Introduction by August Gold
Tao Te Ching—Translation
About the Author
Introduction
Don’t let this little book fool you. It is small in size but it’s going to have a great impact on your life. It is a short eighty-one verses but it’s going
to live a long time in your memory. While you’ll be able to apply its meaning to your daily life right away, it will probably take you years to embody.
The Tao Te Ching is a book of ancient Chinese wisdom written around 500 B.C., which by custom is attributed to the great sage Lao Tzu. One reason the Tao Te Ching has endured for thousands of years is because on the surface it appears to be a simple, almost conversational book, which immediately befriends you—but which upon continued reading reveals a timeless brilliancy of wise poetic truths. In truth it is a sacred text of depth and genius that has, in my experience, no equal. The Tao Te Ching is a key— a key that will unlock for you a new way of understanding life and a new way of living yours.
This is the translation for anyone truly wanting to understand the Tao Te Ching. Up until recently, this Eastern text has been translated into English by scholars since the late 1800s. While they used the English lexicon to accomplish their purpose (which was to make a scholarly translation), and while it left the text correct in a literal sense, it deprived the verses of their sheer beauty and poetic power. Thus many of these early translations come across as a bit dusty, old-fashioned, and irrelevant to our lives.
Don’t take my word for it, see for yourself. First the older translation of the first stanza of Verse 5:
Heaven and Earth are not humane,
And regard the people as straw dogs.
The sage is not humane,
And regards all things as straw dogs.
(Translated by Charles Muller, Tōyō Gakuen University)
Now Jonathan Star’s translation:
Heaven and Earth have no preference.
A man may choose one over another
But to Heaven and Earth all are the same
The high, the low, the great, the small—
All are given light
All get a place to rest
The first is an accurate translation that might be intellectually correct. Jonathan Star’s translation also adheres closely to the original text, but is far more profound because of its ability to be immediately grasped and applied to your life. Scholarly texts feed the mind and that’s a good thing; but a text that feeds the mind, body and soul, and, not to mention, one which can help us to transform our lives today, is infinitely more valuable.
While the early translations are still common fare and have value for the scholar, a recent number of modern translations have emerged that appeal to the spiritual seeker. Those translations (or “versions”)—by Stephen Mitchell, Ursula Le Guin, and Brian Browne Walker, just to name a few—all offer something of value, and I’ve admired many of them. However, none of them have done what Jonathan Star has done, which is to marry the scholarly concerns of accuracy with the poetry of someone who has lived the words.
He brilliantly balances the two worlds—the academic and the experiential— in a way that I believe no other translator of the Tao Te Ching has done before him. For me, this is simply the best translation available, bar none.
Here’s what you can expect. I have been a teacher of the Tao for nearly two decades, and since the day this text was put into my hands I have been teaching from it exclusively. It has brought me and thousands of my students over the years the pure and simple heart of the Tao Te Ching; and as a result it has fed our hunger, quenched our thirst, and ignited our desire to live our everyday lives in new ways—simply, deeply, richly, fully, meaningfully. I believe this translation of the Tao Te Ching will lead you into a personal, direct, and even mystical experience of the Tao, which will uplift and transform your life in countless ways. Expect it to engage you not only intellectually, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. To put it even more plainly: this translation will positively change your life.
Believe me—you can trust the translation you are holding in your hands.
—AUGUST GOLD
Sacred Center New York
1
A way that can be walked is not The Way
A name that can be named is not The Name
Tao is both Named and Nameless
As Nameless, it is the origin of all things
As Named, it is the mother of all things
A mind free of thought,
merged within itself,
beholds the essence of Tao
A mind filled with thought,
identified with its own perceptions,
beholds the mere forms of this world
Tao and this world seem different
but in truth they are one and the same
The only difference is in what we call them
How deep and mysterious is this unity
How profound, how great!
It is the truth beyond the truth,
the hidden within the hidden
It is the path to all wonder,
the gate to the essence of everything!
2
Everyone recognizes beauty
only because of ugliness
Everyone recognizes virtue
only because of sin
Life and death are born together
Difficult and easy
Long and short
High and low—
all these exist together
Sound and silence blend as one
Before and after arrive as one
The Sage acts without action
and teaches without talking
All things flourish around him
and he does not refuse any one of them
He gives but not to receive
He works but not for reward
He completes but not for results
He does nothing for himself in this passing world
so nothing he does ever passes
3
Putting a value on status
will cause people to compete Hoarding treasure
will turn them into thieves Showing off possessions
will disturb their daily lives
Thus the Sage rules
by stilling minds and opening hearts
by filling bellies and strengthening bones
He shows people how to be simple
and live without desires
To be content
and not look for other ways
With the people so pure
Who could trick them?
What clever ideas could lead them astray?
When action is pure and selfless
everything settles into its own perfect place
4
Tao is empty
yet it fills every vessel with endless supply
Tao is hidden
yet it shines in every corner of the universe
With it, the sharp edges become smooth
the twisted knots loosen
the sun is softened by a cloud
the dust settles into place
So deep, so pure, so still
It has been this way forever
You may ask, “Whose child is it?”—
but I cannot say
This child was here before the Great Ancestor
5
Heaven and Earth have no preference
A man may choose one over another
but to Heaven and Earth all are the same
The high, the low, the great, the small—
all are given light
all get a place to rest
The Sage is like Heaven and Earth
To him none are especially dear
nor is there anyone he disfavors
He gives and gives without condition
offering his treasure to everyone
The universe is like a bellows
It stays empty yet is never exhausted
It gives out yet always brings forth more
Man is not like this
When he blows out air like a bellows
he becomes exhausted
Man was not made to blow out air
He was made to sit quietly and find the truth within
6
Endlessly creating
Endlessly pulsating
The Spirit of the Valley never dies
She is called the Hidden Creator
Although She becomes the whole universe
Her immaculate purity is never lost
Although She assumes countless forms
Her true identity remains intact
Whatever we see or don’t see
Whatever exists or doesn’t exist
Is nothing but the creation of this Supreme Power
Tao is limitless, unborn, eternal—
It can only be reached through the Hidden Creator
She is the very face of the Absolute
The gate to the source of all things eternal
Listen to Her voice
Hear it echo through creation Without fail, She reveals her presence
Without fail, She brings us to our own perfection
7
Heaven is ancient Earth is long-lasting
Why is this so?—
Because they have no claims to life
By having no claims to life
they cannot be claimed by death
The Sage puts his own views behind
so ends up ahead
He stays a witness to life
so he endures
What could he grab for
that he does not already have?
What could he do for himself
that the universe itself has not already done?
8
The best way to live is to be like water
For water benefits all things
and goes against none of them
It provides for all people
and even cleanses those places
a man is loath to go
In this way it is just like Tao
Live in accordance with the nature of things:
Build your house on solid ground
Keep your mind still
When giving, be kind
When speaking, be truthful
When ruling, be just
When working, be one-pointed
When acting, remember—timing is everything
One who lives in accordance with nature
does not go against the way of things
He moves in harmony with the present moment
always knowing the truth of just what to do
9
Grabbing and stuffing—
there is no end to it
Sharpen a blade too much
and its edge will soon be lost
Fill a house with gold and jade
and no one can protect it
Puff yourself with honor and pride
and no one can save you from a fall
Complete the task at hand
Be selfless in your actions
This is the way of Heaven
This is the way to Heaven
10
Hold fast to the Power of the One
It will unify the body
and merge it with the spirit
It will cleanse the vision
and reveal the world as flawless
It will focus the life-force
and make one supple as a newborn
As you love the people and rule the state
can you be free of self-interest?
As the gates of Heaven open and close
can you remain steadfast as a mother bird
who sits with her nest?
As your wisdom reaches the four corners of the world
can you keep the innocence of a beginner?
Know this Primal Power
that guides without forcing that serves without seeking
that brings forth and sustains life yet does not own or possess it
One who holds this Power brings Tao to this very Earth
He can triumph over a raging fire or the freeze of winter weather
Yet when he comes to rule the world
it’s with the gentleness of a feather
11
Wu is nothingness, emptiness, non-existence
Thirty spokes of a wheel all join at a common hub
yet only the hole at the center
allows the wheel to spin
Clay is molded to form a cup
yet only the space within
allows the cup to hold water
Walls are joined to make a room
yet only by cutting out a door and a window
can one enter the room and live there
Thus, when a thing has existence alone
it is mere dead-weight
Only when it has wu, does it have life
12
The five colors blind the eye
The five tones deafen the ear
The five flavors dull the palate
Racing, hunting, and galloping about
only disturb the mind
Wasting energy to obtain rare objects
only impedes one’s growth
So the Sage is led by his inner truth
and not his outer eye
He holds to what is deep
and not what lies on the surface
13
“Be wary of both honor and disgrace”
“Endless affliction is bound to the body”
What does it mean,
“Be wary of both honor and disgrace”?
Honor is founded on disgrace
and disgrace is rooted in honor
Both should be avoided
Both bind a man to this world
That’s why it says,
“Be wary of both honor and disgrace”
What does it mean,
“Endless affliction is bound to the body”?
Man’s true self is eternal,
yet he thinks, “I am this body, I will soon die”
This false sense of self
is the cause of all his sorrow
When a person does not identify himself with the body
tell me, what troubles could touch him?
One who sees himself as everything
is fit to be guardian of the world
One who loves himself as everyone
is fit to be teacher of the world
14
Eyes look but cannot see it
Ears listen but cannot hear it
Hands grasp but cannot touch it
Beyond the senses lies the great Unity—
invisible, inaudible, intangible
What rises up appears bright
What settles down appears dark
Yet there is neither darkness nor light
just an unbroken dance of shadows
From nothingness to fullness
and back again to nothingness
This formless form
This imageless image
cannot be grasped by mind or might
Try to face it
In what place will you stand?
Try to follow it
To what place will you go?
Know That which is beyond all beginnings
and you will know everything here and now
Know everything in this moment
and you will know the Eternal Tao
15
The masters of this ancient path
are mysterious and profound
Their inner state baffles all inquiry
Their depths go beyond all knowing
Thus, despite every effort,
we can only tell of their outer signs—
Deliberate, as if treading over the stones of a winter brook
Watchful, as if meeting danger on all sides
Reverent, as if receiving an honored guest
Selfless, like a melting block of ice
Pure, like an uncarved block of wood
Accepting, like an open valley
Through the course of Nature
muddy water becomes clear
Through the unfolding of life
man reaches perfection
Through sustained activity
that supreme rest is naturally found
Those who have Tao want nothing else
Though seemingly empty
they are ever full
Though seemingly old
they are beyond the reach of birth and death
16
Become totally empty
Quiet the restlessness of the mind
Only then will you witness everything
unfolding from emptiness
See all things flourish and dance
in endless variation
And once again merge back into perfect emptiness—
Their true repose
Their true nature
Emerging, flourishing, dissolving back again
This is the eternal process of return
To know this process brings enlightenment
To miss this process brings disaster
Be still
Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity
Eternity embraces the all-possible
The all-possible leads to a vision of oneness
A vision of oneness brings about universal love
Universal love supports the great truth of Nature
The great truth of Nature is Tao
Whoever knows this truth lives forever
The body may perish, deeds may be forgotten But he who has Tao has all eternity
17
To know Tao alone,
without trace of your own existence,
is the highest
Next comes loving and praising it
Then fearing it
Then despising it
If one doesn’t trust himself
how can he trust anyone else?
The great ruler speaks little
and his words are priceless
He works without self-interest
and leaves no trace
When all is finished, the people say,
“It happened by itself”
18
When the greatness of Tao is present
action arises from one’s own heart
When the greatness of Tao is absent
action comes from the rules
of “kindness” and “justice”
If you need rules to be kind and just,
if you act virtuous,
this is a sure sign that virtue is absent
Thus we see the great hypocrisy
Only when the family loses its harmony
do we hear of “dutiful sons”
Only when the state is in chaos
do we hear of “loyal ministers”
19
Abandon holiness
Discard cleverness
and the people will benefit a hundredfold
Abandon the rules of “kindness”
Discard “righteous” actions
and the people will return
to their own natural affections
Abandon book learning
Discard the rules of behavior
and the people will have no worries
Abandon plots and schemes
Discard profit-seeking
and the people will not become thieves
These lessons are mere elaborations
The essence of my teachings is this:
See with original purity
Embrace with original simplicity
Reduce what you have
Decrease what you want
20
The difference between a formal “yes”
and a casual “yeah”—how slight!
The difference between knowing the Truth
and not knowing it—how great!
Must I fear what others fear?
Should I fear desolation
when there is abundance?
Should I fear darkness
when that light is shining everywhere?
Nonsense!
The people of this world are steeped in their merrymaking
as if gorging at a great feast
or watching the sights of springtime
Yet here I sit, without a sign,
staring blank-eyed like a child
I am but a guest in this world
While others rush about to get things done
I accept what is offered
Oh, my mind is like that of a fool
aloof to the clamor of life around me
Everyone seems so bright and alive
with the sharp distinctions of day
I appear dark and dull
with the blending of differences by night
I am drifting like an ocean, floating like the high winds
Everyone is so rooted in this world
yet I have no place to rest my head
Indeed I am different….
I have no treasure but the Eternal Mother
I have no food but what comes from her breast
21
Perfect action,
True virtue,
Supreme power,
This is how Tao is revealed
through those who follow it completely
Though formless and intangible
It gives rise to form
Though vague and elusive
It gives rise to shapes
Though dark and obscure
It is the spirit, the essence,
the life-breath of all things
“But is it real?” you ask—
I say its evidence is all of creation!
From the first moment to the present
The Name has been sounding
It is the gate
through which the universe enters The witness
by which the universe sees
How have I come to know all this?
That very Name has told me,
That Name which is sounding right here,
right now
22
“Surrender brings perfection”
The crooked become straight
The empty become full
The worn become new
Have little and gain much
Have much and be confused
So the Sage embraces the One
and becomes a model for the world
Without showing himself, he shines forth
Without promoting himself, he is distinguished
Without claiming reward, he gains endless merit
Without seeking glory, his glory endures
The Sage knows how to follow
so he comes to command
He does not compete
so no one under Heaven can compete with him
The ancient saying,
“Surrender brings perfection,”
is not just empty words
Truly, surrender brings perfection
and perfection brings the whole universe
23
Speak little
Hold to your own nature
A strong wind does not blow all morning
A cloudburst does not last all day
The wind and rain are from Heaven and Earth a
nd even these do not last long
How much less so the efforts of man?
One who lives in accordance with the Truth
becomes the embodiment of Tao
His actions become those of Nature
his ways those of Heaven
It is through such a one
that Heaven rejoices
that Earth rejoices
that all of life rejoices
24
On his tiptoes a man is not steady
Taking long strides he cannot keep pace
To the self-serving, nothing shines forth
To the self-promoting, nothing is distinguished
To the self-appointing, nothing bears fruit
To the self-righteous, nothing endures
From the viewpoint of Tao, this self-indulgence
is like rotting food and painful growths on the body—
Things that all creatures despise
So why hold onto them?
When walking the path of Tao
this is the very stuff
that must be uprooted, thrown out, and left behind
25
Something formless, complete in itself
There before Heaven and Earth
Tranquil, vast, standing alone, unchanging
It provides for all things yet cannot be exhausted
It is the mother of the universe
I do not know its name
so I call it “Tao”
Forced to name it further
I call it
“The greatness of all things”
“The end of all endings”
I call it
“That which is beyond the beyond”
“That to which all things return”
From Tao comes all greatness—
It makes Heaven great
It makes Earth great
It makes man great
Mankind depends on the laws of Earth
Earth depends on the laws of Heaven
Heaven depends on the laws of Tao
But Tao depends on itself alone
Supremely free, self-so, it rests in its own nature
26
The inner is foundation of the outer
The still is master of the restless
The Sage travels all day
yet never leaves his inner treasure
Though the views are captivating and beg attention
he remains calm and uninvolved
Tell me, does the lord of a great empire
go out begging for rice?
One who seeks his treasure in the outer world
is cut off from his own roots
Without roots, he becomes restless
Being restless, his mind is weak
And with a mind such as this
he loses all command below Heaven
“The great wonder”
“The essential mystery”
“The very heart of all that is true”
27
A knower of the Truth
travels without leaving a trace
speaks without causing harm
gives without keeping an account
The door he shuts, though having no lock,
cannot be opened
The knot he ties, though using no cord,
cannot be undone
The Sage is always on the side of virtue
so everyone around him prospers
He is always on the side of truth
so everything around him is fulfilled
The path of the Sage is called
“The Path of Illumination”
He who gives himself to this path
is like a block of wood
that gives itself to the chisel—
Cut by cut it is honed to perfection
Only a student who gives himself
can receive the master’s gift
If you think otherwise,
despite your knowledge, you have blundered
Giving and receiving are one
This is called,
“The great wonder”
“The essential mystery”
“The very heart of all that is true”
28
Hold your male side with your female side
Hold your bright side with your dull side
Hold your high side with your low side
Then you will be able to hold the whole world
When the opposing forces unite within
there comes a power abundant in its giving
and unerring in its effect
Flowing through everything
It returns one to the First Breath
Guiding everything
It returns one to No Limits
Embracing everything
It returns one to the Uncarved Block
When the Block is divided
it becomes something useful
and leaders rule with a few pieces of it
But the Sage holds the Block complete
Holding all things within himself
he preserves the Great Unity
which cannot be ruled or divided
29
Those who look down upon this world
will surely take hold and try to change things
But this is a plan
I’ve always seen fail
The world is Tao’s own vessel
It is perfection manifest
It cannot be changed
It cannot be improved
For those who go on tampering, it’s ruined
For those who try to grasp, it’s gone
Allow your life to unfold naturally
Know that it too is a vessel of perfection
Just as you breathe in and breathe out
Sometimes you’re ahead and other times behind
Sometimes you’re strong and other times weak
Sometimes you’re with people and other times alone
To the Sage
all of life is a movement toward perfection
So what need has he
for the excessive, the extravagant, or the extreme?
30
Those who rule in accordance with Tao
do not use force against the world
For that which is forced is likely to return—
Where armies settle
Nature offers nothing but briars and thorns
After a great battle has been fought
the land is cursed, the crops fail,
the Earth lies stripped of its motherhood
A knower of the Truth does what is called for
then stops
He uses his strength but does not force things
In the same way
complete your task
seek no reward
make no claims
Without faltering
fully choose to do what you must do
This is to live without forcing
to overcome without conquering
Things that gain a place by force
will flourish for a time
but then fade away
They are not in keeping with Tao
Whatever is not in keeping with Tao
will come to an early end
31
Even the finest warrior is defeated
when he goes against natural law
By his own hand he is doomed
and all creatures are likely to despise him
One who knows Tao
never turns from life’s calling
When at home he honors the side of rest
When at war he honors the side of action
Peace and tranquility are what he holds most dear
so he does not obtain weapons
But when their use is unavoidable
he employs them with fortitude and zeal
Do not flaunt your excellence
Do not rejoice over victory
With the loss of others
weep with sorrow and grief
After winning a battle
do not celebrate,
observe the rites of a funeral
One who is bound to action, proud of victory,
and delights in the misfortune of others
will never gain a thing
from this world below Heaven