Lao Tzu for Everyone
Students, Scholars,
& Seekers
Chinese-English Interlinear
Peter Gilboy, Ph. D.
regarding the characters
used in this translation.
Lesson 27
Knowledge
and
Insight.
瑕xiá
(玉jade + the phonetic 叚jiǎ, skin)
Flaw in a gem. Fault, defect.
Our books and computers are chock full of facts. Computers, for example, are quite handy when we want to know how many miles it is from San Francisco to Philadelphia, and the cheapest flight to get there. But they can't tell me whether we should go or to stay.
If facts and knowledge were the same as insight, then we could ask a good book or a computer what to study, whom to marry, and where we should get married at all.
Choices require judgment, not knowledge. Ultimately, when it comes to making life-decisions, and even our many moment to moment decisions, we are always thrown back upon our own adequacy. Because our individual lives and a particular occasion never happened before, there is no life-formula to guide us.
A life well-lived depends on two things: Insight and the courage to follow through.
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Note: A key character in this lesson is 善shàn. It combines the meanings of “good,” “skilled,” “honest,” “well-versed,” “competent” and “efficient.” Perhaps 善shàn can be best brought over into English by our word “master.”
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Interlinear
Line 1
A master journeyer
leaves no trace.
善shàn 行xíng 者zhě
skill/good walk one who
无wú 勶ché 迹jī
not have clear away/tracks footprint
One who is good at walking
does not have footprints.
Note how in this lesson the emphasis once again is not so much on "doing," but "not doing."
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Line 2
A master speaker
speaks without a flaw.
善shàn 言yán 者zhě
skill/good speak one who
无wú 瑕xiá 謫zhé
not have fault/defect blame/disgrace
One who is good at speaking
has no defects.
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Line 3
A master of numbers
does not need
a tally sheet
善shàn 數shù 者zhě
skill/good number one who
不bù 以yǐ 檮táo 策cè
not use wood block bamboo slips
One who is good at number
does not use bamboo slips.
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Line 4
A master guard
does not need a lock or key
and yet no one can
get through the gate.
善shàn 閉bì 者zhě
skill/good close/defend one who
无wú 關guān 籥yuě
no have close/barrier key
而ér 不bù 可kě 啟qǐ 也yě
and not able open (part.)
One who is good a defending
does not have a bar or key
and no one is able to open it.
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Line 5
A master at
binding things
may have no cord,
and yet no one can
unbind them.
善shán 結jié 者zhě
good/skill tie one who
无wú 纆mò 約yuē
not have cord bind up
而ér 不bù 可kě 解jiě 也yě
and not able untie (part.)
One who is good at tying
does not have a cord
and no one can untie it.
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Line 6
In the same way,
the sage is ever a master
at helping others,
and does not deny anyone.
是shì 以yǐ 聖shèng 人rén
(this reason) sage person
恆héng 善shán 救jiù 人rén
constant good/skill save/help person
而ér 无wú 棄qì 人rén
and not have reject/discard person
For this reason the sage
is constantly good a helping people
and does not reject people
As we've seen in so many lesson, the initial lines are a lead in to Lao Tzu's recurring theme--the sage. Here Lao Tzu draws analogies to those who are masters by virtue of what they do not do. This is of course 无wú 為wéi. The sage spies the need of the moment and then spontaneously meets that need. There is no personal agenda or personal preference on the part of the sage. And as this line tells us, he or she denies no one.
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Line 7
Nor does the sage
dismiss the worth
of anything.
物wù 无wú 棄qì 財cái*
thing not have reject wealth
As to things,
there is not rejection
of their value.
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* 財cái meaning "riches," "value," is also a variant and homonym of 才cái, "talent," "ability."
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Line 8
This is called
drawing upon
one's light.
是shì 胃wèi 曳yè 明míng
this/to be say pull along clear/bright
This is said to be
pulling along brightness.
We are taught many things. But it is rare that a teacher or a parent will encourage one to seek out their light.
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Line 9
Therefore, the master is
a teacher of masters.
故gù 善shàn 人rén
therefore good/skill person
善shàn 人rén 之zhī 師shī
good/skill person (poss.) teacher/model
Therefore, a good person
is the good person's teachers.
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Note the important character 故gù, "therefore." It announces that what came before leads directly to this conclusion
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Line 10
And, the one
who is not a master
is a gift
to the master.
不bù 善shàn 人rén
not good person
善shàn 人rèn 之zhī 齎jī * 也yě
good person (poss) present/resource (part.)
The not good person is
the good person's present.
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*齎jī, means "present," "to hold in one hands, as in an offering, a gift." The B Text of the Ma-wang-tui, as well as other editions, have 資zī property, wealth, resource. In each of these cases, the inadequate person is the occasion, or the “material,” for the sage to express himself or herself.
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Line 11
If one does value
their teacher, or
if a teacher does not
cherish their gift,
they may have
great knowledge,
they are
nevertheless blind.
不bù 貴quì 其qí 師shī
not precious (pron.) teacher
不bù 愛ài 其qí 齎jī*
not love (pron.) present
唯wéi 知zhī 乎hū 大dà 眯mǐ**
indeed know (exclaim) great blind
As to one who does not value
his or her teacher, or
one who does not value their gift,
though indeed knowledgeable,
great blindness.
Blindness is the opposite of insight. Those who do not recognize the opportunities around them--whether it be a student who does not value their teacher, or, if a teacher who does not cherish the challenge and opportunity of teaching--such a person is oblivious. Consider how the tennis player is grateful for the net. Without the net, there is no challenge, and therefore no opportunity to become a master at tennis.
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*MWT B text and other editions have 資zī, "resources," "supply."
**MWT B text and other editions have 迷mí, "confused." The idea is similar.
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Line 12
This is an
essential tenet
of the Way
是shì 胃wèi 眇miǎo 要yào
this/to be say subtle/essence key point
This is called an
essential point
Though unstated, "of the Way" is the presumed topic of this line.
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