yiming

Correction: 15. Thus nothing that couldn't be handled. Sorry.

Following this, Lao Tzu said: 為「無 為」，則 無 不 治。 In Discussion of Chapter 3 of the TTC, you translated the above as: 14. Trailing to a natural path, 15. Thus noting that couldn't be handled. 不 治 could also mean incurable disease. Can you explain 治 and clarify its useage in every sense of that character?

There you go again, ducky. Antipathy is a politically-correct word for racism. You pulled my pigtail. And when I pull yours, you call me a racist? Oh, you weren't talking about integrating people? Sorry, my mistake and I slap my face for that. But how do you associate "spiritual and physical" with " 有 (you) and 無(wu)" addressed in Chapter 1? That is one hell of a giant leap even for Sun WuKong (孫悟空) let alone a Cantonese. My path runs right through you for I have much use for any non-Cantonese 夫智 who professes to know the 道 德 經 .

Regardless of your denial, you do quack like a duck. Maybe you are a different mutant, a Canadian or European strain of the same virus? Look at you: A natural connection without exclusion; suggested integration; and yet, natural for our perspectives to be different and we each have our own ways. “Natural” means 無 為 which is the absolute absence of human artifice including goody-two shoes big-hearted liberalism. You can't have your way. It's either 無 為 or the highway. Sorry, rene. You can't fiddle with the Tao Te Ching. It's not democracy, a western idea.

Maybe? Guess what? Maybe Laozi was a clueless American liberal. How's that?

We know the self exists in the sense that we live in terms of the self from having a passport to feeling the brunt of an insult. So, why do you think Lao Tzu felt it was not necessary to deal with self the way the Buddha did?

How is it possible? Can you explain how? Legge's translation of 虛 其 心，實 其 腹，弱 其 志，強 其 骨。is: "Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones." Maybe Legge was crazy to assume he understood Chinese philosophy. His translation is ridiculous. Americans would not allow anyone to empty their minds and weaken their wills. American mainstream media is cunning and fill their minds with propaganda and shape their will. In third world countries, the method is crude. Mao Zedong controlled the Chinese with his Cultural Revolution. This is the practice of dictatorship in subjugating the 人 民 . North Korea, Cambodia and Myannmar are brutal examples. Was Lao Tze advocating the enslavement of humanity?

Oops. How about this?

Don't you think Taiwan teas - especially, oolong - are superior quality? I always eat my 月餅 in advance starting August 1 - one every other day - until Mid-Autumn Festival. Please join me. Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Yeah, welcome. Have a mooncake.

Are you guys saying that Chi is Chinese joke?

Ok, you regard the 百 姓 as 人 民 . Do you like Chinese tea? These days, I drink Chinese tea while eating 月餅 and studying the Tao with you. Autumn Festival will be here soon. It is a festival of the 百 姓 . Do you know why Lao Tze wants to do this to the 百 姓 ? 虛 其 心，實 其 腹，弱 其 志，強 其 骨。

What you call a good sense of humor is a trait of Chuangtze. He expounded Lao Tze's teaching by ridiculing the cultural practices of the 百 姓 and regarded them as 芻 狗 . Do you agree? Anyway, I have a problem character in the next verse: 是 以 聖 人 之 治， What is the meaning of 治 ? How come it is part of a sandwich 三 明 治 ?

Sifu Chi, is the Saudi female dress code in keeping with Lao Tze's teaching? 不 見 可 欲，使 民 心 不 亂 。

Why do you translate it as "unobtainable" goods? 難 is the same character as that in 難易相成. Doesn't 難 means difficult? Is 难 a simplified way to write 難 ? Don't you think that Lao Tze has made the eternal Tao a 難 得 之 貨 ? And in doing so, he has turns us Tao Bums into a band of crooks?

Sounds like the the right tack for wading into Chapter 3. I have no difficulty with the meaning of the first part: 1 不 尚 賢，使 民 不 爭﹔不 貴 難 得 之 貨，使 民 不 為 盜﹔ But why is 盜 used instead of 偷 ? The two characters used together is 偷 盗 .

Sifu Chi, thank you for your commentary on Chapter 2. Before we move on to study the characters in Chapter 3, I have a question. Is a Wu Wei (無 為) attitude too idealistic and not practical to carry out? All of us live in relationship with other people who have been "corrupted with the concept of relativity", as you put it. If we are married and our wife is corrupted and strive for what she thinks is good, how can we avoid losing tranquility and peacefulness? Do we remain silent and non-interferring? Maybe, we too have been similarly corrupted with the concept of relativity. How can we find out if we are free of corruption?

Ok. Let's see if your translation of front and back part of Chapter 2 mutually follow each other (前 後 相 隨) . Here goes: Everyone, on earth, knows beauty as beauty; then, saw ugliness. Everyone knows kindness as kindness; then, saw evil. Rich and poor mutually engender each other Difficult and easy mutually accomplish with each other Long and short mutually formed with each other Noble and peasant mutually encompass each other Voice and tone mutually harmonize with each other Front and back mutually follow each other. Sage handles matters in a natural manner(無 為). Gives silent instructions. Let things be with no interference; Grown without possession. Sustain without domination. Success without dwelling. Because of not dwelling alone, Merits do not vanish. Sifu, Chi, what is Lao Tze saying? What is his message in Chapter 2 based on the above translation?

So, what does that 前 後 相 隨 mean? I am trying to understand the character 時 pronounced in Cantonese as "chuih". Combined with another character 隨 時 , it becomes "chuih si" meaning "anytime". Combined with yet another character 隨 便 , it becomes "chuih been" meaning "as you wish".

So, what does that 前 後 相 隨 mean? I am trying to understand the character 時 pronounced in Cantonese as "chuih". Combined with another character 隨 時 , it becomes "chuih si" meaning "anytime". Combined with yet another character 隨 便 , it becomes "chuih been" meaning "as you wish".

Are you saying that the Tao Te Ching is a book of ideals with no practical application?

How would Lao Tze expect a ruler to run such a country making the rich and poor, the nobles and peasants jive together? Is it not Confucius who was the one who provided the rules for running a harmonious society? Lao Tze, on the other hand, espoused inaction (無 為). How would you translate the last part of Chapter 2 as shown below: 是 以 聖 人 處「無 為 」之 事，行「不言」之 教。 萬 物 作 焉 而 不 辭，生 而 不 有，為 而 不 恃，功 成 而 弗 居。 夫 唯 弗 居，是 以 不 去。 Please explain how the above part (後) follow your interpretation of the front part (前) of Chapter 2 so that they follow each other (前 後 相 隨) as Lao Tze phrased it.

Do you prefer reading the Tao Te Ching in Cantonese or Mandarin? I prefer Cantonese because it conveys for me the meaning of each character more powerfully. Can you give me an example of the useage of 滿 ? Is 滿 meant for informal use as opposed to 盈 which is meant for classical literature?

So, to you, the messsage in Chapter 2 is an exhortation for mankind to live as one big happy family without divisiveness? Rich and poor, nobles and peasants, each harmonizing the other like voice and music in a marvellous song? Throughout history, blessed men with mandates from Heaven - from Emperor Qin to Mao Zedong - had tried to forge this cultural ensemble; and inspired men - from Plato to Karl Marx - had attempted to compose the political score for this eternal social melody. Yet, we can only manage to live worse than savage beasts. So, what was Lao Tze thinking? Did he also believe in hope and change? Anyway, I see the character 盈 in Chapter 4 (道 沖，而 用 之 或 不 盈。) How do you pronouce this in Cantonese? "Filled" in Cantonese is pronounced by me as "moon" as in "moon sui" meaning "filled with water".

You said 盈 is the Han ruler. What is the meaning of this word 盈? And how does 高 下 相 盈 relate with the first part of Chapter 2? Let's say Chapter 2 is like this: 天 下 皆 知 美 之 為 美，斯 惡 矣﹔皆 知 善 之 為 善，斯 不 善 矣。 故 高 下 相 盈。 Can you translate the above and explain how it make sense?