Line by Line - Verse 10, Lines 5-6

When he has cleansed away the most mysterious sights (of his imagination), he can become without a flaw.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Washing and cleansing the primal vision,
Can you be without stain?
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

In cleaning away the worldly view
Can one be without imperfections?
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Can you check yourself
and see past what's in front of your eyes?
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In reading this line strictly from a western worldview, it sounds a lot like the Christian perspective of perfection. However, what I get from the various interpretations more closely resembles what Feng & English have rendered with the use of the word, stain.

A being or object that is unstained is not necessarily perfect. It simply has not allowed an external source to contaminate it.

For example, my coffee table may be rickety (yet functional!), but if I clean up every spill on its surface, it will remain unstained.

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