tao te ching

[uki]

i have a version translated by derek bryce and leon wieger, with summaries being attributed to huai nan tzu, kuan yin tzu, and tung ku ching... i am doing a personal hand written copy of the tao in my personal book for future generations and as it were, there are many, many translations to choose from... i feel inclined to ask for some personal favorites of the board members... i hope to have a translation from a different source for each chapter so feel free to swamp me with choices to choose from.

[Lucas]

i always have liked any translation work by thomas cleary....

edit: i guess i could clarify why lol

i have always enjoyed his personal commentary, ive found him to be a well thought out person who can come at the topic from multiple angles

[Dale Dugas]

you want to get a copy of Dao De Jing by Ursula LeGuin.

A very nice way with words has she. http://www.amazon.com/Lao-Tzu-Ching-.../dp/1570623953

There are many translations out there.

Here is a link that has many of them: http://www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/pa...o-te-ching.htm

[Scott R. Brown]

I agree with reading a number of translations. I have to rate, TAO TE CHING: The Definitive Edition, translated by Jonathan Star

This edition discusses the difficulties in translating Chinese and compares different translator's choice of words. It also contains a complete concordance of every single Chinese character and a commentary on verse One!

[Hendrik]

IMHO, It is just very straight forward and simple words, there is no needs for 100000 translation and causing misleading.

It must be something which give a clear direction instead of just words which sound fuzzy and taken as deep / mysterious because non understand the fuzzy and cloudiness. and then it becomes the emperors' new cloth and everyone give it a prays but non knows what it is and benifit from it. it is not about literature or philosophy but could one " be" .





道 可 道 ， 非 常 道 。

A Path that can be described with words is not the boundless path.



名 可 名 ， 非 常 名 。

An identity that can be identify with characters is not the true identity.




The above means the path/ Dao/ ultimate is boundless thus one cant describe the boundless. if one describe the boundless with limitation, that is no longer the ultimate.




無 名 天 地 之 始 ﹔

Beyond could be identifying with mind is the origin of heaven and earth.

This means one needs to go beyond the mind. Mind is a creation machine, one needs to go beyond the mind to be "beingness" or the origin. Mind doesnt know Beingness because Beingnes is "be" and beyond " know, aware, think, identifying....."


有 名 萬 物 之 母 。


able to identify with mind is the source give birth to millions of things.

This means all things are created with mind.




故 常 無 ， 欲 以 觀 其 妙 ﹔

Thus, being in boundless, the intention to let go the mind and enter into the boundless is to observe the wonderful beyond creation.
This means dropping the mind one will "be" the wonderful beyond creation.

Or as in the west said, Let Go and Let God "Be".



常 有 ， 欲 以 觀 其 徼 。

focus on limits/bounday, the intention of focus the mind is to observe the creation/manifestation.

focus the mind and creation/manifestation begun, for mind is the machine to create.




此 兩 者 ， 同 出 而 異 名 ， 同 謂 之 玄 。

Both Being in boundless and focus the mind, they are from the same source although human using different identity/terms to describe them. They are from the same source means non dual.


This means, to be totally free, one needs to be in non dual. and to be in non dual means no attachement to either beings or mind, for one is the "body" and one is the " application" of the body. Similar to a coin with two faces. To be free, liberate, "be" with the Dao, one doesnt make discrimination of the two, one doesnt attached to both.



玄 之 又 玄 ， 眾 妙 之 門 。

practice Non attachment within Non attachment is the gate way toward the wonderful existence within emptiness or Boundless.



This chapter one is simply describing Creation and beyond creation.


Thus, in Qigong practice there are the state of fusion the Jing to become Zhen Qi, .....transcend the shen to return to the boundless.

Thus, if one practice the state of fusion the jing to become Zhen Qi , that is on the creation. However, when one reaches the state of " transcend the shen to return to the boundless" that is going into the boundless. the practices carry one from the creation back to the boundless.

As it said, Quiet the Mind and settle the Shen or Xi Xing AAn Shen. That is the starting training to enter the boundless. and only after AAn Shen, one can go further to Lien Shen Huan Xui or transcend the shen to return to the boundless. at that state, mind is drop long ago

Thus, this chapter 1 serve as a direction for Qigong/ Dao/ Internal archemi cultivation. it is not just beatifull or fuzzy words like the new cloth of the emperor. The bottom line is can one do it with the teaching, and how far has one gone?

[Scott R. Brown]

Hi Hendrik,

It is simple and straight forward for those who read Chinese, it is less clear to those who must read translations. Therefore, reading a number of different translations would be a benefit to those who are interested in what the Tao Te Ching teaches.

On the other hand, there is nothing within the Tao Te Ching that cannot be understood through direct perception/experience if one is wiling to take the time and make the effort to do so.

Reading and understanding the Tao Te Ching is not even necessary in order to understand Tao, it is nothing more than a description of the processes of Tao.

Since the processes of Tao are processes of nature, observation of Tao/Life/Nature will reveal the processes.