Tag: Daodejing

Colors blind, Sounds deafen, Flavors dull. Galloping in the hunt, We go mad; Chasing fortune, We end up nowhere. Therefore the wise one Fills his belly And not his eyes: Let go of desire. 五色令人目盲； 五音令人耳聾； 五味令人口爽； 馳騁田獵， 令人心發狂； 難得之貨， 令人行妨。 是以聖人為腹不為目， 故去彼取此。 五色令人目盲； Five …

Translation Thirty spokes in a wheel share a single hub— 三十輻共一轂 Fitting nothing 當其無 Into use for a cart 有車之用 Mixing water with clay forms a vessel— 埏埴以為器 Fitting nothing 當其無 Into use for a vessel 有器之用 Chiseling a door and window into a room— …

Translation Carrying the soul, embracing it as one— 載營 魄抱一 Can you be free from separation? 能無離乎 Rolling up your vital energy, becoming gentle, supple— 摶氣 致柔 Can you become an infant? 能嬰兒乎 Purifying, cleansing, removing, seeing the profound— 滌除 玄覽 Can you be free …

Google Translator’s Chinese pronunciation Translation Holding, grasping till it’s overflowing: 持而 盈之 Better to stop and finish. 不如 其已 Handling the sword, sharpening it: 揣而 銳之 It cannot protect for long. 不可 長保 If gold and jade fill up the house 金玉 滿堂 No one …

My Translation The highest virtue is like water 上善若水 Water’s virtue benefits all living things yet it doesn’t fight 水善 利萬物 而不爭 It dwells in places the masses loathe 處 衆人 之所 惡 Because it’s close to the Path 故 幾於 道 In dwelling, earth’s …

My Translation Heaven is forever; the Earth is enduring 天長 地久 Heaven and Earth: by what means can they be forever and enduring? 天地 所以 能 長且久者 Because they are not living for themselves 以 其不 自生 Hence they can live forever 故 能 長生 …

My Translation The harvesting spirit does not die 谷神 不死 It is said to be female and profound 是謂 玄牝 The gate to a mysterious valley 玄牝 之門 It is called the source of heaven and earth 是謂 天地 根 Spooling continuously as if storing …

My Translation Heaven and earth are not kind 天地 不仁 Thus all living things serve as fodder for dogs. 以 萬物 為 芻狗 The Sage is not kind 聖人 不仁 Thus the common people serve as fodder for dogs. 以 百姓 為 芻狗 Among the …

My Translation The Path pours in use without possibly filling 道 沖而用 之或不盈 How deep an abyss! It seems the ancestor of all living things 淵兮 似 萬物 之宗 Blunting the sharpness 挫其銳 Untying the tangles 解其紛 Softening the glare 和其光 At one with the …