This is called the Form of the Formless,All three translators are in basic agreement re this line. The way it is phrased is interesting, don't ya think? Stating that a formless essence is perceived within the parameters of a certain form is a rather contradictory assertion!
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
The form of the formless,
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
Thus it is called the form of the formless
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
(no corresponding line)
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
That said, it makes a degree of sense to me. We can't hope to understand Tao in its own right because its all encompassing nature is far beyond our level of rational comprehension. So, to even refer to the Grand Mystery, we must confine it to the terminology of communication. The best we can do is to describe its manifestations and the insights we might glean through observation and/or meditation.
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Stephen Mitchel translates it as:
ReplyDelete"Form that includes all forms."
Isn't it interesting how different translators translate the same line in different ways?
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty simple line,
ReplyDeletechuan wu wu chih,
which is pretty much literally
form without form of its own.
Not a whole lot of room to interpret.