Essays Interpreting Taoism. Chapter I. Tao : p. 76 The numbers in the text refer to notes by the author, which will be found at the end of the book. p. 77 CHAPTER I TAO I WAS standing in the Temple of Shien Shan on an islet in the Chinese Sea, distant a few hours' journey from the harbour of H T. On either side rose mountain ranges, their...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 41 : FORTY-ONE The superior man, as soon as he listens to TAO, earnestly practices TAO; an average man, hearing of TAO, sometimes remembers it and sometimes forgets it; an inferior man, hearing of TAO, ridicules it. If it were not thus ridiculed it would not be worth following as TAO. There is an old...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 40 : FORTY To withdraw the mind from attention to outward things, to be thoughtful, to practice meditation, is to be in conformity with TAO. To be humble and of service to others is, also, being in conformity with TAO. Heaven and earth, and all things are manifestations of existence, but existence...
Tao Teh King. Xviii. The Palliati : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XVIII THE PALLIATION OF THE INFERIOR When the great Tao is lost sight of, we still have the "idea" of benevolence and righteousness. Prudence and wisdom come to mind when we see great hypocrisy. When relatives are! unfriendly...
Tao Teh King. Xxxiv. The Perfection Of Trust : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXXIV THE PERFECTION OF TRUST Great Tao is all pervading! It can be on both the right hand and the left. Everything relies upon it for their existence, and it does not fail them. It acquires merit but covets not the title. It...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 13 : THIRTEEN Favor and disgrace are both to be feared; too great care of the body and too great neglect of the body are both to be feared. To be favored is humiliating, so to attain it is as much to be dreaded as to lose it. That is what is meant by favor and disgrace are alike to be feared. Why do our...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 57 : FIFTY-SEVEN An empire is best administered by justice, an army by craft, and influence over people is gained by noninterference. The more people become selfish, the more the state is in disorder. The more people become artful and cunning, the more abnormal things become. The more laws and orders...
Tao Teh King. Lxxx. Contentment : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXX CONTENTMENT In a small country with few people let there be officers over tens and hundreds but not to exercise power. Let the people be not afraid of death, nor desire to move to a distance. Then though there be ships...
Tao Teh King. Li. Teh As A Nurse : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LI TEH AS A NURSE Tao gives life to all creatures; teh feeds them; materiality shapes them; energy completes them. p. 37 Therefore among all things there is none that does not honor Tao and esteem teh. Honor for Tao and esteem...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 49 : p. 53 FORTY-NINE The perfect Sage has no preconceived opinions; he accepts the opinions of his people as his own. The good he treats with fairness, the not-good he also treats with fairness and by so doing attains the teh of justice. The faithful he treats with good-faith, and the unfaithful he...
Tao Teh King. Xxxix. The Root Of Authority : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 31 XXXIX THE ROOT OF AUTHORITY It has been said of old, only those who attain unity attain self-hood.... Heaven attained unity and thereby is space. Earth attained unity, thereby it is solid. Spirit attained unity, thereby...
Tao Teh King. Lvi. The Teh Of The Mysterious : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LVI THE TEH OF THE MYSTERIOUS The one who knows does not speak; the one who speaks does not know. The wise man shuts his mouth and closes his gates. He softens his p. 40 sharpness, unravels his tangles, dims his brilliancy...
Tao Teh King. I. What Is The Tao : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 9 p. 10 p. 11 TAO TEH KING I WHAT IS THE TAO The Tao that can be understood cannot be the primal, or cosmic, Tao, just as an idea that can be expressed in words cannot be the infinite idea. And yet this ineffable Tao w...
Tao Teh King. Xvi. Returning To The Source : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XVI RETURNING TO THE SOURCE Seek to attain an open mind (the summit of vacuity). Seek composure (the essence of tranquillity). All things are in process, rising and returning. Plants come to blossom, but only to return...
Tao Teh King. Lxxi. The Disease Of Knowledge : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXI THE DISEASE OF KNOWLEDGE To recognize one's ignorance of unknowable things is mental health, and to be ignorant of knowable things is sickness. Only by grieving over ignorance of knowable things are we in p. 48 mental...
All We Know About Laotzu : p. 11 ALL WE KNOW ABOUT LAOTZU SZE MA-CH'IEN (136-85 B.C.) wrote that Lao-tzu was born of the Li family of Ch'ujen Village, Li County, K'u Province, Ch'u State. His proper name was Err, his official name was Poh-yang, his posthumous title was Yueh-tan. He held the position of custodi...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 5 : FIVE Heaven and earth are not fallible and unjust like humans: they are always impartial. They have no favorites in giving kindness to the world: they give life to humans with the same impartiality they give life to dogs and plants. The perfect sage is also impartial: he has no prejudices th...
Tao Teh King. Xxix. Not Forcing Things : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXIX NOT FORCING THINGS (WU WEI) One who desires to take and remake the Empire will fail. The Empire is a divine thing that cannot be remade. He who attempts it will only mar it. He who seeks to grasp it, will lose it. People...
Tao Teh King. Lxix. The Function Of The Mysterious : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXIX THE FUNCTION OF THE MYSTERIOUS A military expert has said: I do not dare put myself forward as a host, but always act as a guest. I hesitate to advance an inch, but am willing to withdraw a foot. p. 47 This is advancing...
Wu Wei. Preface : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 54 p. 55 WU WEI HENRI BOREL p. 56 p. 57 PREFACE THE following study on Laotzu's "Wu-Wei" should by no means be regarded as a translation or even as a free rendering of the actual work of that philosopher I have simply...
Tao Teh King. Xxxiii. The Virtue Of Discrimination : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXXIII THE VIRTUE (TEH) OF DISCRIMINATION He who knows others is intelligent; he who understands himself is enlightened; he who is able to conquer others has force, but he who is able to control himself is mighty. He who...
Tao Teh King. Xlviii. To Forget Knowledge : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLVIII TO FORGET KNOWLEDGE He who attends daily to learning increases in learning. He who practices Tao daily diminishes. Again and again he humbles himself. Thus he attains to non-doing (wu wei). He practices non-doing...
Tao Teh King. Xxvi. The Virtue Of Dignity : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXVI THE VIRTUE (TEH) OF DIGNITY The heavy is the root of the light; the quiet is master of motion. Therefore the wise man in all the experience of the day will not depart from dignity. Though he be surrounded with sights th...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 1 : p. 23 LAOTZU' S TAO-TEH-KING A new translation from the Chinese by WAI-TAO and DWIGHT GODDARD p. 24 TAO-TEH-KING PART ONE TAO p. 25 TAO-TEH-KING ONE The TAO that can be "tao-ed" can not be the infinite TAO (that is, the way that can be followed can not be the ultimate, pathless Way). It is...
Wu Wei. Chapter I. Tao : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 61 CHAPTER I TAO I WAS standing in the Temple of Shien Shan on an islet in the Chinese Sea, distant a few hours' journey from the harbour of "T. On either side rose mountain ranges, their soft outlines interwoven behind...
Tao Teh King. Lviii. Adaptation To Change : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LVIII ADAPTATION TO CHANGE When an administration is unostentatious the people are simple. When an administration is p. 41 inquisitive, the people are needy. Misery, alas, supports happiness. Happiness, alas, conceals misery...
Tao Teh King. Xiii. Loathing Shame : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XIII LOATHING SHAME Favor and disgrace are alike to be feared, just as too great care or anxiety are bad for the body. Why are favor and disgrace alike to be feared? To be favored is humiliating; to obtain it is as much to be...
Introduction. Part 02 : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 1 INTRODUCTION I LOVE LAOTZU! That is the reason I offer another interpretative translation, and try to print and bind it attractively. I want you to appreciate this wise and kindly old man, and come to love him. He w...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 17 : p. 34 SEVENTEEN A great ruler, first of all, ought to know the necessities and habits of his people. Secondly, he should keep in close touch with them and praise the meritorious ones. Thirdly, he should give reason for them to respect his moral earnestness. Lastly, he should resort to punishment...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 8 : EIGHT The highest virtue is like water: it benefits everything without exciting rivalries. We should be like p. 29 water, choosing the lowest place which all others avoid. We are then closely akin to TAO. For our dwelling we should choose the place where we can be of most benefit to our neighbors;...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 44 : FORTY-FOUR Which is more intimately precious: fame or life? Which is more valuable: life or treasure? Which gives the most trouble: gain or loss? One naturally seeks the things he most prizes; for that reason we should be careful to prize the right things, because grasping and hoarding invite waste...
Tao Teh King. Xi. The Value Of Non Existence : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XI THE VALUE OF NON-EXISTENCE Although the wheel has thirty spokes its utility lies in the emptiness of the hub. The jar is made by kneading clay, but its usefulness consists in its capacity. A room is made by cutting out...
Tao Teh King. Lv. To Verify The Mysterious : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LV TO VERIFY THE MYSTERIOUS The essence of teh is comparable to the state of a young boy. Poisonous insects will not sting him, wild beasts will not seize him, birds of prey will not attack him. The bones are weak, the muscles...
Tao Teh King. Xlix. The Virtue Of Trust : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLIX THE VIRTUE (TEH) OF TRUST The wise man has no fixed heart; in the hearts of the people he finds his own. The good he treats p. 36 with goodness; the not-good he also treats with goodness, for teh is goodness. The faithful...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 53 : FIFTY-THREE Should only one day be given me to carry out my wishes in explaining the principle of the Great TAO, I would condemn almsgiving as being a poisonous medicine, making people dependent. The Way of the Great TAO is wide and straight for men to follow, but most people prefer the bypaths...
Tao Teh King. Lix. To Keep Tao : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LIX TO KEEP TAO In governing the people and in worshipping heaven nothing surpasses moderation. To value moderation, one must form the habit early. Its early acquisition will result in storing and accumulating vitality. By...
Tao Teh King. Xxiii. Emptiness And Not Doing : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXIII EMPTINESS AND NOT-DOING (WU WEI) Taciturnity is natural to man. A whirlwind never outlasts the morning, nor a violent rain the day. What is the cause? It is heaven and p. 22 earth. If even heaven and earth are not...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 52 : FIFTY-TWO When the potentiality of TAO manifests itself, it becomes the mother of all things. When one realizes that his life comes from this universal Mother, he will also realize his brotherhood to all her descendants. When one realizes his descent from the universal Mother and his brotherhood...
Essays Interpreting Taoism. Preface : p. 70 p. 71 ESSAYS INTERPRETING TAOISM by HENRI BOREL Translated by M. E. REYNOLDS p. 72 p. 73 PREFACE THE following study on Laotzu's "Wu-Wei" should by no means be regarded as a translation or even as a free rendering of the actual work of that philosopher. I have simply endeavoured to ret...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 9 : NINE To stop one's desires is far better than to be continually satisfying them. Desire is like a knife: if it is continually being sharpened, it will soon wear away. There are wealthy men with mansions filled with gold and jewels, but they must be on the watch all the time to protect them...
Tao Teh King. Iv. Tao, Without Origin : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], IV TAO, WITHOUT ORIGIN The Tao appears to be emptiness but it is never exhausted. Oh, it is profound! It appears to have preceded everything. It dulls its own p. 13 sharpness, unravels its own fetters, softens its own...
Tao Teh King. Xliii. The Function Of The Universal : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLIII THE FUNCTION OF THE UNIVERSAL The most tender things of creation race over the hardest. A non-material existence enters into the most impenetrable. I therefore recognize an advantage in the doctrine of not doing (wu wei)...
Tao Teh King. V. Impartiality : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], V IMPARTIALITY Heaven and earth are not like humans, they are impartial. They regard all things as insignificant, as though they were playthings made of straw. The wise man is also impartial. To him all men are alike...
Tao Teh King. Xx. The Opposite Of The Commonplace : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XX THE OPPOSITE OF THE COMMONPLACE Avoid learning if you would have no anxiety. The "yes" and the "yea" differ very little, but the contrast between good and evil is very great. That which is not feared by the people is not...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 48 : FORTY-EIGHT In regard to knowledge: the more one studies, the more he accumulates learning; while in regard to wisdom the more one practices TAO, the more his desires and thoughts are lessened, even to perfect emptiness of mind, all his innate excellencies will be developed and manifested. It is...
Tao Teh King. Viii. The Nature Of Goodness : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], VIII THE NATURE OF GOODNESS True goodness is like water, in that it benefits everything and harms nothing. Like water it ever seeks the lowest place, the place that all others avoid. It is closely kin to the Tao...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 56 : FIFTY-SIX The wise keep silent; a babbler is not wise. Keep your mouth closed and guard the gates of sense. Hide p. 57 your sharpness, free yourself from entanglements, conceal your personality, be socially minded and natural. Thus to harmonize one's life with the life of others is the teh...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 11 : ELEVEN There are thirty spokes in a wheel, but its utility lies in the hole of the hub. The potter forms the clay into jars, but their usefulness depends upon the enclosed space. A carpenter builds the walls of a house and cuts out windows and doors, but the value of the house is measured by...
Tao Teh King. Lxxv. Loss : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXV LOSS BY GREEDINESS Starvation of a people comes when an official appropriates to himself too much of the taxes. The reason a people are difficult to govern is because the officials are too meddlesome; the people make...
Essays Interpreting Taoism. Chapter Ii. Art : p. 93 CHAPTER II ART "WHAT is art?" I asked the hermit. We were sitting upon the mountainside, in the shadow of an overhanging rock. Before us stretched the sea--one endless gleam of light in the sunshine. Golden sails were driving quietly over it, and white seagulls sweeping in noble curvings...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 42 : FORTY-TWO TAO is inscrutable. From TAO proceeds the one (potentiality); one produces two (the positive and negative principles); this makes three. From these three proceed all things. All things thus bear the imprint of the negative "yin" behind and embrace the positive "yang" in front. The primal...
Tao Teh King. Vi. The Infinitude Of Creative : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], VI THE INFINITUDE OF CREATIVE EFFORT The Spirit of the perennial spring is said to be immortal, she is called the Mysterious One. The Mysterious One is typical of the source of heaven and earth. It is continually and endlessly...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 7 : SEVEN Heaven is eternal and earth is everlasting. The reason why heaven and earth are eternal is because they do not live for or by themselves: that is the reason they ever endure. The perfect Sage, who puts his own interests behind him, is always the leader of his people. All the time he is...
Tao Teh King. Lxxviii. Trust And Faith : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXVIII TRUST AND FAITH In the world nothing is more fragile than water, and yet of all the agencies that attack hard substances nothing can surpass it. Of all things there is nothing that can take the p. 51 place of Tao. By...
Tao Teh King. Xlvii. Seeing The Distant : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLVII SEEING THE DISTANT Not going out of the door I have knowledge of the world. Not peeping through the window I perceive heaven's Tao. The more one wanders to a distance the less he knows. Therefore the wise man does not...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 3 : THREE If the perfect Sage would have his people give up their rivalries, he should not praise the competent ones. If he would have his people keep away from robbery and theft, he should not value precious things himself. If he would keep his mind undisturbed he should not look at desirable things...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 46 : FORTY-SIX When the world yields to the principle of TAO, its race horses will be used to haul manure; when the world ignores TAO, war horses are pastured on the public common. p. 52 There is no sin greater than yielding to desire. There is no misfortune greater than yielding to discontent. There is...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 58 : FIFTY-EIGHT If administrative restrictions be kept out of sight as much as possible, the people will become quiet, honest and sympathetic. If an administration becomes complex and officious, the people will become needy and turbulent. Misery may be followed by happiness and happiness p. 58 may lead...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 15 : FIFTEEN In olden times those who were competent to be Masters were intelligent, subtle, profound and spiritual. Their thoughts could not be easily fathomed. Since their thoughts were hard to comprehend, I will try to reveal their virtue by some explanation. They were as cautious as a man crossing...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 50 : FIFTY The moon from its first appearance to full moon, is in a state of appearing; from its fullness to its disappearance, it is in a state of disappearing. It is just the same with the life of a man:. from babyhood to manhood he is growing up; from manhood to old age, he is failing. What does this...
Tao Teh King. Xv. That Which Reveals Teh : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XV THAT WHICH REVEALS TEH In olden times the ones who were considered worthy to be called masters were subtle, spiritual, profound, wise. Their thoughts could not be easily understood. Since they were hard to understand I will...
Tao Teh King. Xxx. Be Stingy Of War : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXX BE STINGY OF WAR When the magistrate follows Tao, he has no need to resort to force of arms to strengthen the Empire, because his business methods alone will show good returns. Briars and thorns grow rank where an army...
Tao Teh King. L. Esteem Life : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], L ESTEEM LIFE Life is a going forth; death is a returning home. Of ten, three are seeking life, three are seeking death, and three are dying. What is the reason? Because they live in life's experience. (Only one is immortal.)...
Title Page. Part 02 : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. title LAOTZU'S TAO AND WU WEI TRANSLATION BY DWIGHT GODDARD WU WEI AN INTERPRETATION BY HENRI BOREL TRANSLATED BY M. E. REYNOLDS NEW YORK BRENTANO'S PUBLISHERS [1919] Scanned, Proofed And Formatted , September, 2004 By John...
Untitled : LAOTZU'S TAO AND WU WEI SECOND EDITION BY DWIGHT GODDARD, ET AL [1939] This is the second edition of Dwight Goddard's Tao te Ching translation. This is very different than the first edition. Goddard, the author of The Buddhist Bible, in the interim between the first and second edition of this book...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 19 : NINETEEN When people abandon the idea of becoming a sage and give up ambition for worldly knowledge and learning, then their innate goodness will have a chance to manifest itself and will develop a hundredfold. When there is no activity of thinking to interfere, there is nothing that the mind c...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 54 : FIFTY-FOUR As a thing that is well planted is not easily uprooted and as a thing that is well guarded is not easily stolen, so if a family observes the principle of TAO, its descendants will ever hold their ancestors in honor. He who practices TAO for himself will only gain teh for himself. He who...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 31 : THIRTY-ONE Both arms and armor are unblessed things. Not only men come to detest them, but a curse seems to follow them. Therefore, the one who follows the principle of TAO does not resort to arms. It is significant that in peaceful times, the place of honor is on the left and in war times it is...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 62 : SIXTY-TWO TAO is an all-embracing mystery. It is treasure to good men and a refuge to bad men. Fine words are used in selling goods, but it is a noble life that wins the respect of others. Even though TAO is despised by common people, why should I be foolish as are they and ignore it...
Tao Teh King. Lx. To Maintain Position : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LX TO MAINTAIN POSITION One should govern a great state as one fries small fish ("i.e.", do not scale or clean them). p. 42 With Tao one may successfully rule the Empire. Ghosts will not frighten, gods will not harm, neither...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 81 : EIGHTY-ONE Faithful words are often not pleasant; pleasant words are often not faithful. Well informed men do not dispute; men who dispute are not well informed. The wise man is not always learned; the learned man is not always wise. The perfect Sage does not keep things in possession or in memory...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 66 : SIXTY-SIX The rivers and seas become the kings of the myriad valleys because they are content with the low places. The perfect Sage rises above his people because of his humility; because he is first willing to follow them, he comes to leadership. Although the perfect Sage is above his people, yet...
Tao Teh King. Xxv. Describing The Mysterious : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXV DESCRIBING THE MYSTERIOUS There is Being that is all-inclusive and that existed before Heaven and Earth. Calm, indeed, and incorporeal! It is alone and changeless! p. 23 Everywhere it functions unhindered. It thereby...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 35 : THIRTY-FIVE The whole world is naturally drawn to him who keeps this principle of TAO'S true Greatness. It goes to TAO and receives no harm; on the contrary it finds contentment, tranquillity and peace. To common people TAO'S principle of simplicity and humility seems weak and insipid; they desire...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 78 : SEVENTY-EIGHT Nothing is more fragile than water, yet of all the agencies that attack hard substances nothing can surpass water, nor take its place. Therefore the weak are conquerors of the strong, and the yielding are conquerors of the mighty. Everyone knows this but few practice it. Therefore...
Wu Wei. Notes : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 113 NOTES 1. p. 62. This is a fact. Chinese priests are in the habit of repeating Sutras which, to judge by the sound, have been translated from the Sanscrit into Chinese phrases of which they do not understand one word. 2...
Tao Teh King. Xvii. Simplicity Of Habit : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 19 XVII SIMPLICITY OF HABIT When great men rule, subjects know little of their existence. Rulers who are less great win the affection and praise of their subjects. A common ruler is feared by his subjects, and an unworthy...
Tao Teh King. Iii. Quieting People : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], III QUIETING PEOPLE Neglecting to praise the worthy deters people from emulating them; just as not prizing rare treasures deters a man from becoming a thief; or ignoring the things which awaken desire keeps the heart at rest...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 23 : TWENTY-THREE To have an empty and transparent mind and to be unassertive is according to nature. A whirlwind never outlasts the morning, nor a violent rain the day. What causes the whirlwind and a violent rain? Is it not because of special condition of heaven and earth? If even nature can not keep...
Tao Teh King. Lxxiii. Action Is Dangerous : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXIII ACTION IS DANGEROUS Courage carried to daring leads to death. Courage restrained by caution leads to life. These two things, courage and caution, are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful. Some things are rejected...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 70 : SEVENTY The principle of TAO is easy to understand and easy to put into practice, yet in all the world how few there are who understand it and put it into practice. Every word of common people has its object; every deed has its actor, but because these talkers and actors are ignorant, TAO is...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 74 : SEVENTY-FOUR If people do not fear death, how can they be frightened by the death penalty? If people are afraid of death, I would seize the one who is not afraid of death and execute him. After that who would dare to disobey? There is always an experienced officer to execute murderers. If...
Tao Teh King. Lxiii. A Consideration Of Beginnings : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXIII A CONSIDERATION OF BEGINNINGS One should avoid assertion (wu wei) and practice inaction. One should learn to find taste in the tasteless, to enlarge the small things, and multiply the few. He should respond to hatred...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 27 : TWENTY-SEVEN Good walkers need no guides; good speakers do not blame or reproach others; good managers need no rules nor diagrams; good locksmiths are competent to open any lock; good binders can unloose any kind of knot. It is the same with the perfect Sage: he is always competent in giving advice...
Tao Teh King. Xxviii. Returning To Simplicity : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXVIII RETURNING TO SIMPLICITY He who knows his manhood and understands his womanhood becomes useful like the valleys of earth (which bring water). Being like the valleys of earth, eternal vitality (teh) will not depart...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 60 : p. 59 SIXTY To govern a great state one should do it as a cook fries small fish, that is, without scaling or cleaning them. If one rules an empire by the principle of TAO, spirits will lose their power. It is not because their power is any less, but because the people can no longer be harmed by...
Tao Teh King. Xxxvii. Administering The Government : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXXVII ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT Tao is apparently inactive (wu wei) and yet nothing remains undone. If princes and kings desire to keep) everything in order, they must first reform themselves. (If princes and kings would...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 33 : THIRTY-THREE He who understands others is intelligent; he who understands himself is enlightened. He who is able to conquer others is powerful; he who can control himself is more powerful. He who is contented is richer than the richest. Those who have purpose are resolute, and those who keep...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 37 : THIRTY-SEVEN TAO acts without assertion, yet all things proceed in conformity with it. If princes and kings would p. 45 follow the principle of TAO, then all things would unfold according to their own nature. If there are troublesome desires arising from the habits of the people, they should be...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 64 : SIXTY-FOUR That which is at rest can easily be taken hold of. That which has not yet become important, can be easily prevented. The fragile is easily broken, light things are easily scattered. It is wise to be prepared for difficulties and to establish order before there is disorder. A tree that it...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 29 : TWENTY-NINE If anyone desires to take and remake the empire under his own reforming plans, he will never be successful. The empire is a spiritual thing that cannot be remade after one's own ideas and he who attempts p. 41 it will only make a failure. Even he who tries to hold it will lose it. Under...
Essays Interpreting Taoism. Chapter Iii. Love : p. 108 CHAPTER III LOVE ONCE more it was evening. We sat again upon the soft turf of the mountain-side, the quietness of our mood in sympathy with the solemn stillness of twilight. The distant mountain-ranges reposed in an atmosphere breathing reverence and devotion--they seemed to be kneeling...
Tao Teh King. Lxvii. Three Treasures : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXVII THREE TREASURES All the world calls Tao great, yet it is by nature immaterial. It is because a thing is seemingly unreal that it is great. If a man affects to be great, how long can he conceal his mediocrity? Tao h...
Tao Teh King. Xxxi. Avoiding War : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXXI AVOIDING WAR Even successful arms, among all implements, are unblessed. All men come to detest them. Therefore the one who follows Tao does not rely on them. Arms are of all tools unblessed, they are not the implements...
Tao Teh King. Xxvi. Explanation Of A Paradox : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 29 XXXVI EXPLANATION OF A PARADOX That which has a tendency to contract must first have been extended; that which has a tendency to weaken itself must first have been strong; that which shows a tendency to destroy itself...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 39 : THIRTY-NINE From the beginning there has been a law of unity. Heaven attained unity and thereby its perfect clearness; earth attained unity and thereby its solidity; spirit attained unity and thereby its subtilty; valleys attained unity and thereby became the source of rivers; everything...
Tao Teh King. X. What Is Possible : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], X WHAT IS POSSIBLE By patience the animal spirits can be disciplined. By self-control one can unify the character. By close attention to the will, compelling gentleness, one can become like a little child. By purifying...
Wu Wei. Chapter Iii. Love : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 97 CHAPTER III LOVE ONCE more it was evening, We sat again upon the soft turf of the mountain-side, the quietness of our mood in sympathy with the solemn stillness of twilight. The distant mountain-ranges reposed...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 72 : SEVENTY-TWO When people are too ignorant to fear the things that are really fearful (greed, illusion and self-assertion), the greatest fear (of death) will soon overpower them. Do not be troubled because of the narrowness of your dwelling, do not become depressed because of the life you are...
All We Know About Laotzu. Part 02 : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 7 ALL WE KNOW ABOUT LAOTZU SZE MA-CH'IEN (136-85 B.C.) wrote that Laotzu was born of the Li family of Ch'u-jen Village, Li County, Wu Province, Ch'u State. His proper name was Err, his official name was Poh-yang, his...
Tao Teh King. Xxi. The Heart Of Emptiness : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXI THE HEART OF EMPTINESS All the innumerable forms of teh correspond to the norm of Tao, but the nature of the Tao's activity is infinitely abstract and illusive. Illusive and obscure, indeed, but at its heart are p. 21...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 21 : TWENTY-ONE All the innumerable forms of "teh" (power or virtue) correspond to the principle of TAO, but the nature of TAO is to be realized only in a state of mental concentration when the thinking mind is empty and quiescent and the intuitive mind is alert and receptive. Then the spirit reflects...
Tao Teh King. Lxxxi. The Nature Of The Essential : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXXI THE NATURE OF THE ESSENTIAL Faithful words are often not pleasant; pleasant words are often not faithful. Good men do not dispute; the ones who dispute are not good. The learned men are often not the wise men, n...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 25 : TWENTY-FIVE There is a primal essence that is all-inclusive and undifferentiated and which existed before there was any appearance of heaven and earth. How tranquil and empty it is! How self-sufficing and changeless! How omnipresent and infinite! Yet this tranquil emptiness becomes the Mother...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 68 : SIXTY-EIGHT He who excels as a soldier is the man who is not warlike. He who fights the best fight is the man who does not lose his temper. He who truly conquers an enemy does not lord it over him but treats him with respect. He who best employs people keeps himself humble. This is what is meant by...
Tao Teh King. Lxxvii. Tao Of Heaven : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXVII TAO OF HEAVEN Tao of heaven resembles the stretching of a bow. The mighty it humbles, the lowly it exalts. They who have abundance it diminishes and gives to them who have need. That is Tao of heaven; it depletes those...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 76 : SEVENTY-SIX When a baby is born it is tender and fragile; when it grows to be a man and dies, it becomes hard and p. 67 stiff. It is the same with everything. Herbs and trees when young and growing are tender and delicate, but when they become old and die, they become rigid and hard. Therefore...
Essays Interpreting Taoism. Notes : p. 122 NOTES 1. p. 78. This is a fact. Chinese priests are in the habit of repeating Sutras which, to judge by the sound, have been translated from the Sanscrit into Chinese phrases of which they do not understand one word. 2. p. 80. The "Yellow Emperor" is a legendary emperor, who appears to have...
Tao Teh King. Liv. To Cultivate Intuition : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LIV TO CULTIVATE INTUITION The thing that is well planted is not easily uprooted. The thing that is well guarded is not easily taken away. If one has sons and grandsons, the offering of ancestral worship will not soon cease...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 65 : SIXTY-FIVE In the olden days, those who were well versed in the principle of TAO, avoided teaching the people anything; instead they kept them in ignorance. The reason why people are difficult to govern is because they are educated. To govern a people by craftiness is a curse; to govern them by...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 28 : TWENTY-EIGHT He who realizes the foolishness of passionate action always keeps his mind concentrated and tranquil. Just as the valleys, because of their lowness, become the source of rivers, so the perfect Sage because of his characteristic humility returns to the simplicity of a little child. He...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 36 : THIRTY-SIX Before one can contract a thing, it must first be extended; before anything can be weakened, it must first be made strong; before anything can be wasted, it must be present; before one can take a thing by force, someone else must give it up. This is the profound principle which explains...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 32 : THIRTY-TWO TAO is eternal but is unnamable. Its simplicity, though considered as of the humblest, is most independent. p. 43 [paragraph continues] Nothing in the world is able to bring it into subjection. If princes and kings retain simplicity heaven and earth are harmoniously unified...
Tao Teh King. Xlii. The Transformation Of Tao : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLII THE TRANSFORMATION OF TAO Tao produces unity; unity produces duality; duality produces trinity; trinity produces all things. All things bear the negative principle (yin) and embrace the positive principle (yang)...
Tao Teh King. Lxxvi. Beware Of Strength : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXVI BEWARE OF STRENGTH When a man is living he is tender and fragile. When he dies he is hard and stiff. It is the same with everything, the grass and trees, in life, are tender and delicate, but when they die they become...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 61 : SIXTY-ONE A great state is like the current of a river; it is always flowing down the lower valleys. There is a bond of unity, also, in a great state that draws its people together, like the attraction of male to female. The female wins the favor of a male by her quietude and quietude is always...
Historical Essays. The Beginnings Of Taoist : p. 125 HISTORICAL ESSAYS By DR. KIANG KANG-HU p. 126 p. 127 THE BEGINNINGS OF TAOIST PHILOSOPHY The Taoists trace their original founder to the Yellow Emperor, and even to the Divine Farmer. They consider all the hermit philosophers under the Five Ti Rulers as of their school. Lu Shang, the prime...
Tao Teh King. Xxii. Increase : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXII INCREASE BY HUMILITY At that time the deficient will be made perfect; the distorted will be straightened; the empty will be filled; the worn out will be renewed; those having little will obtain and those having much will...
Tao Teh King. Ii. Self Development : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], II SELF-DEVELOPMENT When every one recognizes beauty to be only a masquerade, then it is simply ugliness. In the same way goodness, if it is not sincere, is not goodness. So existence and non-existence are incompatible...
Tao Teh King. Lxxiv. Overcoming Delusions : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 49 LXXIV OVERCOMING DELUSIONS If the people do not fear death, how can one frighten them with death? If we teach people to fear death, then when one rebels he can be seized and executed; after that who will dare to rebel...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 77 : SEVENTY-SEVEN The TAO of Heaven resembles the stretching of a bow. The mighty it humbles, the lowly it exalts; the overflowing it diminishes, the insufficient it supplies. The way of humans is not so. Humans take from the needy to further enrich the rich. The one who can take from his...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 24 : TWENTY-FOUR He that stands on tiptoe can not long stand steady; he that is sitting astride can not walk; he that is prejudiced can not become enlightened; he that is self-assertive can not become distinguished; he that praises himself will not be given credit by others; he that takes pride...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 69 : SIXTY-NINE It is taught in books of strategy: "Never be so rash as to start a war; at first, always be on the defense. One should hesitate to advance an inch but be always ready to withdraw a foot." This means that it is better for an army to advance by craft rather than by aggressive operations...
Tao Teh King. Xli. The Unreality Of Appearance : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLI THE UNREALITY OF APPEARANCE The superior scholar when he considers Tao earnestly practices it; an average scholar listening to Tao sometimes follows it and sometimes loses it; an inferior scholar listening to Tao ridicules...
Tao Teh King. Lxiv. Consider The Insignificant : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXIV CONSIDER THE INSIGNIFICANT That which is at rest is easily restrained, that which has not yet appeared is easily prevented. p. 44 The weak is easily broken, the scanty is easily scattered. Consider a difficulty before it...
Tao Teh King. Xxxii. The Virtue Of Holiness : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXXII THE VIRTUE (TEH) OF HOLINESS Tao in its eternal aspect is unnamable. Its simplicity appears insignificant, but the whole world cannot control it. If princes and kings employ it every one of themselves will pay willing...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 20 : TWENTY Abandon your acquired learning and do not regret the loss. There is very little difference between 'yes' and 'no', but what a vast difference between a good man and a wicked man. There are some things (like suffering and death) which are universally feared and which it is natural to fear...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 73 : SEVENTY-THREE Courage carried to recklessness leads to death, while courage restrained and cautious leads to life. Of these two kinds of courage, one is harmful and one is beneficial. Why this is so, why some things are rejected by Heaven and some not, who can tell the reason? Therefore the perfect...
Tao Teh King. Ix. Moderation : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], IX MODERATION Continuing to fill a pail after it is full the water will be wasted. Continuing to grind an axe after it is sharp will soon wear it away. Who can protect a public hall crowded with gold and jewels? The pride...
Tao Teh King. Lxv. The Teh Of Simplicity : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXV THE TEH OF SIMPLICITY In the olden days those who obeyed the spirit of Tao did not enlighten the people but kept them simple hearted. The reason people are difficult to govern is because of their smartness; likewise...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 34 : THIRTY-FOUR Great TAO is all pervading! It is available everywhere, on the right hand and on the left. Everything is dependent upon it for existence and it never fails them. It does all this but claims no ownership. As TAO has no selfish desires and is perfectly humble, everything takes refuge...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 79 : SEVENTY-NINE If nations hate each other but are making a treaty of peace, there will always remain some seeds of hatred. How can it be considered as a settlement? The perfect Sage is always willing to accept the debit side of an account, for then he does not have to enforce payment from another...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 80 : EIGHTY In a small country with few people there will be in proportion many of exceptional merit and of competency but few vacancies for their services. If people consider their death to be important, they will hesitate to go to distant countries. Though there be boats and carts they will have no...
Tao Teh King. Xlvi. Limitation Of Desire : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLVI LIMITATION OF DESIRE When the world yields to Tao, race horses will be used to haul manure. When the world ignores Tao war horses are pastured on the public common. p. 35 There is no sin greater than desire. There is no...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 67 : p. 62 SIXTY-SEVEN The world calls it the Great TAO, but there is nothing with which to compare it. Why? Simply because of its greatness. If there were anything with which to compare it, TAO would immediately become, and remain so for a long time, the most insignificant thing in all the world. TAO...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 63 : SIXTY-THREE A man's first duty is to practice "wu-wei" and make use of his quiet hours to gain enlightenment. One should early learn to find sweetness in tasteless things; to discover greatness in small things; to be satisfied with few things. One should respond to hatred with kindness; he should...
Tao Teh King. Xiv. In Praise Of The Profound : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XIV IN PRAISE OF THE PROFOUND It is unseen because it is colorless; it is unheard because it is soundless; when seeking to grasp it, it eludes one, because it is incorporeal. Because of these qualities it cannot be examined...
Tao Teh King. Lxviii. Compliance With Heaven : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXVIII COMPLIANCE WITH HEAVEN He who excels as a soldier is the one who is not warlike; he who fights the best fight is not wrathful; he who best conquers an enemy is not quarrelsome; he who best employs people is obedient...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 30 : THIRTY When a minister serves a ruler after the principle of TAO, he will not advise a resort to force of arms to become a great nation. Like returns to like. So briars and thorns grow rank where an army camps. Bad years of want and disorder follow a great war. Therefore, the competent ruler...
Tao Teh King. Lxxix. Enforcing Contracts : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXIX ENFORCING CONTRACTS When reconciling great hatred there will some remain. How can it be made good? Therefore the wise man accepts the debit side of the account and does not have to enforce payment from others. They who...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 26 : TWENTY-SIX As the heavy is the foundation of the light, so the quiet is master of the passionate. Therefore, the perfect Sage in all the experiences of the day does not lose his serenity. Though he be surrounded by grandeur, he will keep himself unconcerned and simple. But, alas, for those emperors...
Tao Teh King. Lii. Return To Origin : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LII RETURN TO ORIGIN When creation began, Tao became the world's mother. When one knows one's mother he will m turn know that he is her son. When he recognizes his sonship, he will in turn keep to his mother and to the end...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 75 : SEVENTY-FIVE When a ruler appropriates too much of the taxes, starvation comes to the people. The reason why people are difficult to govern is because the ruler is thinking too much of his own interests. People make light of death because they are absorbed in the interests of life. The one who is...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 38 : p. 46 PART TWO TEH THIRTY-EIGHT The "teh" (power, or virtue) of the perfect Sage is not revealed intentionally. It naturally and spontaneously meets the needs of the world and, therefore, it is the true teh of TAO. The teh of inferiors simply makes an outside show of power which is assumed to be...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 71 : p. 65 SEVENTY-ONE To recognize one's ignorance of unknowable things is mental health and to be ignorant of knowable things is sickness. It is only by grieving over knowable things that we are kept in mental health. The perfect Sage is free from the mental sickness of common people, because he...
Introduction : p. 5 INTRODUCTION I LOVE LAOTZU! That is the reason I offer an-other interpretative translation, and try to print and bind it attractively. I want you to appreciate this wise and kindly old man, and come to love him. He was perhaps the first of scholars (6th century B.C.) to have a visi...
Tao Teh King. Xxxviii. A Discussion About Teh : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 30 XXXVIII A DISCUSSION ABOUT TEH Essential teh makes no show of virtue, and therefore it is really virtuous. Inferior virtue never loses sight of itself and therefore it is no longer virtue. Essential virtue is...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 22 : TWENTY-TWO Time will show that the humblest will attain supremacy, the dishonored will be justified, the empty will be filled, the old will be rejuvenated, those content with little will be rewarded with much, and those grasping much will fall into confusion. Therefore, the perfect Sage who keeps...
Tao Teh King. Valedictory. Part Of The 20Th Sonnet : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], VALEDICTORY PART OF THE 20TH SONNET Common people are joyful; they celebrate a feast day; they flock to a pavilion in spring time. I alone am calm, as one who has as yet received no omen; I am as a babe who has not learned...
Tao Teh King. Xix. Return To Simplicity : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XIX RETURN TO SIMPLICITY Abandon the show of saintliness and relinquish excessive prudence, then people will benefit a hundredfold. Abandon ostentatious benevolence and conspicuous righteousness, then people will return p. 20...
Introduction To Second Edition : p. 13 INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION When the first edition was published in 1919, the writer was a Christian and had very little first hand acquaintance with Taoism. Since then he has become a Buddhist and by frequent visits to China has been studying Buddhism and Taoism for twelve years...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 59 : FIFTY-NINE In governing people and in worshiping heaven, nothing surpasses the teh of self-restraint. The restraint of desire is like returning to the original TAO. Returning to one's origin means the recovery of one's vitality. When one has recovered his original vitality, nothing is unmanageable...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 14 : FOURTEEN There is one thing in the universe that we can not see with our eyes, nor hear with our ears, nor grasp p. 32 by our perceiving mind, but that which our senses fail to perceive or our mind fails to grasp yet may be realized in meditation. When we look upward we can not see its brightness...
Tao Teh King. Xxvii. The Function Of Skill : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXVII THE FUNCTION OF SKILL Good walkers leave no tracks, good speakers make no errors, good counters need no abacus, p. 24 good wardens have no need for bolts and locks for no one can get by them. Good binders can dispense...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 47 : FORTY-SEVEN Not going out of the door, the sage has knowledge of the world. Not looking through the window, he perceives the TAO of heaven. The more one wanders about among objective things, the less he understands. Therefore, the perfect Sage does not think about worldly affairs, but he...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 2 : TWO Our minds naturally perceive the beauty of things on account of their beautifulness; so they also have p. 26 a feeling of disgust for their ugliness on account of their ugliness. It is the same with goodness and badness. Everything in the world is mutually opposing and revealing itself. So...
Tao Teh King. Lxi. The Teh Of Humility : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXI THE TEH OF HUMILITY A great state that is useful is like a bond of unity within the Empire; it is the Empire's wife. The female controls the male by her quietude and submission. Thus a great state by its service to smaller...
Tao Teh King. Liii. Gain : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 38 LIII GAIN BY INSIGHT Even if one has but a little knowledge he can walk in the ways of the great Tao; it is only self-assertion that one need fear. The great Tao (Way) is very plain, but people prefer the bypaths. When...
Tao Teh King. Xii. Avoiding Desire : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XII AVOIDING DESIRE An excess of light blinds the human eye; an excess of noise ruins the ear; an excess of condiments deadens the taste. The effect of too much horse racing and hunting is bad, and the lure of hidden treasure...
Wu Wei. Chapter Ii. Art : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 80 CHAPTER II ART "WHAT is art?" I asked the hermit. We were sitting upon the mountainside, in the shadow of an overhanging rock. Before us stretched the sea-one endless gleam of light in the sunshine. Golden sails were...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 6 : SIX As rivers have their source in some far off fountain, so the human spirit has its source. To find his fountain of spirit is to learn the secret of heaven and earth. In this fountain of mystery, spirit is eternally present in endless supply. Anyone can avail himself of it for the refreshment...
Title Page : p. 3 LAOTZU'S TAO AND WU-WEI SECOND EDITION REVISED AND ENLARGED A NEW TRANSLATION BY BHIKSHU WAI-TAO AND DWIGHT GODDARD INTERPRETIVE ESSAYS BY HENRI BOREL OUTLINE OF TAOIST PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION BY DR. KIANG KANG-HU THETFORD, VERMONT DWIGHT GODDARD [1939] NOTICE OF ATTRIBUTION Scanned...
Tao Teh King. Lvii. The Habit Of Simplicity : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LVII THE HABIT OF SIMPLICITY The empire is administered with righteousness; the army is directed by craft; the people are captivated by non-diplomacy. How do I know it is so? By this same Tao. Among people the more...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 43 : FORTY-THREE The tenderest things of creation prevail over the hardest. Something immaterial enters into the most impenetrable to preserve its unity. I, therefore, recognise the advantages of the principle of "wu-wei" and teach non-interference. There is no other doctrine p. 51 that is grander th...
Tao Teh King. Lxxii. To Cherish One's Self : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXXII TO CHERISH ONE'S SELF When people are too ignorant to fear the fearsome thing, then it will surely come. Do not make the place where they dwell confining, the life they live wearisome. If they are let alone, they will...
The Central Teaching Of Laotzu : p. 19 THE CENTRAL TEACHING OF LAOTZU In Chow Cheh in King Shao District of Hopeh Province (formerly Chili) on Tsung Nan mountain is a Taoist Temple known as Tsung Sun Kung. This temple is said to have been built to mark the place where Laotzu wrote the Tao-teh-king. At this place was a frontier...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 10 : TEN During the daytime, our senses are kept busy in activities, but if we keep our minds concentrated, we will better preserve their potentialities. If, in our practice of concentration, we preserve humility and tenderness and retain our natural breathing, we will become like a little child. If...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 18 : EIGHTEEN When people no longer follow the great TAO, they originate the ideas of benevolence and righteousness. When knowledge and learning are cultivated there is hypocrisy. When relatives are unfriendly to one another, they adopt the teaching of filial piety and paternal affection. When a country...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 55 : FIFTY-FIVE He who attains to the highest teh of simplicity and sincerity, may be compared to the ingenuousness of an infant. Poisonous insects do not sting their own young, wild beasts do not attack their own cubs, nor do birds of prey. A baby's bones may be weak and its muscles soft, but its...
Tao Teh King. Xxiv. Troubles And Merit : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXIV TROUBLES AND MERIT It is not natural to stand on tiptoe, or being astride one does not walk. One who displays himself is not bright, or one who asserts himself cannot shine. A self-approving man has no merit, nor does one...
Tao Teh King. Lxx. The Difficulty Of Understanding : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXX THE DIFFICULTY OF UNDERSTANDING My words are very easy to understand and very easy to put into practice, yet in all the world no one appears to understand them or to practice them. Words have an ancestor (a preceding idea)...
Untitled. Part 02 : * Why post yet another translation of the Tao te Ching? This one is by Dwight Goddard, the author of A Buddhist Bible, and it is a very transparent and readable version. This translation was the predecessor of one which Goddard slipped into later editions of the Buddhist Bible, one of the few...
Tao Teh King. Xl. Avoiding Activity : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], p. 32 XL AVOIDING ACTIVITY Retirement is characteristic of Tao just as weakness appears to be a characteristic of its activity. Heaven and earth and everything are produced from existence, but existence comes from nonexistence...
Tao Teh King. Lxii. The Practice Of Tao : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXII THE PRACTICE OF TAO The Tao is the asylum of all things; the good man's treasure, the bad man's last resort. With beautiful words one may sell goods but in winning people one can accomplish more by kindness. Why should...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 51 : p. 54 FIFTY-ONE Life comes from TAO; its nourishment comes from teh; its shape is formed by materiality; its accomplishments are owing to energy. Therefore among all men there are none who do not honor TAO and esteem teh. Honor for TAO and esteem for teh is never by compulsion, it is always...
Tao Teh King. Xlv. The Virtue Of Greatness : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLV THE VIRTUE (TEH) OF GREATNESS Extreme perfection seems imperfect, its function is not exhausted. Extreme fullness appears empty, its function is not exercised. Extreme straightness appears crooked; great skill, clumsy;...
Tao Teh King. Xliv. Precepts : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XLIV PRECEPTS Which is nearer, a name or a person? Which is more, personality or treasure? Is it more painful to gain or to suffer loss? Extreme indulgence certainly greatly wastes. Much hoarding certainly invites severe loss...
Tao Teh King. Part Two. Teh. Chapter 45 : FORTY-FIVE The enlightenment of the perfect Sage, because of its simplicity, appears as lacking, but his wisdom never fails. Perfect homogeneity appears as emptiness, but its potentiality is never exhausted. Extreme frankness appears as evasive, great skill as clumsiness, great eloquence...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 16 : SIXTEEN At the moment when one is able to concentrate his mind to the extreme of emptiness and is able to hold it there in serene tranquillity, then his spirit is unified with the spirit of the universe and it has returned to its original state from which his mind and all things in the universe...
Tao Teh King. Xxxv. The Virtue Of Benevolence : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], XXXV THE VIRTUE (TEH) OF BENEVOLENCE The world will go to him who grasps this Great Principle; they will seek and not be injured, they will find contentment, peace and rest. Music and dainties attract the passing people, while...
Tao Teh King. Vii. Humility : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], VII HUMILITY Heaven is eternal, earth is lasting. The reason why heaven and earth are eternal and lasting is p. 14 because they do not live for themselves; that is the reason they will ever endure. Therefore the wise man will...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 4 : FOUR TAO is invisible but permeates everywhere; no matter how one uses it or how much, it is never exhausted. It is wise for us to imitate its profoundness; that is, to keep ourselves in quiet confidence as being the unfailing source of all things. We should hide our wits and competencies; we...
Tao Teh King. Lxvi. To Subordinate Self : * "Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei", by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, [1919], LXVI TO SUBORDINATE SELF The reason rivers and seas are called the kings of the valley is because they keep below them. Therefore the wise man desiring to be above his people must in his demeanor keep below them; wishing...
Tao Teh King. Part One. Tao. Chapter 12 : TWELVE If a man indulges his desire for looking at the five beautiful colors, his perception of their beauty will become dull; if a man indulges a desire for listening to the five musical tones, his perception of their music p. 31 will become dulled; if he indulges a desire for the five pleasant...
Historical Essays. Taoist Religion : p. 133 TAOIST RELIGION Religion is very different from philosophy, often it becomes quite opposite and yet it is carried on in its name and claims to be the original teaching. Sometimes this is caused by the inclusion of some alien elements, but in case of Taoism in China, from beginning to end it...