Lao Tzu for Everyone
Students, Scholars,
& Seekers
Chinese-English Interlinear
Peter Gilboy, Ph. D.
Tao
the Way
regarding the characters
used in this translation.
Lesson 39
More on
Oneness
一yī
one, whole, alone
Interlinear
Line 1
From the beginning,*
these have been One:
昔xī 之zhī 得dé 一yī 者zhě
ancient/beginning (pron). obtain one the one who
Beginning, these obtained one:
We cannot know Oneness. That is because knowing always involves two: Us, and that which we know. But we cannot stand apart from Oneness in order to see it, know it, or experience it in any way. By definition Oneness encompasses even my seeing, knowing, and experiencing.
Then how can a person become aware of Oneness? Lao Tzu cannot tell us directly because it would be just more of our "knowing." He can only signal to us, in places, and then leave it to each of us to take it from there.**
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*Character note: 昔xī means "ancient," "past," "begin." For that reason, this first line is most often translated in the sense of, "In former times..." But "In former times" suggests that the timeless Way, or One, is somehow time bound; that it had a starting point which later concluded.
In ancient Chinese, the tense of a sentence is rarely expressed, and for that reason must be inferred. Because the timeless One of which Lao Tzu speaks is necessarily ongoing, I have elected to translate the line in the present perfect continuous tense: "From the beginning these have been One." Note also that Wang Bi's (226-249 A.D.) understanding is that 昔xī means 始 shǐ, begin: 昔始也
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**See the concluding lines of Lessons 17, 24, and 72 regarding this. See also Lesson 51 where Lao Tzu portrays the way of the sage.
. . . . . .
Line 2
Heaven has
been One,
and as a result,
clear.
Earth has
been One,
and as a result,
stable.
Spirits have
been One,
and as a result,
efficacious.
Valleys have
been One,
and as a result,
replenished.
The standard editions include an
additional line here:
[ The 10,000 things
have been one,
and as a result
fruitful. ]
Nobles and kings
have been one,
and as a result,
upright and true.
天tiān 得dé 一yí 以yǐ 清qīng
heaven obtain one by means clear
地dì 得dé 一yī 以yǐ 寧níng
earth obtain one by means peace/settled
神shén 得dé 一yī 以yǐ 靈líng
spirit/god obtain one by means spiritual/effective
浴yù 得dé 一yī 以yǐ 盈yíng
valley obtain one by means full
[萬 wàn 物 wù 得dé 一yī 以yǐ 生 shēng]
10,000 things obtain one by means birth
侯hóu 王wáng 得dé 一 yī
marquis king obtain one
而ér 以yǐ 爲wéi 正zhèng
and by means act/do straight.
Heaven obtained oneness and by this clarity.
Earth obtained oneness and by this peace.
The spirits obtained oneness and by this are effective.
Valleys obtained oneness and by this became full
[10,000 things obtained oneness and by with became generative
Marquis and kings obtained one,
and by this became straight.
Note how in these lines, Oneness does not negate "the many." There is still heaven, earth, spirits, valleys, and even rulers, and yet there is still Oneness.Both Oneness and multiplicity are somehow preserved.
This is Lao Tzu's core message of Lesson 1 and of each of his other lessons. This is the "nondual" understanding of Reality. It is not just Lao Tzu's understanding. It is also a core insight of many traditions.
. . . . . .
Line 3
Based on this
we can conclude:
亓qí 致zhì 之zhī 也yě
(pron.) reach (pron) (part.)
It reaches to it
Always the teacher, Lao Tzu now appeals to our reason. He asserts that if what he said above is so, then "Based on this," or literally, "By extension,” what he is about to describe in the next four lines must also be true.
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Two characters to note in the following lines
1) 已yǐ means "already done," and "to the end," and refers to something that is finished or completed, and not longer wanting.
2) 毋wù is a strong negative, meaning "no," "do not," and "not able to." It is replaced in the standard editions with less emphatic 無wú "not have," or "there is no..."
. . . . . .
Line 4
That if heaven
were not
wholly clear,
it would be in danger of
falling to pieces.
That if earth
were not
wholly stable,
it would be in danger of
being dislodged
That if the spirits
were not
wholly efficacious,
they would be in danger of
dying out.
That if the valleys
were not
wholly replenishable,
they would be in danger of
running dry.
The standard editions include an
additional line here:
[ That if the 10,000 things
where not wholly fruitful
they would be in danger of
perishing. ]
And, if the
nobles and kings
were not
wholly virtuous
in their high offices,
they would be
in danger of
being overthrown.
胃wèi 天tiān 毋wú 已yǐ 清qīng
say/mean heaven do not to the end clear
將jiāng 恐kǒng 裂liě
(future) afraid split/break
Meaning that if heaven were not
clear to the end,
it would be in fear of splitting.
胃wéi 地dì 毋wú 已yǐ 寧níng
say/mean earth to the end peace/settle
將jiáng 恐kǒng 發fā
(future) afraid . send/shoot
Meaning, that if the earth were not
settled to the end,
it would be in fear of shooting out.
胃wéi 神shén 毋guàn 已yǐ 靈líng
say/mean spirit/god do not to the end effective
將jiāng 恐kǒng 歇xiē
(future) fear die out
Meaning, spirits' effectiveness not to the end,
they would be in fear dying out.
胃wéi 浴yù 毋wú 已yǐ 盈yíng
say/mean valley do not to the end full
將jiáng 恐kǒng 渴ké
(future) afraid . thirst
Meaning, valleys not full. to the end
they would be in fear of being thirsty.
[ 萬 wàn 物wù 毋wú 已yǐ 生 shēng
10,000 things do not to the end birth
將jiáng 恐kǒng 滅miè ]
future) afraid . perish
The 10,000 things not birthing to the end,
the wold be in fear of being annihilated.
胃wéi 侯hóu 王wáng 毋wú 已yǐ 貴guì
say/mean marquis king do not to the end value/virtue
以yǐ 高gāo
by means tall
將jiáng 恐kǒng 蹶jué
(future) afraid . fall down
Say that marquis and kings were not
noble to the end in their tallness,
they would be in fear of falling down.
We can easily object that royalty, or our present day politicians, are so rarely "virtuous" in their high offices. Lao Tzu acknowledges this in a number of other lessons. And of course, there are many examples of such leaders being 裂overthrown, as Lao Tzu tells us. His point is only that rulers too are subject two the One. Their inferior leadership does not affect the One at all; and straying from it puts them "in danger of being overthrown."
. . . . . .
Line 5
Therefore, it must be the
case that what is worthy
has humility as it's root,
just as what is high
has the low
as its foundation.
故gù 必bì 貴guì
therefore must/sure value
而ěr 以yǐ 賤jiàn 爲wéi 本bén
and by means humble as/become root
必bì 高gāo 矣yǐ
must/sure high already
而ér 以yí 下xià 爲wéi 基jī
and by means under as/become base
Therefore, surely the valued
by means of humility as their root;
Surely the already high
by means of the low as its base.
By “humble” and “low,” Lao Tzu refers to the person who, having become aware of himself or herself as an expression of the Way, acts according the Way; and therefore understands that he or she cannot take credit their accomplishments. Implicit here, as in so many lessons, is 无wú 爲wéi, or “not doing.”
. . . . . .
Line 6
Now, this is why
nobles and kings
refer to themselves
as “orphans, lonely,
and the unfortunate.”
夫fū 是shì 以yǐ 侯hǒu 王wáng
(intro) (for this reason) marquis king
自zì 胃wèi 孤gū 寡guǎ 不bù 穀gǔ
self say orphan widow not grain/favorable
Now, for this reason the noble call themselves
orphans, widows, and the unfortunate.
This was the humble manner in which nobles referred to themselves in Lao Tzu's times. It is no different today, as our politicians like to refer to themselves as "humble servants" and "servants of the people." Then as now, though actual humility may be gravely lacking among leaders, there is at least a rhetorical acknowledgment of their proper role in governance.
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寡孤不穀: 孤gū, “humble,” + 寡guǎ, “widow,” + 不bù not 穀gǔ fortune.”
. . . . . .
Line 7
This being so,
then humility is the root,
isn't it?
此cí 亓qí 賤 jiàn 之zhī 本běn
this (pron.) lowly (pron.) root
與yú 非fēi 也yě
(interrog.) not (part.)
Thus, their root is
in the low,
is it not?
Here Lao Tzu draws the relationship between the Way, or One, and ourselves. It is humility: becoming free of arrogance and pride.
Of course we can act humbly without actually being humble, which is a not so subtle an admission that one is not humble at all. But our true humility arrives with the insight of our radical dependence upon the Way--that the world around us just seems to happen on its own with no effort on the part our part. None of us birthed ourselves, or are the cause of of what happens in our lives. As we go through our day, events just seem to unfold on their own. And, when we try to "make things happen," we inevitably meet resistance and encounter frustration, stress, and more.
We come again to 无wú 為wé, "not doing." A subtext of each of Lao Tzu's lessons are these questions to us: If the world around me is already happening, with our without me, then why not investigate how this can be so? What, exactly, is within my control, if anything? And yet, how much do I take credit for?
. . . . . .
Line 8
Therefore, regard
your benevolence
as not yours at all.
故gù 致zhì 數shù 與wǔ 无wú 與wǔ
therefore bring about count give not have give
Therefore, bring about
counting giving as not giving.
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Note: 與yú, “give,” and thus “benevolence,” “generosity,” and the good actions that we so often take credit for. The B Text of the Ma-wang-tui has a similar character, 輿yú, “cart”, and thus can be translated, “Therefore, he regards many carts (wealth?) as having no carts.” The Wang Bi text has a related character, 譽yù, meaning “reputation,” and thus, “Therefore, he regards reputation as having no reputation.” The intended meanings appear to be similar.
. . . . . .
Line 9
Wherefore,
desire not
rewards such as jade,
which is no more
than rough stone.
是shī 故gù 不bù 欲yù
this (therefore) not desire
祿lù 祿lù 若ruò 玉yù
fortune fortune same as jade,
硌gè 硌gè 若ruò 石shí
rough rough same as stone
This is why not desire fortunes like jade,
hard and rough like stone.
The key character here is not 祿 "rewards," or 玉 "jade." It is 欲 "desire." When we desire something, obviously we lack that which we desire. And so, when we say that a person has ""a lot of drive" we are actually, saying that the person has "a lot of lacking."
The opposite of desire is not passivity or indifference. It is the posture of humility and gratitude in the ever-presence of the One.
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Note: The standard editions are quite different. In place of 祿, "fortune," is the homonym, 琭, jade, which when repeated--琭 琭, refers to a kind of glittering. And in place of 硌, rough, is a somewhat similar character, 珞, possibly a necklace strung of pebbles. The translation is often in the sense of not desiring "to 琭 琭 glitter like jade, or 珞 珞 resound like stone."
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