The sage has in the world an appearance of indecision, and keeps his mind in a state of indifference to all.As we slowly have worked our way through the TTC, I have often found Legge's translation to be stilted and lacking as much depth as the other two translations. For this line, however, I think he captures it well.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
The sage is shy and humble - to the world he seems confusing.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
The sages live in the world
They cautiously merge their mind for the world
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
A Master throws himself
into the world completely,
forgetting everything he's been told.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
The wise person doesn't allow biases and preconceived notions to be the driver of decisions. It is when we approach the world indifferently -- we size up ALL the information available -- that more possibilities abound. Where others see roadblocks and dead ends, the sagacious individual can find a route around a seeming impasse.
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
Legge was no slouch, but he was a product of his moment in time.
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