It is simply by being pained at (the thought of) having this disease that we are preserved from it.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
If one is sick of sickness, then one is not sick.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
Only when one recognizes the fault as a fault
can one be without fault
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
The only way
to get rid of that sickness is to be sick of it.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
Red Pine offers many commentaries in relation to this verse from Taoists and Buddhists throughout history. For this post and the next, I will share two. Today's explanation comes from Te-Ch'ing (1546-1623), a Buddhist writer of the Ming Dynasty.
The ancients said that the word "understanding" was the door to all mysteries as well as the door to all misfortune. If you realize that you don't understand, you eliminate false understanding. This is the door to all mysteries. If you cling to understanding while trying to discover what you don't understand, you increase the obstacles to understanding. This is the door to all misfortune.
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
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