Thursday, June 23, 2011

Line by Line - Verse 34, Line 2

All things depend on it for their production, which it gives to them, not one refusing obedience to it.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The ten thousand things depend upon it; it holds nothing back.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The myriad things depend on it for life, but it never stops
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

It's in everything, but nothing can contain it.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
Something sustains the very essence or core of life and existence. It's like the blood of a body, the thread of a tapestry or the keel of a ship.

Call it what you like. A god. A principle. A force. Ultimate reality. The Grand Mystery.

I call it Tao.

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

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