Tao Quotes

Secret Eight: Love

Chapter 5

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

天地不仁: Heaven and Earth have no preference.
以万物为刍狗: They allow the ten thousand things to flourish freely like grass and dogs.
圣人不仁: Shengren shows no preference.
以百姓为刍狗: He allows the people to live naturally as grass and dogs.
天地之间，其犹橐钥乎: Isn’t the space between Heaven and Earth like that of a bellows?
虚而不屈，动而愈出: It is empty but can’t be exhausted; the more it is moved, the more comes out.
多言数穷: Speaking too much one gets exhausted quickly.
不如守中: It is not as good as to keep still at the center.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 5：

Heaven and Earth are impartial. They allow the ten thousand things to flourish freely as grass and dogs.
Oh fair for all! Dogs, grass, and men all receive the same amount of sunshine.
Oh follow Heaven and Earth! The sage is impartial. He allows the people to live naturally as grass and dogs.
Isn’t the space between Heaven and Earth working like that of a bellows? It is empty but inexhaustible. The more it is moved; the more comes out.
Oh Heaven and Earth provide free air and sunshine for all living things. If it is not unconditional love, what is it?
Oh unconditional love! The more we praise, the less we can express our gratitude.
Isn’t it better for us to keep to our center and practice Tao of Heaven instead?
Oh let’s love ourselves! Let’s love others!
Oh let’s love nature just as much as it loves us!

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Chapter 7

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

天长地久: Heaven and Earth are everlasting.
天地所以能长且久者: Why do Heaven and Earth last so long?
以其不自生，故能长生: It is because they don’t live for themselves and thus they can live long.
是以圣人后其身而身先: Therefore Shengren stays behind but ends up ahead.
外其身而身存: He detaches from his own life and ends up living long.
非以其无私耶？故能成其私: Isn’t it because he acts unselfishly that he achieves what others want selfishly?

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 7：

Heaven and Earth last forever.
Why do Heaven and Earth last forever?
It is because they live for others and so they last forever.
Oh perfect habitat! Heaven and Earth provide land for man; water for fish; and sky for the birds.
Oh last forever! Heaven and Earth support all living things but they live beyond the cycle of life and death.
Oh follow Heaven and Earth! Hence the sage stays behind to help others and he ends up ahead.
He lives for others and ends up living long.
Isn’t it because he acts unselfishly that he achieves what others want selfishly?
Oh altruistic! The sage looks beyond his own life and treats his existence as a part of the whole. Therefore, he loves life but doesn’t treasure too much of his own life and ends up living a long life.

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Chapter 34

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

大道泛兮,其可左右: The Great Tao overflows to left and right.
万物恃之以生而不辞: The ten thousand things depend upon it for life and it never turns them down.
功成而不名有: It completes all things successfully yet it is not known.
爱养万物而不为主: It loves to nourish the ten thousand things naturally without acting as their lord.
常无欲，可名于小: Always without desire, Tao can be named as Small.
万物归焉而不为主，可名为大: The ten thousand things return to Tao naturally but Tao does not act as their lord. Tao can be named as Great.
是以圣人终不为大，故能成其大: Therefore Shengren never acts great and therefore he is able to achieve his greatness.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 34：

Oh omnipresent! The great Tao overflows to the left and to the right and to everywhere.
Oh unconditional love! The ten thousand things depend upon Tao for life and it never turns them down.
It completes all things yet it is not even known.
Oh humble and Small! Tao loves and nourishes the ten thousand things and has no desire to be their master. So we call Tao as Small.
Oh humble and Great! The ten thousand things return to it yet Tao does not make them its slaves. So we call Tao as Great.
Oh Tao always acts small and therefore it achieves its greatness after all.

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Chapter 13

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

宠辱若惊: Both favor and disgrace evoke fear.
贵大患若身: Value great misfortune as it is the body.
何谓宠辱若惊: What does it mean that “both favor and disgrace evoke fear”?
宠为上: Favor is high;
辱为下: Disgrace is low.
得之若惊: Gaining it evokes the fear of losing it;
失之若惊: Losing it evokes the fear of losing more.
是谓宠辱若惊: It is called “both favor and disgrace evoke fear”.
何谓贵大患若身: What does it mean that “value the great misfortune as it is the body”?
吾所以有大患者，为吾有身: I have experienced great misfortune because I identify myself as the body.
及吾无身，吾有何患: If I don’t have a body, what kind of misfortune do I have？
故贵以身为天下者，则可寄于天下: Therefore, he who rules with fear of losing his own life cannot be entrusted to take care of the world for long.
爱以身为天下者，乃可以讬于天下: He who rules with universal love can be entrusted to take care of the world forever.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 13：

Both honor and disgrace evoke fear.
Regard great sufferings as real as the body.
What do I mean by, “Both honor and disgrace evoke fear”?
Oh honor and disgrace are the two sides of the same coin. Honor is high and disgrace is low.
Therefore, gaining honor evokes the fear of losing it;
Losing honor evokes the fear of losing more.
That’s why I say, “Both honor and disgrace evoke fear”.
What do I mean by, “Regard great sufferings as real as the body”?
I have experienced great sufferings because I identify myself as the body. If I don’t have a body, tell me then, what sufferings do I have?
Oh the humble one! Can you tell me more?
Oh man! If you identify yourself with the body, you can touch, see and smell the real and imaginary sufferings! Every breath you take is filled with fear! You fear of losing your honor, your wealth and your life.
Oh be altruistic! If you identify yourself with Oneness of Tao, you will arise above your narrow confines of individual concerns to the concerns of all creatures. Without an egoistic body, tell me then, what sufferings do you have?
Oh fear! Therefore, he who rules with fear of losing his own body cannot be truly trusted to care for the world.
Oh unconditional love! He who rules with love for himself and for all creatures can be truly trusted to care for the world.

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Chapter 75

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

民之饥，以其上食税之多，是以饥: Why are the people starving? Because the rulers eat up their grain in taxes. That’s why they are starving.
民之难治，以其上之有为，是以难治: Why are the people difficult to govern? Because the rulers act with interfering actions, yowei. That’s why the people are difficult to govern.
民之轻死，以其求生之厚,是以轻死: Why do the people treat death so lightly? Because they want too much out of life. That’s why they treat death so lightly.
夫唯无以生为者，是贤于贵生: He who does not identify himself as the body is better than he who values his body.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 75：

Why are the people starving?
Because their ruler eats up their grain through taxes. That’s why they are starving.
Oh egoistic ruler! Why do you hoard so much grain? Are you afraid of hunger? Share! You will have more.
Why are the people rebellious?
Because their ruler does not give them freedom to live. That’s why they are rebellious.
Oh egoistic ruler! Are you afraid to lose your power? If you let the people live naturally, all will be well.
Why do the people regard death so lightly?
Because their ruler demands too much of life. That’s why they regard death so lightly.
Oh egoistic ruler! You value your own life so much that you are shortening the life of many.
Oh Oneness! If you separate from Tao, you live in fear. If you are one with Tao, you live in love instead of fear.
Therefore the ruler who loves life by living for others is better than the ruler who values himself too much.

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Chapter 35

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

执大象，天下往: Hold on to the great image; the world interacts.
往而不害，安平太: Interact but not harm; peace, equality and harmony
乐与饵，过客止: Music and food make passing travelers stay.
道之出口，淡乎其无味: When Tao comes out of the mouth, it is plain without taste.
视之不足见: Look at it and it is not enough to be seen;
听之不足闻: Listen to it and it is not enough to be heard;
用之不可既: Use it and it cannot be exhausted.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 35：

Hold on to the great image of unconditional love Tao!
Let all living creatures in the world interact and evolve freely!
Let all the people live in peace and harmony!
Oh ruler, can you do that?
If you do, the world is a better place for you and me.
Oh listen quietly! Natural music is everywhere.
Oh chew slowly! Natural produce is all around.
Oh wuwei ruler! The passing guests all want to stay in your kingdom and be part of this great image of Tao.
Oh when Tao comes out of the mouth, it is plain without taste; when looked at, it cannot be seen; when listened to, it cannot be heard. Yet its use is inexhaustible.
Oh humble ruler! Your presence is just like Tao.
You govern without governing.
You get things done without claiming credits.
You love people without showing your love.
Yet there is everlasting peace!

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Chapter 49

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

圣人无常心: Shengren has no fixed mind，
以百姓心为心: He regards the people’s mind as his mind.
善者吾善之: For the good people, I treat them good.
不善者吾亦善之: For the no good people, I also treat them good.
德善: This is the Te of goodness.
信者吾信之: For the trustworthy people, I trust them.
不信者吾亦信之: For the untrustworthy people, I also trust them.
德信: This is the Te of trust.
圣人在天下怵怵: Shengren walks cautiously in this world.
为天下浑其心： He blends in with the world as one mind.
百姓皆注其耳目: The people all pay attention to their ears and eyes.
圣人皆孩之: Shengren sees the child in each of them.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 49：

The sage has no selfish mind. He has the oneness mind with all the people.
The sage says:
Oh, I love the people who deserve my love;
I also love the people who don’t deserve my love.
This is the Te of unconditional love.
Oh, I trust the people who deserve my trust,
I also trust the people who don’t deserve my trust.
This is the Te of trustfulness.
Oh, make no mistake about this: The world is full of unlovable and untrustworthy people.
So the sage walks cautiously in life.
He remains humble as one with the world.
While the people are polluted by what they see and hear,
The sage sees the pure invisible child in each of them disguised as adults.

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Chapter 27

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

善行无辙迹: A good traveler leaves no trace;
善言无瑕谪: A good speaker makes no mistakes;
善计不用筹策：A good counter requires no counting devices;
善闭无关楗而不可开: A good carpenter shuts doors without bolts yet they cannot be opened;
善结无绳约而不可解: A good binder ties knots without ropes yet they cannot be untied.
是以圣人常善救人，故无弃人: Therefore Shengren is always good at rescuing men without abandoning one man.
常善救物，故无弃物: Always good at rescuing all things without abandoning one thing.
是谓袭明: This is called Invisible Enlightenment.
故善人者，不善人之师: So the good man is a bad man’s teacher.
不善人者，善人之资: The bad man is a good man’s treasure.
不贵其师，不爱其资，虽智大迷: If you don’t honor your teacher and don’t love your student, you are still confused in spite of your wisdom.
是谓要妙: This is called the essential wonder of Tao.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 27：

Oh invisible action! The good walker leaves no trace.
Oh silence! The good speaker makes no mistakes.
Oh simplicity! The good accountant uses no counting device.
Oh natural! The good carpenter shuts doors securely without bolts.
Oh freedom! The good binder ties firmly without ropes.
Oh wuwei! Therefore the sage is good at rescuing men without abandoning one man. He is good at rescuing all things without abandoning one thing.
Oh invisible enlightenment! The sage governs without governing! Loves without loving! A little prevention in time saves a lot of natural resources in the end. This is called Invisible Enlightenment.
Oh what is a good man but a bad man’s teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man’s treasure?
If you don’t respect your teacher and love your student as your treasure, you will end up being lonely without help.
Oh unconditional love! If you only love the good but not the bad, you are still in hopelessness in spite of your cleverness.
Oh forever and now! Unconditional love is the essence of Tao.

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Chapter 29

Sentence for Sentence Translation:

将欲取天下而为之: If man wants to take over nature and rule the world according to his own plan,
吾见其不得已: I don’t believe it can be done.
天下神器，不可为也: All creatures under Heaven are spiritual beings. You cannot improve their nature.
为者败之，执者失之: If you try to change them, you will ruin them; if you try to control them, you will lose them.
夫物或行或随: Among all the creatures, some are natural leaders and some are followers;
或呴或吹: Some are warm and some are cold;
或强或赢: Some are strong and some are weak;
或载或隳: Some are tame and some are dangerous.
是以圣人去甚，去奢，去泰: Therefore Shengren avoids excesses, extravagance, and extremes.

Interpretational Translation of Tao Te Ching Chapter 29：

Oh man, you want to take over nature and rule the world according to your own plan?
I don’t believe it can be done.
All creatures under Heaven are sacred beings of Tao. They are perfect as Oneness and you cannot improve them.
If you try to change them, you will ruin them; if you try to control them, you will lose them.
Tao gives birth to all creatures:
Some are natural leaders and some are followers;
Some are warm blooded and some are cold blooded;
Some are strong and some are weak;
Some are tame and some are dangerous.
All creatures including man may be different in appearance; nonetheless they are part of Oneness of Tao.
Therefore the sage loves all creatures and lives a simple life.
Oh balance! Avoid excessive accumulation.
Oh moderation! Avoid wastefulness of natural resources.
Oh harmony! Avoid extreme actions against man and nature.

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