[TTC Study] Chapter 37 of the Tao Teh Ching

[Marblehead]

Chapter 37

 

 

John Wu

 

Tao never makes any ado,

And yet it does everything.

If a ruler can cling to it,

All things will grow of themselves.

When they have grown and tend to make a stir,

It is time to keep them in their place by the aid of the

nameless Primal Simplicity,

Which alone can curb the desires of men.

When the desires of men are curbed, there will be peace,

And the world will settle down of its own accord.

 

 

English/Feng

 

Tao abides in non-action,

Yet nothing is left undone.

If kings and lords observed this,

The ten thousand things would develop naturally.

If they still desired to act,

They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.

Without for there is no desire.

Without desire there is.

And in this way all things would be at peace.

 

 

 

Robert Henricks

 

 

The Dao is constantly nameless.

Were Marquises and kings able to maintain it,

The ten thousand things would transform on their own.

Having transformed, were their desires to become active,

I would subdue them with the nameless simplicity.

Having subdued them with the nameless simplicity,

I would not disgrace them.

By not being disgraced, they will be tranquil.

And Heaven and Earth will of themselves be correct and right.

 

 

 

Questions? Comments?

[manitou]

yutang has a line that is slightly different:

 

'When reformed and rising to action,

Let it be restrained by the Nameless pristine simplicity.'

 

It seems like everything rotates around the nameless pristine simplicity. This simplicity is at the basis of everything, and when the machinations of man get too far away from this, the Way is that things will be returned to their simple nature, one way or the other.

 

Somewhere I read, 'don't look at the thing itself, look at the idea behind it' to understand it. This seems to follow the above; the idea would be simple; the manifestation of the idea might result in the results being too complicated or twisted as produced through the contorted self; the sage knows to look behind the idea to the Nameless pristine simplicity.

 

By non-action, we are merely letting the nameless pristine simplicity do its thing without interference. Most people will let their fears run away with them, as people tend to project out the most negative thing that can happen, fear it, and do all sorts of things to defend against it. Fear is the motivation for much of what our society does. The sage knows that by standing back, seeing it for what it really is, that sometimes a mere tweak from the sage will 'bend the light', as they say. If changes are made at the very basest level - the level of the idea that the sage sees -then much rending of clothes and gnashing of teeth is avoided.

 

The 10,000 things transform of their own accord if desires are curbed. The world will change of its own accord if desires are curbed.

 

but Western society? It's very difficult to have the Westerners understand this idea - to lose their desires - because our current system is set up as Dog Eat Dog.

Maybe this explains the Nazarene's camel/eye of the needle comment. It seems to me that gratitude for what we already have is the answer. To keep piling money up higher and higher just seems silly to me at this point in my life. Of course, I'd probably feel differently about it if I'd actually been able to do it; but I can say with relative assuredness that if I had been able to pile up money, it would be put to great use in my more mature years. So - two sides of the same coin on this too.

 

The idea behind money? My guess is power.

[Marblehead]

Yeah, life is really rather simplistic. It is we who make it more difficult than it truely is.

 

Return to the uncarved block. Hey! Go hug a tree!

[manitou]

Yeah, life is really rather simplistic. It is we who make it more difficult than it truely is.

 

Return to the uncarved block. Hey! Go hug a tree!

 

Ah! I do! Regularly! Talk to the manitou in them. I've named some of my trees.

 

Marbles, you were so very right about the no gardening gloves thing. My pair had a big old hole in one of the fingers so I threw them away and didn't buy more. I'm loving getting into the earth with the bare hands and also playing with the worms. I feel so very bad when I accidentally cut them in two with a shovel. Damn! But I guess they regenerate. (Couldn't science actually learn something from that??)

 

And how does your garden grow? Pretty maids all in a row yet? I'm putting in corn, cukes, tomatoes, and of course the occasional ganja.

[Marblehead]

 

Marbles, you were so very right about the no gardening gloves thing. My pair had a big old hole in one of the fingers so I threw them away and didn't buy more. I'm loving getting into the earth with the bare hands and also playing with the worms. I feel so very bad when I accidentally cut them in two with a shovel. Damn! But I guess they regenerate. (Couldn't science actually learn something from that??)

 

And how does your garden grow? Pretty maids all in a row yet? I'm putting in corn, cukes, tomatoes, and of course the occasional ganja.

 

Yeah, it is a pain getting my hands clean again but I love getting them dirty.

 

My garden? Well, the violas and the pansies are gone as it is now too hot for them. The snap dragons are on their way out.

 

But when I transplanted the bleeding hearts at the trellises with the swings I had success with five plants and they are growing well. The passion vines are doing great. I have to work with them about every three days because they are growing so fast.

 

My daylillies are doing great. The other day I counted the full blloms and there were 28 of them. Really beautiful flowers. Sad the flowers don't last very long and that they bloom only once a year.

 

I put some mandaville in the ground at trellises I made and they are doing great. Already have some deep scarlet red flowers on them. The other plants are doing well too.

 

I don't have many worms down here in this sandy soil. But yes, they regenerate so there is no serious loss.

[manitou]

strange to hear your species are already passing through, when our ground just got dry enough to put a seed into, lol. And when you say passion vines, are you talking about those strange flowers that look like they come from outer space? I grew up inside a 'fort' of those things out behind the garage.

I ran into a worm today that nearly made me scream, it was so large. Worms I have. I'll send you some

[Marblehead]

strange to hear your species are already passing through, when our ground just got dry enough to put a seed into, lol. And when you say passion vines, are you talking about those strange flowers that look like they come from outer space? I grew up inside a 'fort' of those things out behind the garage.

I ran into a worm today that nearly made me scream, it was so large. Worms I have. I'll send you some

 

 

Passion Vines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora

 

Mine are a bright scarlet red. They are tropicals so they die back in the winter even here.

 

They are a favorite plant for many butterflies ans well as hummingbirds.

 

They can grow very high but my trellises are seven feet high so that is their limit in my garden.

 

The only worms I get are the ones that live in the sump that I use for the waste from the fish ponds when I clean the filters. I do move some out front occasionally but I think that most of them die because of lack of food and moisture in the ground out front.

[Eric23]

Hamill's translation has a Buddhist twist (IMO).

 

Tao does nothing,

but leaves nothing undone.

 

If rulers could grasp this,

all things would transform themselves.

Transformed, old desires would be stilled

by a simplicity without name.

Released from desires, we find peace.

 

And the world settles itself.

 

 

Living in the desert has it's gardening challenges. I have the usual "approved" plants that everyone seems to have in their yards. Now that I'm around the house a lot more, I've started a small herb garden and some Morning Glories (flying saucers)from seed. Been rewarded with beautiful flowers.

[Marblehead]

Living in the desert has it's gardening challenges. I have the usual "approved" plants that everyone seems to have in their yards. Now that I'm around the house a lot more, I've started a small herb garden and some Morning Glories (flying saucers)from seed. Been rewarded with beautiful flowers.

 

Yes, that does have a Buddhist flavor to it, doesn't it? Many of the translations that were done prior to the mid-1970s had that flavor because they were done by people who were already acquainted with Buddhism.

 

Yes, I would think that desert gardening would be a bit more challenging because of the low humidity in the air.

 

Yes, Morning Glories are beautiful. I have a couple places along my fence where they grow wild. They don't last long here, probably because of the heat. I normally don't have a very long Spring, The weather just jumps from winter to summer most years.

[Mr. T]

hey there!

 

my dad has a passion flower that does very well in southern michigan. a friend at work gave him a cutting from somewhere, and it lived on the windowsill for about a month before he planted it. i imagine that was about 15 years ago...after that first summer there was no sign of life for about 2 years. since then it comes back every spring and has big, crazy purple flowers. and yes, they do look like they are from out space! anyway, i'm not really sure what that has to do with ch. 38...

 

see ya!

Edited May 12, 2011 by Mr. T

[Marblehead]

hey there!

 

my dad has a passion flower that does very well in southern michigan. a friend at work gave him a cutting from somewhere, and it lived on the windowsill for about a month before he planted it. i imagine that was about 15 years ago...after that first summer there was no sign of life for about 2 years. since then it comes back every spring and has big, crazy purple flowers. and yes, they do look like they are from out space! anyway, i'm not really sure what that has to do with ch. 38...

 

see ya!

 

Hehehe. I doubt it has much to do with Chapter 37 but that's okay. I had some purple ones but I had to take them out because there wasn't enough room for them to grow and they were a constant pain trying to keep trimmed back.

 

Yeah, a while back I did research on the plant and was surprised that they grow well up there as well considering they are a sub-tropical plant.

[manitou]

I doubt it has much to do with Chapter 37 but that's okay.

 

 

Chapter 37? Passion flowers? It's all One. Garden on...

[Marblehead]

Chapter 37? Passion flowers? It's all One. Garden on...

 

Okay. Line 4, Chapter 37, TTC, John Wu:

 

All things will grow of themselves.

 

He was thinking about passion flowers when he translated that line.

[manitou]

 

He was thinking about passion flowers when he translated that line.

 

 

Well, why not, lol?

[Mr. T]

hahaha,

 

you know, i always considered the ttc to be full of wisdom, but if all things do really grow of themselves, how come my bonsai keep dying?? it would be lovely if i could just put them in a pot and watch them grow! on second thought, it's probably my fault they are dying. and that passion flower certainly was evidence of the power of life. i guess i need another look at that chapter...which one are we talking about again?!

 

 

later

Edited May 13, 2011 by Mr. T

[Marblehead]

hahaha,

 

you know, i always considered the ttc to be full of wisdom, but if all things do really grow of themselves, how come my bonsai keep dying?? it would be lovely if i could just put them in a pot and watch them grow! on second thought, it's probably my fault they are dying. and that passion flower certainly was evidence of the power of life. i guess i need another look at that chapter...which one are we talking about again?!

 

later

 

I never tried growing bonsai although I do have two different species of juniper (same family plant) as borders in my front yard.

 

I can tell you this though, weeds will grow when left alone.

[zerostao]

Chapter 37? Passion flowers? It's all One. Garden on...

i like this entry. "Garden on" may become my new credo.

It's all One. manitou repeats this over and over again. thanks manitou for the reminder.

if the garden creates itself does it really need the gardener? i guess not , but it is such sublime joy to be the gardener. i wont deprive myself of that.

again, Creativity is what i am getting from this.

 

"Tao never acts, yet thru it nothing is left undone"

creativity is without its own character. it is an ultimate notion of high generality

at the base of actuality.

we notice creativity in its manifestations, it is harder to notice the inner workings involved. the inner reflections. self-creativity. inner reflection fulfills the process of manifesting ultimate reality. the process is direct, immediate , and

spontaneous.

primordial creativity when the moon reflects the sun's light and shines

does it use intention to cast it's image upon the water?

is this spontaneous reflection the creativity of the Tao? invisible and unfathomable.

creativity is conditioned. it is always found under conditions.

 

if i could be fully charged with primordial creativity ... and not perplexed,

bewildered, vexed, confused, or experience fearful thoughts brought on by my

intellectuality, i think , just maybe i could attain the Tao.

[Marblehead]

Beautiful post Zerostao.

[zerostao]

thank you for you kind words and encouragement also for kind words on chp 39.

i did take your advice and read the art of war. i found it tao like.

alot of common sense and wisdom wrapped in simplicity.

[Marblehead]

 

alot of common sense and wisdom wrapped in simplicity.

 

Yeah. Hehehe. Wisdom need not be complicated. In fact, true widsom sometimes appears to be simple common sense. Most times, however, we don't realize it until after someone else has said it.

 

The Art of War. In common day language that equates to CYA.

[ChiDragon]

Chapter 37 -

1. 道常無為，

2. 而無不為。

3. 侯王若能守之，

4. 萬物將自化。

5. 化而欲作，

6. 吾將鎮之以無名之樸。

7. 無名之樸，

8. 夫亦將無欲。

9. 不欲以靜，

10.天下將自定。

 

 

Translation in terse English...

1. Tao always being natural,

2. Then, nothing cannot by done.

3. If rulers can follow it,

4. All things will self transform.

5. After development and become extravagant,

6. I'll suppress them back to the primitive nameless state,

7. At the nameless state,

8. Then, will have no desire,

9. No desire but calm,

10 Hence, world peace will be self maintained.

Edited June 1, 2011 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

That's actually a rather funny chapter for me. Your translation does no better for me. Sorry. Hehehe.

 

I think it is important that we have a few desires in life so that we can experience our emotions.

[Marblehead]

Thanks for the additional translations. Nice to see James Legge's name in here.

[doc benway]

I'll offer another translation, this one by Hu Xuezhi

It is a translation with commentaries geared toward interpreting Tao Te Ching as a guide to cultivation.

 

Chapter 37

 

WIthout taking any artificial action,

Tao functions free of any lapse, accomplishing all things perfectly.

If a king can hold onto Tao,

All things will transform spontaneously to submit to him.

If any desires arise in the transformation course,

I should subdue them with the nameless simplicity.

If I hold onto nameless simplicity,

All desires will transform to submit to it.

To be free of desire brings about the stillness,

And all under Heaven shall return to what they naturally deserve.

 

 

Here is his commentary-

 

First two lines: Tao accomplishes all things perfectly without taking any artificial action

 

Lines three through ten: Figuratively, these lines represent the proper approach for dealing with

stray ideas and passions arising in the course of recovering the True Nature. When any idea intrudes

upon the heart, people should hold onto Nameless Simplicity, specifically, the quietude, the stillness, and the

natural state to let the heart be quiet once again. By staying in constant stillness, all the Shen of all the organs

and all the viscera will be fully recovered to the Original Primeval State, and the Great Harmonious State will prevail.

[Marblehead]

Thanks for the translation.

 

And I agree, if we are constantly chasing after desires we will never find rest - never find peace and contentment.