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f　me　or　I　as　a　separate；　independent　existence。　Moreover；　one　would　only　be　doing　things　that　one's　inner　nature　calls　upon　and　enables　one　to　do。

　　To　be　with　nature　one　will　realize　a　subtle　joy；　and　this　joy　is　not　something　to　be　reaped　in　the　next　world。　Some　people　think　that　Daoist　philosophy　is　〃out　of　the　world〃　but　it　is　really　very　much　〃of　the　world。〃　In　Chapter　80；　Laozi　saw　a　world　in　which　people　enjoy　their　foods　and　beautiful　dresses；　live　happily　in　peace；　and　take　delight　in　their　traditions。

　　Consider　Chapter　59；　in　which　Laozi　says；　〃To　rule　over　men　or　to　serve　heaven　nothing　works　as　well　as　following　the　farmer's　example。　The　farmer　does　his　preparatory　work　early。　To　be　like　him；　one　must　pay　attention　to　the　accumulation　of　virtue。　That　way　one　can　overcome　all　difficulties。　That　way　one's　ability　knows　no　limit。　That　way　one　can　sustain　a　nation。〃　Chapter　64　advises：　〃People　often　fail　in　their　tasks　when　they　are　about　to　accomplish　them。　If　only　they　take　the　same　care　in　the　end　as　they　do　in　the　beginning；　they　will　avoid　many　failures。〃　These　are　of　course　very　practical；　and　certainly　this…worldly；　words　of　advice。

　　Because　Laozi　used　his　words　so　sparingly；　and　because　the　Chinese　language　is　such　that　one　word　can　carry　multiple　meanings；　it　is　easy　to　be　misled。　But　Laozi　never　worried　about　this　problem；　because　after　all　the　insight　has　to　come　from　within。　So　he　is　sure　that　those　who　sincerely　seek　the　truth　will　see　the　truth（〃The　door　will　open　up　to　whoever　knocks；〃　as　Jesus　says）。　Still；　we　should　avoid　jumping　to　conclusions。　For　example；　the　word　#　is　often　translated　into　quietness。　But　it　also　means　##　〃still；〃　〃undisturbed；〃　or　〃rest。〃　There　is　reason　to　believe　that　Laozi　referred　to　stillness　more　than　to　quietness　here；　since　quietness　comes　from　without　and　stillness　of　the　mind　comes　from　within。　Keenly　aware　of　the　enlightenment　that　comes　from　within；　Conrad　also　talked　about　the　〃eternal　rest。〃　Both　Laozi　and　the　Buddha　talked　about　seeing　reality　as　it　is　when　the　mind　is　not　disturbed。**　Another　confused　and　confusing　word　is　#　as　used　in　Chapter　25。　#　is　commonly　translated　into　king。　But　in　the　context　Laozi　really　meant　the　man　who　follows　the　Dao。　A　king　who　does　not　follow　the　Dao　cannot　be　great。　This　should　be　very　clear　from　the　last　line　in　Chapter　25；　in　which　he　says：　〃The　（great）　man　emulates　the　（great）　Earth。　The　（great）　earth　emulates　the　（great）　Heaven；　The　（great）　heaven　emulates　the　（great）　Dao。　The　（great）　Dao　emulates　the　（great）　Nature。〃

　　The　Daodejing　is　difficult　to　read　because　the　language　sometimes　breaks　grammatical　rules　in　order　to　read　smoothly。　For　example；　in　Chapter　13；　the　phrase　####　should　be　understood　as　####。　In　Chapter　4；　####　should　be　read　as　####。　Sometimes；　in　favor　of　brevity；　Laozi　deliberately　left　out　some　words。　But　in　the　context　what　he　really　means　should　be　clear。　Disappointingly；　some　translators　took　it　literally　and　often　missed　the　context。　This　is　the　case　with　Chapter　52；　in　which　he　advises　that　as　long　as　we　understand　that　we　are　the　sons　and　daughters　of　nature　and　do　our　role　to　respect　nature　and　the　good　earth　as　we　would　respect　our　mother；　we　will　not　run　into　disaster。　He　then　says　that　blocking　the　passages　and　shutting　the　doors　we　would　be　fine　while　clearing　the　passages　and　opening　the　doors　we　would　be　doomed。　What　he　really　means　from　the　context　is　that　if　we　respect　nature　we　will　not　run　into　disaster；　even　if　the　passages　are　blocked；　but　if　we　forget　our　role　as　sons　and　daughters　of　nature　we　would　run　into　trouble。

　　Laozi　wants　to　address　the　common　human　weaknesses。　He　says　things　that　seem　extreme；　with　the　attention　of　shocking　readers　into　self…reflection。　Chapter　12　and　Chapter　65　are　cases　in　point。　In　Chapter　12；　he　tells　us　that　〃Just　as　the　five　colors　that　we　see　can　blind　us；　so　the　five　sounds　that　we　hear　can　deafen　us；　and　the　five　tastes　can　dull　our　sense　of　taste。〃　In　my　translation　I　added　the　word　〃can〃　to　make　it　sound　less　extreme。　It　is　likely　that　the　original　language　sounds　extreme　because　Laozi　wanted　brevity　and/or　a　shocking　effect　to　make　people　think。

　　In　Chapter　65　Laozi　says；　〃The　ruler　who　rules　with　his　acquired　knowledge　is　likely　to　hurt　the　nation。　The　ruler　who　rules　not　with　his　acquired　knowledge　is　likely　to　benefit　the　nation。〃　Certainly　we　cannot　agree　that　all　acquired　knowledge　is　bad　for　a　nation。　But　the　fact　is　that　many　people　think　that　they　are　very　clever；　and　that　they　can　use　their　knowledge　to　make　great　strides。　Laozi　warns　against　that　kind　of　arrogance。　The　word　〃likely〃　is　not　in　the　text　of　Daodejing。　But　it　is　clear　that　he　does　not　really　condemn　education　and　knowledge　acquisition　（See　Chapter　71；　for　example）。　After　all　he　wrote　using　words　that　he　had　learnt　as　a　child。　So　putting　in　the　word　〃likely〃　should　preserve　his　real　meaning　and　help　avoid　misunderstanding。　It　is　in　this　spirit　that　I　conducted　my　translation。　Whenever　I　added　words　that　are　not　in　the　original　text；　however；　I　would　put　in　a　footnote　and　explain。

　　For　the　convenience　of　the　reader　I　have　taken　the　liberty　to　add　a　small　title　to　each　of　the　〃chapters〃　to　capture　the　essence　of　message。　It　is　my　fervent　hope　that　Laozi's　message　be　put　across　to　as　many　people　as　possible。　I　can　say　that　Laozi　did　not　write　the　Daodejing　as　a　Chinese；　but　as　a　member　of　the　human　race。　I　hope　that　readers　will　see　the　Daodejing　not　as　a　sample　of　Chinese　philosophy；　but　as　an　exploration　to　the　meaning　and　value　of　life　itself　from　someone　whose　inner　reflections　are　unusually　sharp　and　downright　honest。

　　November13；　2001；　Lingnan　University；　Hong　Kong

　　*　Zen　is　the　Japanese　pronunciation　of　the　Chinese　word　〃chan；〃（#）　which　is　itself　the　transliteration　of　the　Sanskrit　term　dhyana。

　　**　There　is　a　famous　episode　wherein　the　sixth　patriarch　of　Zen　Buddhism；　Hui…neng；　upon　hearing　two　observers　debate　over　whether　it　was　the　wind　that　was　moving　or　the　flag　flying　in　the　wind　that　was　moving；　pointed　out　that　the　observers　were　themselves　confused；　their　minds　having　been　moved　by　what　was　observed。　

　　1

　　The　Nameless　Eternal　Dao

　　Ways　that　can　be　spelled　out。
　　Cannot　be　the　eternal　way。
　　Names　that　can　be　named
　　Must　change　with　time　and　place。

　　Emptiness　is　the　origin　of　heaven　and　earth；
　　Existence　is　the　mother　of　everything　that　had　a　birth。

　　Appreciate　Emptiness；　that　we　may　see　the　nature　of　the　Dao's　versatility；
　　Appreciate　Existence；　that　we　may　see　the　extent　of　the　Dao's　possibilities。

　　These　two；　Emptiness　and　Existence；　came　from　the　same　source。
　　Though　they　bear　different　names；　they　serve　the　same　mystical　cause。

　　A　mystery　within　a　mystery；
　　Such　is　the　gateway　to　all　versatility。

　　2

　　Relativity　and　the　Meaning　of　Existence

　　People　under　heaven
　　see　beauty　in　what　they　call　〃beauty。〃
　　that　way　they　know　of　the　〃ugly。〃

　　Similarly　people　see　good　in　what　they　call　〃good；〃
　　That　way　they　know　of　the　〃bad。〃

　　Existence　and　Emptiness　are　concepts
　　that　make　sense　by　comparison。
　　Similarly；　long　lends　meaning　to　short；　and　high　to　low。
　　Harmony　is　produced　when　sounds　combine　in　unison。
　　Because　the　fore　goes；　so　the　back　follows。

　　Thus　the　Sage　would　not　act　as　if　he　could　act　on　his　will。
　　He　teaches　the　unspoken　teaching。
　　No　word　is　ever　spoken；　yet　living　things　thrive。
　　No　ownership　is　claimed；　though　Nature　begets　all　creation。
　　Humility　is　maintained　even　as　achievement　is　made。
　　No　credit　is　claimed　even　as　work　is　done。
　　Because　no　credit　is　claimed；　so　no　credit　is　ever　lost。

　　3

　　The　Art　of　Government

　　The　wise　ruler　treats　able　men
　　the　same　as　he　would　treat　others。
　　In　so　doing　he　avoids　strife。
　　He　plays　down　precious　goods。
　　In　so　doing　he　discourages　the
　　emergence　of　thieves。
　　He　makes　an　effort　to　stem　the
　　emergence　of　objects　of　desire。
　　In　so　doing　he　ensures　that　his　citizens'　minds
　　Will　not　be　thrown　into　disarray。

　　Thus　the　Sage's　governance
　　Satisfies　the　real　needs　of　people；
　　While　emptying　their　minds　of　desires；
　　Builds　up　the　inner　strengths　（bones）　of　people
　　While　weakening　their　vain　ambitions。

　　He　would　preserve　the　natural　simplicity
　　of　his　citizens'minds　and　reduce　their　desires。
　　In　so　doing　the　clever　people　will　learn
　　that　their　contrivance　will　not　work。
　　Because　the　Sage　does　nothing　but　following
　　the　law　of　nature
　　Nothing　will　deviate　from　their　natural　and　orderly　places。

　　4

　　The　Character　and　the　Benefits　of　the　Dao

　　The　Way　（Dao）　is　like　water　that　simmers　slowly；
　　Perpetually　emitting　its　energy　without　boiling　over。

　　It　is　like　a　deep；　deep　pool　in　the　mountains；
　　Unfathomable　yet　could　well　harbor　the　origin　of　all　life　forms。

　　It　can　blunt　sharp　angles；
　　Resolve　disputes；
　　Soften　light　that　otherwise　dazzles；
　　Re…establish　concordance　where　there　is　discord。
　　Unfathomable；　who　would　know　its　existence？

　　Today　I　know　of　no　child　of　anyone