Line by Line - Verse 34, Line 1

All-pervading is the Great Tao! It may be found on the left hand and on the right.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and to the right.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The great Tao is like a flood
It can flow to the left or to the right
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Tao flows in all directions.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

One of the attributes of flowing water is that seeming obstacles do not ultimately block it. If a giant tree falls in a river, the water may go around it to the left or the right. It might flow over the tree or underneath it. Even if the obstacle appears large and permanent -- like a steel and concrete dam -- the flow of water gradually erodes it.

Flowing water provides each of us with an object lesson. When we encounter seeming obstacles in our lives, there always is a way to move around it.

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