The Tao Te Ching, Word for Word

Realizing I don’t’ know is better;
Not knowing this knowing is disease.
Man alone faults this disease; this so as not to be ill.
The sacred person is not ill, taking his disease as illness.
Man alone has this disease; this is because to him there is no illness.

 These lines above are from chapter 71, perhaps one of the most useful and practical chapters in the Tao Te Ching. Going forward each moment Realizing I don’t’ know is better, really is better. Many other chapters speak to this in various ways; this is just the most direct, hit-the-nail-on-the-head one for me. Translating it literally as I do makes some of the lines more impenetrable than most translators would like. The advantage of having it opaque is that understanding happens at a more intuitive level. As chapter 43 puts it, Not of words teaching, without action advantage.

A preface of sorts

My brother’s death in the early 1960’s spurred in me the deepest quandary of my life. I was 22, he was 18, and it was the first time I had really been brought face-to-face with death personally. The question, “What is life and death truly?” haunted me for months on end. I couldn’t let go; I had to know. One day it dawned on me while riding home from work on the bus: “Life and death are essentially one and the same—two sides of the same coin.” That gut realization closely parallels what I regard as the essence of the Taoist point of view. As chapter 2 puts it, Hence existence and nothing give birth to each other. Likewise for me, life and death produce each other.

My brother’s death was a gift of circumstance for which I am forever grateful. My work in all this is a memorial to him and his profound influence on my life.

Finally, knowledge is power, right? So why isn’t the whole world rushing to get on board the Taoist approach to knowing? Simple: that power does not beef up the belief that one can control life. If anything, it is just the opposite, as this excerpt from chapter 2 suggests:

Hence existence and nothing give birth to each other,
Difficult and easy become one another…
Considering this, the wise person manages without doing anything.

Introduction

I first came across the Tao Te Ching (D.C. Lau’s translation) in 1964 while hitchhiking around Vietnam. A few years later, I began learning to read and write Chinese. Over the years, I translated parts of chapters that puzzled me. This revealed a subtle problem I found in all translations: The process of translating the Chinese phrasing into another language loses some of the straightforward meaning. (Even more problematic, a number of ‘translations’ are actually interpretations of true translations.)

Of the genuine translations, D.C. Lau’s is one of the most faithful to the original. Therefore, I will use a line from his chapter 73 to illustrate one aspect of a problem I see, and my attempt to reduce it.

His translation of 73 says, Heaven hates what it hates, Who knows the reason why? Now, this doesn’t sound so far off base until you compare it with the issue I raise in my comment for the final chapter (81): “So now, ask yourself: is there good or bad in nature? Does nature play favorites; does nature love some things more than other things?… ”

The Chinese is 天之所恶孰知其故 (tiān zhī suo è/wù shú zhī qí gù), which literally translates as: sky (heaven; day; season; nature) of place (indicate passive construction, agent of action) loathe (dislike; hate fierce; ferocious) who know (realize; inform; knowledge) his (her; its; that; such) reason (cause; on purpose; hence).

The main character in question, 恶 has two spoken variants. One is “è”, which means evil; vice; wickedness; fierce; ferocious. The other is “wù”, which means loathe; dislike; hate. In my view, the variant that most closely pertains to sky (heaven; day; season; nature) is “è”, when translated as “fierce, ferocious”.

Using “è”, I translate the phrase this way, Nature’s ruthlessness, who knows its cause. With any luck, this is more in line with the impartiality and overall balance expressed throughout the Tao Te Ching. To be fair, people experiencing misfortune commonly feel life is unjust and even hates them. However, conveying that view of personal bias rather than an impartial one shortchanges the spirit of the Tao Te Ching, in my view.

About ten years ago, I decided to do what I could to remedy some of the translation problems I have encountered over the decades. I do feel, with humble confidence, that this may be one of the more faithful translations available. Reliability, even at the expense of readability, has been my goal—a fool’s errand for anyone wishing to publish their work commercially. I suppose I had no choice really, for as chapter 81 says, True speech isn’t beautiful, Beautiful speech isn’t true. Of course that probably means my translation is also one of the least readable ever written. Oh well, that is balanced… what more could I want?

Using This Translation… and Doing It Yourself
Anyone wishing to plumb deeper meaning from their reading of the Tao Te Ching may find my translation helpful when used alongside their favorite, more readable version. If that fails, you can always ponder the included literal Chinese to English translation. In any case, figuring out your own phrasing from the literal occasionally can help shake loose your preconceptions and open the mind some.

Also, go to Wengu (http://wengu.tartarie.com/wg/wengu.php)
and Zhongwen (http://www.zhongwen.com/dao.htm).

These sites provide a simple way to check out the Tao Te Ching in the original Chinese with character-by-character translations. Just checking out a few original characters can help untangle a knot or two. Wengu also has a choice of comparative translations, including D.C. Lau’s.

Why bother, you say? Mixing things up helps you see the Tao Te Ching more as a mirror of your mind than as the authoritative source of objective wisdom. Ha! The Tao Te Ching doesn’t even consider itself as the source… as the disclaimer at the beginning of chapter 1 puts it,

The way possible to think, runs counter to the constant way.
The name possible to express runs counter to the constant name.

Personally, I think of the Tao Te Ching as pointing to the without shape form, the without substance shape. All I see when I look deeply enough in that direction is my ‘self’. Viewed this way, each of us is the definitive, authoritative source for what we see. As for this so-called ‘self’, Buddha’s Second Noble Truth points out that: “The illusion of self originates and manifests itself in a cleaving to things.”

Other Translation Issues
Translators understandably like to use beautiful and persuasive words to make their translations readable (and thus, publishable). In addition, translators among the intelligentsia who have pinned their life’s work on words may succumb to another difficulty: Might this not impede their ability to plumb the depths of the Taoist point of view? I’d say so, considering the importance Taoists place on the Not of words teaching, on the view that Knower not speak; speaker not know, and on the resulting Taoist reservations about knowledge and the intelligentsia.

Finally, some translators skew their Taoist view to echo the Western humanist paradigm in which they were conditioned. Of course, that would not be a problem for readers also steeped in the humanist paradigm; indeed, nothing else would be palatable. Simply put, we are naturally drawn to that which says what we want to hear.

Can You Trust My Translation?
I’ve already mentioned one important factor; I don’t need to make it beautiful. Readability and understandability always take a back seat to reliability, for me. Here are a few other factors that may support the reliability of my work.

First, I’m not academic or brilliant; I just barely put up with language—especially in matters of Taoist thought. Second, I was never well integrated into Western humanist culture, even before I left the country – so cultural conditioning was minimal. Living abroad for 15 years, mostly in Asia, allowed me to become even more culturally impartial. Finally, I’m not a biased ‘true believer’.

Indeed, considering the Tao Te Ching’s low regard for words and names, being a ‘true believer’ of a Taoist point of view is oxymoronic. Again, as chapter 71 puts it, Realizing I don’t’ know is better; Not knowing this knowing is dis-ease.. Considering this, along with chapter 1’s disclaimer, how can one ever be a ‘true believer’ and a ‘true’ Taoist?

Sometimes the less one knows, the more one knows
Think of this idea as a parallel to ‘out of the mouths of babes’. Being deeply steeped in Chinese history, language and culture may not offer the best vantage point when it comes to sensing the nitty-gritty of the Tao Te Ching. It, after all, points to a view utterly ‘outside the box’. So, do dig into the nitty-gritty within, without concern for your lack of knowledge. After all…

Without going out the door we can know all under heaven.
Without looking out the window we can see Nature’s way.
He goes out farther, he realizes less,
Accordingly, the wise person goes nowhere yet knows.
Sees nothing yet understands.
Refrains from acting yet accomplishes..

You can only understand that which you already know
This is the best tip I can offer; it may also be the most difficult to understand and apply for obvious reasons. The short story, “Duke Huan and the Wheelwright” from Chuang Tzu speaks to this view. Chapter 70 may also allude to this when it says, Our words are very easy to know, very easy to do. Under heaven none can know, none can do. I’ve also posted extensively on CenterTao.org about this from different angles over the years.

Nowhere is this more applicable than in attempting to understand or translate the Tao Te Ching. As I see it, we can only understand that which we have come to know intuitively. The fact that circumstances bring us to maturity accounts for why one’s intuitive wisdom and understanding deepen over time. The idea that reading the Tao Te Ching will teach you the Taoist point of view is fundamentally flawed. It is like a Rorschach test that only you can take and evaluate; no one ‘outside’ can. That is what makes the Tao Te Ching all the more valuable.

Overall I’d say the Tao Te Ching, like all scriptures, can put into words that which you know intuitively (feel) yet can’t quite find the words to express—It is the ‘spokesman’ for your soul.

Rising beyond oneself

Considering all I’ve said above, it should come as no surprise that I don’t regard this translation as done. It will always be a work in progress, especially considering my meager writing skills. Anyway, this is just how nature works. Indeed, when the proof copy of this Word for Word translation arrived, our family used it right away, and right away, there were ‘problems’.

So what ‘problem’ did the family encounter? We began using Word for Word on chapter 51, and immediately everyone had a problem with power accomplishes. They all preferred D.C. Lau’s circumstances bring them to maturity. I too am very fond of Lau’s phrase, by the way. Even so, it may be redundant in that things give shape implies somewhat the same thing. The other meanings for power are influence; momentum; circumstances, so I see where Lau got the circumstances, but what about bring them to maturity? The other meanings for accomplish are become; result. Okay, I agree how that could mean maturity, i.e., one becomes mature.

Even so, I feel power accomplishes is more profound, provided you appreciate the difference between force and power. In physics, that parallels the difference between voltage and wattage. (Voltage is the electromotive force, the potential; wattage is the actual work accomplished by electrons driven by the electromotive force. W = V × I, where W = watts, V = volts, I = current (amperes). Another way to say this might be, “Put your money where your mouth is”. ‘Mouth’ expresses a potential. ‘Money’ expresses something relatively more tangible. Finally, to bring it all home, consider chapter 52’s, observe yielding is called powerful.

Not surprisingly, chapter 52 provided another stumbling block. (I imagine each chapter to offer at least one.) Here it was squeeze exchange vs. Lau’s block the openings. Lau’s is much easier to grasp; it is normal English after all. The character here, however, is not referring to ‘openings’, but rather to exchange (convert; add water, etc) and is usually used in a financial context. A parallel to ‘squeeze’ is the yogic idea of bandha (bondage, fetter, restrain). ‘Reining in’ also comes to mind; reining in the urge to fully participate in the exchange to which we happen to be driven towards each moment.

On the other hand, chapter 52 provided a seemingly straightforward win for Lau’s choice of words. Here the stumbling block is not nearly almost vs. Lau’s not meet with danger. Lau’s comes closer to the literal, no (not) danger (nearly almost).

So, why did I opt for not nearly almost? I felt it offered a subtle, indistinct and suddenly side to danger. Pondering all three words (danger, nearly, almost) helps me to rise beyond my self. Whenever I succeed, I can see beyond my mind; it is a peaceful place!

In summary: I don’t regard my choice of words as ‘the best’, let alone the ‘truth’. Therefore, I suggest you simply use them as a launch pad, along with the other word-for-word meanings given, and see where it takes you.

Note: There is a line-for-line consistency between the poetic version and the numbered, literal word for word translation of the Chinese characters below it. This should help make comparisons between them easier. In addition, don’t take punctuation too seriously. In times past, this was less important. Even now, I appreciate the fact that there is no use of capitalization in Chinese, and little emphasis on gender precision.

Translation madness

When my translation gets to feeling nuts, try to remember that there may be ‘method to my madness’. Chapter 81 points to it. The less “beautiful” the words are, the more “truth”. Not that I am saying something with more truth! The point is, you’ll be more intuitive about the point being made when it is being made less clear cut – up to a point. I hope I don’t cross that ‘point’ too often.

It helps to see this in terms of a mirror; what you see is a reflection of your mind- nothing more… ever! True, what the words you see on the page are a result of the workings of my mind, but how you interpret them, understand them (either attracted to or repelled by) mirror your reality. Seeing this can be very helpful for getting a handle on life. Instinct appears to cause us (and animals all) to see the external world as though it really exists in the way we sense it (or frankly exists at all). So powerful is this illusion that few people, and I am guessing no other animals, are able to see past this biological hoodwink. The cognitive ability to do this may be the most significant difference between us and other animals. I suppose it is what makes us ‘spiritual’, or rather drives us to be ‘spiritual’. In other words, the ability to see through the illusion also divides us from the unity that nature’s masterful hoodwink offers.

This makes for great irony: the ability to see through the hoodwink separates us from the ‘whole’, which leaves us in a state of stress and contention. We are engaging in a war between what we imagine should be, and what ‘is’. The only way to soften the blow is to look deeper, past our emotion, and recognize that our instinctive emotion is driving what we see in the first place. I guess this is a catch-22, blind-spot, and Peter Principle all rolled into one.

Needless to say, don’t get trapped!

The interplay of emotions and words traps cognition in various and subtle ways. That is why I always remain wary of any translator’s interpretation– including my own! That is why I thought it essential to include the word-for-word section so anyone could probe interpretations deeper. Use it to discover your own personal jewels of interpretation!

Finally, some years ago I began to truly realize that my ‘cultural independent’ streak is mainly due to genetics. I also began to realize what a profoundly social species we humans are. A majority are joiners to one degree or another, who identify with groups: political, religious, sports, hobby, professions, etc. A minority, like me and perhaps you, are outliers. For them, the Tao Te Ching can be a real ‘soul match’.

See https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching-Word-Translation/dp/1481141813/ for a copy of my Word for Word translation