For some time, I've been wanting to do create more periodic, sequential content... and it hasn't really happened yet. I've also been wanting to get more collaborative projects going.
I decided to get started with both desires finally, launching a weekly series where my partner @TheLynx & I will be taking a look at the Tao Te Ching (pronounced "Dao/Dow De/Day Jing"), one chapter at a time.
The Tao Te Ching was written by Laozi/Lao Tzu at least 2400 years ago. Although there are certainly a wide variety of texts and teachers that have come together to form the basis of modern Taoism, the original Tao Te Ching is central. It's been translated hundreds of times, and it is certainly one of the most influential spiritual texts of modern humanity.
To be perfectly clear, neither of us is an "expert" on the Tao, or even consider ourselves Taoist, and we are not trying to come across as any sort of authority figures. Just two humans meditating on the text and sharing what comes up for us, hopefully starting a conversation with you folks!
The most difficult part of setting this up is picking which translation of the Tao Te Ching to use, since obviously it wasn't written in English, and we can't read classical (or any other version) of Chinese. We've finally settled on using just 9 different translations for each chapter. 7 of them (and the original Chinese) will be included as a screenshot (from 2 sites that each offer a variety), while the other two will be included as quotes in the text body of the posts.
- YellowBridge - Original Chinese & 3 translations:
- TranslationComparison - 4 translations:
- DC Lau (1964)
- Ursula K. Le Guin (1997)
After showing @TheLynx the various translations that I wanted to focus on, she had this to say:
I love reading all the different translations. They really have such different tones and meanings, and inspire such different flavors of understanding! And reading them all provides a deeper understanding than any one or two could on their own. At first I wasn't sure I liked Goddard's because it seems to take liberties, rather than being as direct and literal a translation as possible, but now, so far, I think it's one of my favorites, along with D.C. Lau's. I also really like Le Guin's.
Chapter 1
The way that can be spoken of
Is not the constant way;
The name that can be named
Is not the constant name.The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;
The named was the mother of the myriad creatures.Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets;
But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.These two are the same
But diverge in name as they issue forth.
Being the same they are called mysteries,
Mystery upon mystery –
The gateway of the manifold secrets.
The way you can go isn’t the real way.
The name you can say isn’t the real name.Heaven and earth begin in the unnamed:
name’s the mother of the ten thousand things.So the unwanting soul sees what’s hidden,
and the ever-wanting soul sees only what it wants.Two things, one origin,
but different in name,
whose identity is mystery.
Mystery of all mysteries!
The door to the hidden.
Thoughts/Reflections/Insights from @KennysKitchen
The first thing that comes to mind as I sit with this chapter is the fractal nature of reality. Because we humans are living at this particular magnification level, we are pretty limited in our observations and even our abstractions, with anything at a higher or lower magnification (the atomic & smaller or the galactic, universal & larger) being relatively outside of our comprehension or ability to label. If we can name it, if we can describe it, we are only doing so from this viewpoint, and thus our naming cannot encapsulate the whole of the thing.
The next part of this chapter seems to me as an extremely clear statement that focusing our attention on the physical, material world means that our observation/experience will be limited to that realm, and we will not be able to observe the whole, the unseen, the higher order fractals. Certainly this seems to align with the concepts of Buddhism, the teachings of Jesus, and many other spiritual teachings which tell us to focus on the world(s) beyond what we see here.
The final piece of the chapter feels like it's' telling us that although it can be easy to fall into the trap of only seeing the material world and losing out on all the rest, in truth all things are one thing, one creation, one Way. Even if we are fully immersed in & focused on the physical and full of desires & attachments, our very being and everything we do is part of the broader perfection that makes up all of the Universe.
Thoughts/Reflections/Insights from @TheLynx
First and foremost, I like that this first chapter presents the paradoxical nature of the Tao, which for me is a sign that there is probably truth here, since I think many, if not most (maybe all?) truths are paradoxes. Whenever I hear a claim that something both is and isn't something, my ears perk up.
The words "constant", "eternal", "enduring", and "unchanging" all point to the truth of impermanence, another foundational concept. This seems to be saying that if you've found some insight that seems to be always true and enduring, you can be fairly sure you haven't found an actual truth. I like the term "infinite idea" in Goddard's translation. The interchangeability of the words "trodden", "reasoned", "understood", "spoken", "told", and "go" is really interesting to me here.
The part about desire is one of the most interesting in this chapter, for me. The fact that craving shows up on page one seems important; it's also a fundamental concept in Buddhism. My favorite translation of that part is Lau's: "Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations." I like this because it seems to be saying that there is no right way and no wrong way, but that each way leads to different outcomes, and that inhabiting both ways simultaneously (which is an impossible paradox, hooray) has value. I like to think of humans as creatures who are constantly striving to rid ourselves of desire, while simultaneously accepting that desire is part of the human condition, observing the experience of desire, and all the insight that comes with those observations, including, apparently, an awareness and understanding of "the manifestations" (what is meant by this?) of the nameless, enduring, unchanging, eternal, primal, cosmic Tao.
What's in a name? What does it mean to name something, to be able to name something? In psychology it's said that naming something removes its power over you. It can also make something more real, less abstract, and give us some illusion of control over a concept. But the act is also inherently limiting, and can be used to shape our perceptions and experiences. Both empowering and dis-empowering, providing access to insight and obscuring a fuller truth: another paradox. As we go deeper into naming the path and the experience of being on the path, are we moving more deeply into a fuller understanding of it, or away from it?
Thoughts/Reflections/Insights from Ursula K. Le Guin
After @TheLynx & I each sit with the chapter of the week and write our own reflections & insights, I'm going to include here the comments that Ursula added to her translation of the Tao. If you aren't familiar with Le Guin, I highly recommend reading any & all of her content that you can find :-) She was a wise, inspirational, curious, and delightful author of science fiction, fantasy, poetry, and much more!
A satisfactory translation of this chapter is, I believe, perfectly impossible. It
contains the book. I think of it as the Aleph, in Borges’s story: if you see it
rightly, it contains everything.
Affirmation by Dr. Wayne Dyer
The final piece of our weekly musings on each chapter of the Tao is an affirmation, written by Dr. Wayne Dyer, and featured in his book: Living the Wisdom of the Tao. Dyer is one of the foremost names in self-development, having published well over 30 books, as well as guided meditations, and many more useful tools for transformation.
I choose to
enjoy living
the great mystery.
The Tao that can be
named is not the Tao
Join the conversation!
Here's the part where we hear from you! If you have anything that you want to add to the conversation, please hop down to the comments section. By reflecting & synthesizing together, we can all help move forward human consciousness, and that is a pretty fun thing!
I'm very excited to take this new step into my way of offering content, opening up my first fully collaborative project with my partner @TheLynx (who just started on STEEM, please head over and give her a follow), starting 2 (hopefully long-running) weekly segments (Tuesday Talks on Tao Te Ching & Sunday Cinema Reflections), and making it one of my daily priorities to reply to all the comments my posts receive (besides spam of course).
Image Sources
YellowBridge Translations
TTC Translations
Conversation
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