Line by Line - Verse 64, Line 13

he does not lay hold (so), and therefore does not lose his hold.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

He does not grasp and therefore does not lose.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

They do not grasp and thus do not lose
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

They aren't attached to things, so they never feel loss.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

For this line, I think Ron Hogan captures the basic idea. It is a theme we find throughout the TTC. It is our attachment to things and ideas that often messes us up. We cling so tightly to them that we often can't see the forest for the trees!

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