Line by Line - Verse 9, Line 4

When wealth and honours lead to arrogancy, this brings its evil on itself.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Claim wealth and titles, and disaster will follow.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Wealth and position bring arrogance And leave disasters upon oneself
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

If you crave success, you succumb to failure.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I think Ron Hogan really captures the essence of this line! It underscores the notion that, when our desires get the best of us, we fall far short of the mark. No matter how much we attain, it's never enough to satisfy the craving. So, we throw caution to the wind, in order to amass more and more. Yet, as we pile treasure upon treasure, the specter of loss and failure dogs us.

It becomes a vicious cycle that too many never escape from. The craven desire to succeed dooms us from the outset.

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