Line by Line - Verse 48, Line 5

Having arrived at this point of non-action, there is nothing which he does not do.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

With unattached action, there is nothing one cannot do
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

And it's when we do nothing
that we get the job done.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Personally, I like the way Derek Lin handles this line. While I often think the Feng/English translation is more poetic, the meaning of particular passages often is obscured somewhat.

Going at this line from Lin's point of view, we can say that it is our attachments that create limitations for our thoughts and actions. We invest so much of ourselves in what we think and do that it becomes difficult to see beyond our self-imposed parameters and boundaries.

It's like looking at the world through a narrow slit. A person can only see what is right in front of their face. You will be unable to gauge depth and breadth. Everything takes on one-dimensional characteristics.

But, if we can gaze at the world from the window of non-attachment, everything becomes possible.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.