Line by Line - Verse 21, Line 8

So, in their beautiful array,
Things form and never know decay.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Thus I perceive the creation.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

To observe the source of all things
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

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

It is this mystery -- creation -- that occupies the interest of the theologian and philosopher. While science predominantly searches for the answer to the question how, the theologian and philosopher are far more interested in the why.

Whether one's focus is on the how or why, the answer to both queries most likely will forever be: We don't know.

But it certainly doesn't hurt to ask and to explore the possibilities. In fact, the exploration itself helps each individual find some semblance of purpose and meaning.

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