Tao Teh Ching Chapter 10
载营魄抱一，能无离乎？专气致柔，能如婴儿乎？涤除玄览，能如疵乎？爱国治民，能无为乎？
天门开阖，能为雌乎？明白四达，能无知乎？
生之、蓄之，生而不有，为而不恃，长而不宰，是谓玄德。
Translation
The sage (having received from birth) carries his soul, embraces the oneness, he will not be separated (from the Tao);He concentrates his life breath and achieves ultimate subtleness and flexibility in his body, just like a new born baby; He cleanses himself even sins only known to the superior, and he is without a blemish; He loves his country and his people, and no wilful action is carried out; As he reaches the gate of heaven where it opens and closes, he resumes his feminine nature; He reaches perfect understanding in all directions, then he became truly without knowledge.
He creates, he accumulates. Create, but he doesn't own; Achieve, but he does not hold. He is superior but he does not rule. This is the highest virtue.
Detailed Comment
The Tao Teh Ching is considered mystic by all. This is one of the chapters that makes it mystic. Different translations of this chapter is wildly different. This personal translation here is different to anyone that I have read.
载营魄, 载, means to carry, to load. Like loading a truck. 营, army barracks. I have extended its meaning to accommodating. This chapter deals with the sage's actions. First he must 抱一, or embrace the oneness. 一, one, single, as opposed to duality. He must embrace the oneness, therefore he renounces duality. Here let's revisit Chapter 2,天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已. When one find beauty, ugliness arises. To the sage, become he embraces oneness, such beauty or ugliness does not exist.
专气致柔，To concentrate on the breath. Here I interpreted this as the physical breath and this is the first time Lao Tzu mentions the physical aspect of the sage, it is that he is like a baby.
涤除玄览. There are two kinds of self-discipline. just as there are two type of vegetarian. The first kind don't eat meat for fear of bad rebirth, or he doesn't sin because of fear of a punishment. This is from the outside. The elimination of the sin is for a purpose. Like donating money. If you create a fund using your own name, it cannot be the highest charity. Here the sage cleans himself sins only heaven knows, i.e. he is not cleaning it for himself, let alone for other people. This is from the inside. It is only when one cleans himself from the inside, then he can be perfectly clean.
天门开阖，能为雌乎. Here, the sage has acquired the ability to open and close the door of heave, he resumes his feminine nature. For a comment on the feminine nature of nature, see Chapter 6.
明白四达，能无知乎. Without knowledge. What is knowledge? Here, when the sage understands all things in every direction, he doesn't have the so-called knowledge. In Yoga, we constantly say that the truth is from within. Out knowledge, is science. The origin of science is from the observation of objects and phenomenon through senses or instruments that is able to detect beyond our senses. Again, the source is outside. Lao Tzu said you don't need this knowledge. This bring me to a dream I had last night. I was a teacher teaching 30 teenage nursing student. I was supposed to teach them the Bible, instead, I taught Einstein. I would like to look back to this dream latter when I have some more understanding.
长而不宰. To be superior and not to rule. This is when the sage always put himself last.
天门开阖，能为雌乎？明白四达，能无知乎？
生之、蓄之，生而不有，为而不恃，长而不宰，是谓玄德。
Translation
The sage (having received from birth) carries his soul, embraces the oneness, he will not be separated (from the Tao);He concentrates his life breath and achieves ultimate subtleness and flexibility in his body, just like a new born baby; He cleanses himself even sins only known to the superior, and he is without a blemish; He loves his country and his people, and no wilful action is carried out; As he reaches the gate of heaven where it opens and closes, he resumes his feminine nature; He reaches perfect understanding in all directions, then he became truly without knowledge.
He creates, he accumulates. Create, but he doesn't own; Achieve, but he does not hold. He is superior but he does not rule. This is the highest virtue.
Detailed Comment
The Tao Teh Ching is considered mystic by all. This is one of the chapters that makes it mystic. Different translations of this chapter is wildly different. This personal translation here is different to anyone that I have read.
载营魄, 载, means to carry, to load. Like loading a truck. 营, army barracks. I have extended its meaning to accommodating. This chapter deals with the sage's actions. First he must 抱一, or embrace the oneness. 一, one, single, as opposed to duality. He must embrace the oneness, therefore he renounces duality. Here let's revisit Chapter 2,天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已. When one find beauty, ugliness arises. To the sage, become he embraces oneness, such beauty or ugliness does not exist.
专气致柔，To concentrate on the breath. Here I interpreted this as the physical breath and this is the first time Lao Tzu mentions the physical aspect of the sage, it is that he is like a baby.
涤除玄览. There are two kinds of self-discipline. just as there are two type of vegetarian. The first kind don't eat meat for fear of bad rebirth, or he doesn't sin because of fear of a punishment. This is from the outside. The elimination of the sin is for a purpose. Like donating money. If you create a fund using your own name, it cannot be the highest charity. Here the sage cleans himself sins only heaven knows, i.e. he is not cleaning it for himself, let alone for other people. This is from the inside. It is only when one cleans himself from the inside, then he can be perfectly clean.
天门开阖，能为雌乎. Here, the sage has acquired the ability to open and close the door of heave, he resumes his feminine nature. For a comment on the feminine nature of nature, see Chapter 6.
明白四达，能无知乎. Without knowledge. What is knowledge? Here, when the sage understands all things in every direction, he doesn't have the so-called knowledge. In Yoga, we constantly say that the truth is from within. Out knowledge, is science. The origin of science is from the observation of objects and phenomenon through senses or instruments that is able to detect beyond our senses. Again, the source is outside. Lao Tzu said you don't need this knowledge. This bring me to a dream I had last night. I was a teacher teaching 30 teenage nursing student. I was supposed to teach them the Bible, instead, I taught Einstein. I would like to look back to this dream latter when I have some more understanding.
长而不宰. To be superior and not to rule. This is when the sage always put himself last.
posted by Eugene Chen | 3:22 PM
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