Line by Line - Verse 31, Line 12

on occasions of mourning, the right hand.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

On sad occasions to the right.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Inauspicious events favor the right
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

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

On so many occasions, we have two basic choices. The first is to be selfish and to commit acts that satisfy our ego-driven desires. It is not that we necessarily wish to thwart other people's needs or force them to do things against their will; our exclusive focus solely is on ourselves.

The second choice is far more inclusive. We look to commit to those actions that will bring ourselves AND others into greater harmony. We balance our desires with the needs and desires of anyone and anything else that will be impacted.

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