The law of the Tao is its being what it is.Everything is connected to everything; that is the message I derive from this last line and the verse as a whole. We may not always understand the connections and we will probably never know the underlying cause that made the connections possible, but as we gaze out into the world that envelops us, it is very difficult not to notice the universal principles that guide being and nonbeing alike.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
Tao follows what is natural.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
Tao follows the laws of nature
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
Tao's in touch with the way things are.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
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Yes, connected and dependent...but what I am interested in is, once you have this understanding, what do you do with it, how do you apply this understanding to your life. That's a rhetorical question.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher translates this line as:
"Tao is characteristic of the great Natural Way."
If you look at the Jonathan Star concordance, the line, "tao fa tzu jan," is rendered as "But Tao depends on itself alone, supremely free, self-so, it rests on its own nature."
That's a little different. In this case, of the four selections you picked, I kinda like Legge's.
Hey RT, I have noticed that you seem to pick and choose what questions you answer or ignore. I am curious why that is? The question here from Baroness is a good one to use as an example. I think it is a very good question and at the very least worthy of an acknowledgement. I will give you credit that you at least answer some questions sent your way.
ReplyDeleteMark,
ReplyDeleteAs the Baroness herself noted, her question is rhetorical.
Everyone I know picks and chooses which questions they will answer and which they won't. The way I see it (via this blog) is that I get to have my say abundantly in each post. This section is more for you, the readers.
I don't ignore ANY questions posed of me; I simply pick and choose the ones I will respond to in writing in the comments section.
Well, though the question was rhetorical, that doesn't mean it can't be addressed.
ReplyDeleteMy point is, while "noticing universal principles" (or not, lots of people easily miss them), what do they mean to us, how do they help us in our daily living. My experience with the Tao teachings has helped me take a very long view of things, has helped me to be patient, has helped me to be more generous and sensitive to other people's suffering in a way I wasn't maybe 10 or 15 years or more ago. It has changed me, has removed obstacles in discovering my "true heart."
It's nice to say "everything is connected" but what do you do with that?
For me, if everything is connected, then, in a sense, we ARE our brother and sister's keeper. We have not only a duty, but a self-interest too, in protecting both the planet and our fellow creatures.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. Funny, back when Haiti was the disaster of the week, I said something here about an obligation to help people, and someone--a neo-Nietzche I think-- criticized me: "whence comes this obligation (duty)?" I don't have a problem with that,, but it is a question worthy of discussion.
ReplyDelete