Line by Line - Verse 14, Lines 15-16

When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning,
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Stay with the ancient Tao, Move with the present.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Wield the Tao of the ancients To manage the existence of today
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

(No corresponding lines)
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

The questions of life have always been the same. Most of the questions we ask today -- about beginnings and endings, purpose and meaning -- are the same questions that have been pondered down through the ages. This is the tie that binds us with all humanity.

The answers to our most basic questions -- as far as the human mind is able to grasp -- reside within each of us. These answers have existed for eternity in the same place. By tapping into the same wellspring that the ancient sages tapped into, we utilize the answers of old to live our lives today.

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