Line by Line - Verse 64, Line 17

Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire,
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Therefore the sage seeks freedom from desire.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore, sages desire not to desire
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The Masters try to be free from desire.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Unmitigated desire is the major stumbling block for all of humanity. We want what we want and our expectations are tied to our wants. Remove these desires and expectations disappear. With no expectations, anything becomes possible.

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