Line by Line - Verse 1, Line 5

Always without desire we must be found, If its deep mystery we would sound;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Stop wanting stuff. It keeps you from seeing what's real.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Up until this juncture, we haven't found significant differences in meaning. With this line, however, there is a bit of divergence. To add a bit more tinder to the fire, Red Pine interprets this line, "thus in innocence we see the beginning."

So, what are we to make of these differences in interpretation? For one thing, it illustrates the great difficulty in utilizing words to try to capture the essential nature of something we don't understand! It's next too impossible to express adequately that which we feel in the very core of our being. Since each "self" is unique, it's understandable why each person will express this mystery in a slightly different manner.

For me, I like the way John Lash approaches this line. Utilizing the translation by Feng & English, he writes, "By 'desireless,' Lao Tzu means that you must be without attachment." In other words, when we approach Tao without an attachment to preconceived notions and ideas, we leave ourselves open to unlimited possibilities.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.