Translation
Its peace easily manages, Its presence easily plans,
Its fragility easily melts, Its timeliness easily scatters,
Acts without existing, Governs without disorder.
A tree barely embraceable grows from a fine tip.
A terrace nine layers high rises from piled earth.
A thousand mile journey begins below the feet.
Of doing we fail, Of holding on we lose.
Taking this, the wise do nothing, hence never fail,
Hold nothing, hence never lose.
People in their affairs always accomplish some, yet fail.
Being as careful at the end as the beginning as a rule never fails.
Taking this, the wise person desires non desire,
And does not value difficult to obtain goods.
Learns non learning and turns around people’s excesses,
As well as assists all things naturally, and never boldly act.
1) his (its; their; they; that) peaceful (quiet; calm) easy (amiable) hold (grasp; support), his (its; their; they; that) have not (did not) sign (omen; portent, foretell) easy (amiable) stratagem (plan; work for; seek; plot; consult.) 其安易持，其未兆易谋。(qí ān yì chí, qí wèi zhào yì móu.)
2) his (its; their; they; that) fragile (brittle; crisp; clear > neat) easy (amiable) melt, his (its; their; they; that) minute (tiny) easy (amiable) break-up (come loose). 其脆易泮，其微易散。(qí cuì yì pàn, qí wēi yì săn.)
3) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) of in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) have not (did not) have (exist), rule (govern; order; peace; > government; control) of in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) have not (did not) in a mess (disorder; chaos). 为之于未有，治之于未乱。(wéi zhī yú wèi yŏu, zhì zhī yú wèi luàn.)
4) so big that one can just get one’s arms around of tree (timber; wooden; coffin) give birth to (grow; existence; life) in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) fine long hair (writing brush) end (nonessentials; dust). 合抱之木生于毫末。(hé bào zhī mù shēng yú háo mò.)
5) nine layer (tier; floor) of platform (stage; terrace) get up (remove; pull; appear) in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) pile up (accumulate; continuous; involve) soil (earth; land; ground; local; native; homemade; unenlightened; opium). 九层之台起于累土。(jiŭ céng zhī tái qĭ yú léi tŭ.)
6) a thousand li (a long distance) of go (travel, do, be current) beginning (start> only then) in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) foot (leg; enough; full; as much as) below (down; under; lower; inferior). 千里之行始于足下。(qiān lĭ zhī xíng shĭ yú zú xià.)
7) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support)(者) be defeated (lose; beat; fail; decay) of, hold (manage; stick to, carry out; observe) (者) lose (miss; let slip; mistake) of. 为者败之，执者失之。(wéi zhĕ bài zhī, zhí zhĕ shī zhī.)
8) <grm> is (yes <frml> this; that) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) sage (holy; sacred) human (man; people), nothing (without; not) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) reason (cause; on purpose; hence) nothing (without; not) be defeated (lose; beat; fail; decay), 是以圣人无为故无败 (shì yĭ shèng rén wú wéi gù wú bài)
9) nothing (without; not) hold (manage; stick to, carry out; observe) reason (cause; on purpose; hence) nothing (without; not) lose (miss; let slip; mistake). 无执故无失。(wú zhí gù wú shī.)
10) the people (civilian) of go in for (be engaged in; deal with) ordinary (normal; constant; often) in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) several (some) accomplish (become; result) <conj.> and (yet, but) be defeated (lose; beat; fail; decay) of. 民之从事常于几成而败之。(mín zhī cóng shì cháng yú jī chéng ér bài zhī.)
11) careful (cautious) end (death; eventually; whole; all) in compliance with (like; as if; can compare with) beginning (start> only then) standard (norm; rule > imitate; follow) nothing (without; not) be defeated (lose; beat; fail) matter (affair; thing; involvement). 慎终如始则无败事。(shèn zhōng rú shĭ zé wú bài shì.)
12) <grm> is (yes <frml> this; that) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) sage (holy; sacred) human (man; people) desire (wish; want; about to) no (not) desire (wish; want; about to), 是以圣人欲不欲，(shì yĭ shèng rén yù bù yù,)
13) no (not) expensive (precious; noble) hard to come by (rare) of goods (commodity; money; idiot). 不贵难得之货。(bù guì nán dé zhī huò.)
14) study (imitate; knowledge) no (not) study (imitate; knowledge), duplicate (turn around, answer, recover) many (numerous; crowd; multitude) human (man; people) of place cross (past; through; over; exceed), 学不学，复众人之所过，(xué bù xué, fù zhòng rén zhī suŏ guò,)
15) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) assist (complement; supplement) all things on earth of at ease (natural; free from affectation) <conj.> and (yet, but) no (not) bold (dare; be certain) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support). 以辅万物之自然而不敢为。(yĭ fŭ wàn wù zhī zì rán ér bù găn wéi.)
Third Pass: Chapter of the Month
Reflections:
I found myself referring a few times to the word-for-word section of this chapter. That is rarely the case, so what is different? Overall, I suppose this speaks to the difficulty of finding a best-fit English word at times. In such cases, it really helps to consider the other English meanings associated with the particular Chinese character.
D.C. Lau’s translation makes a lot of sense right off the bat. It expresses that old Western maxim, “A stitch in time saves nine” from numerous angles.
Now here is my translation of this. It is much closer to the literal, and it is somewhat less comprehensible right off the bat:
Its peace easily manages,
Its presence easily plans,
Its fragility easily melts,
Its timeliness easily scatters,
Acts without existing,
Governs without disorder
What’s the difference between these two, other than the fact that the latter is closer to the original in regards to word count. Oddly, in fact, my translation has 22 words while the original character count is 27. (其安易持 其未兆易谋, 其脆易泮 其微易散, 为之于未有治之于未乱). Perhaps, I should have used more words… 😉
Actually, I think this is rare; I usually struggle a lot to make the English as succinct as possible. In any case, more words (explication) wouldn’t help here. Instead, let your mind play with both D.C. Lau’s translation, my translation above, and the word-for-word entry below it. Each helps bring out meaning in the other. In the end though, none are as pithy as “A stitch in time saves nine”.
- The bolded words are the principle usage, with other common meanings in parentheses.
his (its; their; they; that) peaceful (quiet; calm) easy (amiable) hold (grasp; support), his (its; their; they; that) have not (did not) sign (omen; portent, foretell) easy (amiable) stratagem (plan; work for; seek; plot; consult.) 其安易持，其未兆易谋.
his (its; their; they; that) fragile (brittle; crisp; clear > neat) easy (amiable) melt,his (its; their; they; that) minute (tiny) easy (amiable) break-up (come loose). 其脆易泮，其微易散.
do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) of in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) have not (did not) have (exist),rule (govern; order; peace; > government; control) of in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) have not (did not) in a mess (disorder; chaos). 为之于未有，治之于未乱.
Wéi Wú Wéi and Wú Wéi (为无为and 无为)
I’ve found Wú Wéi to be one of the most common clichés in Taoism. Among other things, I’ve heard it described as action-less action. That never went deep enough for me. Personally, I find it helpful to ponder wéi wú wéi (or wú wéi) as it relates to time. Human experience ‘gets lost’ in an arbitrary and imaginary sense of time. The human mind lives in a past and a future, as well as a s0-called present. The more I can ‘forget’ the past, future and present, the more my sense of “I am doing something” fades away. Then, my experience is essentially, wei wu wei.
Anyway, it appears about nine times, with its last appearance in this current chapter, which I translate as:
Of doing we fail, Of holding on we lose,
Taking this, the wise do nothing, hence never fail,
Taking this at ‘face value’ probably won’t convey the deeper meaning. One reason for this is that as a reader, we naturally bring to it our own interpretation of word meaning. In a sense, our own preconceptions, fears and needs, (bias built from life experience) blind us from the start. (See the blind spot post, John Cleese, A ‘Taoist’?)
The best way to circumvent any blind spots vis-à-vis the Tao Te Ching comes when you can ‘hold in mind’ the meaning of the entire work… all 81 chapters. Context is critical. Each chapter corroborates the other chapters. Taking one without feeling the whole can easily mislead. In fact, this corroboration principle applies to the scripture core of all religions… pretty much anyway. It helps to feel out the parallels between them all… not today though. We’ll stick with the Tao Te Ching, and even narrower, to just the chapters that reference wu wei specifically.
Ponder and compare these Wú Wéi references. I know it will enlighten more than anything I could say on the matter of Wú Wéi.
Chapter 3
Doing without doing, following without exception rules
do (act; act as; serve as) nil (without) do (act; act as; serve as), 为无为
Chapter 10
Loving the nation, can you govern the people without acting?
love (like; cherish; take good care of) country (state; nation) rule (govern; manage; peace) the people (civilian), can (ability) nothing (nil; without) do (act; act as; serve as; become; be; mean) 乎 (<part> expresses doubt or wonder)? 爱国治民，能无为乎？
Chapter 37
The way normally does nothing, yet there is nothing not done.
road (way, principle; speak; think) ordinary (normal; constant; often) nothing (without; not) do (act as; be, mean; support), <conj.> and (yet, but) nothing (without; not) no (not) do (act as; be, mean; support). 道常无为，而无不为。
Chapter 38
Superior virtue never acts and never believes.
upper (higher; superior) virtue (moral character; integrity; heart) nothing (without; not) do (act as; be, mean; support) <conj.> and (yet, but) nothing (without) think (believe; consider). 上德无为而无以为。
Chapter 43
Without existence entering without space between, I know non-action has the advantage.
nothing (without; not) have (exist) enter (join; be admitted into) nothing (without; not) space in between (opening; among; within a definite time or space), I (we) <grm> is (yes <frml> this; that) take… as (regard… as) know (realize; tell) nothing (without; regardless) ofhave (exist) benefit (profit; beneficial; increase). 无有入无间，吾是以知无为之有益。(wú yŏu rù wú jiàn, wú shì yĭ zhī wú wéi zhī yŏu yì.)
Not of words teaching, without action advantage;
no (not) speech (word; say; talk) ofteach (instruct.), nothing (without; not) do (act as; be, mean; support) ofbenefit (profit; advantage; beneficial; increase). 不言之教，无为之益
Chapter 48
Use until without doing.
use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) to (until; > extremely; most) in (at, to, from, by, than, out of) nothing (nil; without) do (act as; be, mean; support). 以至于无为
Without doing, yet not undone.
nothing (nil, without) do <conj.> and (yet, but) no (not) do (act as; be, mean; support). 无为而不为。
Chapter 57
I do nothing and the people change themselves.
I (we) nothing (without; not) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) <conj.> and (yet, but) the people (civilian) self (oneself; certainly) change (turn; transform; convert; influence). 我无为而民自化
Chapter 63
Do without doing,
do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) nothing (without; not) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support), 为无为，
Chapter 64
Of doing we fail, Of holding on we lose.
Taking this, the wise do nothing, hence never fail
do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support)(者) be defeated (lose; beat; fail; decay) of,hold (manage; stick to, carry out; observe) (者) lose (miss; let slip; mistake) of. 为者败之，执者失之。(wéi zhĕ bài zhī, zhí zhĕ shī zhī.)
<grm> is (yes <frml> this; that) use (<v> take <p> according to; because of <adj> so as to <conj> and) sage (holy; sacred) human (man; people), nothing (without; not) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) reason (cause; on purpose; hence) nothing (without; not) be defeated (lose; beat; fail; decay), 是以圣人无为故无败
Second Pass: Work in Progress
Issues:
There weren’t many issues for this chapter, although, four of the sharpest eyes for finding issues were absent today so who knows? Anyone? I changed journey begins below our feet to journey begins below the feet. There is no ‘our’ in the original. There is no the in the original either, but having that makes the English roll off the lips (and mind) easier. It is tough enough as it is.
I also replaced the In order to assists… to As well as assists… The literal is yǐ fǔ 以辅 (use; take; according to; because of; in order to; so as to; <formal> at a certain time; <conj.> and; as well as + assist; complement; supplement). Yǐ as you see has a range of related meanings. It is a very common word in Chinese. Today I feel that translating it as In order to feels too active; As well as feel right.
Finally, today was the first time I read my translation of this chapter aloud. That is true each time. It is really quite odd for I’m so accustomed to reading Lau’s version; I keep tripping over my tongue. Becoming accustomed to the wording is probably helpful, or at least feels more comfortable. On the other hand, not being accustomed can help the mind to see what it glosses over.
Commentary:
Some parts of this chapter bring to mind other chapters. For example, Its fragility easily melts, reminds me of vanishing like ice that melts away.
Looking out for such parallels is always helpful for pulling your understanding of the Tao Te Ching into context. Simply put, it attempts to convey a point of view for which words fail. (I believe Confucius reportedly said that it totally baffled him.) You could say it is simpler than words can describe. As you are able to see any part in context with the whole, you come closer to knowing and being able to carry out the indescribable teaching.
On of the more difficult Taoist views to know is, Of doing we fail, Of holding on we lose. The bio-hoodwink relentlessly screams otherwise—naturally. We are innately set up to fear failure and loss. The irony is that only through each do their opposite, success and gain, burst forth, albeit only temporarily until the coin quickly flips again. As I have become more comfortable riding that wave, life have become more than life. Of course though, it is always a work in progress!
Suggested Revision:
Its peace easily manages, Its presence easily plans,
Its fragility easily melts, Its timeliness easily scatters,
Acts without existing, Governs without disorder.
A tree barely embraceable grows from a fine tip.
A terrace nine layers high rises from piled earth.
A thousand mile journey begins below the feet.
Of doing we fail, Of holding on we lose.
Taking this, the wise do nothing, hence never fail,
Hold nothing, hence never lose.
People in their affairs always accomplish some, yet fail.
Being as careful at the end as the beginning as a rule never fails.
Taking this, the wise person desires non desire,
And does not value difficult to obtain goods.
Learns non learning and turns around people’s excesses,
As well as assists all things naturally, and never boldly act.
First Pass: Chapter of the Week
Sure, it is easy to maintain, deal with, break, or dissolve something while it is essentially nothing. A question worth asking is how does ‘nothing’ become something in the first place (besides the slightly mystifying Something and Nothing produce each other)? One obvious cause is our old ‘friend’ desire.
I know, desire gets such a bad rap. I think of desire as a composite of need + thought. Thought is uniquely human, while need is the universal driving force for all life. Honestly though, I see this breaking down even further; just as something produce each other, so also do need and fear. So desire is actually more like a blending of need, fear and thought. Two of these are essential survival instincts. Thanks to human cleverness, only we are capable of taking these a step further, ending up with mountains of something out of mole hills of nothing. So yes, ‘Taking this, the wise person desires non desire’, certainly makes sense.
Of course, the wisdom to desire non desire, not value difficult to obtain goods, and learn non learning is only evident to those who feel the no-brainer sense of this already. Our failure to understand this is the most straightforward reason for why the world is the way it is. I often feel mystified that people can be so irrational—not so much the nameless masses or the foolish and uncouth. I mean, we all know ‘we’ don’t have a clue. What baffles me more are the leaders of society, the cognoscenti elite, that run things. As chapter 75 puts it, those in authority are too fond of action. Alas, they are no wiser than the poor and meek. If anything, just the opposite; they are even less likely to have little thought of self and as few desires as possible. Their drive to lead the pack and change the world makes them even less likely than others to ‘desire not to desire, not value goods hard to come by, and learn to be without learning‘. (Who knows, perhaps Jesus had this partly in mind when he said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth”.)
Yet, something in me, even to this day, expects more of them… the leaders of society. Why? It’s so irrational on my part! My social ideals (driven by a fairness instinct’?) coming face to face with the real of ‘what is’ leaves me feeling continually awestruck. If I didn’t realize the natural science behind this disconnect (ideal vs. real) I’d probably feel angry. Without a doubt, the more impartiality I bring to what I observe, the more kindliness I feel. While it can be difficult seeing things as they are, it’s even harder being ignorant(1).
Happily, this chapter ends with some useful peace-of-mind advice. It is stated awkwardly; perhaps seeing it from another angle will help: Learn non learning tells me to take much less seriously all that I’ve come to realize, (i.e., when your discernment penetrates the four quarters, are you capable of not knowing anything?) Only then do I find myself able to turn around people’s excesses, in order to assists all things naturally and never boldly act.
Don’t take this to mean I actually do something ‘out there’ to make good the mistakes of the multitude, or help the myriad creatures to be natural and to refrain from daring to act. That would be flat out impossible… although, Lord knows countless “do gooders(2)” try. Just the opposite in fact. Merely understanding what is happening helps me ‘make good the mistakes of others’, without resorting to action. ‘To be natural’ is ‘to be just so’ (?? ziran). Seen this way, it is easy to find beauty in how-it-is, and not push to remake the world to fit an ideal view of how-it-should-be.
In other words, when I can see great perfect seems chipped, it becomes easy to let it be—easily manage, easily plan, easily melt, easily scatter. The Taoist path is about changing our point of view rather than the world ‘out there’. What we see out there is truly a reflection of who we are, what we fear, what we need—our desires, our agenda. As the agenda changes, the world we see changes. We are told, ‘the sage desires not to desire, and does not value goods which are hard to come by‘! Desire is the true culprit that causes us to ‘ruin things when on the verge of success‘(3).
(1) I can’t imagine ignorance being bliss for anyone who thinks. Neither can I imagine nature, animals, infants, trees, and such, being ignorant or having desire. It is thinking that makes both ignorance and desire what they are. When we think, we step into a whole other world – a virtual world of ideals for what should or shouldn’t be – and we pay a price.
(2) As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Of course, we can’t help trying to do good; social instinct drives us. The good we are pushing is only a projection of our own desires, which accounts for any unintended and unfortunate consequences.
(3) Or as I translated it, People in their affairs always accomplish some, yet fail. I first became keenly aware of some of this while working with wood. When sawing by hand, for example, I’d always tend to rush it. This invariably lead to ruin, if not materially, then spiritually (i.e., lack of contentment). I eventually realized that the only way forward was through turning back. Finish the task at hand, deal with it completely before jumping on to the next ‘bauble’ of desire always leaves me with a better taste in my mouth.