ChiDragon

No, I was referring to 靈(灵)魂。

Yes, Tao is eternal.

Yes, Tao is existed before anything.

Everything is Tao. Everything is there for a reason. They follow the principles of Tao. Tao is the principle.

The terms do not change. Different religion may use the same terms with their own esoteric meaning. The native scholars do know and understand what are the terms mean in different religion. When they interpret the classics, they do consider how the terms were used in different Era. The classics cannot be interpreted by the modern concepts alone.

Good observation. It was not a set up but it is the way how the classic was written.

What I meant was Laotze used the verb "You", 有, as a noun. At the same time, hinting that Tao is in the visible state. He used "Wu"，無, as a noun indicating that Tao is in the invisible state.

In line 3, Laotze called Tao "無", Invisible(noun), indicating that Tao is in the invisible state. One can feel Tao's existence by intuition. In line 4, Laotze called Tao "有" Visible(noun), indicating that Tao is in the visible state. One can feel Tao's existence by vision. Do you see that Laotze is shooting two birds with one stone? He was using "無" and "有" as nouns pun intended. At the same time, they are giving a hint to the meaning of the verbs. It was to show the present state condition of Tao. Indeed, that is the tricky part of the Chinese language.

I understand where you are coming from. It takes little by little to put the whole picture together. The DDJ is not easy to be comprehended, it took me a few years to get it together. You are learning it chapter by chapter is only part of the picture. I had done the same in the past ten years or so. However, we need to relate the chapters together as a whole. In order to understand the DDJ completely.

"Spirit" in the DDJ To my clear understanding, the OP was asking about the "spirit" in the DDJ other than the translation of the English word "spirit". My response was to answer what the DDJ was really telling us. Peace!

This what Chi Kung is all about.

Chapter 1 1. 道可道，非常道。 2. 名可名，非常名。 3. 無，名天地之始。 4. 有，名萬物之母。 5. 故常無，欲以觀其妙。 6. 常有，欲以觀其徼。 7. 此兩者同出而異名， 8. 同謂之玄。玄之又玄， 9. 眾妙之門。 Revised as of 2/27/12 1. Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. 2. A name that can be named is not an eternal name. 3. Invisible, was a name given to Tao at the origin of sky and earth. 4. Visible, was a name given to Tao as the mother of all things. 5. Hence, when Tao is always invisible, one would grok its quale. 6. When Tao is always visible, one would observe its boundary. 7. These two come from one origin but differ in name, 8. Both are regarded as unfathomable; the most occult and profound; 9. The gate of all changes. Please note: In lines 3 and 4, "you" and "wu" were treated as nouns by context. In lines 5 and 6, "you" and "wu" were treated as verbs by context.

It maybe a little strange to a non-native speaker. As I had indicated before, Chinese characters, sometimes, can be a noun or verb based on the context. Laotze had used both "you" and "wu" many times as verbs and nouns. I believe that the first thing he did was in Chapter One. A bit of advice, it is not wise to interpret the classic DDJ with English thoughts, grammar or rules. Peace!

I am not familiar with the World Spirit. Would you please give a little explanation about it. Thank you.

Thank you. I believe, in the OP, we are dealing with the definition of spirit within the scope of the DDJ.

Yes, the only spirit in the TTC would be Tao. Tao was well defined in Chapter one. Tao is sometimes visible(有) and at other times is invisible(無).

Let's go elsewhere to discuss the subject. I don't like to go into deep discussion in the "deleted" thread here.

Chapter 60 Ruled by Tao 1. 治大國,若烹小魚. 2. 以道莅天下, 3. 其鬼不神; 4. 非其鬼不神, 5. 其神不傷人; 6. 非其神不傷人, 7. 聖人亦不傷人. 8. 夫兩不相傷, 9. 故德交歸焉. 1. Ruling a great nation is like frying a small fish. 2. With the presence of Tao beneath heaven, 3. The ghosts cannot extent their power. 4. It's not only that the ghosts cannot extent their power, 5. But its power cannot harm anyone. 6. It was not even that their power cannot harm anyone, 7. A ruler also does no harm to anyone. 8. Since both do no mutual harm to each other, 9. Then, the virtue of peace was returned to the people. Laotze is an atheist and naturalist. He uses ghost(spirit) as people's language to explain so people who would understand.

Chapter 8 - Be Virtuous like Water 1.上善若水。 2.水善利萬物而不爭， 3.處眾人之所惡， 4.故幾於道。 5.居善地， 6.心善淵與善仁， 7.言善信， 8.正善治， 9.事善能， 10.動善時。 11.夫唯不爭， 12.故無尤。 Translation in terse English: 1. High virtue like water. 2. Water is good at benefiting all things without contend. 3. Attend places where people disgusted. 4. Hence, water is similar to Tao. 5. Dwell in good selected places, 6. Good deep in the heart with peace and kind to others, 7. Spoken words with trust, 8. Rule with benevolence, 9. Conduct affairs with best ability, 10.Take action in a timely manner, 11.Therefore, only by not contending, 12.Thus no resentment.

Water is part of nature. Spirit had mentioned in the TTC, but Laotze did not consider it is real.

自然 means natural in the TTC. It is not an entity.

Damo is a person who brought Buddhism into China. In the TTC, there are only four entities are found. They are human, earth, sky and Tao.

Damo:達摩 Bodhidharma: 達摩

No, Cobie. Reincarnation is only in Buddhism.

FYI 昔之: in the past; after; since 昔之得一者: After those who obtained Tao This is implying one who had learned and follows the principles of Tao.