Daodejing, Verse 8

Daodejing - Other Voices

The Tao Te Ching Commentary Verse Eight: Living as Water
Verse Eight of the Dao De Jing returns us to the world of human beings. While all of the verses of the Dao are teachings, some are more direct than others. Verse Eight is one such direct teaching.

We have already seen how the Dao De Jing uses the image of the Sage as a kind of model. We can learn how to become the Dao itself when our own behavior and mind are modeled after that of the Sage. In Verse Eight, the model is that of water.

The first stanza describes why water mirrors the actions of the Dao itself. Addiss and Lombardo translate it: Best to be like water, Which benefits the ten thousand things And does not contend. It pools where humans disdain to dwell, Close to the Tao.

The first line urges the reader to be like water, to be a source of nourishment for all of life, that gives of itself freely, without any preference.

But it is the second sentence that presents a slightly more challenging teaching. Water is guided by gravity and thus it ultimately rests at the lowest places. These are places that "humans disdain to dwell." Water does not set itself up above people and the Sage does not set herself above people. But on a slightly 'deeper' level the Dao tells us that people are not comfortable living as the Dao. If we are to absorb these teachings in a way that is truly transformative, we must be willing to part from convention, to take the road less well traveled, to strike out to a place where the mass of people have already expressed their negative judgment. This is part of the challenge of living with the Dao.

The last line, "close to the tao" also presents the reader with an interpretive problem. The author is not saying "as" the Tao, but "close" to the Tao. Water, in and of itself, is not the Dao itself, but it is close. The Dao is the totality of creative energy in the universe, of which water is a part. Thus water is "close" to the Dao.

The second stanza presents the direct teaching of Verse Eight. It says,
Live in a good place. Keep your mind deep. Treat others well. Stand by your word. Keep good order. Do the right thing. Work when it's time.

What does it mean to "live in a good place?" Most translations point to the obvious location of the earth itself, but this is clearly not what the text is saying. This line is making reference to something a Chinese reader is more likely to understand, since it probably is a reference to the ancient philosophy of feng shui. The author assumes that the reader already knows what a "good place" is, but the reference is vague without this knowledge. Feng shui specifically refers to living by or near water. A quote I found at the wikipedia reference defines it as that which endures, for to be buffeted by winds, shatters Qi, the elemental power of the universe. This word is also associated with the Sanskrit word prana. This is the living breath of creation. This too is very "close to the Tao."

The second line, "keep your mind deep" refers to the nexus between thought and feeling. Depth of mind is likened to the stillness of 'low' water itself. It reflects perfectly what is around it. It is clarity itself. Such a mind is not quick to make judgment. It is both accurate and deep. My own understanding of depth of mind is that which sees clearly. This is a quality that is often associated with age and experience. As we age, our minds grow slower, but our depth can be great. We have seen much in our lives and have the capacity to see what underlies the apparent. This is the quality of deep seeing expressed in this line.

The next three lines are easy to understand. Like water we nourish all, we are honest and straightforward in word and action. Doing the right thing is also translated as being "one-pointed". This means to give ourselves 100% to the task at hand. To always do our best.

The last line of the teaching, "Work when it's time." is the first reference in the Dao of time, an element of life that is repeated later. The well-known expression, "timing is everything" is key to understand the Dao. There is a ripeness to the moment when it is best to act and to act decisively. To know when to act, we need to have depth of mind. We see that each of these qualities are contained within the whole. They are not isolated phrases. Rather, they form a unity and right timing is one of them. We also recall that the Dao De Jing is also a manual for leadership and this teaching is directed to the would-be leader, who must make decisions. A decision made indifferent to the ideal timing is not a good decision. Great leadership is often a matter of knowing when to act.

The last two lines take us back to the Dao De Jing's frequent reminder of the primacy of tranquility. A good leader affirms the primacy of accord, of not going against the flow, of seeing the larger movement of energy and action and knowing that wisdom is that which blends the whole into the one.

Addiss and Lombardo translate these lines as: Only do not contend And you will not go wrong.
~ from The Liberation Blog, author Eric Gross, original post date: 1/12/10 ~

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