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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Line by Line - Verse 66, Line 6

In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his weight,
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Thus the sages are positioned above
But the people do not feel burdened

~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

People love leaders
who make them feel safe
without smothering them.

~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
No one likes to feel the weight of a boot upon their neck. Authoritarian demands stifle creativity and make us feel as if we are being suffocated or, as Ron Hogan phrases it, smothered.

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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