Cobie

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Quote \/ doesn’t say “twice in one line”, and I haven’t read the article. Still, I thought you might find it interesting. “A thorough study of polysemy is an important prerequisite for the translation of Tao Te Ching to convey its essence well. Therefore, the article screened the polysemy in Tao Te Ching and found many words and phrases have more than one meaning.” (A Study of Polysemy and Multi-translation in Tao Te Ching, by Yan Wang, https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/iccessh-19/125912010 )

.

Exactly. 無 (wu2) not * 為 (wei2) behave like a civil servant * ~~~ * amongst other meanings, Classical was polysemic

.

.

.

Sound idea. I kind of decided, when I was young, to take 'this-whole-life' off. While no doubt your advice will be sound, I have decided not to read the neidan subforum. Now those are always worth reading.

That sounds so funny to Dutch ears.

I’m calling to the rescue pls @liminal_luke and partner.

無為 (wu2 wei2) do not behave like a civil servant; be yourself

Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more virtue /ˈvəːtʃuː/ noun 1. behaviour showing high moral standards. "paragons of virtue"

The DDJ is about morality. See the title: 道 德 經 (DDJ) The Way of Virtue (Scripture).

No. BC means ‘before Christ’. Laozi (6the century BC) is after 詩 經 (11th to 7th centuries BC).

.

To marvel at Chinese, the shishi poem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vExjnn_3ep4 Shì-t

I had not finished yet. Done now.

I started looking at the English translations over 50 years ago. They differ! I wondered. Learned a tiny bit of Chinese, found that even the translations from characters differ. Learned about the nature of Classical a tiny bit, and that explained a lot. So I started looking at some translations from characters and saw they cheated. Some characters given incorrect meanings/grammatical function. Or inserting/removing bits. Or delivering a word salad. I started my own translations. I puzzle and keep making changes. All done? Then I check! Does the chapter make a coherent and meaningful translation? And don’t cheat! Only use meanings that are Laozi time appropriate. And make sure to not go against the Classical grammar. But I am not the only conscientious translator and e.g. Henricks (my favorite) comes to a totally different translation. I think the characters allow different translations. The translation is the result of the lens one looks through (what’s inside your own mind).

It’s quite beautiful really the quoted poem: The fishhawks sing gwan-gwan 關 關 雎 鳩 On sandbars of the stream. 在 河 之 洲 Gentle maiden, pure and fair, 窈 窕 淑 女 Fit pair for a prince. 君 子 好 逑 ~ Watercress grows here and there, 參 差 荇 菜 etc Shijing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Poetry