Line by Line - Verse 43, Line 5-6

There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Teaching without words and work without doing
Are understood by very few.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The teaching without words
The benefits of actions without attachment
Are rarely matched in the world
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The silent teachings
and the power of doing nothing
can only be understood
by a few people.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Though John Lash specifically refers to Tai Chi, I think his commentary on these last lines of Verse 43 are on target.

Of all the people who begin the discipline of Tai Chi, only a handful will continue past a year or so. Humility, compassion, lack of ambition, non-aggression, spontaneity, and silence are not qualities that our societies value. There is no more difficult journey than the journey to the self.

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