[TTC Study] Chapter 42 of the Tao Teh Ching

[ChiDragon]

Chapter 42 - Genesis

1. 道生一。

2. 一生二。

3. 二生三。

4. 三生萬物。

5. 萬物負陰而抱陽，

6. 沖氣以為和。

 

Translation

1. Tao engenders One;

2. One engenders Two;

3. Two engender Three;

4. Three engender all things.

5. All things with yin on the back and yang in the front.

6. Blend the primordial essences and become homogeneous.

Edited June 12, 2011 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

Translation

1. Tao engenders One;

2. One engenders Two;

3. Two engender Three;

4. Three engender all things.

5. All things with yin on the back and yang in the front.

6. Blend the primordial essences and become homogeneous.

 

My theory is that One is Mystery. Two is Chi. The actions of Chi on Mystery create Three - the Manifest. The Manifest supports the Ten Thousand Things. (Yin and Yang are the polarities of Chi Energy.)

 

Works for me. Hehehe.

[ChiDragon]

By the definition of Chapter 1:

有(you): Visible; Tao is 1; the tangible state of Tao.

無(wu): Invisible; Tao is 0; the intangible state of Tao.

 

By the definition of Chapter 40:

1. 天下萬物生於有，

2. 有生於無。

 

1. All things came from you(有,1);

2. And you(有,1) came from wu(無,0).

 

All things came from Visible(1).

And Visible(1) came from Invisible(0).

 

Chapter 42:

1. 道生一。

1. Tao engenders One;

Tao(0) engenders One(1), thus

Invisible engenders Visible.

 

2. 一生二。

2. One engenders Two;

Visible(1) engenders Two. Thus,

Two is the Yin and Yang.

 

3. 二生三(Two engender three).

4. 三生萬物(Three engender all things).

 

3. Yin and Yang united as the three,

4. The essence of all things.

Edited June 1, 2011 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

Thanks ChiDragon.

 

I won't argue my or anyone else's understanding of the processes.

 

Dr. Wang's "Dynamic Tao" helped me much in forming my understanding.

 

Yes, I do often speak to the state/condition of 'yo' (you) and 'wu'.

[ChiDragon]

ahhh......Marblehead

I don't see any rocks in your head. How did you ended up with such a humble nickname...??? You are so Wu Wei by just letting Nature take its course. A true Taoist do not compete but placing himself behind and ended up in front....

 

Yes, LaoTze was very clever in using the multi-definition of yo(you), wu, Tao, tao, and Te to express his principles.

 

 

I know you don't mind me showing my justification for the conclusion of the translations.

Edited June 1, 2011 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

ahhh......Marblehead

I don't see any rocks in your head. How did you ended up with such nickname...??? You are so Wu Wei by just letting Nature take its course. A true Taoist do not compete but placing himself behind and ended up in front....

 

Yes, LaoTze was very clever in using the multi-definition of yo(you), wu, Tao, tao, and Te to express his principles.

 

I know you don't mind me showing my justification for the conclusion of the translations.

 

Hehehe. The name came from Marblehead, Massachusetts.

 

Yes, the concepts of 'yo', 'wu', 'Tao', and 'Te' don't slap you in the face. They are cancepts that have to be experienced.

 

I enjoy talking with you to your translations. I have many times added to my understandings through discussing different translations.

 

You have your understandings. I respect that. Now, if you get "off the wall" on me I will let you know. So far you haven't and from what I have seen I doubt that you will.

[zerostao]

the great primal beginning, (ta'i chi) originally the ridgepole-a simple line symbolizing the positing of oneness, also implying duality(an above and a below)

these are the 2 polar primary forces later designated as yang and yin. then thru doubling there become 4 images which correspond with the 4 seasons of the year.

add another line and there arise 8 trigrams which contains the 10,000 things.

or if you count like i do 11,520

[ChiDragon]

zerostao....

 

Yes, LaoTze is very familiar with the Yi Jing. As a matter of fact, that was where he got the idea about Tao from.

 

__ __ Yin

 

_____ Yang

 

Yin and Yang is Tao.

[dawei]

I wonder if someone can start this chapter again and follow the naming convention and first post of three translations like we do for ALL the [TTC Study] chapters.

[ChiDragon]

Following the naming convention is only ritual, do you think the meaning of the existing posted translation will be changed...????

[dawei]

In the beginning, the group made a decision to ALWAYs have the TTC Study threads with the three translations listed first, usually without any comment by the first poster.

 

Just look at them and you cannot help but notice this... or so, I would of thought.

 

Just don't use [TTC Study] for your own posts and translations. Use your own convention as you want.

Edited June 12, 2011 by dawei

[Stigweard]

LOL Dawei ... are you suggesting we try and be organized??? Good luck with that

[dawei]

LOL Dawei ... are you suggesting we try and be organized??? Good luck with that

Actually it seems that it was effective to getting the post name changed... but we seemed to have completely stalled our "study" since this hijacking occurred...

[Marblehead]

I wonder if someone can start this chapter again and follow the naming convention and first post of three translations like we do for ALL the [TTC Study] chapters.

 

I will be doing that when its time is right. Hehehe.

[Marblehead]

[ChiDragon]

Chapter 42

 

 

John Wu

 

1. Tao gave birth to One,

2. One gave birth to Two,

3. Two gave birth to Three,

4. Three gave birth to all the myriad things.

5. All the myriad things carry the Yin on their backs and hold the Yang in their embrace,

6. Deriving their vital harmony from the proper blending of the two vital Breaths.

 

 

7. What is more loathed by men than to be "helpless," "little," and "worthless"?

8. And yet these are the very names the princes and barons call themselves.

9. Truly, one may gain by losing;

10. And one may lose by gaining.

11. What another has taught let me repeat:

12. "A man of violence will come to a violent end."

13. Whoever said this can be my teacher and my father.

 

Questions? Comments?

It was obvious that the context of lines 7 through 13 are out of place. They do not seems to agree with the logic of the first six lines. The native scholars suspected that they were mistakenly copied from Chapter 39.

 

The lines begun with this line of Chapter 42 seem to be out of place.

人之所惡，唯孤、寡不穀，

Men hate to be "orphaned," "widowed," or "worthless,"

 

而王公以為稱，

But this is how kings and lords addressed themselves.

 

 

The the last part of Chapter 39 begun with line 7:

是以侯王自稱孤、寡、不穀。

a Duke or Prince calls himself My Loneliness, The Isolated Person, The Ungracious Person.

[Marblehead]

Actually, in Henricks' translation there are 15 lines.

 

There is a break between lines 6 and 7 and between lines 11 and 12 which indicates to me that there are actually three different concepts being presented in this one chapter.

 

And yes, Henricks notes that some lines may be out of place.

Edited June 15, 2011 by Marblehead

[ChiDragon]

My translation of Chapter 42 is shown in boldface.

1. 道生一。

1. The Way gave birth to the One.

Tao engenders One.

 

2. 一生二。

2. The One gave birth to the Two.

One engenders Two.

 

3. 二生三。

3. The Two gave birth to the Three.

Two engender Three.

 

4. 三生萬物。

4. And the Three gave birth to the ten thousand things.

Three engender all things.

 

5. 萬物負陰而抱陽，

5. The ten thousand things carry Yin on their backs and wrap their arms around Yang.

All things carry Yin on the back and embrace Yang in the front.

 

6. 沖氣以為和。

6. Through the blending of the qi they arrive at a state of harmony.

Blending the Chi becomes harmonized.

 

7. 人之所惡，

7. The things that are hated by the whole world

The things that people hate.

 

8. 唯孤、寡、不穀，

8. Are to be orphaned, widowed, and have no grain.

Only Loneliness, Celibacy, Unkind,

 

9. 而王公以為稱，

9. Yet kings and dukes take these as their names.

Are used by the kings and dukes to address themselves.

 

10. 故物或損之而益，

10. Thus with all things—some are increased by taking away;

Thus the things may be lessen then gained more.

 

11. 或益之而損。

11. While some are diminished by adding on.

Or maybe gained more then become less.

 

12. 人之所教，

12. Therefore, what other men teach,

Those things that people taught me,

 

13. 我亦教之，

13. will also consider and then teach to others.

I also use those things to teach others.

 

14. 強梁者，不得其死。

14. Thus, "The strong and violent do not come to a natural end."

Those whom are tyrannic and violent will not be dead of natural cause.

 

15. 吾將以為教父。

15. I will take this as the father of my studies.

I will take that as the standards of discipline.

Edited June 16, 2011 by ChiDragon

[Marblehead]

Fair translation.

 

The "gave birth to" caught my attention the first time I read it as I saw it as support for the personification of Tao as a female God. (Of course, I think it is incorrect to personify Tao but that's beside the point.)

[ChiDragon]

Fair translation.

 

The "gave birth to" caught my attention the first time I read it as I saw it as support for the personification of Tao as a female God. (Of course, I think it is incorrect to personify Tao but that's beside the point.)

 

1. Did you get the idea from Chapter 6 for the personification of Tao as a female God...???

2. Do you think LaoTze believes in god....???

3. Why is incorrect to personify Tao...???

 

 

Chapter 6 The mysterious female.

1. 谷神不死

1. The spirit of the valley never dies.

 

2. 是謂玄牝。

2. Is called the mysterious female.

 

3. 玄牝之門

3. The door of the mysterious female

 

4. 是謂天地根。

4. Is called the root of heaven and earth.

 

5. 綿綿若存，

5. Seems eternally existed

 

6. 用之不勤。

6. With endless reproduction.

 

Note: LaoTze referred Tao as the "spirit of the valley".

[dawei]

Note: LaoTze referred Tao as the "spirit of the valley".

Note: Not the case for the two oldest versions, the Mawangdui; only versions after that.

[dawei]

[ChiDragon]

Note: Not the case for the two oldest versions, the Mawangdui; only versions after that.

 

Can you be more specific with clarity....???

[ChiDragon]

[dawei]

Can you be more specific with clarity....???

Look at the Mawangdui versions; there is a different character.