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 41
'Hearing'
the Way
笑xiào
(夭yāo slender + 竹zhù bamboo)
smile, laugh, snicker*
Interlinear
Line 1
When a person
of high character
hears the Way,
with diligence he or she
will be able to practice it.
上shàng 士shì 聞wén 道tào
high person** hear way
(堇jǐn) 勤qín 能néng 行xíng 之zhī
yellow clay*** (diligent/attentive) able walk (pron.)
A high person hears the Way,
with diligence able to walk it.
Note that the verb here is not “knowing” or “experiencing” the Way, but 聞wén hearing the Way. “Hearing” is a term familiar to many great spiritual writings. Perhaps we have all heard the phrase, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."ǂ Apparently not everyone can hear; or, not everyone is listening.
Try as we might, we cannot close our ears as we can our eyes and mouths. Sound is always present and available to us, as is the Way. The person of high-quality listens for the Way, attuning his or her self to what resonates which is not just among his or her grab bag of familiars; and then acts accordingly. That's all.
_____
ǂMark 4:9, Mark 7:16, Luke 8:8, Matthew 11:15, et al.
*Character Note: According to Howell, 笑xiào came to assume the meanings of an earlier character 咲ziào, composed of 夭 slender + 艸 grass +口 mouth, indicating a slender opening of the mouth—smile, laughter. (Howell, Etymological Dictionary of Han/Chinese Characters. 2016 Lawrence J. Howell)
**Character Note:士shì, originally, “person”: then coming to refer to a gentleman, noble, scholar, or a principled person.
***Character Note: The character in the MWT is 堇jǐn, meaning "yellow clay," and with a secondary meaning of "few." 勤qín is found in the standard texts. It is believed that 堇jǐn may be a loan character for 勤qín, or possibly a scribal error.
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Line 2
When an ordinary person
hears the Way,
one moment it is there for them
and in the next moment it is gone.
中zhōng 士shì 聞wén 道tào
middle person hear way
若ròu 存cún 若ròu 亡wáng
same as exist same as death.
A middle person hears the Way,
same as existing and the same as death.
The ordinary person may at times "hear" the Way, but is inconsistent in practicing it.
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Line 3
When a shallow person
hears the Way,
he or she will have
a good chuckle over it.
下xià 士shì 聞wén 道tào
under person hear way
大dà 笑xiào 之zhī
great laugh (pron.)
A low person hears about the way,
great laugh about it.
The very notion of the Way is an affront to the ordinary life lived in the ordinary way, that is, crowded with our grab bag of familiars.
__________
With respect to these first 3 lines, note Krishna's statement to Arguna:
"One hears of the Spirit with surprise, another thinks It marvellous, the third listens without comprehending. Thus, though many are told about It, scarcely is there one who knows It." Bhagavad Gita 2:29 Shri Purohit Swami, Trans
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Line 4
If they didn't laugh at it,
it wouldn't be the Way.
弗fú 笑ziào 不bù 足zǔ 以yǐ 爲wéi 道tào
(for this reason) establish speak have (pron.) say
For this reason, established
speech has this to say:
Even if wise words were shouted, they would be scoffed at by the person who will not hear them.
. . . . . .
Line 5
That’s why there are
sayings that
go like this:
是shī 以yǐ 建jiàn 言yán 有yǒu 之zhī 曰yuē
(for this reason) establish speak have (pron.) say
For this reason, established
speech has this to say:
The following proverbs challenge all that we have learned.
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Line 6
The illuminated Way
looks dark.
The way forward
appears to be in retreat.
明míng 道tào 如rú (費fèi) 昧mèi
bright way seem wasteful* (dark)
進jìn 道tào 如rú 退tuì
approach way seem retreat.
The bright way seems (wasteful) dark;
the approaching way seems like retreat.
The learned mind cannot find the Way despite all its learning.
The Way is so close at hand that whenever we look around for it, it seems always out of reach.
______
*The MWT text has 費fèi, usually meaning meaning "wasteful," "squander," and "transgress." In place of this the standard texts have 昧mèi "dark." Henricks translates 費fèi as "dark," saying, "I follow Hsu K'ang-sheng in reading this (費fèi) which means 'poor eyesight," and in this way arrive a "things being in the dark." (Henricks p 102)
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Line 7
The smooth way
seems rough.
The highest Power
seems lowly.
夷yí 道tào 如rú ( 類lèi) 纇lè
level way seem (type*) knotty
上shàng 德dé 如rú (浴yú) 谷gǔ
top power/virtue seem bathe valley
The level ways seems knotty.
High power is like a valley
Though it may seem arduous, practicing the Way is the most natural thing in the world.
The formless power of the Way seems modest compared to our imposing human accomplishments.
______
*The MWT text has 類lèi, "type," "category." It appears to be s substitute character or loan character for 纇lè, "knotty." Their similiar structure also suggests 類lèi may be a scribal error.
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Line 8
What is chaste
seems defiled.
What is abundant
seems wanting
大dà 白bái 如rú 辱rǔ
great white seem disgrace
廣guǎng 德dé 如rú 不bù 足zú
wide power/virtue seem not sufficient
The bright way seems (wasteful) dark;
the approaching way seems like retreat.Great whiteness seems disgraced; wide power seems not sufficient.
We fail to see the world as it truly is.
. . . . . .
Line 9
The long-standing Power
of the way
seems an affront.
Unchanging truths
appear to be in flux.
建jiàn 德dé 如rú 偷tou
establish power seem despise/steal
質zhī 真zhēn 如rú 渝yú
basic real/actual seem change
Established power seems despised.
Basic reality seems to change.
The ordinary person is offended to hear that he or she is not in control of their life, or that their bag full of familiars is not all that there is. There is one stream flowing.
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Line 10
The greatest square
has no boundaries
The greatest vessel is
remains unfinished.
The greatest sound
is soundless.
大dà 方fāng 无wú 禺yǒu
great square not have section/piece/corner*
大dà 器qì 免miǎn 成chéng
great vessel evade/escape** complete
大dà 音yīn 希xī 聲shēng
great sound rare/silent voice
The great square is without a corner.
The great vessel is evades completion.
The great sound is inaudible.
No need to fuss. The boundless Way is right here and doing everything.
________
*Here, the standard texts read 隅yú, "corner."
**Here the standard texts read 晚wǎn, "evening," "finish," "end."
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Line 11
The greatest form
is without shape.
The greatness of the Way
is without a name.
天dà 象ziàng 无wú (刑xíng) 形xíng
great form not have punish ( appear)*
道tào 襃bāo 无wú 名míng
way praise/great not have name
The great form is without shape;
as to the Way, its praise is without a name
The Way stays behind the scenes. Though veiled, it empowers the 10,000 things.
Only things can have a name. The Way and its power is not a thing.
__________
*Standard text reads 形xíng, "appear," a homonym and related structure of what appears to be a scribal error in the MWT-- 刑xíng, "punish"
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Line 12
Truly, only the Way
can carry things through
from beginning to end.
夫fū 唯wéi 道tào
(intro) only way
善shàn 始shǐ 且qiě 善shàn 成chéng
good begin (conj.) good complete
Truly, only the Way is good at beginning,
and moreover, good at completing.
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