Lao-Tzu- Te-Tao Ching

by Robert G Henricks

  In line 9 later texts all say the exact opposite of what is said here—namely, “Therefore the good man is the teacher of the bad man.”

  [CHAPTER 28]

  1 When you know the male yet hold on to the female,

  2 You’ll be the ravine of the country.

  3 When you’re the ravine of the country,

  4 Your constant virtue will not leave.

  5 And when your constant virtue doesn’t leave,

  6 You’ll return to the state of the infant.

  7 When you know the pure yet hold on to the soiled,

  8 You’ll be the valley of the country.

  9 When you’re the valley of the country,

  10 Your constant virtue is complete.

  11 And when your constant virtue is complete,

  12 You’ll return to the state of uncarved wood.

  13 When you know the white yet hold on to the black,

  14 You’ll be the model for the country.

  15 And when you’re the model for the country,

  16 Your constant virtue will not go astray.

  17 And when your constant virtue does not go astray,

  18 You’ll return to the condition which has no limit.

  19 When uncarved wood is cut up, it’s turned into vessels;

  20 When the Sage is used, he becomes the Head of Officials.

  21 Truly, great carving is done without splitting up.

  COMMENTS AND NOTES

  Texts A and B are essentially the same. The copyist of Text A incorrectly omitted the word “white” in line 13; and in lines 8 and 9 the B copyist, looking ahead to the start of line 10, mistakenly wrote in “constant” (heng) before the word “valley” (ku, but here yu).

  One small grammatical change in line 20 makes clear the parallel structure of lines 19 and 20 and clarifies what those lines mean. In most other editions of the Lao-tzu, in line 20 we are told—“When the Sage uses it” (yung-chih); here it says when he “is used” (yung). Wing-tsit Chan translates the standard text: “When the uncarved wood is broken up, it is turned into concrete things. But when the sage uses it, he becomes the leading official.”

  Lines 19-21 play with double meanings throughout. The word for “vessel” (ch’i) can mean a government lackey; it refers to someone who is technically specialized, but one who lacks the all-around virtue and talent of the “gentleman.” (In Analects 2:12, Confucius says, “The Gentleman is not a vessel.”) Then in line 21 “carving” or “cutting” (chih) also means “regulating” in a governmental way; that is, the Sage is someone who will govern (= carve) without destroying (= splitting up) what is genuine and natural in people.

  Lines 5, 11, and 17 are omitted in the standard text. And, in the standard text, stanzas 2 and 3 (i.e., lines 7-12, and 13-18) are reversed. The standard order allows for better continuity, moving directly from the “uncarved wood” (p’u) of line 12 to the “uncarved wood” of line 19. But it is possible that lines 19-21 were originally intended to be read as a unit with lines 1-6 in chapter 29, and that stanzas 2 and 3 of 28 were reversed only after these two chapters assumed their present form.

  [CHAPTER 29]

  1 For those who would like to take control of the world and act on it—

  2 I see that with this they simply will not succeed.

  3 The world is a sacred vessel;

  4 It is not something that can be acted upon.

  5 Those who act on it destroy it;

  6 Those who hold on to it lose it.

  7 With things—some go forward, others follow;

  8 Some are hot, others submissive and weak;

  9 Some rise up while others fall down.

  10 Therefore the Sage:

  11 Rejects the extreme, the excessive, and the extravagant.

  COMMENTS AND NOTES

  In Text A there is a lacuna in the text running from the “others” of line 8 to the beginning of line 9, but the reconstruction of the text shows not one character missing (“submissive and weak”) but five. Thus Text A appears to have been in agreement with later editions of the Lao-tzu in having four pairs of “somes-and-others” at the end of chapter 29.

  I find Hsü K’ang-sheng’s discussion of these lines persuasive (Hsü, 1985, pp. 120-121): he feels that the missing characters should be ch’ui huo ch’iang huo ts’o—“blow cold, some are firm and strong, others submissive and weak,” thus giving, starting with line 8, “Some are hot, others blow cold; some are firm and strong, others submissive and weak.” (This is essentially the reading we find in the Fu I text.) It seems clear that throughout we have pairs of extremes.

  Wing-tsit Chan’s translation of the standard text here is, “Among creatures some lead and some follow. Some blow hot and some blow cold. Some are strong and some are weak. Some may break and some may fall.

  [CHAPTER 30]

  1 Those who assist their rulers with the Way,

  2 Don’t use weapons to commit violence in the world.

  3 Such deeds easily rebound.

  4 In places where armies are stationed, thorns and brambles will grow.

  5 The good [general] achieves his result and that’s all;

  6 He does not use the occasion to seize strength from it.

  7 He achieves his result but does not become arrogant;

  8 He achieves his result but does not praise his deeds;

  9 He achieves his result and yet does not brag.

  10 He achieves his result, yet he abides with the result because he has no choice.

  11 This is called achieving one’s result [without] using force.

  12 When things reach their prime, they get old;

  13 We call this “not the Way.”

  14 What is not the Way will come to an early end.

  COMMENTS AND NOTES

  On lines 12-14, see the comments and notes to chapter 55, above.

  In line 11, Text A agrees with the standard text in saying “without using force” (or “while not being strong”—pu-ch’iang). The omission of the negative pu in Text B seems to be a mistake.

  The standard text adds a line after line 4—“Great wars are always followed by famines.” The line is also missing from a few other texts and has been suspected for some time as being commentary on the previous line.

  In the standard text, line 9 comes before 7 and 8. Also, line 10 in the standard text is “He achieves his purpose but only as an unavoidable step” (pu-te-i); the Ma-wang-tui texts have wu-te-i chü, the chü that means “to dwell” or “reside.” My translation is tentative: the line might also mean (reading the final i here as the instrumental i) “He achieves his purpose and yet cannot because of this dwell on it.” Chü as “to dwell” seems to mean “excessively dwelling on one’s accomplishments” in chapter 2 and elsewhere.

  The standard text omits the words “this is called” (shih-wei) at the start of line 11, but a number of texts agree with the Ma-wang-tui texts in having this addition; some texts also just say “this.”

  In his translation of the standard text of Lao-tzu, D. C. Lau puts lines 7-11 all in the imperative mode (e.g., “bring it to a conclusion but do not boast”), but he has softened this interpretation in his translation of the Ma-wang-tui texts. He now has “He should be resolute but must not be arrogant; he should be resolute but must not brag about it,” and so on. In an earlier study, I treated these wu’s as imperative.

  [CHAPTER 31, TEXT A]

  1 As for weapons—they are instruments of ill omen.

  2 And among things there are those that hate them.

  3 Therefore, the one who has the Way, with them does not dwell.

  4 When the gentleman is at home, he honors the left;

  5 When at war, he honors the right.

  6 Therefore, weapons are not the instrument of the gentleman—

  7 Weapons are instruments of ill omen.

  8 When you have no choice but to use them, it’s best to remain tranquil and calm.

  9 You should never look upon them as things of beau
ty.

  10 If you see them as beautiful things—this is to delight in the killing of men.

  11 And when you delight in the killing of men, you’ll not realize your goal in the land.

  12 Therefore, in happy events we honor the left,

  13 But in mourning we honor the right.

  14 Therefore, the lieutenant general stands on the left;

  15 And the supreme general stands on the right.

  16 Which is to say, they arrange themselves as they would at a funeral.

  17 When multitudes of people are killed, we stand before them in sorrow and grief.

  18 When we’re victorious in battle, we treat the occasion like a funeral ceremony.

  COMMENTS AND NOTES

  Text B is essentially the same as Text A. Now missing from Text B are lines 3 and 13, part of line 12 and most of line 17.

  In line 1, the standard text opens with “As for fine/beautiful weapons”; the word “fine” (chia) does not occur in the Ma-wang-tui texts.

  Line 3 literally says, “Therefore one who has desires …” (yu-yü che), not “Therefore one who has the Way …” (in Text A; Text B has a lacuna at this point). I think this is a mistake; see my comment above on the same line in chapter 24.

  The “Therefore” at the start of line 6 in the Ma-wang-tui texts does not occur in the standard text; also, in the standard text, lines 6 and 7 are reversed.

  Line 9 in the standard text is somewhat different. In place of the brief “do not beautify it [or them]” (wu mei yeh), we have, rather, “defeat and yet not see as beauty” (sheng erh pu mei). Wing-tsit Chan’s translation reads, “Even when he is victorious he does not regard it as praiseworthy.” But the Ma-wang-tui form of this line is attested in other editions.

  The “Therefore” at the head of line 12 does not occur in the standard text, but it is a known variant. The same is true for the “Therefore” at the head of line 14.

  In the standard text the “mourning” (sang) of line 13 has been changed to “bad fortune” (hsiung) to directly contrast with the “good fortune” (my “happy”—chi) of line 12.

  Finally, at the end of line 17 the standard text has “weep” instead of “stand” (i.e., ch’i instead of li). Chou Tz’u-chi, Hsü K’ang-sheng, and D. C. Lau all read ch’i as the li that means “to come” or “to arrive.” I see no reason not to read the character as it stands, though any of the suggested alternatives makes equally good sense of the line.

  Chapter 31 is one of two chapters in the Lao-tzu (the other one being 66) that was not commented on by Wang Pi (A.D. 226-249). D. C. Lau points out that “this fact has been variously interpreted. Some think that this means that this chapter is a late interpolation. Others think that Wang’s commentary has become mixed up with the text. Still others think that this means at least that Wang suspected the authenticity of the chapter and showed this by leaving it without commentary.” Clearly, the chapter already existed in its present form at the start of the Han dynasty.

  It is also worth noting that in some editions of the Lao-tzu chapters 30 and 31 are combined since both deal with similar themes.

  [CHAPTER 32]

  1 The Tao is constantly nameless.

  2 Though in its natural state it seems small, no one in the world dares to treat it as a subject.

  3 Were marquises and kings able to maintain it,

  4 The ten thousand things would submit to them on their own,

  5 And Heaven and Earth would unite to send forth sweet dew.

  6 By nature it would fall equally on all things, with no one among the people ordering that it be so.

  7 As soon as we start to establish a system, we have names.

  8 And as soon as there are set names,

  9 Then you must also know that it’s time to stop.

  10 By knowing to stop—in this way you’ll come to no harm.

  11 The Way’s presence in the world

  12 Is like the relationship of small valley [streams] to rivers and seas.

  COMMENTS AND NOTES

  There is very little left of Text A (missing are portions of lines 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12); from what survives, Text A seems to have been exactly the same as Text B (with the exception of a few insignificant character variants).

  The differences between the Ma-wang-tui form of this chapter and that found in the standard text are all minor. In line 2 the standard text has “no one is able to treat it as subject” versus “no one dares.” In line 5, where the Ma-wang-tui texts have “send forth” (yu) sweet dew, other editions of the Lao-tzu say, “send down” (chiang). And finally, in line 10, the standard text says that by knowing to stop you “can” (k’o-i) avoid harm versus “in this way” (so-i) you’ll come to no harm.

  My “natural state” in line 2 is literally p’u, “natural, uncarved, wood,” and D. C. Lau picks up the echo in this chapter from the end of chapter 28, where “carving” natural wood corresponds to establishing government regulations and we are told that “great carving [= great establishing—chih] in a governmental way” is done without destroying what is natural in people. The same chih occurs here in line 7, which D. C. Lau translates, “Then only when it is cut are there names.”

  [CHAPTER 33]

  1 To understand others is to be knowledgeable;

  2 To understand yourself is to be wise.

  3 To conquer others is to have strength;

  4 To conquer yourself is to be strong.

  5 To know when you have enough is to be rich.

  6 To go forward with strength is to have ambition.

  7 To not lose your place is to last long.

  8 To die but not be forgotten—that’s [true] long life.

  COMMENT AND NOTES

  What remains of Text A is exactly the same as Text B; missing are portions of lines 2 and 3 and all of line 5.

  The grammatical yeh at the end of each line in the Ma-wang-tui texts, signaling the equative sentence pattern (X, Y yeh = X is Y), adds strength to the interpretation of these lines as definitions, but reading the lines as “the one who” sentences (e.g., “The one who understands others is knowledgeable”) is still possible.

  Significantly, the Ma-wang-tui texts have wang (“to forget/be forgotten”) in the last line where other editions of the text have wang (“to perish”). The standard reading is “To die but not really perish—that’s [true] long life.” The question then becomes, what does it mean to “perish”? Since the only difference between the two characters is that the heart radical is added to the character meaning “to perish” to give us wang (“to forget”), it is possible that even with the character “to forget” the author intends the meaning “to perish.” But “to die but not be forgotten” forms a good definition of “true long life,” and the author of the chapter is intent throughout in giving us new meanings for certain words.

  While it seems clear that lines 2 and 4 are meant to contrast with lines 1 and 3, it is not clear how lines 5-8 relate to one another. I have decided to read all four lines as lines that stand alone and define for us positive things; that is, this is what it really means, in a good Taoist way, to “be rich,” “have ambition,” “last long,” and “live a long life.” (The author clearly should have added a line between lines 4 and 5 that would contrast with what follows, something like “To have money is to have wealth,” but “To know when you have enough is to be rich.”)

  Arthur Waley contrasts lines 6 and 7: “He that works through violence may get his way; But only what stays in its place can endure.” My guess would be that the author in line 6 is putting forth a good way to have ambition as opposed to what that normally means (i.e., to strive for fame and glory); line 7 might mean that to really last long, the key is to know and accept one’s lot in life.

  [CHAPTER 34]

  1 The Way floats and drifts;

  2 It can go left or right.

  3 It accomplishes its tasks and completes its affairs, and yet for this it is not given a name.

  4 The ten thousa
nd things entrust their lives to it, and yet it does not act as their master.

  5 Thus it is constantly without desires.

  6 It can be named with the things that are small.

  7 The ten thousand things entrust their lives to it, and yet it does not act as their master.

  8 It can be named with the things that are great.

  9 Therefore the Sage’s ability to accomplish the great

  10 Comes from his not playing the role of the great.

  11 Therefore he is able to accomplish the great.

  COMMENTS AND NOTES

  In Text A there is a lacuna between “The Way” in line 1 and “completes its affairs” in line 3. Otherwise, Text A and Text B are essentially the same.

  Note how line 5 seems out of place; it interrupts what is otherwise the nice parallelism of lines 4 and 6 with lines 7 and 8. The point is that for one and the same reason (that it does not act as the master of things) the Way is both small (i.e., seemingly insignificant and unknown) and large (or great, ta). The Sage-ruler should take this as his model.

  In the standard text of Lao-tzu the text differs in a number of ways. To begin with, a line is added between lines 2 and 3, the line that Chan translates, “All things depend on it for life, and it does not turn away from them.” Secondly, at the start of line 4, in place of the very nice words “It clothes and nourishes the ten thousand things” (i-yang wan-wu), the Ma-wang-tui texts have “The ten thousand things entrust their lives to it.” Thirdly, the words “completes its affairs” are omitted from line 3 in the standard text. And finally, lines 9-11 are phrased somewhat differently in the standard text; they are less redundant than they are here. (Chan translates, “Therefore [the Sage] never strives himself for the great, and thereby the great is achieved.”)