Some thoughts on the Tao Te Ching

Taoism

I recently became interested in Taoism (also rendered as Daoism). I started by reading the Zhuangzhi, which took me several months, and more recently finished the Tao Te Ching, which didn’t take nearly as long. I don’t recommend reading them in that order, although it was certainly interesting - these two are typically considered to be the foundational texts of Taoism, but the Tao Te Ching is much easier to read.

There are a multitude of translations of the Tao Te Ching, likely many more than the 81 short chapters of which it consists, and many of them are in the public domain. Choosing between them is difficult, as each has its own merits (except perhaps the one by Aleister Crowley, which I dislike out of principle - it is difficult to imagine someone that is less of an exemplar of the Tao than Crowley). I read the Ursula Le Guin translation interpretation, which I can heartily recommend. She didn’t understand Mandarin, much less the Classical Chinese in which the Tao Te Ching was written (the oldest known copy is dated to around 300BC, and is written on bamboo slips), but she drew on various other authoritative translations to provide insightful and humane commentary. If you would like a more scholarly approach, ‘The Way and Its Power’, written by Arthur Waley is apparently well-regarded, although I have not had the opportunity to read it myself.

Taoism itself is an ancient cultural accretion from China that you can usefully view as a religion, a philosophy, neither, or both. It does not belong to the type of tradition that writes down clearly defined rules on a stone tablet, although it does have priests, and collections of writings postdating the foundational texts (i.e. the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi) did collate a list of precepts by which to live, which are very similar to those of Buddhism. From what I have read thus far I gather that the more institutionalised form of Taoism that currently exists in China owes much to the Way of the Celestial Masters sect, which originated in the second century CE. There has also subsequently been much cross-pollination between Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

The Tao (variously translated as ‘the Way’, ‘the Road’, or any number of other terms) is something like the ultimate harmony which underlies the natural world, and which followers of the Tao strive to emulate or follow. It is more akin to a process than a ‘thing’, more like a river than a rock. It is the origin of all things in nature, and predates human concepts. By its nature it defies description in everyday language - to attempt grasp it is to lose it. Ambiguity is its essence - but whatever else may be said of it, it is clear that it is that Way which one should strive to live by. Of course, not being able to say precisely what it is makes this rather difficult.

As an example of the content of the Tao Te Ting, here is the first chapter of the well-known (but not universally loved) Stephen Mitchell translation:

The Tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.

If you read this and felt irritated by what you clearly perceive to be obscurantist mumbo-jumbo, I would encourage you to approach the text with an openness to metaphor. The Ursula Le Guin translation is particularly helpful in this regard, as she provides numerous delightful notes that can assist in obtaining such a perspective. Paradox is central to the method the text uses to guide us to an understanding of the Tao (which is perhaps similar to certain Zen practices, but with less sitting).

Much of the text becomes legible when you ground it in the simple, everyday experiences that are common to all of us. Experiences such as walking, laboring, cooking, attempting to make sense of the world, suffering some awful calamity, and dying. A peculiarity of Taoism is its attitude towards authority. The Zhuangzhi contains passages advising people to steer clear of the powerful, even (perhaps especially) when they offer you great rewards, at the risk of being murdered or experiencing some other terrible fate. This appears to be a reflection of the tumultuous times in which it was written - the Warring States period in ancient China. The period is associated with the so-called Hundred Schools of Thought, which developed and promoted various philosophical systems (including Taoism and Confucianism), from approximately the 6th century BC to 221 BC. The Zhuangzhi presents numerous examples of sages and scholars who unjustly came to misfortune when serving some powerful lord (the entire book is actually wonderful, and full of legendary anecdotes of an ancient culture that I know very little about).

Because of this reticent, even dismissive, attitude towards authority figures, and its advocacy for a life with fewer artificial contrivances, Taoism has been labelled as an anarchic philosophy, and I believe it can constructively be viewed in this way. I also found the Tao Te Ching to be, surprisingly, a deeply moral text. Despite its lack of obvious ethical precepts to live by, it invites us to consider the silence spaces between what it explicitly says, and to imagine a better world than the one we find ourselves in, governed as it is by those who often lack compassion and wisdom. At the same time it does not offer us any hope of social change - the cruelty and injustice of human governance is taken as a given (or part of nature), and if alternatives are presented, it is in a wistful manner, as of a man dreaming of being able to fly to the moon - The Tao does not invite us to retreat to fantasy, nor does it provide a simple manual to self-improvement. It simply exists.

The origin of Taoism is undoubtedly Chinese, and this cultural milieu informs the broader context of Taoism. It is taken for granted that the reader of the ancient texts are ancient Chinese (likely Han) people - i.e. that they subscribe to traditional Chinese folk religion, perform the traditional activities associated with veneration of the ancestors, and so forth. It is tempting to attempt to extract some sort of pure ‘essence’ from the texts, shorn of the cultural baggage; but I am not sure this is strictly possible or even desirable. Certainly the long history of Taoism has provided a deep well from which one may drink, and without the many centuries of development in a specifically Chinese environment that well would be all the shallower, and the world poorer for it.

In the most pessimistic interpretation, if we accept that all western translations and readings have been helplessly corrupted by our psychological projections and our lack of familiarity with ancient Chinese culture and thought, then I would still argue that the Tao Te Ching has much to offer. Our interpretation or experience of a text does not have to be pedantically ‘correct’, in the sense that the original authors, separated from us by the weight of millennia, would agree with how we read it. Religious dogmatists notwithstanding, it is extremely unlikely that the various authors of the world’s great religious texts would be able to relate to the way that the contemporary faithful view their religions, never mind agree with the specific versions and translations of their texts that we happen to have ended up with - but thinking this way is the first step to intellectual enlightenment, and therefore beyond the purview of the narrowly devout. I believe the inherently subjective aspect of the Tao is intentional and perhaps its greatest asset - it permits an individual, interior experience of the Tao that defies easy categorisation, and perhaps even transcends culture.

To the extent that Taoist texts delight in ambiguity and a refusal to commit to dogma, what I have written above constitutes my own (doubtlessly inadequate) interpretation of the Tao. Taoism has taken root in my mind in a way that other religious traditions have not (with the possible exception of Buddhism), and I have found no trace of my usually quite critical faculties mounting an attempt to dislodge it. As someone who identifies, more or less, as a secular materialist, but still believes in the importance of the sense of the mystical, this has been a wonderful surprise.

The Tao Te Ching according to an unnamed LLM

I’ve been looking for an excuse to play with a large language model, and having numerous interpretations of the same text lends itself to generative AI. So I took the opportunity to use an LLM that will remain Nameless to generate a new version of the Tao Te Ching. I thought it would be interesting to do so, as I could use my intuition to guide it towards renderings of the various chapters that accord with my own understanding, and in the process gauge the usefulness of the model for such a collaborative writing exercise (spoiler: ok but not amazing).

I used several approaches - asking the LLM for a summary of certain chapters (I can report that the Tao Te Ching was definitely in its training corpus), or providing it with several different versions of a chapter and asking it to summarise them in a new form, and various similar things. I did this for each chapter until it generated a version I didn’t completely hate and thought more or less agreed with the spirit of the chapter in question. I sometimes lightly edited the result, or copy-and-pasted various model outputs together, so the result is really more the product of an LLM-human centaur than an ‘artificial intelligence’.

To my amusement the LLM in question first refused my entreaties to refrain from rhyming, before abruptly stopping, and then continued to oscillate between the two modes for no particular reason I could identify. I don’t particularly like the sophomoric style of ABAB rhyming it sometimes output, and avoiding this rhyming mode added substantially to the time I spent ‘talking’ with the model.

The exercise was more time consuming and frustrating than I expected, and if the experiment was intended to determine if this specific model can replace a human writer, the outcome is negative. I was frequently dissatisfied with the output, and had to constantly prompt the model for new chapters, and make numerous tweaks. It would likely have been faster for me to have written novel arrangements of the chapters myself, without the assistance of the LLM. I am not really satisfied by the end product. In many cases it appears to have merely replaced words with synonyms, slightly shifted the emphasis of a line, or rearranged them. Overall the result is far inferior to original translations. Nonetheless I think it contains some worthwhile sentences that do not drift too far from the Way.

While the legendary author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu/Laozi, is likely a literary fiction or amalgam rather than a single historical person, I like to imagine that they would have approved of something as inscrutable as a vast array of floating point numbers generating novel(ish) permutations of that Way that one cannot go, that has a name that cannot be known.

Book I

Chapter 1

In the boundless realm where names fade,
The eternal Tao remains unnamed.
In silence, it births the cosmos;
In words, it takes diverse forms.

Witness the mystery without craving;
Desire stirs the veil of the unseen.
Two emerge from the formless unity,
Yet dwell in the same cosmic womb.

Hidden within the hidden,
The doorway to profound wisdom.

Chapter 2

In the dance of opposites, beauty and ugliness emerge,
As goodness shines, the shadow of badness appears.

Being and non-being intertwine, a dance of existence,
In difficulty, the roots of ease find their instance.

Long defines short, high depends on low,
Before and after, a continuous flow.

The wise act without striving, teach without words,
Letting things arise, embracing the flight of birds.

Possessing without clinging, expecting without demand,
Their work complete, they rest in the quiet land.

Chapter 3

Do not elevate the gifted, prevent quarrels.
Undervalue possessions, thwart theft.
Avoid fixating on desires, maintain clarity.

Rule wisely by emptying hearts, filling bellies,
Weakening ambitions, strengthening essence.
Lack of knowledge and desire deters interference.
In non-action, harmony prevails.

Empty the mind, substantiate virtue,
Weaken worldly ambition, strengthen essence.
Let people be innocent of knowledge and desire,
Act naturally without desire, achieve in natural order.

Chapter 4

The Tao, an empty vessel, never filled,
Source of the ten thousand things, unfathomable and skilled.
Blunt sharpness, untangle knots, soften the glare,
Merge with dust, hidden yet ever present, aware.

A well, used but never used up,
Eternal void, filled with possibilities, a timeless cup.
Hidden yet always present, birthed before Nature,
Tao’s depth, a wholeness, the origin of all abroad.

Quiet, enduring
The way is the dust of the way,
Quiet and enduring, born before the gods’ array.

Chapter 5

Heaven and Earth, impartial, see all as straw dogs.
Wise souls view people likewise, unbiased logs.

Space between, a bellows, empty, yet bestows.
Nature’s virtue, life’s grace, harvest in close.

Bellows play between heaven and earth, empty, inexhaustible flow.

Chapter 6

Valley spirit, undying, primal mother,
Gateway to heaven, veiled cover.

Tao, the Great Mother, inexhaustible birth,
Infinite worlds within, present on Earth.

Call it the mystery, the woman, forever in view,
Door of the Woman, easy uses, forever true.

Chapter 7

Heaven and Earth, eternal and enduring,
Unborn, ever living, sage in selfless assuring.

Tao, infinite, never born, never dies,
Master stays behind, detached, fulfillment wise.

Heaven and earth endure, not for themselves,
Saint puts self last, accomplishment dwells.
Wise souls leave self behind, move forward,
Stay centered, in selfless deeds, fulfillment onward.

Chapter 8

Embrace simplicity, in humility reside,
Water’s path, the Tao as a guide.
Choose the lowly position, like water’s flow,
Harmony in yielding, the way to go.

Water, the highest good, unseen might,
Nourishing life in its quiet flight.
Align with nature, in obscurity find,
True strength in stillness, the wise mind.

In yielding, enduring strength prevails,
Water’s gentle persistence, force it hails.
Follow the way, in humility’s embrace,
Discover power in tranquil grace.

Chapter 9

Wealth and fame can be damaging, better to be cautious.
Excess leads to trouble, restraint brings calmness.
Chasing after approval imprisons the heart.
Nature’s wisdom: after success, retreat, and play a modest part.

Chapter 10

Embrace the body and soul, nurturing oneness,
Can you escape the illusion of separation?
Cultivate your being, supple as a newborn,
Can you find purity in simplicity?
Cleanse the inner vision, see only the light,
Can you lead without imposing your will?
Deal with vital matters, let events unfold,
Can you step back and understand the flow?

Birth and nurture, possess without clinging,
Act without expectations, lead without dominating.
Embody the primal virtue,
Mysterious power flows through such simplicity.

Chapter 11

In thirty spokes, find the wheel’s essence,
Yet it’s the empty hub that grants utility.
Mold clay into a vessel, but it’s the space within,
That makes it truly useful, its functionality akin.

Cut doors and windows to craft a room’s face,
But it’s the emptiness within, that offers the space.
Benefit thrives in what is present,
Yet it’s the usefulness of the absent that’s truly pleasant.

Chapter 12

Colors dazzle, sounds may stun,
Flavors dull, desires overrun.
Yet, the Master looks within,
Trusts his vision, lets life spin.

Observing the world with an open heart,
Allowing things to play their part.
Not swayed by outer allure,
His inner vision remains pure.

Chapter 13

Success and failure, a fragile dance,
Hope and fear, mere fleeting trance.

Climbing up or down life’s stair,
Balance found with feet aware.

Honor and disgrace may surprise,
Yet, the greatest distress lies
In clinging to the physical frame,
A source of worry, fear, and shame.

See the world as an extension of you,
Faith in the way, love ever true.
Care for all, embracing each part,
A guiding light within the heart.

Chapter 14

Observe the unseen, embrace the unknown,
Witness the formless, yet life is full-blown.
Taste the flavorless, engage without strain,
Contemplate the small, true greatness to gain.

Confront the difficult when it’s easy,
Address the great by attending the sleazy.
In facing what’s hard, find ease in the start,
In attending the small, master the art.

Perceive the world without imposing views,
Hold the space, letting life choose.
In the uncarved block, potential resides,
The Tao flows, where wisdom abides.

Chapter 15

In ancient times, the wise were subtle and profound,
Unraveling complexities without making a sound.
Though deep and insightful, they seemed unclear,
Yet their actions and teachings were revered.

Gentle as water, the highest virtue they knew,
Nourishing without striving, a principle true.
Live in harmony with nature’s endless flow,
In simplicity’s embrace, let wisdom grow.

The ancient sages, masters of the way,
Led without dominating, humble in their sway.
Know when to yield, find strength in grace,
Eternal Tao, the timeless embrace.

Chapter 16

Embrace the void, find serene delight,
As myriad things rise and reunite.
In their blooming, they soon return,
Rooted in peace, no need to yearn.

The return to the source is tranquil,
A state of mind that’s calm and still.
To accept what must be, wisdom prevails,
Without it, chaos and ruin trail.

Know what endures, be open, grand,
Blessed by the Tao, forever to stand.
As the body’s journey comes to an end,
Fear not, for the eternal Tao transcends.

Chapter 17

True leaders inspire by quiet example,
Not by words that try to trample.
In simplicity, govern with ease,
Embrace the subtle, let wisdom increase.

Allow people to find their own way,
Without imposing views, let them sway.
Live without excess, practice restraint,
Witness the rise of true contentment.
In the leader’s stillness, the world aligns.

Chapter 18

When the great Tao is forgotten,
Kindness and morality arise.
When wisdom and cleverness are prized,
Hypocrisy and cunning disguise.

Simplicity is the key to lasting peace,
Without desires, all struggles cease.
Practice non-action, and all aligns,
True power in gentleness combines.

Embrace humility, and be the valley,
True strength in yielding, never folly.
When one is in harmony with the way,
Eternal Tao, true wisdom holds sway.

Chapter 19

Abandon sagacity, discard cleverness,
Troubles dissipate, peace finds address.
Renounce benevolence, discard righteousness,
Kindness prevails, harmony’s caress.

Release the need for profit and gain,
Steadfastness and true virtue regain.
Live without contention, let strife depart,
True unity flows from an open heart.

Chapter 20

Release the pursuit of knowledge, dissolve your woes,
Is there a difference between yes and no?
Good and evil, distinctions we impose,
Must I fear what others fear? A futile echo.

People revel in their abundance, a feast of the ox,
Climbing terraces, enjoying spring’s paradox.
Yet, here I drift, lost in the unknown,
A newborn’s smile, a path of my own.

Others boast in excess, I remain unadorned,
A fool in simplicity, to convention, scorned.
Clarity eludes me, a dim and feeble light,
Yet, in the drift, waves of the sea unite.

While others hustle, I find no quest,
Aimless and adrift, in a state of rest.
I am different, nourished by the great mother,
In her embrace, finding unity in no other.

Chapter 21

The greatest power lies in following the Way,
Elusive and intangible, yet real without sway.
A profound void, where images form,
Within the dimness, essence takes its norm.

Though obscure and mysterious,
Within lies a spirit, nothing delirious.
Certainty prevails in this mystic place,
From ancient times, it maintains its grace.

How do I fathom the origin’s trace?
Through the essence of this natural embrace.
The Tao, intangible and grand,
From the beginning, its name withstands.
In its subtle dance, creation unfurls,
The secrets of existence, the wisdom it hurls.

How do I grasp the source of all being?
Through the whispers of the Tao.

Chapter 22

Bend and endure, find strength in yielding,
Embrace flexibility, life’s mysteries revealing.
The crooked becomes straight in humility’s sway,
The empty becomes full, the Tao’s gentle play.

To diminish, add; to add, let go,
Harmony in balance, the Tao does show.
Witness the simple, find life’s design,
In humble yielding, true power does shine.

The wise lead without dominating,
Guiding subtly, life’s flow contemplating.
In embracing oneness, find the way,
Eternal Tao, where true virtues stay.

Chapter 23

Speak less, listen more, find wisdom’s trace,
Subdue desires, embrace a tranquil space.
Soft and weak overcome the hard and strong,
In yielding lies true resilience’s song.

Few words, boundless meaning they contain,
Diminish desires, peace and harmony gain.
Navigate life with subtle finesse,
In the small, the great finds its address.

Witness the world, find its profound ways,
In humble yielding, true virtue stays.
Embrace the mystery, be as clay,
Eternal Tao, where true wisdom lay.

Chapter 24

The one who stands on tiptoes is unsteady,
The one who strides forcefully stumbles already.
The one who self-promotes is not distinguished,
The one who praises oneself is not advanced.

The sage perceives without showing off,
Acts without asserting, avoiding the scoff.
In embracing the low, find true height,
Eternal Tao, where true virtues alight.

Chapter 25

Infinite being gives rise to all things,
Yet takes no credit for the life it brings.
The way of the world, the great constant flow,
Subtle and simple, yet all-encompassing, we know.

The alive and the lifeless emerge from the same,
Yet the sage discerns without playing the game.
Embrace humility, be as clay,
In yielding, find strength, and wisdom’s display.

The great speak little, their actions profound,
In quietude, life’s mysteries found.
In dwelling with the low, true worth lies,
Eternal Tao, where true greatness ties.

Chapter 26

Heaviness is the root of lightness,
Silence the master of sound’s address.
The sage travels without leaving a trace,
Imparts wisdom without leaving a base.

In stillness, discover the dynamic flow,
In emptiness, true abundance grow.
Shape the clay, but hold to the formless,
Witness life’s cycle, the eternal process.

A lord, with chariots, his might displayed,
Yet weighs his essence, not just his accolade.
In stillness, foundations are firmly laid,
Mastering the art of the Tao cascade.

Chapter 27

Good travelers leave no tracks,
Great speech leaves no flaws.
A well-laid plan requires no force,
A well-locked door invites no intrusion.

Soft and pliable overcomes hard and rigid,
The small and weak guide the large and strong.
In yielding, find strength and resilience,
The sage navigates without dominance.

The good instructs the yet unrefined,
The less good shapes the noble mind.
Respect for the teacher, the path to find,
Without it, wisdom is left behind.

Chapter 28

Understanding strength, embracing care,
Flow like the universe, be a child aware.
Know the light, hold on to the shade,
Be an example, in the world displayed.

Comprehend honor, yet wear humility’s dress,
Be the valley, a source of gentleness.
The uncarved block, pure and free,
In its simplicity, the true power we see.

When carved, it gains utility,
Used by the sage, it becomes nobility.
In knowing man and staying woman,
Become the riverbed where virtues summon.

In light and staying dark, create a pattern true,
The Tao within, guiding all you do.
Glory and staying modest, like a valley wide,
Eternal power flows with the tide.

Wood is carved, shaped for need,
Wise souls lead, planting the seed.
A great carving is done without a slice,
In harmony with Tao, true wisdom lies.

Chapter 29

The wise soul refrains from altering the sacred world,
Recognizing its sanctity, untouched and untold.
Attempting to seize or manipulate, a perilous quest,
For in doing so, the sacred is marred, distressed.

Under heaven, myriad things have their course,
Some lead, some follow, with varied force.
Extremes and excess the wise soul eschews,
Finding balance in the natural cues.

Hot and cold, strong and weak,
In equilibrium, the wise soul does seek.
Fulfillment found in moderation’s dance,
Averting extremes, embracing life’s nuanced trance.

Chapter 30

The Tao’s path unfolds without force,
Guiding all things along its natural course.
The wise lead without dominating,
Eschewing war, life’s harmony contemplating.

Weapons, tools of misfortune, the sage avoids,
In peace, true virtue, not in war, resides.
Forceful endeavors meet untimely ends,
Tao’s advocate to harmony amends.

In yielding, discover strength’s true embrace,
Adhering to peace, life’s harmonious base.
Softness triumphs over hardness,
Eternal Tao, where true victory coalesces.

Chapter 31

Weapons are ominous tools, avoided by the wise,
The wise leader promotes peace and prize.
Mastering the art of letting things be,
Harmony blossoms, true victory.

The wise soul values simplicity,
Embracing uncarved wood’s nobility.
In governing, avoid excessive schemes,
A tranquil state, the Tao redeems.

Nature thrives in its own way,
The sage follows, without display.
In yielding, true strength finds its stance,
Eternal Tao, where true leaders enhance.

Chapter 32

The Tao is eternal, nameless, and vast,
Though simple, it overcomes the fast.
In silence, its influence grows,
The Tao’s essence, the wise soul knows.

The myriad beings arise from the formless,
Embracing life’s beauty, chaotic and normless.
The sage, unburdened, follows the way,
In quietude, wisdom holds sway.

Harmony thrives in non-contention,
True leaders foster unity’s convention.
In yielding, find true strength’s alliance,
Eternal Tao, where true wisdom’s compliance.

Chapter 33

Knowing others is wisdom’s claim,
Knowing oneself is true fame.
Mastering others requires strength,
Mastering oneself is true length.

Content with what is, avoid contention,
True strength lies in yielding discretion.
The sage doesn’t strive, yet all prevails

Chapter 34

The Great Way flows, both left and right,
The myriad things, in its embrace unite.
Dependent, living, accepted in its stream,
Nameless, it works, a silent dream.

Nourishing and clothing all it holds,
No claim asserted, no possession molds.
A small matter, seemingly unseen,
Yet the ten thousand things return, serene.

The wise soul, in quiet action, finds,
Greatness in the humble, the subtle binds.
Without grand doings, greatness is achieved

Chapter 35

Hold fast to the great thought,
The world, harmless, peaceable, brought.
Walking around, we stop for delight,
Yet, the taste of the Way is quiet, a subtle light.

Centered in Tao, danger is dismissed,
Perceiving harmony, even in pain, not to be missed.
Music and smells may make hearts sway,
But words on Tao, seem dull, in a muted display.

It can’t be seen, can’t be heard,
Yet, in its simplicity, it’s undisturbed.
Inexhaustible, when used, it’s found,
A quiet symphony, in simplicity, profound.

Chapter 36

Desiring to shrink, expand, or possess,
Distorts the natural course, creates excess.
The wise soul clings to simplicity’s root,
Guided by the Tao, life’s essence to compute.

Limit desires, embrace what is near,
True contentment, dispel fear.
In stillness, witness the natural way,
Harmony reigns, where shadows sway.

Chapter 37

The Tao never acts, yet all is done,
Quiet and still, its essence won.
The wise soul desires no acclaim,
Yet achieves greatness without a name.

In simplicity’s uncarved mold,
Virtue thrives, humility untold.
Guided by the subtle Tao’s force,
The sage endures life’s steady course.

Book II

Chapter 38

True virtue is not virtuous,
Yet all virtue it nurtures.
Harmony embraces both gain and loss,
The wise soul values without gloss.

The truly good act with no end in view,
The righteous have a purpose they pursue.
In true obedience, laws take their sway,
Guiding the disobedient along the way.

Obedience, a dry husk of loyalty,
Opinion, a flower barren in royalty.
Great minds abide in the kernel, not the husk,
In the fruit, not the flower, wisdom’s grand dusk.

Chapter 39

In the ancient tapestry of existence, unity prevails:
The sky, whole and clear, reigns above.
The earth, solid and firm, supports below.
The spirit, strong and resolute, weaves through.
The valley, full and abundant, embraces life.
The myriad beings, alive and flourishing, dance in harmony.
Kings and lords, noble and upright, steward the country.

The clarity of the sky averts its collapse.
The firmness of the earth resists fragmentation.
The strength of the spirit defies depletion.
The fullness of the valley guards against drought.
The growth of myriad beings wards off decay.
The leadership of kings and lords safeguards the realm.

Hence, humility is the root of nobility.
The low forms the foundation for the high.
Princes and lords, though adorned with titles,
see themselves as “orphans, widowers, beggars.”
In this humility lies their strength.

Excessive success is not an advantage.
Do not chime like jade or clang like stone.
Embrace the wholeness within, for in harmony with the Tao, true virtue prevails.

Chapter 40

The Way flows to balance’s tune,
In yielding, true strength is strewn.

Void births utility’s finesse,
In stillness, potential finds progress.

Chapter 41

When the wise hear of the Way,
They practice, embody, and stay.
When average minds hear the same,
They shift between doubt and acclaim.

When foolish minds hear the Way’s call,
They laugh it off, disregarding all.
If the Way were not laughed at,
It wouldn’t be the Way at all.

The wise, embracing simplicity’s grace,
Lead without imposing a trace.
Without words, they guide with ease,
Harmony reigns, and the world appease.

Chapter 42

The Way bears the one, a seed of creation,
The one unfolds to two, a harmonious foundation.
From two emerges three, a dance in formation,
The three birth the ten thousand, life’s manifestation.

In the embrace of the ten thousand things,
Yin and yang dance, the harmony it brings.
Shoulders carry yin, arms cradle yang,
Their interplay of energy, a cosmic pang.

Despised by many, orphans, widowers, the outcasts,
Yet kings and rulers adopt these outcasts.
Winning and losing, a paradoxical cost,
In loss, something gained, and vice versa tossed.

What others teach, my words echo,
Violence and aggression, self-destruction’s shadow.
Resting on this truth, my teaching lays,
In the dance of yin and yang, harmony stays.

Chapter 43

Softness triumphs over hardness,
Flexibility over rigidity, the art of artlessness.
The feeble overpowers the robust,
As water shapes and transforms without thrust.

Though appearing weak, the river’s flow is might,
Eroding stone, displaying softness’ right.
Gentle persistence, an enduring force,
In yielding, true strength finds its source.

Chapter 44

Fame or life, which do you cherish?
Loss or gain, what do you perish?
Great burdens, great troubles arise,
When desires soar, wisdom defies.

Honor and shame, a dual face,
Gaining or losing, a constant race.
Excessive striving, leads to fall,
Contentment in little, wisdom’s call.

Endless desires, endless need,
Harmony found in letting greed recede.
Rest in simplicity, find peace within,
Master the self, and true wealth begin.

Chapter 45

In the dance of existence, perfection wears a mask:
Great achievement appears flawed, yet remains enduring.
Abundant fullness seems vacant, yet remains inexhaustible.

True alignment may seem twisted,
Genuine wisdom may appear foolish,
Authentic eloquence may sound awkward.

In the ebb and flow of life:
Motion conquers the chill,
Stillness prevails over the heat.
Tranquility orchestrates cosmic order.

Chapter 46

In a world aligned with the Tao,
Workhorses gracefully retire from the fields.
When the world strays from the Tao,
Even expectant mares are forced into the chaos of battle.

The gravest wrongdoing: insatiable desire.
The cruelest fortune: perpetual discontent.
Greed, the relentless curse of existence.

To comprehend sufficiency is to possess true wisdom,
An understanding that transcends endless wants.

Chapter 47

Within one’s true self resides the essence of the Tao,
An intrinsic connection that defies external exploration.
No need to venture beyond the confines of one’s abode,
No need to gaze through the window to grasp the celestial order.

The more distant the journey, the more obscured the understanding,
Hence, the sage does not embark on external quests.
Perceives without fixating on appearances,
Achieves without the strain of relentless action.

Chapter 48

In the pursuit of knowledge, each day accumulates,
Yet, in the practice of the Tao, daily shedding takes place.
The less one imposes force, the closer to non-action one draws,
Until, finally, the realm of pure inaction is achieved.

When nothing is deliberately done, nothing remains undone,
A paradoxical dance where true mastery unfolds.
To wield influence, refrain from undue interference,
For those who fuss lack the fitness to govern.

Chapter 49

The wise possess no isolated mind,
Immersed in the collective thoughts of humanity.

Good to both the virtuous and the wayward,
For virtue transcends the boundaries of goodness.

They extend trust to the faithful and the doubtful,
Understanding that power lies in the essence of trust.

In harmonious mingling with the world,
They become like children,
Guiding and being guided in the dance of existence.

Chapter 50

Life and death, intertwined in the eternal dance,
Thirteen organs of vitality mirrored in the embrace of decay.
Why does death find its passage through the gates of life?
It is the clinging grasp of existence that invites its entrance.

Yet, those who walk the path with grace,
Fear not the bull in the vast fields,
Nor the tiger in the fierce battle.
For there is no space within them for death to claim,
A sanctuary where horns find no purchase, and claws no grip.

Chapter 51

From the boundless Tao, all things emerge,
Nurtured by the essence of Virtue.
Formed by the dance of matter,
Molded by the embrace of surroundings.

The myriad entities instinctively revere Tao,
Bestow honor upon the silent Virtue.
No demands are made, yet nature unfolds,
A cosmic ballet choreographed by the unseen.

Tao births, nourishes, and sustains,
Guiding without imposition,
Creating without ownership,
A manifestation of Primal Virtue.

Chapter 52

In the world, there is a beginning, a mother of all.
Know the mother, and you understand the child.

Embrace the uncarved block,
embrace simplicity, embrace the pure.
Free from desire, discover tranquility,
align with the eternal without seeking gain.

See the small, perceive the subtle,
yield like water, overcome the hard.
The wise navigate the world without striving,
and in their stillness, they thrive.

Chapter 53

To tread the great way, let the mind be humble,
For arrogance breeds trepidation.
The true path lies low and unadorned,
Yet many seek shortcuts through lofty peaks.

In the grand palace, opulence abounds,
Yet the fields bear neglected weeds,
The granaries echo with emptiness.
Adorned in finery, armed with excess,
The shameless thieves revel in abundance.

Beware the imbalance that pervades,
Where speculators thrive, and farmers falter,
Where wealth is squandered on weaponry,
And the upper echelon heedlessly indulges.

Such discord is a deviation from the Tao,
A divergence from the pristine path.

Chapter 54

That which is firmly established remains unshaken,
Grasped with steadfastness, it does not slip away.
Its honor endures through generations.

Nurture Virtue within yourself,
And authenticity will blossom.
Cultivate it in your family,
And Virtue will thrive.
Extend it to the village,
And Virtue will flourish.
Let it permeate the nation,
And Virtue will abound.
Infuse it into the universe,
And Virtue will be ubiquitous.

Observe the body as the body,
The family as the family,
The village as the village,
The nation as the nation,
And the universe as the universe.

This I discern by contemplation,
For what is rooted in the Tao remains undisturbed.

Chapter 55

In the fullness of power lies the essence of a newborn,
A realm where scorpions dare not sting,
Tigers withhold their attack,
And eagles refrain from striking.
Bones soft, muscles tender, yet the grip unwavering.

In the ignorance of human union,
The infant manifests a virile essence,
Screaming all day without vocal weariness,
An epitome of true and perfect harmony.

Understanding harmony unveils constancy,
And in constancy lies the beacon of enlightenment.
Rushing about is unwise,
For in the control of breath, strain arises.

Excessive energy leads to exhaustion,
A departure from the Tao’s gentle way.
In the ebb and flow of life, seek not to conquer,
For whatever defies the Tao is fleeting and frail.

Chapter 56

Those who truly know need no words,
Speech fades in the presence of profound understanding.

Close your mouth, shield your senses,
Dull the sharpness, untie the knots,
Soften the glare, settle the dust,
Merge with the primal essence, the union with the Earth.

In this primal unity, concerns vanish,
Friend or foe, good or harm, honor or disgrace,
These dualities lose their grip.
Embrace the highest state, indifferent to the whims of the world.

Be like the Tao, elusive and enduring,
Beyond manipulation, beyond control,
Neither swayed by love nor rejection,
Untouched by profit or loss,
Beyond the reach of praise or humiliation.

In this tranquil honor under heaven,
Resides the essence of silent wisdom.

Chapter 57

Lead a nation with fairness,
Engage in war with strategic surprises.
Master the world without force.
How do I know this works? Through the Tao.

The more laws imposed, the poorer the people become.
Sharper the weapons, greater the turmoil.
The cleverer the strategies, the stranger the outcomes.
Rules and regulations breed thieves and chaos.

A wise leader declares:
Inaction fosters reform,
Silence nurtures honesty,
Non-interference yields prosperity.
Detached from desires, the people return to simplicity.

Hence, the Master advocates:
Let go of rigid laws,
Witness the rise of honesty.
Release economic grip,
Witness the flourishing of prosperity.
Abandon religious imposition,
Witness the emergence of serenity.
Desire not the common good,
And goodness will become as common as grass.

Chapter 58

A nation ruled with tolerance breeds comfort and honesty,
While repression sows seeds of depression and craftiness.
In the realm of power-driven governance,
Noble ideals often lead to ignoble outcomes.

Striving to make people happy can birth misery,
Seeking moral perfection may pave the way for vice.
The Master finds contentment in example, not imposition,
Pointed, yet not piercing; straightforward, yet supple.

The sage navigates with sharpness, yet not cutting,
Pointedness without piercing, brilliance without blinding.
Shaping without force, illuminating without imposing,
They become the light that doesn’t dazzle, harmonizing in wisdom.

Chapter 59

To nurture life and tread the way,
gather spirit within, early and abundantly.
In doubling this power, find invulnerability,
where limits dissolve, and possibilities abound.

Guiding a nation with wisdom,
nothing surpasses the virtue of moderation.
A leader, like the sky, embraces tolerance,
pervasive as sunlight, firm as a mountain,
supple as a tree swaying in the wind.

Liberated from personal notions, he thrives,
unburdened by fixed destinations.
In the ebb and flow of life,
he utilizes all that unfolds.

Chapter 60

Governing a vast realm is like cooking a small fish—
too much interference spoils the essence.

Center your governance in the Tao,
and malevolence loses its sway.
Though it lingers, step aside, unharmed.

Deny wickedness an adversary,
and it dissolves on its own accord.

In ruling, emulate the cook,
nurturing a large nation with the care of a small fish.
By adhering to the Way, unruly spirits are pacified,
their intangible might remains, safeguarded.
This mutual respect ensures harmony—
a convergence of powers without harm,
a symphony where wisdom and strength unite.

Chapter 61

A realm’s power, like a river, flows downward to embrace all within its reach
In stillness, a nation achieves dominance,
akin to the harmony between man and woman.

Greatness, akin to the vastness of the sea, thrives on humility.
A mighty nation, rooted in the Tao, acknowledges mistakes, learning from them.

It treats adversaries as benevolent teachers, understanding shadows are cast by its own actions

Chapter 62

In Tao’s vast embrace, all things spring forth,
A treasure to the virtuous, refuge for the lost.
Words and deeds have their place, but the Tao eludes measure,
Leadership’s moment, gift not in jade, but in the Tao’s subtle leisure.

Honors bought with words, respect with deeds,
Yet the Tao, priceless, transcends these needs.
As leaders rise, dispense not lavish gifts in excess,
Instead, gift the stillness, the Tao’s quiet finesse.

A hearth for the righteous, shelter for the astray,
Simplicity valued, grandiosity put at bay.
In coronation’s spectacle, not chariots or screens,
But the Tao’s stillness, in quiet scenes.

Ancient reverence not for show,
Seek and find, in hiding, it will bestow.
The Tao’s celebration beneath heaven’s vast span,
Found in seeking, refuge for every woman and man.

Chapter 63

Act without action,
work without effort.
Taste the tasteless,
wield the small,
magnify the minuscule.

Respond to the difficult
while it’s still easy,
accomplish the great
while it’s still small.

The most difficult things in the world
begin as the easiest,
the greatest acts as the smallest,
the wise embrace non-doing.

Teaching without words,
working without actions,
nothing in the world
can compare to them.

For those who understand,
there’s no need to strive;
for those who don’t,
even the effort is wasted.

Chapter 64

What’s at rest is easily restrained,
what hasn’t occurred is easily planned for,
what’s fragile is easily shattered,
what’s minute is easily dispersed.

Act before it exists,
regulate before there’s disorder.

The tallest tree begins as a tiny sprout,
the tallest building rises from a mound of earth,
a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Do what’s easy when it’s easy,
accomplish the great when it’s small.

A web is woven one thread at a time,
a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

If you try to do too much,
you’ll end up doing nothing.

Seek simplicity,
embrace the uncarved block,
value less and possess more.

In this way, the sage sets an example
by being what he teaches
and teaching without speaking.

Chapter 65

The ancients who followed the Tao
did not enlighten the people
but kept them in simplicity.

The reason people are difficult to govern
is because of their cleverness;
therefore, governing a state with cleverness
will sow chaos.

To govern with simplicity,
stay close to the natural way.
The more you restrain, the more you lose;
the more you control, the more you confound.

So, the wise leader says:
I take no action,
and the people transform themselves.
I love tranquility,
and the people find justice on their own.
I don’t interfere,
and the people enrich themselves.
I have no desires,
and the people return to simplicity.

Chapter 66

Rivers and seas are considered the kings of a hundred valleys
because they skillfully stay below them.

In this way, they can govern the valleys.
Therefore, being skilled at staying low
is essential to being a ruler over the people.

The wise leader desires to be above the people
and earns the respect without imposing.
The leader remains below
and gains support without demanding.
In this manner, the people do not feel oppressed,
and harmony is achieved without effort.

When the ruler stands above,
the people feel burdened.
When the ruler stands ahead,
the people feel resentful.
Thus, the wise leader says:
I achieve harmony by not striving for it.
I attain peace by allowing it to flow naturally.

Chapter 67

Everyone in the world says that my way is vast and resembles nothing.

Because it is vast, it resembles nothing.
If it resembled anything, it would have long since become small

I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love, The second is frugality,
And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world.

Now, if one has courage but discards love,
And does not heed, dare to be ahead of the world—
One meets with death

If one fights with deep love, one will be victorious.
If one guards frugality, one will be sufficient.
If one does not dare to be ahead of the world, one will endure.

Chapter 68

A skillful soldier is not violent.
A skillful fighter does not get angry.
A skillful conqueror does not engage in battle.
A skillful leader does not wield power.

This is the intelligence of non-contention.
This is the power to manage people.
This is the embodiment of harmony.

Even the strongest army cannot overcome the power of yielding.
A tree that is inflexible is easily broken.
The strong and powerful will fall.

Chapter 69

In the art of conflict, wisdom is found in restraint,
The expert in warfare chooses not to be the aggressor.
To yield is not weakness but a strategic dance,
Marching without marching, a subtle advance.

Rolling up sleeves without flexing might,
Being armed without visible weapons in the fight.
In facing an enemy, give them no solid ground,
For attacking what yields is a prize unsound.

Underestimating the foe, a catastrophic mistake,
The wise warrior safeguards what’s at stake.
When great forces clash, victory to the one who yields,
In this paradox, the true triumph reveals.

Chapter 70

My words are easy to understand,
And my actions are easy to perform.
Yet the people do not understand or follow them,
For they look only to the complex and intricate.

My actions speak of discipline, a silent force,
Yet the world remains in ignorance, off course.
Knowledge of me is scarce, a rare few understand,
While those who misunderstand often command.

The sage, humble in demeanor, wears rough attire,
Holding the jewel within, a heart on fire.
In the paradox of obscurity lies my value,
The wise conceal their jade, a subtle virtue.

Chapter 71

Strength prevails by acknowledging ignorance.
Sickness resides in presuming to know.
The cure is to be sick of sickness.
The wise, sick of the sickness of false knowing, are not sick.

Chapter 72

When people lack a sense of awe,
There will be disaster.

The Master, discerning the potential for confusion,
Steps back, imparting teachings with a gentle touch.

Wise souls navigate life, choosing wisdom over narrowness.
In understanding what to fear and what to embrace,
The wise act discreetly, maintaining a balanced grace.

Chapter 73

The boldness of daring will lead to death.
The boldness of not daring will lead to life.

These two are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

Who knows why heaven detests what it detests?
Even the sage finds this difficult.

The Tao of heaven:
It overcomes but does not contend,
It responds but does not speak,
It attracts but does not summon,
It lays plans but appears slack.

The net of heaven is cast wide.
Though the mesh is not fine, yet none ever escape.

Chapter 74

If people don’t fear death,
how can you threaten them with death?

If people are in awe of death and constantly fear it,
then who would dare not to act unlawfully?

When one uses force to kill, there are those who will mourn.
Conquerors may be victorious, but they are never esteemed.

The good deed is the shelter of those who are distressed,
the valuables of those who have nothing to give.
Thus, the sage fulfills his own obligations and exacts nothing from others.

Chapter 75

People are hungry because rulers eat too much tax-grain.
That is why they are hungry.

People are difficult to govern because rulers interfere too much.
That is why they are difficult to govern.

People despise death because rulers demand too much life.
That is why they despise death.

Only those who do not interfere with their life
are wise enough to give their life its full scope.

Chapter 76

While alive, the body is soft and pliant;
In death, it becomes hard and rigid.

Living plants are flexible and tender;
In death, they become dry and brittle.

Thus, the hard and stiff are followers of death,
The soft and yielding are followers of life.

Therefore, an inflexible army will not win,
A strong tree will be cut down.

The hard and big belong to the inferior,
The soft and small belong to the superior.

Chapter 77

The Tao of heaven is like drawing a bow,
Pulling the high down to lift the low.

It takes from those who have in excess,
And gives to those who are in want.

The way of heaven reduces the surplus,
And fills the deficiency.

The way of people is different:
It takes from those who are in need,
And gives to those who already have.

What person is willing to give to the world?
Only someone who is following the way of Tao.

Chapter 78

Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water,
Yet nothing can better overcome the hard and strong.

The weak can conquer the strong;
The supple can overcome the stiff.

Everyone knows this, but few can put it into practice.

Therefore the wise remain humble,
Understanding that yielding is the way to strength.
Enduring defilements, becoming a sacred seer,
Bearing common evils, a lord of the earthly sphere.

Right words often sound like a maze.

Chapter 79

After settling a great dispute,
There must be remaining resentments.
How can this be considered good?

Therefore, the sage holds the left part of the contract,
But doesn’t demand payment from the other person.

Those who have virtue hold the contract,
Those without virtue hold the collections.
The Way of Heaven favors the compassionate.

Chapter 80

Small country, fewer people.
Let the ruler keep things simple.
Don’t complicate their lives with excessive laws.

People may have many possessions,
But they can’t be encouraged to steal.
They may have much to do,
But they can’t be forced to work.

Live simply and be content,
And the people will be at ease in their hearts.
Encourage desires, and discontent will prevail.
Simplify, and harmony will be restored.

Chapter 81

True words are not beautiful.
Beautiful words are not true.

A good person does not argue.
The one who argues is not good.

The wise are not learned.
The learned are not wise.

The sage accumulates nothing.
The more they do for others, the more they have.
The more they give, the richer they become.

The Tao of heaven benefits and does not harm.
The Tao of the sage helps and does not contend.

Further resources

• Some thoughtful person has been kind enough to create the following website, which contains numerous translations of the Tao Te Ching: https://updownupdown.github.io/tao/
• Several Taoist texts are available at sacred-texts.com
• Wikipedia is not the worst place to start if you would like to learn more about the history of Taoism: Taoism