) have a rest (stop work,etc.). 神无以灵将恐歇。(shén wú yĭ líng jiāng kŏng xiē.)
12) valley (grain) nothing (without) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) be full of (have a surplus of) support (bring; handle, will> lead, command) exhaust (use up). 谷无以盈将恐竭。(gŭ wú yĭ yíng jiāng kŏng jié.)
13) all things (10,000 things, all things on earth) nothing (without) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) give birth (bear; grow; existence; life) support (bring; handle, will> lead, command) fear (dread; terrify; intimidate) extinguish (submerge; destroy). 万物无以生将恐灭。(wàn wù wú yĭ shēng jiāng kŏng miè.)
14) nobleman (high official) king (<frml> great) nothing (without) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) loyal (faithful; divination) support (bring; handle, will> lead, command) fear (dread; terrify; intimidate) fall (suffer a setback). 侯王无以贞将恐蹶。(hóu wáng wú yĭ zhēn jiāng kŏng jué.)
15) hence (on purpose; intentionally) expensive (precious; noble) take… as (regard.. as) inexpensive (cheap; lowly; humble) the root (basis; origin; native), 故贵以贱为本，(gù guì yĭ jiàn wéi bĕn,)
16) tall (high; above the average) take… as (regard.. as) below (down; under; underneath; lower; inferior) base (foundation; basic; key; primary). 高以下为基。(gāo yĭ xià wéi jī.)
17) <grm> is (yes <frml> this; that) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) nobleman (high official) king (<frml> great) self (oneself; certainly) fit (match; suit> call> say) fatherless (orphaned; solitary), few (scant; tasteless; widowed), no (not) valley (grain). 是以侯王自称孤、寡、不谷。(shì yĭ hóu wáng zì chēng gū, guă, bù gŭ.)
18) this wrong (not conform to) take… as (regard.. as) inexpensive (cheap; lowly; humble) root of a plant (foundation; origin) evil (heretical; irregular; unhealthy environment)? 此非以贱为本邪？(cĭ fēi yĭ jiàn wéi bĕn xié?)
19) wrong (not conform to) 乎 (<part> expresses doubt or wonder). 非乎。(fēi hū.)
20) to (until; > extremely; most) reputation (fame; praise; eulogize) nothing (without) reputation (fame; praise; eulogize). 至誉无誉。(zhì yù wú yù.)
21) no (not) desire (longing; wish; want; about to) □□ in compliance with (according to; like; as; as if > if; > go to) jade (pure, beautiful [of a person]). 不欲□□如玉 (bù yù [] [] rú yù)
22) no (not) desire (longing; wish; want; about to) jade like stone in compliance with (according to; like; as; as if > if; > go to) jade (pure, beautiful [of a person]). 不欲琭琭如玉 (bù yù lù lù rú yù)
Third Pass: Chapter of the Month
Corrections?
If only I could! The first half of this chapter is an odd ball. In translating this chapter, I chose the words that were consistent with the overall context of the Tao Te Ching. Yet, it still carries an overly ‘right’ vs. ‘wrong’ sense to it. That is, if it makes any sense at all. I do note that it made more sense to me previously: Take a look at previous commentary on chapter 39, especially First Pass: Chapter of the Week 02/18/2010. That is about as deep as the first half takes me.
On another matter: I feel I should change the third line from the bottom to read, Extreme reputation is without reputation instead of Extreme fame is without fame. I suspect that the cultural connotation of fame may bias the meaning here.
YouTube Recordings:
https://youtu.be/5SKQ5PfHLKw is the link to the complete video recording of our monthly Sunday meeting. For the nicely edited version, go to Kirk Garber’s YouTube channel. The edited version comes in two parts: The first and shorter Commentary part begins with a chapter reading followed by attendees’ commentary, if any. The second and longer Open Discussion part offers attendees’ observations on how the chapter relates to their personal experience.
Reflections:
All that came before fulfills the One.
This first line resonates well for me. In pondering this first line, I gathered into my mind all that my awareness could touch, and let it fulfill the One. All that I truly know connects one way or another to all that came before. That connection wraps up at the flowing now… the eternal now as I sense it. Anything awareness reaching forward from the eternal now and the all that came before, is foreknowledge. As the last chapter put it, Foreknowledge of the way, magnificent yet a beginning of folly. The great man dwells in the thick, not in the thin. For me, the thick is all that came before up to this eternal present.
I have nothing useful to say about line 2 to 7. Interestingly, the characters that translate to the One ( 一者, yī zhĕ ) are only found in this chapter 39, and no where else. I feel the symbolic meaning of the One stands in sharp contrast to the ‘spirit’ of the Tao Te Ching. If it were up to me, I’d delete them… or not. After all, references to the One add to the conversation. In contrast, for example, these lines from chapter 56 depict nicely the ‘spirit’ of the Tao Te Ching…
Be the same as dust, and profound sameness just don’t conform to the notion of One. Of course, capitalizing the word “one” makes that even more obvious… which is why I did it. Perhaps the particulars, e.g., heaven, earth, mind, valley, linked to the One are the real sticking point because line 8, The One causes, fits the spirit of the Tao Te Ching fairly well.
We are all much more similar to all other life on Earth. Yet, we have difficulty perceiving that unity because we are innately biased to notice difference. Survival in the wild makes that vital. Noticing similarity is a subtle sense that doesn’t stimulate quick responses. For example, a snake and a stick have the same shape. Survival depends on noticing the difference quickly. Noticing the similarities can wait until the possibility of danger passes.
The One causes
It implies there is something that serves as the root cause of all existence. That resonates well with line 1, All that came before fulfills the One. However, it is not particularly consistent with the next chapter 40. Take the last two lines for instance, All under heaven is born in having, Having is born in nothing. Chapter 40 invites my mind to dive into the most profound depth it can ‘sink’. The talk of the One, has mostly the opposite effect.
Hence, the precious take the lowly as the origin.
The high take low as the base.
The last half of this chapter returns us to the overall spirit of the Tao Te Ching. The rational, Hence, is a little off base vis-à-vis the One. Indeed, the notion of the One is quite hierarchical and elitist, not particularly sharing the same base as profound sameness. I suppose the One could be viewed as the base. Still, wouldn’t Zero be more of a base than One? Indeed, that is the view offered in the next chapter, i.e., Having is born in nothing
Chapter 61 speaks to the view that the high take low as the base.
This, and so rulers call themselves solitary, scant, pathetic
Solitary evokes lonely. Lonely evokes empty. Empty evokes entropy. By following the cosmic ‘chain of command’ down to its deepest level, I see everything, yes every thing, as being solitary. That is what makes the world go round. The electron without its counterpart the proton is solitary. The yin without its yang is solitary. The man without his mate is solitary. That provides the pull nature employs to make the universe work… yes work, struggle, toil, act! If the universe is working so hard, why should we add to that? Let it’s work be done, and you just be the ‘tool’ of its goings on. Such an impersonal view is as comforting as it is challenging to maintain. The ego wants a future. Nevertheless, sensing that point of view on the horizon of one’s mind offers relief… well my mind anyway.
Is this not taking the lowly as a foundation of heresy?
No.
Of course, anything that supports the lowly as a foundation (the lower position) is generally repugnant to the hierarchical social system humanity has fabricated (see The Tradeoff). “I” wants to be higher on the social ladder, not lower. Any challenge to the hierarchical order is naturally felt as a foundation of heresy.
Extreme fame is without fame.
I suppose you could see this two ways. It all depends on how you define fame. The problem with words lies in the meaning you lend them. That meaning is profoundly influenced by one’s experiences… our personal story. The literal words for this character are, reputation (fame; praise; eulogize). Perhaps I should have used the first meaning, reputation, i.e., Extreme reputation is without reputation. Chapter 34 hints…
Think of water or air. Both have extreme fame / reputation. Thus, as we can easily note, these are without fame / reputation. They are without because they are so omnipresent. Entities that acquire fame / reputation stand out from the mundane. They get noticed because they are rare, elite, uncommon. To put it in Taoist terms, the uncommon is not of the constant. Simply put, the constant is anonymous. I imagine this feels like turning the world on its head. Chapter 79 sheds light… Straight and honest words seem inside out.
Not to desire jewelry is comparable to beauty.
Jewelry is comparable to stone.
For me, this is called profound sameness, as chapter 56 frames it. This speaks to the pernicious effects of a hierarchical social system that, by its very structure, promotes a layered and divisive approach to life. Civilizations emphasize differences in order to layer cultural reality in ways that support the hierarchy needed to organize. To be sure, civilization doesn’t create our sense of a layered reality, but it does draw on and intensify our primal hierarchical instincts. This creates too much of a good thing for our own spiritual well-being. These final lines of chapter 39 invite us to step away from this cultural influence for a few moments and see things as they actually are, not as culture promotes them. Chapter 62 and 81 speaks to this as well…
Even though surrounded by jade and presented with horses,
Not equal to receiving the way. #62
True speech isn’t beautiful, Beautiful speech isn’t true. #81
Chapter Archive https://youtu.be/8YbWeh_Duyk
This is the complete video. It begins with blowing Zen followed by the meeting
Second Pass: Work in Progress
Issues:
Line 18: I put this line as, Is this not taking the lowly as a foundation of heresy? However, I’m not particularly satisfied with it due to the current accepted meaning of one of the characters, xié (邪) evil; heretical; irregular; <Chin. med.> unhealthy environmental influences that cause disease.
Although, I suppose I could interpret this as the root where two life paths originate—a kind of good vs. evil. Taking the lowly as base can be what propels one down the evil path. To make sure this is not the case here, the next line clearly says, “No! that’s not the case here”. Here are some other words that use xié (邪) to contemplate.
xié (邪) evil; heretical; irregular; <Chin. med.> unhealthy environmental influences that cause disease.
xiédào (邪道) evil ways; depraved life; vice.
xiémén (邪门) <dialect> strange; odd; abnormal.
xiéxīn (邪心) evil thought; wicked idea.
xiéxíng (邪行) evil deeds.
gǎixiéguīzhèng (改邪归正 ) give up evil and return to good; turn over a new leaf.
Line 21: I changed Not to desire is comparable to beauty to Not to desire jewelry is comparable to beauty. I initially preferred the former for it addressed desire broadly. Not to desire jewelry is a little more poetic in that one main purpose of jewelry is to enhance one’s beauty. It give a whole new meaning to beauty.
Commentary:
The pinnacle, the pyramid’s peak, is a fearsome lonely place to be, whether born a prince or innately given to ‘claw’ our way to the top. It is much more comfortable and secure to be 2nd in command on the totem pole (or lower). Social climbing is one of nature’s more powerful hoodwinks; it drives those who aim for the top, yet also those who cheer those who reach the top. Tribal instinct draws us to elevate some to the superior position, and look up to them. In that process we unconsciously enjoy the safety net that this provides us. The ‘boss’ (kings, coaches, teachers, doctors, presidents) is taking responsibility; we can relax. Nature works in mysterious ways, eh?
The beauty of the ideal of Nature vs. God is that it is all around us, mundane, anonymous, and shows no preferences─it is impartial to a fault. It is always on the side of the adept(善). God, on the other hand, is the ultimately clever human ideal that reflects our need for a ‘boss’ and doesn’t impede our tendencies for hypocrisy. God can be both the creator of all, and on our side against forces aligned against us. God also performs as the ideal leader, guide, punisher, redeemer, ‘the supreme alpha-male’ for which our tribal hierarchical nature clamors.
If the One is God, ‘he’ takes all the credit and all the blame. It is the same if the One is nature, and perhaps more so. Science’s role is probing nature’s workings. Test, challenge, hypothesis, verify or disprove, all the ways it is responsible for how things are the way they are. Unlike God, nature has no preconceived standing in human culture. Thus, we can question it, probe it, dissect it and put it back together without fear of heresy. Rather than the question of Nature vs. Nurture, think about the question of Nature vs. God. (I suppose I really shouldn’t capitalize it… it is just that nature is like a god for me I guess).
In defining nature, I especially life the Chinese word for this: ziran (自然): natural world; nature; naturally; in the ordinary course of events; of course; naturally. The two characters are:
zi (自): self; oneself; one’s own; certainly; of course; from; since
ran (然): right; correct; so; like that.
So, nature is ‘self so’, or ‘certainly like that’, or ‘self correct’. I suppose I’d go for ‘self so’. Things just are what they are, naturally so. Finally, here are a few previous posts that delve into various aspects of nature as I see it:
Are you out of touch with nature?
Suggested Revision:
All that came before fulfills the One
Heaven fulfills the One and is clear.
Earth fulfills the One and is tranquil.
Mind fulfills the One and is effective.
Valley fulfills the One and is full.
Existence fulfills the One and grows.
Rulers fulfill the One and support the empire faithfully.
The One causes.
Heaven without clarity brings dreadful splitting.
Earth without tranquility brings dreadful waste.
Mind without effectiveness brings dreadful stoppage.
Valley without fullness brings dreadful exhaustion.
Existence without growth brings dreadful extinction.
Rulers without faithfulness bring dreadful setbacks.
Hence, the precious take the lowly as the origin.
The high take low as the base.
This, and so rulers call themselves solitary, scant, pathetic
Is this not taking the lowly as a foundation of heresy?
No.
Extreme fame is without fame.
Not to desire jewelry is comparable to beauty.
Jewelry is comparable to stone.
First Pass: Chapter of the Week
D.C. Lao translates this chapter’s final sentence as, ‘Not wishing to be one among many like jade, Nor to be aloof like stone‘. Does this convey the meaning of the original? Compare D.C. Lao’s with the literal translation of the characters and/or my translation (below). Although, I don’t think it matters much. When you read either from a ‘taoist’ point of view, you will likely see a ‘taoist’ message, provided both are well written (i.e., grammar and such). The ‘best’ one will be the one that says best what you want to hear. Naturally, this holds true regardless of translation accuracy. Simply put: What we think we see is a result of what we want to see. Just as ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, so also is ‘meaning is in the mind of the beholder’. (No wonder I have to say, in the end, my mind is that of a fool – how blank! Nevertheless…)
We use D.C. Lao’s more readable translation at the Sunday meeting. Personally, I see ‘Not wishing to be one among many like jade’ as portraying our hierarchical drive for social status. Each person feels special (i.e., the ego illusion) which ironically makes this a ‘one among many’ reality. This can only add to any indifference one may have about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, and instead nudge one to ‘be aloof like stone’ (and perhaps also gain a competitive edge in the process).
I imagine that righteous purists, of every stripe, fit this ‘be aloof like stone’ model. Personally, never being particularly drawn to the cultural mainstream, this ‘aloof like stone’ turned out to be a principle by-path for me. Naturally enough, I never found contentment in being more aloof like stone, nor in longing to be one among many like jade. That makes sense, of course, because these are symptoms of underlying imbalance (i.e., symptoms reveal imbalance and/or mask imbalance, but never eliminate imbalance).
Finding a balance between the two is the only way that works. Like maintaining physical balance, in a head stand for example, constant vigilance is essential. Of course, this is an ‘easier said than done’ ideal. Still, at least I know what to head for. Often in existential matters, merely knowing the way is more than sufficient. Knowing this, the rest takes care of itself; a journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one’s feet. What happens beneath one’s feet now is far more crucial than getting anywhere; the getting there is how we live out our days.
Existence fulfills the One and grows, and so on, parallels my view that everything in existence rests on a symptom of something deeper. Calling ‘that something’ the One is appropriate. For one thing, as soon as you name ‘that something’, it then becomes a symptom of something One level deeper. The One is that indistinct and shadowy aspect that has yet to be named. I suppose this is like a house of mirrors, with the One obscured by the last mirror. The practical value in knowing that existence fulfills the One and grows lies not in understanding what the One actually is, but rather in knowing that whatever you see is resting on a deeper base cause. The mind can only identify and name the surface, the appearance, of things. The trap lies in believing that the surface of which you are aware is the whole picture, when in fact, it is only the tip of the iceberg. The more you understand that existence fulfills the One and grows, the less likely you can become swept up and trapped by what you think that you know. This sounds horribly abstract to me, but that’s only because words don’t lend themselves to describing such matters. I suppose it is the challenge of tackling the impossible that keeps me trying and typing.
The high takes low as the base. This, and so rulers call themselves solitary, scant, pathetic. I see two ways to interpret this: (1) They are solitary, scant, pathetic because they are kings, or (2) they are kings because they are solitary, scant, pathetic. For me, the base cause here is feeling solitary, scant, pathetic. In other words, feeling solitary, scant, pathetic drives one to be ‘king’ of something. The high takes low as the base points to the process. The low is the foundation and the power house that drives the high. As they say, “nature abhors a vacuum”; the silent and void are the mother of all action.