Line by Line - Verse 26, Lines 3-4

Therefore a wise prince, marching the whole day, does not go far from his baggage waggons.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Therefore the sage, traveling all day,
Does not lose sight of his baggage.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore the sages travel an entire day
Without leaving the heavy supplies
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

A Master can travel long distances
and still see all her possessions.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

According to Derek Lin,

"Travel" here refers to the journey of life, and the heavy supplies are the essentials -- the most important stuff, the basics. Sages are the ones who traverse through life without ever losing track of the fundamental essence that makes us human.

John Lash makes a similar point.

On your journey to the Tao, do not lose sight of that which is important: tranquility, harmony, silence, compassion, and emptiness. These are the essentials you will need to reach your true destiny.

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