Temple Qigong by Grandmaster Ho'o

Nine Temple Qigong Exercises

The Temple Qigong (Chi Kung) form consists of nine exercises.  It was popularized by Grand Master Marshall Ho'o (1910-1993) of Los Angeles, California.  It is also referred to as the Nine Temple Exercises, or the Marshall Ho'o Temple Exercises.  

My webpage on Temple Qigong provides a bibliography, links, the names of the movements, and an explanation of each movement.  

Standing Meditation, Resting Position: Wuji

1.   Turning the Prayer Wheel

2.   Rotating the Knees

3.   Crossed Arm Rotation

4.   Picking Fruit

5.   Swinging the Leg

6.   Leg Bounce

7.   Retreat and Advance   

8.   Grinding Corn

9.   Polishing the Mirror

Closure: Collecting and Storing Energy 

Marshall Ho'o wrote a book 1968 which included an explanation with photographic illustrations of the Temple Qigong set.  The black and white photos in that book were of poor quality and the editing was unsatisfactory.  An instructional DVD also teaches this form.  

"Dr. Ho'o was instrumental in the certification of acupuncture in the State of California. He was the first Tai Chi Master to have been elected to the Black Belt Hall of Fame.  He was Dean of the Aspen Academy of Martial & Healing Arts, on the faculty of California Institute of the Arts, and taught Tai Chi and Acupressure at many educational institutions.  In 1973, he created a series for KCET public television, in Los Angeles, teaching Tai Chi.  He was a consultant to Prevention Magazine's The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies.  A Chinese American, Dr. Ho'o was America's first Tai Chi Chuan Grandmaster.  His influence is far-reaching in both the fields of healing and martial arts."
-  The Lineage, Teachers of Two Birds Tai Chi

Tai Chi Chuan  By Marshall Hoo.  Burbank, California, Ohara Publications, Inc., 1986, 1993.  111 pages.  ISBN: 0897501098.  VSCL.  The Nine Temple exercise set is briefly described in this book on pages 18-42.  Each movement is clearly illustrated by four to eight clear black and white photographs of a woman doing the form.  The Taijiquan is the Standard 24 Form in the Yang Style. 

Tai Chi Chuan: The 27 forms by Marshall Hoo .   Instructional DVD, released in 2005, by Marshall Ho'o.  Black Belt Videos, 90 minutes.  Includes the Nine Temple Qigong.   

World Tai Chi Chuan Celebration Day

Tai Chi Chuan enthusiasts celebrated "World Tai Chi Chuan Day" in Vancouver, WA, on April 29th.

Over 100 Taiji players gathered together today at Clark Community College in downtown Vancouver.

I spent time talking with many people at the event.  

Shifu Mio Zhang's "Gradual Enlightenment"

 The Fireplace Records, Chapter 21

Shifu Mao Zhang's "Gradual Enlightenment

Xita asked Shifu Miao Zhang, "What is sudden enlightenment?"  Shifu Miao Zhang threw his staff on the muddy ground. 

Xita asked Miao Zhang, "What is gradual enlightenment?" Shifu Miao Zhang stomped on his staff three times.

Xita said, "Yes! Good!  Your understanding is straightening.  From now on, Miao Zhang, you will need to continue to clean and polish your staff."

Related Links, Resources, References

Shifu Miao Zhang's Koans

Koans:

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Dialogues.

The Daodejing by Laozi  

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

Taoism

Buddhism

Fireplaces, Stoves, Campfires, Kitchens, Pots, Firewood

Chinese Art

Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong

Meditation Methods

Zen Koan Books I Use

Koan Database Project

Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project: Subject Indexes

Subject Index to 621 Zen Buddhist Koans

Sparks: Brief Spiritual Lessons and Stories

Matches to Start a Kindling of Insight
May the Light from Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Koans, Meditations
Indexing, Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo

The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 28

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 28 

Know the masculine; cleave to the feminine.
Be the valley for the world.
To be the valley for the world,
   do not swerve from your innate nature
   and return to the state of infancy.
Know the bright; keep to the dull.
Be a guide for the world.
To be a guide for for the world,
   follow your innate nature without changing
   and return to the pre-conceptual.
Understand glory; keep to humility.
Be the valley for the world.
Innate nature completed, return to original uniqueness.

When original uniqueness is divided,
It then becomes the instrumentalities.
The Sage employs them,
They then become the officers.
Thus, subtle governance shapes not."
-  Translated by Cheng Man-Ch'ing and Tam Gibbs, 1981, Chapter 28


"One keeps weakness while knowing what strength is,
And serves as the humblest brook for the world.
Being the humblest, one can receive best
Until one returns to be the weakest infant.
One keeps black while knowing what white is,
And serves as a basic model for the world.
Being the basic model, one can receive properly
Until one returns to the oneness without polar opposition.
One keeps disgrace while knowing what glory is,
And serves as the lowest valley for the world.
Being the lowest, one can receive enough
To return to the most original simplicity.
Followed by people, this simplicity can shape the world
The wise use it as the example for the government.
The big system is, therefore, an indivisible simple whole.
-  Translated by Liu Qixuan, Chapter 28 


"Know the male, but keep to the female and be thus a valley to the world.
When one is a valley to the world, the constant virtue will not desert one and one will return to the state of being an infant.
Know the white but keep to the black and be thus a model to the world.
If one is a model to the world, then the constant virtue will not decline and you will return to the limitless.
Know glory but keep to disgrace and so be a valley to the world.
If one is a valley to the world then constant virtue will be sufficient and you will return to the Uncarved Block.
When the Uncarved Block is cut asunder it then becomes utensils.
But should a Sage use such a man, that person would become a senior official.
Truly great fabrication does not involve cutting."
-  Translated by Patrick E. Moran, Chapter 28 


"Know the masculine,
but keep to the feminine:
and become a watershed to the world.
If you embrace the world,
the Tao will never leave you
and you become as a little child.

Know the white,
yet keep to the black:
be a model for the world.
If you are a model for the world,
the Tao inside you will strengthen
and you will return whole to your eternal beginning.

Know the honorable,
but do not shun the disgraced:
embracing the world as it is.
If you embrace the world with compassion,
then your virtue will return you to the uncarved block.

The block of wood is carved into utensils
by carving void into the wood.
The Master uses the utensils, yet prefers to keep to the block
because of its limitless possibilities.
Great works do not involve discarding substance."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 28


知其雄, 守其雌, 為天下谿.
為天下谿, 常德不離, 復歸於嬰兒.
知其白守其黑, 為天下式.
為天下式, 常德不忒, 復歸於無極. 
知其榮, 守其辱, 為天下谷. 
為天下谷, 常德乃足, 復歸於樸. 
樸散則為器.
聖人用之, 則為官長.
故大制不割.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 28 

zhi qi xiong, shou qi ci, wei tian xia xi.
wei tian xia xi, chang de bu li, fu gui yu ying er.
zhi qi bai shou qi hei, wei tian xia shi.
wei tian xia shi, chang de bu te, fu gui yu wu ji.
zhi qi rong, shou qi ru, wei tian xia gu.
wei tian xia gu, chang de nai zu, fu gui yu pu.
pu san ze wei qi.
sheng ren yong zhi, ze wei guan zhang.
gu da zhi bu ko. 

- Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 28 


"Know masculinity,
Maintain femininity,
and be a ravine for all under heaven.
By being a ravine for all under heaven,
Eternal integrity will never desert you.
If eternal integrity never deserts you,
You will return to the state of infancy.
Know you are innocent,
Remain steadfast when insulted,
and be a valley for all under heaven.
By being a valley for all under heaven,
Eternal integrity will suffice.
If eternal integrity suffices,
You will return to the simplicity of the unhewn log.
Know whiteness,
Maintain blackness,
and be a model for all under heaven.
By being a model for all under heaven,
Eternal integrity will not err.
If eternal integrity does not err,
You will return to infinity.
When the unhewn log is sawn apart,
it is made into tools;
When the sage is put to use,
he becomes the chief of officials.
For great carving does no cutting."
-  Translated by Victor H. Mair, 1990, Chapter 28

"He who knows the masculine, and yet retains the feminine,

Will be the whole world's channel, being so,

Eternal virtue will with him remain forevermore,

And infant innocency to him go.

He who knows the spotless white, yet keeps the darkness of the night,

Will be the whole world's model, and the sage

Will hold eternal virtue in his hands forevermore,

And go home again to greet the golden age.

He who knows how glory shines, yet degradation never declines,

Will be the whole world' s valley, him alone

Will the spirit of eternal virtue fill forevermore,

And simplicity will claim him as her own.

This unwrought simplicity, when scattered comes to be

The universal vessels, and the sage

May use them as the rulers of the realm forevermore,

And every hurt and injury assuage."

-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 28 


"Conociendo lo masculino, y convirtiendose en lo femenino,
Se llega a ser la vía a través de la cual se mueve el Mundo,
Estar unido a la virtud,
Y renacer de nuevo.

Conociendo la luz y convirtiendose en la oscuridad,
Uno se convierte en el Mundo,
Llegando a ser la virtud,
Y volviendo al Tao.

Conociendo el honor y siendo humilde,
Uno se convierte en el valle del Mundo,
Llenandose de la virtud,
Y siendo como un tronco no cortado.

Cuando el tronco es cortado se convierte en herramientas.
Usadas por el sabio, son poderosas;
Así pues, un buen carpintero no desperdicia madera."
-  Translated by Antonio Rivas Gonzálvez, 1998, Capítulo 28 

"Whilst developing creativity, 
also cultivate receptivity. 
Retain the mind like that of a child, 
which flows like running water. 
When considering any thing,
do not lose its opposite.
When thinking of the finite, 
do not forget infinity;
Act with honour, but retain humility. 
By acting according to the way of the Tao,
set others an example.
By retaining the integrity 
of the inner and external worlds,
true selfhood is maintained,
and the inner world made fertile." 

- Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 28 


"The Nature of Opposites and Change ...
Be aware of your masculine nature;
But by keeping the feminine way,
You shall be to the world like a canyon,
Where the Virtue eternal abides,
And go back to become as a child.
Be aware of the white all around you;
But remembering the black that is there,
You shall be to the world like a tester,
Whom the Virtue eternal, unerring,
Redirects to the infinite past.
Be aware of your glory and honor;
But in never relinquishing shame,
You shall be to the world like a valley,
Where Virtue eternal, sufficient,
Sends you back to the Virginal Block.
When the Virginal Block is asunder,
And is made into several tools,
To the ends of the Wise Man directed,
They become then his chief officers:
For "The Master himself does not carve."
-  Translated by Raymond Blackney, 1955, Chapter 28



A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 28, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

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

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

   

The Oldest Living Being

The Curse of the Methuselah Tree
The Oldest Tree on Earth, 4,800 Years Old
The Bristlecone Pines
White Mountains, 11,000 + Feet, California

Zen and Altered States of Consciousnes

 "It is often emphasized that the goal of Zen Buddhism is not some kind of altered states of consciousness.  On the contrary, the aim of Zen Buddhism is to become immune to being conditioned into altered states.  In this context, furthermore, "altered states" are defined more rigorously than in conventional psychological theory, from the perspective of the pure original mind rather from that of the local parameters of conventional consciousness.  Guishan (Isan), another great Chinese Zen master of the Tang dynasty, said, "The mind of people of the Way is straightforward and unartificial, neither ignoring or inclining, with no deceptive errant mind; at all time their perception is normal.  There are no further details.  Also, don't shut the eyes and ears; as long as the feelings don't stick to things, that is enough."

As suggested by this statement, Zen Buddhism does not teach escapism, chronic withdrawal, or denial of ordinary reality. The late Tang dynasty master Caoshan (Sozan) said, "There is no need to escape anything; just know about it. that's enough.  If you try to avoid it, it's still affecting you.  Just don't be changed or affected by things, and you will be free."

-  Rational Zen: The Mind of Dogen Zengi.  1993, p. 5-

Fred's Magic Strings

The Fireplace Records, Chapter 20

Fred’s Magic Strings

Fred lived along the Umatilla River at the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon.  He had been a truck driver for decades between the Walla Walla, Tri-Cities, Hermiston, Boardman, Portland, and Pendleton areas.  He was retired now, and living in Pendleton.  He enjoyed the small town cowboy culture of Pendleton, the forests of the Blue Mountains, the vast wheat fields, the hardy local whiskeys, and the Indian powwow events. 

Years ago, Fred had taken up the hobby of using cotton string to create figures and shapes.  This activity of using the hands and fingers to manipulate a string can produce many interesting string figures.  Playing string figure games in the Winter months was popular among American Indian Tribes in the Northwest. It was a relaxing leisure time activity for old Fred.  

He had purchased a string figures book from the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and Museum on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, practiced, and learned many string figures.  He shared his skills and art with others at various gatherings. 

Fred felt like he was creating something out of nothing.  The circle of string was pure potential, pure Yin.  The hands and fingers begin to move the string: twisting, turning, interchanging, grabbing, releasing, turning, looping, exchanging, dropping … Yang emerging. Then, suddenly, a figure appears: Four Stars, a Rabbit, a Butterfly, a Blanket, a Fly, a Lizard, Sunrise, Fisherman's Net, Fireplace Burning, ….

Yes, it is something from something, and also something from nothing.  Profane/Sacred, Ordinary/Holy, Skills/Art. 

Artists or writers facing a blank canvas or blank paper sense this moment: the state of the empty canvas before them, nothing done, a blank, the beginning.  Then, emerging from the Fingers Moving and the Mind/Ideas/Intentions Moving and the String, Paint Brush or Pen Moving … Something New Appears, or we just imagine that it appears.  For the Artist: Just Doing It, Making It, Creating It, Showing It, is the Great Challenge!

Young and old enjoyed watching Fred’s string figures skills and listening to his storytelling.

A hot summer's day in Pendleton

A Student’s Considerations:

What hobbies should one choose in their life?
Simple arts may bring great creative pleasures.
A Confucian gentleman cultivates and treasures the Arts.
Sharing the Magic: performing, entertaining, creating, doing.
Aesthetes, literati, scholars, artists, and writers are found amongst
    some Taoists, Buddhists, and Confucians.
How do pre-literate cultures differ from cultures with libraries?
What “Arts” are necessary in the Fireplace Nexus?

 

Related Links, Resources, References

String On Your Fingers  By Michael P. Garofalo. 
String figures, tricks, and knots from many lands. 
https://www.gardendigest.com/string/index.htm

Pendleton, Oregon and Umatilla Indian Reservation

Koans:

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Dialogues.

The Daodejing by Laozi    Best? 

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

Taoism

Buddhism

Fireplaces, Stoves, Campfires, Kitchens, Pots, Firewood

Chinese Art

Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong

Meditation Methods

Zen Koan Books I Use

Koan Database Project

Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project: Subject Indexes

Sparks: Brief Spiritual Lessons and Stories

Matches to Start a Kindling of Insight
May the Light from Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Koans, Meditations
Indexing, Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo

The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo

 

 

Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and Museum, Pendleton, Oregon

On Thursday, April 20, 2023, Karen and I enjoyed visiting the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and Museum, near Pendleton, Oregon.  The museum was quite large with fascinating exhibits and artwork.  It featured the history, culture, and artifacts of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes of northeast Oregon.  

We stayed at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino, eight miles west of Pendleton.  There are also hundreds of new motel rooms off of Interstate 84 on a high bluff above the city of Pendleton.  

On our first day, we ate breakfast at the old Hood River Hotel Cafe.  It featured Scandinavian style breakfast foods.  For lunch, we ate at Mazatlán Mexican Restaurant immediately adjacent to the main large Pendleton Stadium for all kinds of large events, powwows, Pendleton Round Up, races, concerts, etc.  

The drive from the Wildhorse Resort's golf course out to the Tamastslikt Museum gave us some great views of the Blue Mountains rising up immediately to the west.  Interstate 84 from Pendleton 46 miles southeast to La Grande (2,700 feet), up and through the Blue Mountains  has some steep grade, and gets closed in winter storms.  

We intend to visit La Grande, Baker City, Boise and Walla Walla in a future four day trip.  

The City of Pendleton, Oregon (population 17,900) sits in a narrow valley along the Umatilla River at the eastern edge of the Blue Mountains.  

The Blue Mountains and the wide gentle rolling valleys filled with very Spring Green upcoming grains were a spectacular sight.  Cattle grazing in many places along Interstate 84.  The bright green fields covered with 6" plants were spectacular.  

As is always the case, the MAIN FEATURE of our trips to the East of Portland, is the drive along the Columbia River along US Interstate 84 from Troutdale-Gresham, Oregon, to Boardman, Oregon.  This is the famous Scenic Columbia River Gorge Area, preserved in various ways.  This is a spectacular 147 mile drive!  You drive by three Dams: Bonneville, Dalles, and John Day.  The views were very good as we drove twice through this scenic Interstate highway along the Columbia River with the steep basalt canyon walls to the south of the highway. 

I was impressed with the very large Amazon Data Super-Computer Centers in The Dalles and at Boardman.  Hermiston and Prineville are other locations.  They draw electrical power from The Dalles Dam and the John Day Dam.  

I purchased one book at the Tamastslikt Museum gift shop:

"Coyote Was Going There: Indian Literature of the Oregon Country. Compiled and edited by Jarold Ramsey.  Seattle, University of Washington Press, 1977, 295 pages.  Numerous illustrations. VSCL, Paperback.  

"Beyond the literature of other regions in Oregon, these stories [from the northeast Oregon Coastal Tribes like the Tillamook or Nehalem] persistently dwell on the possibility of other worlds, other mediums of life, and strange travels and transformation from one world to another.  The imagination of the coastal Indian, living on the brink of the great unknown element of the Pacific, must have been deeply attuned to such possibilities ... Behind such weird episodes, there is always the compelling presence of the sea, both familiar and alien, indifferent giver of life, another, alternative medium of being, limitless - "the river with one bank," the Indians called it - the source of all change."
-  Jarold Ramsey, Coyote Was Going There, p. 127.

I sat for a long time in the Museum under a reconstructed Tule Mat longhouse.  I listened to recordings of Indian storytellers.  I thought of practicing my string figures at home in Vancouver.  I thought about the difference between communicating verbally and through printed text.  

"This modern long tent community structure is a cotton canvas-covered version of the original Tule Mat Lodge or Longhouse, which is a shelter or house that was constructed using mats made of tule (a type of bullrush or reed) that was abundant along rivers and marshes in the Plateau region of North America and Canada. The reeds were first dried and then woven into mats and used as coverings for pyramid shaped lodges like tepees. Tules were perfect for building temporary, portable structures as the mats could be rolled up and carried away. Tepees were covered with animal skins but the tule-mat lodge was covered with mats of strong, durable, tule reeds. While the Long Tent you see on Whitman College campus has a canvas covering, it still carries the original practices of the Tule Mat Lodge engineering."

A reconstructed Tule Mat Longhouse
Tamastslikt Museum, Pendleton, OR

Cowboys and Ranchers and Farmers and Workers
Rodeos, Round Ups, Powwows
Anglos, Indians, Mexicans, Tourists

Roundup Rodeo is BIG

Wildhorse Resort and Casino
Golf Course

Cabbage Hill
Deadman's Pass
Interstate 84 from Pendleton to La Grand

The Roshi's Clapping Cell Phone

The Fireplace Records, Chapter 19

The Roshi's Clapping Cell Phone

"What is the sound of one hand clapping? asked Hakuin Ekaku in 1740.

Thousands of monks and householders have introspected this famous Zen Koan Case since 1740.  They pounded on tables with one hand, tapped their staff against the floor with one hand, and came up with many wordy replies to reveal the sound of one hand clapping.  

After years of study with Hakuin, after satisfactory revealing the spiritual and psychic impact of the koans, after achieving enlightenment, and after following the Dharma Path thereafter, Hakuin would award his close friend/student, his Dharma heir, with a painting of a whisk and dragon staff.

 

Of course, the mind does the clapping itself, patting ourselves on the back with one hand, cheering us on, applauding our daily efforts.
Bravo! With one hand or two hands clapping, no matter, show your respect and appreciation for all our good work.  

Haikuin painted with one hand, and applauded his student's efforts and achievements.   

My Roshi has a Apple cellphone.  His ring tone is the sound of clapping. Naturally, he holds the phone with one hand.  

I applaud his Dharma efforts!  He needs a pat on the back.  

A Student's Considerations:

Different centuries, different ideas and things at hand.
Applaud, clap for, cheer on the good efforts of everyone.  
Talking is the father of metaphors.
Practical realists would say that a single hand makes no clapping sound; but, poets and mystics favor playing with entangling expressions. And,
we all hear the sound and know the direct meaning of a pat on the back.
Occasionally, the wrong answer is revealing in new ways. 
Even if a pat on the back is not forthcoming, keeping working.      

Related Links, Resources, References

Koans:

Virtue Ethics

Gratitude

Time Movement Change Transformation Mortality

Process Philosophy

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Dialogues.

The Daodejing by Laozi    Best? 

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

Taoism

Buddhism

Fireplaces, Stoves, Campfires, Kitchens, Pots, Firewood

Chinese Art

Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong

Meditation Methods

Zen Koan Books I Use

Koan Database Project

Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project: Subject Indexes

Sparks: Brief Spiritual Lessons and Stories

Matches to Start a Kindling of Insight
May the Light from Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Koans, Meditations
Indexing, Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo

The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27

 Dao De Jing, Laozi

Chapter 27

"The skillful traveler leaves no trace behind him,

The skillful speaker says nothing that falsely jars,

The skillful counter keeps no checks to remind him,

The skillful locker requires no bolts or bars,

And the skillful binder no cords, or knots or strings,

Yet to afterwards open or loose are impossible things.

So the sage in his goodness is ever a saver of men,

No man he rejects or loses,

And alike in his goodness a saver of things, for then

He everything saves and uses,

And this is the inner enlightenment again,

Which comprehends and chooses.

So the good instructs the bad, the bad in turn

Is material for the good; and not to prize

One's own instructor, not to love, but spurn

One's own material, would confuse the wise.

This mutual help and love make all men kin,

And mark the spirit divine, within."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 27

"The skillful traveler leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps.
The skillful speaker says nothing that can be found fault with or blamed.
The skillful reckoner uses no tallies.
The skillful closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he has shut will be impossible.
The skillful binder uses no strings or knots, while to unloose what he has bound will be impossible.
In the same way the sage is always skillful at saving men, and so he does not cast away any man;
He is always skillful at saving things, and so he does not cast away anything.
This is called 'Hiding the light of his procedure.'
Therefore, the man of skill is a master to be looked up to by him who has not the skill. 
He who has not the skill is the helper of the reputation of him who has the skill.
If the one did not honor his master, and the other did not rejoice in his helper, an observer, though intelligent, might greatly err about them.
This is called 'The utmost degree of mystery.'"
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 27 

"Good (shan) running leaves no tracks,
Good speech has no flaws,
Good counting uses no counters,
A good lock uses no bolts yet cannot be opened,
A good knot uses no rope yet cannot be untied.
Hence the sage is always good at saving people,
Therefore no one is rejected.
He is always good at saving things,
Therefore nothing is rejected.
This is called following the light (ming).
Therefore the good person,
Is the not-good (pu-shan) person's teacher.
The not-good (pu-shan) person,
Is the good person's capital.
One who does not honor (kuei) the teacher,
Or love (ai) the capital,
Is greatly confounded though knowledgeable (chih).
This is called the important mystery (miao)."
-  Translated by Ellen Marie Chen, 1989, Chapter 27 


"One may move so well that a foot-print never shows,
Speak so well that the tongue never slips,
Reckon so well that no counter is needed,
Seal an entrance so tight, though using no lock,
That it cannot be opened,
Bind a hold so firm, though using no cord,
That it cannot be untied.
And these are traits not only of a sound man
But of many a man thought to be unsound.
A sound man is good at salvage,
At seeing that nothing is lost.
Having what is called insight,
A good man, before he can help a bad man,
Finds in himself the matter with the bad man.
And whichever teacher
Discounts the lesson
Is as far off the road as the other,
Whatever else he may know.
That is the heart of it."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 27 


善行無轍迹.
善言無瑕讁.
善數不用籌策.
善閉無關楗而不可開.
善結無繩約而不可解.
是以聖人常善救人, 故無棄人.
常善救物.
故無棄物, 是謂襲明.
故善人者, 不善人之師.
不善人者, 善人之資.
不貴其師, 不愛其資, 雖智大迷.
是謂要妙.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27



shan hsing wu ch'ê chi.
shan yen wu hsia chai.
shan shu pu yung ch'ou ts'ê.
shan pi wu kuan chien erh pu k'o k'ai. 
shan chieh wu shêng yo erh pu k'o chieh.
shih yi shêng jên ch'ang shan chiu jên, ku wu ch'i jên.
ch'ang shan chiu wu.
ku wu ch'i wu shih wei hsi ming.
ku shan jên chê, pu shan jên chih shih.
pu shan jên chih, shan jên chih tzu. 
pu kuei ch'i shih, pu ai ch'i tzu, sui chih ta mi.
shih wei yao miao. 
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27


"Good travelers leave no trace nor track,
Good speakers, in logic show no lack,
Good counters need no counting rack.
Good lockers bolting bars need not,
Yet none their locks can loose.
Good binders need no string nor knot,
Yet none unties their noose.
Therefore the holy man is always a good savior of men, for there are no outcast people.
He is always a good savior of things, for there are no outcast things.
This is called applied enlightenment.  
Thus the good man does not respect multitudes of men.
The bad man respects the people's wealth.
Who does not esteem multitudes nor is charmed by their wealth, though his knowledge be greatly confused,
He must be recognized as profoundly spiritual."
-  Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 27 


"A good traveler leaves neither ruts nor footprints;
A good speaker makes neither slips nor errors;
A good calculator uses neither wooden chips nor bamboo chips;
A good door-shutter has neither latch nor lock,
Yet, the door he shuts cannot be opened;
A good knot-tier has neither rope nor string,
Yet, the knot he ties cannot be untied.
Hence, the sage man
Was constantly good at rescuing men
So that there were no cast-off men;
As for things,
There were no cast-off goods.
This is called surpassing insight.
Hence, good men are good men's teachers;
Evil men, good men's wealth.
He who neither values his teachers,
Nor cherishes his wealth,
Though crafty, is but a big fool.
This is called subtle essence."
-  Translated by Chichung Huang, Chapter 27 

"Un buen caminante no deja huellas.
Un buen orador no se equivoca ni ofende.
Un buen contable no necesita útiles de cálculo.
Un buen cerrajero no usa barrotes ni cerrojos,
y nadie puede abrir lo que ha cerrado.
Quien ata bien no utiliza cuerdas ni nudos,
y nadie puede desatar lo que ha atado.
Así, el sabio siempre ayuda a los hombres,
por eso a nadie desampara.
El sabio siempre salva a las cosas,
por eso a ninguna descuida.
De él se dice que está deslumbrado por la luz.
Por esto, el hombre bueno no se considera maestro
de los hombres, sino que les enseña;
y el hombre que no es bueno estima como buenas las
riquezas que de los hombres obtiene.
No amar el magisterio ni la materia de los hombres,
y aparentar ignorancia, siendo iluminado,
Este es un principio esencial del Tao."

-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 27  


"A good traveler leaves no tracks.
A good speaker is without flaw.
A good planner does not calculate.
A good doorkeeper does not lock, yet it cannot be opened.
A good knotter does not use binding, yet it cannot be undone.
Therefore, the sage is good at his earnest demands upon people.
So no one is left out.
No talent is wasted.
This is called being in the tow of enlightenment,
And it ensures the good person.
For everything that is good is the teacher of the good person.
Everything that is bad becomes a resource for the good person.
No need to honor the teachers.
No need to love the resources.
Though knowing this is a great paradox,
It is the subtle principle."
-  Translated by Tao Huang, Chapter 27 



A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 27, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

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

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey