Line by Line - Verse 38, Line 20

Thus it is that the Great man abides by what is solid, and eschews what is flimsy;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Therefore the truly great man dwells on what is real and not what is on the surface,
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore the great person:
Abides in substance, and does not dwell on the thin shell
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The Masters pay attention
to what's beneath the surface.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I'm sure most of you have heard the sayings, Beauty is only skin deep and You can't judge a book by its cover. Both express the general sentiment of this line.

There are many species in the animal kingdom whose appearance has been adapted to blend in with the surrounding environment. When other creatures scan the area in a superficial manner, they miss out on their next meal! Those who look more deeply aren't so easily fooled...or hungry!

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