Friday, January 09, 2015

Daodejing, Laozi, Chapter 30

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 30

"He who would assist a lord of men in harmony with the Tao will not assert his mastery in the kingdom by force of arms.
Such a course is sure to meet with its proper return.
Wherever a host is stationed, briars and thorns spring up.
In the sequence of great armies there are sure to be bad years.
A skilful commander strikes a decisive blow, and stops.
He does not dare by continuing his operations to assert and complete his mastery.
He will strike the blow, but will be on his guard against being vain or boastful or arrogant in consequence of it.
He strikes it as a matter of necessity; he strikes it, but not from a wish for mastery.
When things have attained their strong maturity they become old.
This may be said to be not in accordance with the Tao.
What is not in accordance with the Tao soon comes to an end."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 30  



"He who relied on the Tao to aid a ruler of men
 Would not seek to conquer with weapons.
 The man of Tao holds back from such instruments of recoiling violence.
 For where armies have camped there spring up thistles and thorns;
 And in the wake of marching armies follow years of drought.
 Having achieved his aim, the good commander stops;
 He does not venture to follow up his advantages with greater force.
 He achieves his aim, but does not plume himself.
 He achieves his aim, but is not boastful.
 He achieves his aim but is not proud of what he has done.
 He achieves his aim by means which could not be avoided.
 He achieves his aim without violence.
 For it is when creatures reach the climax of their strength that they start to grow old;
 Thus violence runs counter to the Tao,
 And what runs counter to the Tao is soon spent."
 -  Translated by Herman Old, 1946, Chapter 30   




"When one uses the Tao in assisting his sovereign, he will not employ arms to coerce the state.
Such methods easily react.
When military camps are established.
Briers and thorns flourish.
When great armies have moved through the land calamities are sure to follow.
The capable are determined, but no more.
They will not venture to compel; determined, but not conceited;
determined, but not boastful; determined, but not arrogant;
determined because it cannot be helped; determined, but not forceful.
When things reach their prime, they begin to age.
This cannot be said to be the Tao.
What is Not the Tao soon ends."
-  Translated by Spurgeon C. Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 30 




"He who would help a Ruler of men by Tao
Does not take soldiers to give strength to the kingdom.
His service is well rewarded.
Where troops dwell, there grow thorns and briers.
After great wars, there follow bad years.
He who loves, bears fruit unceasingly,
He does not dare to conquer by strength.
He bears fruit, but not with assertiveness,
He bears fruit, but not with boastfulness,
He bears fruit, but not with meanness,
He bears fruit, but not to obtain it for himself,
He bears fruit, but not to shew his strength.
Man is great and strong, then he is old,
In this he is not of Tao.
If he is not of Tao
He will quickly perish."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 30 




以道佐人主者, 不以兵強天下.
其事好還. 
師之所處, 荊棘生焉. 
大軍之後, 必有凶年. 
善有果而已.
不敢以取強. 
果而勿矜.
果而勿伐.
果而勿驕. 
果而不得已.
果而勿強. 
物壯則老.
是謂不道.
不道早已.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 30 




yi tao tso jên chu chê, pu yi ping ch'iang t'ien hsia.  
ch'i shih hao huan.
shih chih so ch'u, ching chi shêng yen.
ta chün chih hou, pi yu hsiung nien
shan chê kuo erh yi.
pu kan yi ch'ü ch'iang. 
kuo erh wu ching.
kuo erh wu fa.
kuo erh wu chiao.
kuo erh pu tê yi. 
kuo erh wu ch'iang.
wu chuang tsê lao.
shih wei pu tao.
pu tao tsao yi.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 30 




"Those who use Tao in assisting their Sovereign do not employ soldiers to force the Empire.
The methods of government they adopt are such as have a tendency to react upon themselves.
Where garrisons are quartered, briars and thorns spring up, and the the land is deserted by the people.
Disastrous years inevitably follow in the wake of great armies. 
Wise rulers act with decision, and nothing more.
They do not venture to use overbearing measures.
They are decided without self-conceit, or boasting, or pride.
They are decided in spite of themselves, and without presuming on brute force.
After a man has arrived at the prime of his strength, he begins to age.
This is attributable to his not possessing the Tao. 
Those who do not possess Tao die before their time."
-  Translated by Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 30


"Quien sabe guiar al gobernante en el sendero del Tao no intenta dominar el mundo mediante la fuerza de las armas.
Está en la naturaleza de las armas militares volverse contra quienes las manejan. 
Donde acampan ejércitos, crecen zarzas y espinos. 
A una gran guerra, invariablemente suceden malos años.
Lo que quieres es proteger eficazmente tu propio estado, pero no pretender tu propia expansión. 
Cuando has alcanzado tu propósito, no debes exhibir tu trifuno, ni jactarte de tu capacidad, ni sentirte orgulloso;
     más bien debes lamentar no haber sido capaz de impedir la guerra.
No debes pensar nunca en conquistar a los demás por la fuerza. 
Pues expandirse excessivamente es precipitar el decaimiento, y esto es contrario al Tao, y lo que es contrario al Tao
    pronto dejará de existir."
-  Translation from Chinese to English by John C. H. Wu, translated into Spanish by Alfonso Colodrón, Capitulo 30 




"A ruler faithful to Tao will not send the army to a foreign country.
This would incur calamity onto him, first of all.

The land where an army passed becomes desolated.
After war, lean years come.

A wise commander is never bellicose.
A wise warrior never gets angry.
He who can defeat the enemy does not attack.
He who achieved victory stops and does not do violence to the defeated enemies.
The victorious does not praise himself.
He wins, but does not feel proud.
He does not like to wage wars.
He wins because he is forced to fight.
Though he wins, he is not bellicose.

If man in the prime of life begins to weaken and gets ill?
This happens only because he has lived not in the harmony with Tao.
The life of such a person ends before a due time."
-  Translated by Mikhail Nikolenko, Chapter 30  




Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching



Taoism: A Selected Reading List



 A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo on a Chapter of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes at least 16 different translations or interpolations of the Chapter in English, two Spanish translations, the Chinese characters for the Chapter, a Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for the Chapter, recommended reading lists, a detailed bibliography; indexing by key words and terms for the Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization; some commentary, and other resources for the Chapter. 







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