On Reading The Dao de Jing

[gossamer]

Our friend Stigwerd asked me what I had learned by reading over 40 (or so) translations of the Dao de Jing (Tao te Ching).

 

I'd thought that I'd answer in public, if Stig would not mind.

 

I was busy yesterday, or I would've answered then.

 

I used live in Western Arkansas in the foothills of the Ozarks.

 

When I first started really studying the Dao de Jing, I would walk out on this pier made of 'rip rap' (stones and cement) that extended way out into this huge lake (Lake Dardanelle).

 

Water is the thing that's most like the Dao, so Laozi tells us. To read the DDJ by living water is a lovely thing.

 

It takes one very near the Dao itself.

 

Let me tell you how the Dao rescued me.

 

In June 2001, I fell off a ladder, and broke my tibia plateau (where the knee and leg join together).

 

It was a really bad break, and then I got an MRSA infection on top of that, I also got a very incompetent surgeon who butchered the inside of my knee.

 

He cut out ALL of the ligaments, tendons and minisci (stretchy muscles), and literally cut my patella tendon in half, and left it dangling inside of my leg.

 

He did all of this, because he felt that MRSA adhesed to all of these tissues, as it turned out, MRSA DID NOT adhese to ANY of these tissues!!

 

This all took place in Paris, Texas, and they wanted to cut off my leg, and I refused to sign the release papers to allow them to do this.

 

And I was transferred after all of this, to Dallas, TX. to Baylor Hospital (one of the very finest hospitals in Texas), and my surgeon told my ex-wife what this (so-called) surgeon in Paris had done, and he said that it was likely that I would NEVER walk again.

 

Now, 10 operations later, I moved out of a wheelchair, onto a walker, and finally I WALKED into my surgeons office on my own power, using a cane (this was after months, and months and months of very tough and grueling physical therapy though)!!!

 

At an earlier point, I once turned to my surgeon, and asked him how long that he thought that all of this would take, and he said: "A year and a half, to two years, and multiple surgeries".

 

And I said: "I CAN'T handle THAT!.......he looked me right in the eyes, and said: "What's the choice?"

 

I knew from that moment, that I would have to learn to live IN THE NOW.

 

This is the GREATEST gift that the DDJ has given me, it taught me how to live IN THE NOW.

 

Always before, I had lived in yesterday, or tomorrow, but very rarely did I ever live IN THE NOW.

 

The Dao de Jing has the power of RETURN, to return us to our child like ways.

 

And almost ALL children live in THE NOW.

 

Now, I'll go into some technical details, if you'd not mind.

 

I personally think that the Dao de Jing (Tao te Ching) is better translated by one who uses Chinese as his (or HER) birth language.

 

There are very precise details in the DDJ that can be translated into English, but it takes someone who is actually able to THINK IN CHINESE, to do this.

 

And there are other parts of the DDJ that pretty much CANNOT be translated into accurate word-per-word English.

 

There are a FEW English translations that preserve the power of the DDJ, but only a few.

 

Now, if I might use only ONE example of this: William Martin, in his 'A Path and a Practice', is extremely far off from the correctly translated Dao de Jing in Chinese, but how Martin teaches THE WAY OF LIVING, it's exactly like what Laozi taught.

 

Martin teaches compassion, how to live with 'de' (or virtue), and Dao's Way of Return, and how to be frugal in the correct spiritual way.

 

It's a powerful book explaining the inner workings of Dao for those who speak English.

 

But it is NOWHERE near the correct Chinese translation.

 

But these kinds of English TTC translations are the exception, and not the rule.

 

In my opinion, the Dao de Jing should have the ability to rhyme, but yet follow what the 'Old Boy' (or the 'Old Master') really taught, poetry has a kind of mnemonic memory that can help us to recall, whereas non rhyming versions of the Dao de Jing do not have this kind of ability.

 

Derek Lin's is such a translation, it tightly follows the Chinese, but in my opinion, lt lacks the ability to help the memory retain the DDJ. Each to their own of course, but this is what I see.

 

My very favorite translation is David Hinton's 'Tao Te Ching', and I love Red Pine's 'Taoteching'.

 

Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo did 'Tao Te Ching', a very fine translation.

 

And Sam Hamill, a poet, did 'Tao Te Ching', and I personally like Arthur Waley's 1900's English (as in British) translation too, simply called 'Tao Te Ching', but it leaves out a few prime lines of text.

 

And then we could go into the differences between the Ma Wang Dui text, versus the Guodian DDJ texts, but that needs a whole 'nother post to speak about, pretty much.

 

The Tao te Ching (Dao de Jing) is a starting point, and it has the ability and the POWER to literally help you build Virtue (or 'de') in your life.

 

It has the power of nature in all it's glories, AND it's terrors, within it's pages.

 

It's a manual that can TEACH YOU HOW TO LIVE, if you'll let it, now this requires real understanding, but I know that it CAN be done.

 

And I think the memorization of the DDJ text is important, because it's difficult to always have the book with you.

 

Although C.H. Wu's translation (another really great translation...and one of the first that I read) has been shrunk to pocket size, for handy carrying.

 

And I must say that there are "New Age" translations like Stephen Mitchell's, that leave out large chunks of very important DDJ texts, and these are best ignored.

 

So, don't waste your money!

 

Trust the Tao te Ching (Dao de Jing), and it will lead you into Dao, learn to LIVE OUT this book, and it will show you how to live a Virtuous life.

 

Begin to memorize this book, and you will have a living, spiritual companion on the Way.

 

 

"He who knows the play of Tao and Te

 

Knows the nature of the universe

 

Tao brings forth Te from its own being

 

Te expands in all directions

 

filling every corner of the world

 

becoming the splendor of all creation

 

Yet at every moment Te seeks Tao

 

This is the movement that guides the universe

 

This is the impulse

 

That brings all things back home."

 

'Tao Te Ching---The Definitive Edition'

 

By Jonathan Star

 

 

 

Peace, gossamer

Edited December 18, 2008 by gossamer

[gossamer]

I'm reading this book for the second time right now, and I think for ANY Dao person, it's extremely important.

 

It's also by Bill Porter.....AKA "Red Pine", who translated the 'Taoteching'.

 

It's superb, I strongly encourage everyone here that's Daoist, to read it:

 

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Heaven-Encounte...5928&sr=1-3

Edited December 17, 2008 by gossamer

[Stigweard]

Well posted my friend. Truly an admirable accomplishment to have sampled so many rendititions of the Tao teh Ching.

 

May I suggest you add one more morsel to your collection. Ni Hua Ching's "The Complete Works of Lao Tzu", you will find Master Ni's illucidation to be wonderful guide.

 

Thank you for this Gossamer.

[gossamer]

Dear Stigwerd,

 

Not only do I have that edition, I have his 'Esoteric Tao Teh Ching', too!

 

And yes, both are VERY GOOD.

 

 

Peace, gossamer

 

 

 

 

 

Well posted my friend. Truly an admirable accomplishment to have sampled so many rendititions of the Tao teh Ching.

 

May I suggest you add one more morsel to your collection. Ni Hua Ching's "The Complete Works of Lao Tzu", you will find Master Ni's illucidation to be wonderful guide.

 

Thank you for this Gossamer.