Line by Line - Verse 48, Line 2

he who devotes himself to the Tao (seeks) from day to day to diminish (his doing).
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Pursue Tao, daily loss
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

But if we want to get right with Tao,
we have to let go of something every day.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

While this may sound like an argument against education, I certainly don't interpret it that way. To me, what Lao Tzu is referencing is hubris.

As we attempt to learn the lessons of life, too often we become overly prideful of our intellectual abilities and insights. This arrogance interferes with the lessons offered. It is when we can put aside our overblown egos that the lessons of life truly can be learned.

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