Taoist Philosophy - Chapter 111

[Marblehead]

Restoring The Original Character

 

When you use the Tao to govern the world,
Evil spirits will not have omnipotent power.
Actually,
It’s not that evil spirits
Will not have omnipotent powers,
It’s that their power will not harm men.
Then the original Character of the world is restored.


The Sage Does No Harm To The People

The Sage lives in accordance with Tao and therefore the evil spirits do not harm him.

The Sage lives with people, but does no harm to the people. Who does no harm to other people cannot be harmed by others. Only one who is beyond harm can go about freely among the people.

Edited March 2, 2013 by Marblehead

[rene]

"The Sage Does No Harm To The People"

 

 

 

- Did you mean the Sage does no "intentional" harm to the people?

 

It's not possible to cause no harm.

 

Every action, and non-action, is one of simultaneous creation and destruction.

[Marblehead]

"The Sage Does No Harm To The People"

 

- Did you mean the Sage does no "intentional" harm to the people?

 

It's not possible to cause no harm.

 

Every action, and non-action, is one of simultaneous creation and destruction.

 

Fair question. That quote is from Chuang Tzu. I will look it up tomorrow and see who's translation it is (if I can find out) and see what other translators said about it.

 

(But yes, I too hold to the concept of no 'intentional, unnecessary' harm.)

[Marblehead]

"The Sage Does No Harm To The People"

 

- Did you mean the Sage does no "intentional" harm to the people?

 

Okay. I found it. That is from Lin Yutang's translation of the TTC Chapter 60, his note 60.1.

 

It is equivalent to Henricks' translation of line 6 of the chapter which reads:

 

The Sage, also, will not harm them.

 

Henricks notes this line:

 

In line 6 the standard text has "The sage also will not harm men." The Ma-wang-tui variant of "not harm them" allows a number of interpretations of the last three [6-8] lines. To whom does the "them" refer? Does it mean "men"? I think that it does and translate accordingly.But it might also refer back to the evil spirits, the point being tha in the ideal state, the evil spirits would cause no harm to people, and the Sage, in like manner, would not do things harmful to these spirits. As a result, there is harmony in this state between spirits and men.

[Otis]

My read on the "causes no harm" phrase is: sages walk lightly on the earth, leaving as little impression on it, in one way or the other. No harm is caused, because almost nothing is caused. They are gentle with life.

[Marblehead]

My read on the "causes no harm" phrase is: sages walk lightly on the earth, leaving as little impression on it, in one way or the other. No harm is caused, because almost nothing is caused. They are gentle with life.

 

Nice way of looking at it.