Line by Line - Verse 41, Lines 5-6

Therefore the sentence-makers have thus expressed themselves:--
'The Tao, when brightest seen, seems light to lack;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Hence it is said:
The bright path seems dim;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore a proverb has the following:
The clear Tao appears unclear
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Here's what they find so funny:
The path to enlightenment
seems covered in shadows.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Our ego-based desires can be thought of as a thick veil. While the veil doesn't leave us completely blind, it blurs the objects in our line of sight. With definition lacking, objects appear nebulous and shady.

Is it any wonder we so easily leave the path? When the trail curves this way or that, these self-imposed shadows disguise the change in course and so we blithely go walking off in the wrong direction -- totally oblivious to the fact we are walking aimlessly.

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