Line by Line - Verse 41, Line 8

Its even way is like a rugged track.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The easy way seems hard;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The smooth Tao appears uneven
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The easiest path seems difficult.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

The most direct way to get between two points is a straight line, but the clear path is hard to see when we are blinded by our ego-based desires. These desires conjure up mirages that make the straight path appear chock full of dangers. So, instead of simply moving from Point A to Point B, we devise serpentine routes that encompass real dangers and then wonder why we consistently wind up in the wrong place.

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