Chinese language

  • Daodejing 71

    #71* To know your ignorance is most upright. [1] Not knowing but pretending to know is illness. [2] Just consider shortcomings only as shortcomings: thus, no shortcomings. The Sage has no shortcomings because he considers shortcomings as shortcomings: hence, no shortcomings. *Translation… Continue reading

    Daodejing 71
  • Daodejing 11

    #11* Thirty wheel spokes sharing one hub. The empty space in the middle has the usefulness to a cart. Knead clay to make a vessel. The empty space in the middle has usefulness to the vessel. Cutting the door and… Continue reading

    Daodejing 11
  • Daodejing 10

    #10* Body and soul integrated as one. Inseparable? Concentrate Qì  [1] for suppleness. Baby-like? Wash and cleanse the profound mirror. [2] Never blemish? Love the people and govern a country. Do doing-without-doing (wěi-wú-wěi)? The door of heaven Opens and closes. Yielding? [3] Brilliantly perceive The… Continue reading

    Daodejing 10
  • Daodejing 20

    #20* Sincerity’s “yes” and Flattery’s “yes”: How much difference Is there between them? Good and evil, how much difference is there between them? What people fear, they cannot not-fear. [1] So vast; how never endless it is! People who are busy… Continue reading

    Daodejing 20
  • Daodejing 9

    #9.* Holding and filling it up, no comparison to stopping it in time; Honing and sharpening it cannot remain for a long time. Gold and jade fill the hall, Yet cannot be guarded. Wealthy and honored Yet arrogant, Brings disaster… Continue reading

    Daodejing 9
  • Daodejing 8

    #8* The highest good is like water: Water is good at benefitting the 10,000 things yet never contends. Dwell in the place that the majority dislikes; thus, be close To Dào . Be good at dwelling in place; Be good at… Continue reading

    Daodejing 8
  • Daodejing 7

    #7* Heaven is eternal; earth is everlasting. The reason why heaven and earth can be eternal and everlasting? Because they do not exist for themselves, [they] thus can live long. Therefore, the Sage makes himself go behind yet he comes… Continue reading

    Daodejing 7
  • Daodejing 5

    #5* Heaven and earth have no mercy, treating the 10,000 things as straw dogs; the Sage has no mercy, treating people as straw dogs. [1]  The space between Heaven and earth Just like a bellows! Empty but never Exhausted; work it… Continue reading

    Daodejing 5
  • Daodejing 3

    #3* Do not encourage excellent abilities, [1] [and] keep people from contention; do not value rare goods, keep people from stealing; do not flaunt the desirable, keep people’s hearts undisturbed. Hence, the governance Of the sage Empties their hearts Fills their… Continue reading

    Daodejing 3
  • Daodejing 4

    #4* Dao is empty yet when used, it seems never endless. Bottomless, yet it seems like the progenitor of 10,000 things. [Blunt the sharpness, Remove the distractions, Soften the light, Blend with the dust.] [1] Formless, yet it seems like existence.… Continue reading

    Daodejing 4
  • Daodejing 1

    My beloved friend, LU Wenlong, has been graciously going through Laozi‘s great work with me. He transliterates directly from the Chinese into the English, and then we dialog for a bit about an expressive translation. In doing this, I have found that many… Continue reading

    Daodejing 1
  • Daodejing 40

    #40* The motion of DAO: returning. The usage of DAO: weakening. 10,000 things grow by having. [1] Having generates from not-having . [2] *Translation by LU Wenlong & Keith Wayne Brown, ©2013. [1] Having –> 有 [Yǒu]: to have, to exist. We might put here… Continue reading

    Daodejing 40