Line by Line - Verse 47, Line 2

without looking out from his window, one sees the Tao of Heaven.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Without peering out the window, see the Heavenly Tao
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

You don't have to look out the window
to appreciate the beauty of heaven.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Because we often feel small and insignificant in comparison to the universe writ large, it is not unsurprising that we think the secrets of life are out THERE somewhere. So, we spend our lives searching for external sources to provide us with meaning and purpose.

What Lao Tzu makes clear is that he believes those "secrets" reside in each of us. It is there in the quiet center -- the soul, heart or heart-mind. In other words, we don't need to spend our lives looking out; we should be looking in instead.

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