Chinese pilosophy
Appendix 1 The Dao De Jing of Lao Zi (Translation)-part eight
Appendix 1 The Dao De Jing of Lao Zi (Translation)-part eight
Chapter 46 (see Part III, 18.2)
When the world has the Dao,
War horses are used in farming.
When the world lacks the Dao,
Even mares in foal have to serve in battle.
There is no guilt greater than lavish desires.
There is no calamity greater than discontentment.
There is no defect greater than covetousness.
Therefore, he who is contented with knowing contentment
Is always contented indeed.
Chapter 47 (see Part III, 15.2)
Without going out of the door
One may know the all-under-the-sky.
Without looking through the window
One may see the Dao of Heaven.
The further one goes,
The less one knows.
Therefore the sage knows without going about,
Understands without seeing,
And accomplishes without taking action.
Chapter 48 (see Part IV, 28.6)
The pursuit of learning is to increase day after day.
The pursuit of the Dao is to decrease day after day.
It decreases and decreases again
Till one gets to the point of take-no-action.
He takes no action and yet nothing is left undone.
In order to govern all under Heaven
One should adopt the policy of doing nothing.
A person who likes to do anything arbitrary,
Is not qualified to govern all under Heaven.
Chapter 49 (see Part IV, 28.5B)
The sage has no fixed mind of his own.
He takes the mind of the people as his mind.
I treat those who are good with goodness
And I also treat those who are not good with goodness,
Then everyone will try to become good.
I trust those who are trustworthy
And I also trust those who are not trustworthy,
Then everyone will try to become trustworthy.
When the sage governs the world,
He seeks to put away his personal will
And to help everyone return to the sphere of simplicity.
While the people all concentrate on their own eyes and ears,
He renders them back to the sphere of infancy without desires.
Chapter 50 (see Part III, 17.1)
Man comes alive into the world
And goes dead into the earth.
Three out of ten will live longer.
Three out of ten will live shorter.
And three out of ten will strive for long life
But meet premature death.
And for what reason?
It is because of excessive preservation of life.
Only those who don't value their lives are wiser
Than those who overvalue their lives.
I have heard that those who are good at preserving life
Will not meet rhinoceroses or tigers when traveling the byways,
And will not be wounded or killed when fighting battles.
The rhinoceroses cannot butt their horns against them.
The tigers cannot fasten their claws upon them.
And weapons cannot thrust their blades into them.
And for what reason?
Because they are out of the range of death.
Chapter 51 (see Part II, 6.1)
The Dao begets all beings,
And De fosters them.
Substance gives them physical forms,
And environment completes them.