Lao Tzu for Everyone
Students, Scholars,
& Seekers
Chinese-English Interlinear
Peter Gilboy, Ph. D.
regarding the characters
chosen for this translation.
Lesson 13
My very
own 'me'
患huàn
(心 heart + 串 string together)
suffer, worry
We are conscious beings, which means that are also conscious of ourselves. It is a blessing that we can observe and reflect upon ourselves in the same way that we can observe and reflect upon the world around us.
But because we can reflect on ourselves, we may easily fall into the trap of believing that the "me” which I am reflecting upon is my actual self when it may be no more than a second-hand reflection in my head, as authentic as my reflection in the bathroom mirror.
We can know that this "me" which we reflect upon is hoax-me because it changes with the wind. At times we happily approve of it, and at other times we don't like it. When others honor us, our “me” is uplifted. When we are humiliated or shamed, this same “me” is deflated.
Our "me" is always on this seesaw, riding the highs and lows we call our life. The reason it is so changeable is because it depends on the whims of our own judgments about ourselves as well as the judgments of others. But all along, this "me" is really just a phantom residing in our heads.
This seesaw "me" is not our "first-hand-self." It is not our 自zì 然rán, or self-so-ness, of which Lao Tzu speaks. Lao Tzu might ask us what would remain if we were to lose this sense of "me." Would we disappear? Or would we still be there?
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Important note regarding the character 身shēn :
The key character for this lesson, 身shēn, literally, "body." It is used four times here. 身shēn is also used to refer to “I,” “me,” and “myself.”
Most translations of this lesson retain the literal meaning of 身shēn as "body." In this translation I follow Wang Bi's commentary (see final line) that 身shēn refers to more than just the physical body; it comprises the full make up of a person, their "persona," we could say.
For that reason I translate 身shēn, as "me" or as "my 'me'" In doing so It should also be considered as the "straw dog" in Lesson 5.
In short, 身shēn is the person we identify to ourselves as "me." It is the "me" who is puffed up when praised and diminished when disgrace or embarrassed. But again, this "me "has no existence outside of our heads.
. . . . . .
Interlinear
Line 1
I regard praise and disgrace
with the same alarm.
寵chǒng 辱rǔ 若ruò 驚jīng
favor disgrace as if/be like fear/alarm
Favor and disgrace
{both) as alarm.
It is common to welcome praise and avoid disgrace. Yet Lao Tzu treats them the same, with alarm.
. . . . . . .
Line 2
I regard both honor and
great suffering
as the same as my 身shēn "me."
貴guì 大dà 患huàn 若ruò 身shēn
honor great suffering same body/self
Honor and great suffering
are the as the body/self .
Our sense of "me" is vulnerable. It can be assaulted at any time. That's why we want our "me" to be honored rather than dishonored, liked rather than disliked, accepted rather than rejected, befriended rather than lonely.
This is the binary trap in which we find ourselves. Lao Tzu is leading us to consider that the image of ourselves which resides in our heads is no more authentic than our image in the store window.
. . . . . .
Line 3
Why do I say
"I regard both praise and disgrace
with the same alarm?"
何hé 胃wèi 寵chǒng 辱rǔ 若ruò 驚jīng
(interrog.) speak favor disgrace same fear/alarm
Why say honor and disgrace
same as (reason for) fearfulness?
. . . . . .
Line 4
Because praise is lowly.
So being praised is a reason for alarm
as much as losing it.
寵chǒng 之zhī 為wéi 下xià 也yě
favor (as for) is/as/because under (part.)
得dé 之zhī 若ruò 驚jīng 失shī 之zhī 若ruò 驚jīng
obtain pron. same as fear/alarm lose pron. same as fear/alarm
As for favor, it is lowly.
Getting it is same as alarming,
losing it is same as alarming.
Praise comes and goes. It is an aspect of the see-saw existence of our "me." Even when we are uplifted with praise, we then fear losing it.*
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*Perhaps Thoreau's familiar words apply here: "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." Henry David Thoreau, Walden, (1854)
. . . . . .
.
Line 5
That's why I say,
"I regard praise and disgrace
with the same alarm."
是shì 胃wèi 寵chǒng 辱rǔ 若ruò 驚jīng
this say favor disgrace same as fear/alarm
This I say favor and disgrace
are both alarming.
. . . . . .
.
Line 6
Why do I say,
"I regard praise
and great suffering
are the same as my 身shēn "me?"
何hé 胃wèi
(interrog.) speak
貴guì 大dà 患huàn 若ruò 身shēn
expensive great suffer same as body/self
Why say honor and great suffering
the same as the body/self?.
. . . . . .
Line 7
Because the reason
I have great suffering
in the first place
is because I have a 身shēn "me."
吾wú 所suǒ 以yǐ 有yǒu 大dà 患huàn 者zhě
I (that by which) have great suffer one who
為wéi 吾wú 有yǒu 身shēn 也yě
because I have body/self (part.)
I am the one who has great suffering
because I have a body/self.
Which do we spend more time worrying about, our body or our "me?"
__________
Again, the character 身shēn literally means “body,” and is also used to refer to “I,” “me,” and “myself.” 身shēn should viewed in contrast to 心 xīn (the image of a heart) which refers to our heart/mind, a nonphysical aspect of our person.
. . . . . .
Line 8
But if I didn't have a 身shēn "me,"
then how could I suffer?
及jí 吾wú 无wéi 身shēn 有yǒu 何hé 患huàn
reach I not have body/self have (interrog.) suffer
Attaining to not having a body/self,
how can I have suffering?
The image we hold of ourselves can be assailed at any moment. So we need to defend it, propping it up against any assault. In quiet moments, we may even find ourselves propping it up to ourselves. We are a strange lot.
When we do not like our “me,” we may strive to improve it by doing all the right things, like reading books about how to have positive thoughts, win friends, and how to meditate the right way. We may attend seminars to learn that we should accept our “me” just as it is.
But whether we have a positive notion of “me” or a negative one, it does not matter. It is still just a phantom in our heads.
. . . . . .
Line 9
Therefore, one who honors
their 身shēn "me" as they
honor all the world,
may be entrusted with the world.
故gù 貴guì 為wéi 身shēn 於yú 為wéi 天tiān 下xià
therefore expensive as/for/do body/self (prep.) as/for/do sake of heaven under
若ruò 可kě 以yǐ 託tuō 天tiān 下xià 矣yǐ
same (able to ) entrust heaven earth (emphasis)
Therefore, valuing by means of the body for the sake of the world,
the same can be entrusted to all under heaven
To honor our "me" as we honor the world, is to no longer see our "me" as on center stage. Free from the binary ups and downs of our "me," we discover our 自zì 然rán or self-so-ness.
Then we can be entrusted with the world.
__________
Note the emphasizing particle 矣yǐ in this and the next line.
. . . . . .
Line 10
And one who cherishes
his or her 身shēn "me"
as they cherish the world
can be a steward of the world.
愛āi 以yǐ 身shēn 為wèi 天tiān 下xià
love use body/self as/for sake of heaven under
如rú 可kě 以yí 寄jì 天tiān 下xià 矣
as if/like (possible to) rely on heaven earth (emphasis)
Regarding this line, Wang Bi (226 A.D. – 249 A.D.) affirms his understanding that 身shēn, as Lao Tzu uses it in this lesson, is much more than our physical body.
Because nothing can diminish the person’s sense of self
[or exhalt it], the text says that the person ‘is cherished.’
When someone has attained to this condition,
he or she can indeed be entrusted with the world.
無為可以損其身 故曰愛也
如此及可以寄天下也
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