dawei Posted October 27, 2018 David Hinton 2002 64 It's easy to embrace the tranquil and easy to prevent trouble before omens appear. It's easy for the trifling to melt away and easy for the slight to scatter away. Work at things before they've begun and establish order before confusion sets in, for a tree you can barely reach around grows from the tiniest rootlet, a nine-tiered tower starts as a basket of dirt, a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Work at things and you ruin them; cling to things and you lose them. That's why a sage does nothing and so ruins nothing, clings to nothing and so loses nothing. When people devote themselves to something they always ruin it on the verge of success. Finish with the same care you took in beginning and you'll avoid ruining things. This is why a sage desires without desire, never longing for rare treasures, learns without learning, always returning to what people have passed by, helps the ten thousand things occur of themselves by never presuming to work at them.   Dwight Goddard 1919 64 That which is at rest is easily restrained, that which has not yet appeared is easily prevented. The weak is easily broken, the scanty is easily scattered. Consider a difficulty before it arises, and administer affairs before they become disorganized. A tree that it takes both arms to encircle grew from a tiny rootlet. A pagoda of nine stories was erected by placing small bricks. A journey of three thousand miles begins with one step. If one tries to improve a thing, he mars it; if he seizes it, he loses it. The wise man, therefore, not attempting to form things does not mar them, and not grasping after things he does not lose them. The people in their rush for business are ever approaching success but continually failing. One must be as careful to the end as at the beginning if he is to succeed. Therefore the wise man desires to be free from desire, he does not value the things that are difficult of attainment. He learns to be unlearned, he returns to that which all others ignore. In that spirit he helps all things toward their natural development, but dares not interfere.   Bradford Hatcher 2005 64 What is secure is easy to hold What has yet to begin is easy to plan for What is thin is easy to break up What is minute is easy to scatter Attend to things before they come to be Arrange things before they entangle A tree which fills the joined embrace Has grown from a slender shoot A tower which reaches nine stories Begins as a basket of earth A journey of a thousand li Begins from beneath the feet Those who interfere spoil things Those who grab lose things This is why wise ones do not interfere and so do not spoil Do not grab and so do not lose People in their pursuits & affairs (are) ever on the verge of achieving and still ruin things Take care at the end as well as at the beginning And then there will be no ruined affairs This is why wise ones desire to have no desires Do not prize goods which are hard to obtain Learn to unlearn And return to what everyone else has passed by Thus helping the myriad beings to realize themselves While not presuming to interfere   Wing-Tsit Chan 1963 64 What remains still is easy to hold. What is not yet manifest is easy to plan for. What is brittle is easy to crack. What is minute is easy to scatter. Deal with things before they appear. Put things in order before disorder arises. A tree as big as a man's embrace grows from a tiny shoot. A tower of nine stories begins with a heap of earth. The journey of a thousand li starts from where one stands. He who takes action fails. He who grasps things loses them. For this reason the sage takes no action and therefore does not fail. He grasps nothing and therefore does not lose anything; A sane man is sane in knowing what things he can spare, In not wishing what most people wish, In not reaching for things that seem rare. Therefore the sage desires to have no desire, He does not value rare treasures. He learns to be unlearned, and returns to what the multitude has missed (Tao). Thus he supports all things in their natural state but does not take any action.   Gu Zhengku 1993 64 A stable situation is easy to be maintained; A condition without the sign of apparent change is easy to be coped with; A fragile thing is easy to break; A minute thing is easy to dissolve. The proper treatment should be given to what has happened; Keep things in order before disorder sets in. A huge tree grows from a tiny seedling; A nine-storey terrace rises from a mound of earth; A journey of a thousand li starts from beneath one's feet. Those who wants to obtain it by force will ruin it; Those who hold it by force will lose it. Thus the sage never ruins anything, Because of his inaction; He never loses anything. In doing things, People often fail on the verge of success. If they are as prudent at the end as at the beginning, They will never fail. That is why the sage Desires what others do not desire, Values not rare goods, Learns to lack learning, Makes up for people's faults. In this way he helps all things develop naturally And refrains from interfering in them.   Ch'u Ta-Kao 1904 64 What is motionless is easy to hold; What is not yet foreshadowed is easy to form plans for; What is fragile is easy to break; What is minute is easy to disperse. Deal with a thing before it comes into existence; Regulate a thing before it gets into confusion. The common people in their business often fail on the verge of succeeding. Take care with the end as you do with the beginning, And you will have no failure.  Flowing Hands 1987 64 If people knew of the ways of nature, and their hearts were simple, peace would be dear to them. Trouble can be easily overcome, because their lives are simple, and so their troubles are simple too. All things stem from something; knowing this, trouble can be avoided before it arises. Because the Sage knows of the ways of nature, he is freed from the bond of desire. He does not notice gold and jade. His ideas are open and yielding. He helps men find themselves when they are lost, and remains at one. So he leaves the Ten Thousand Things to follow their natural course. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marblehead Posted October 28, 2018 Therefore we should try to understand the processes of Nature. Â Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawei Posted November 2, 2018 On 10/27/2018 at 7:26 PM, dawei said: Flowing Hands 1987 64 If people knew of the ways of nature, and their hearts were simple, peace would be dear to them. Trouble can be easily overcome, because their lives are simple, and so their troubles are simple too. All things stem from something; knowing this, trouble can be avoided before it arises. Because the Sage knows of the ways of nature, he is freed from the bond of desire. He does not notice gold and jade. His ideas are open and yielding. He helps men find themselves when they are lost, and remains at one. So he leaves the Ten Thousand Things to follow their natural course.  The simplicity of this transmission seems to say it all.  1. Know the ways of nature 2. Hearts are simple 3. Trouble overcome 4. All things are due to something 5. Know this, and avoid trouble 6. As a Sage be free from desire 7. No discrimination nor distinction 8. Be completely open and yield to the even beyond the universe of thought 9. Help others but be unmoved 10. Observe life as it is and respect it 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rara Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) On 02/11/2018 at 7:03 PM, dawei said:  The simplicity of this transmission seems to say it all.  1. Know the ways of nature 2. Hearts are simple 3. Trouble overcome 4. All things are due to something 5. Know this, and avoid trouble 6. As a Sage be free from desire 7. No discrimination nor distinction 8. Be completely open and yield to the even beyond the universe of thought 9. Help others but be unmoved 10. Observe life as it is and respect it  Where is this transmission from? Also, how do we define "transmission", compared to "translation"? Edited June 24, 2020 by Rara 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawei Posted June 24, 2020 13 hours ago, Rara said:  Where is this transmission from? Also, how do we define "transmission", compared to "translation"?   The Flowing Hands version (here) is a transmission, or as FH has said, that it is Li Erh's version (laozi) dictated to him in english.  If you have ever seen Hua-Ching Ni's version (here), he calls an elucidation more than a translation.  A translation would be what you think whereby it is based more exclusively on a particular text version (be it the guodian, mawangdui, heshang gong, wang bi, etc). 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted June 24, 2020 act without forcing in accord with the natural flow  acknowledge the way and one's intrinsically connected part in it whether that breeds action or stillness all is one  when all is coming and going what is to be held up above others?  simplicity in action thought and stillness  2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rara Posted June 25, 2020 13 hours ago, dawei said:   The Flowing Hands version (here) is a transmission, or as FH has said, that it is Li Erh's version (laozi) dictated to him in english.  If you have ever seen Hua-Ching Ni's version (here), he calls an elucidation more than a translation.  A translation would be what you think whereby it is based more exclusively on a particular text version (be it the guodian, mawangdui, heshang gong, wang bi, etc).  Ok, I think I understand. In which case, I'll ask @flowing hands more details.  FH, if you read this, I think Dawei is saying this was spoken to you by your teacher, and you wrote down this learning? That's my understanding of dictation... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Posted June 25, 2020 A complete outsider's perspective:  Desire is the gate. But the gate is empty.  Because there is nothing to cling to, the path is clear. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flowing hands Posted June 25, 2020 10 hours ago, Rara said:  Ok, I think I understand. In which case, I'll ask @flowing hands more details.  FH, if you read this, I think Dawei is saying this was spoken to you by your teacher, and you wrote down this learning? That's my understanding of dictation...  Yes I did, Li Erh was invited to come by me to teach me his teachings back in 1985/6. When he came we looked at a lot of different translations, some bits were ok, like the Feng/English, but many were not and he taught me what it should be. You will see that the emphasis is totally changed, giving a different meaning. By 1987 I had written all 81 chapters down. I then had to wait another five years before it was published. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sketch Posted November 11, 2020 Verse sixty four  It’s easy for things at rest to stay at rest.  It’s easier to keep track of a few things Than it is to keep track of many.  Brittle objects are easy to break.  Small objects are easy to move.  Deal with potential problems  Sooner rather than later, before they get out of control.  Outside my window there are cedar trees, some as wide as I can get my arms around.  They started out as tiny seedlings.  A nine story platform starts out As flattened earth.  A thousand mile journey Begins when you put one foot forward.  When this goes far enough, no mere human force can overcome it.  At this point, the person we should try to be No longer considers it their problem.  No wasted effort, no possibility of failure.  People with one plan for their lives Often fail at that plan.  Be as careful about the ending as at the beginning.  Then there’s no defeat.  Be with the Holy Person,  Desire no desires.  No rare, difficult to obtain goods.  Don’t waste time on the latest ideas Although everyone in the broad thoroughfare Stops to discuss them.  Supplementing the ten thousand dancing scorpions, adding to all the junk concerns You should already be taking your mind away from.  Don’t dare do this.  Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
