The Tenets of Rootedness

Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature and Spirit.  By Lyanda Lynn Haupt. Litte, Brown Spark, 2021, 229 pages.  FVRLibrary.

The Tenets of Rootedness

Ecology and Mysticism
Everyday Animism - Aliveness of Living Beings
Poetry and Science Intermingle
Truth and Fact are Not Synonyms
Mystery - Unknown Dimensions, Awe
Kindred, All
Kith - Your local environment, Place
Reciprocity - Interbeing, Interdependence
All is Sacred - Reverence, Awe, Respect
Enchantment and Wonder
Creativity and the Great Work - Drawing, Painting, Collecting
Eccentricity - Individuality, Unconventional

Try: Walking, Gardening, Reading, Nature Studies, Visiting Beautiful Places, Play, Listening, Seeing, Looking at Botany or Animal Books, Swimming, Going Barefoot on Grass or Sand, etc.

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 37

Daodejing by Laozi
Chapter 37


"The Way takes no action, but leaves nothing undone.
When you accept this
The world will flourish,
In harmony with nature.
Nature does not possess desire;
Without desire, the heart becomes quiet;
In this manner the whole world is made tranquil."
-  Interpolated by Peter Merel, 1992, Chapter 37 


"Tao always remains in no artificial action,
And yet nothing is left undone.
Should kings and lords follow Tao,
Ten Thousand Things would naturally mutate.
Should desires arise in their mutation,
I would be ready to pacify them with the uncarved block with no name.
Should they become the uncarved block with no name.
They would become desireless.
Should kings and loads pacify them with desirelessness,
The universe would spontaneously be one with peace.
Here the famous phrase, “Tao remains in no action and yet nothing is left undone.” "
-  Translated by Eichi Shimomisse, 1998, Chapter 37  


"The Dao never does; it takes no action.
Through it everything is done, yet there's nothing left undone.
If good kings and barons would master some fit Dao and keep it,
all things in the world should transform spontaneously.
When reformed and rising to action,
let all influenced be restrained by the blankness of the unnamed,
the nameless pristine simplicity.
Yes, if after being transformed they should desire to act,
someone has to restrain them with simplicity that has no name.
Its an unnamed blankness; it could bring dispassion;
As such nameless pristine simplicity is stripped of desire.
So to be truly, artfully dispassionate, be free of desires and still.
Simple wit and sense is free of desires.
By stripping of desire true rest is achieved almost of itself,
the whole empire will be at rest of its own accord.
And next the world could get at peace of its own accord."
-  Translated by Byrn Tromod, 1997, Chapter 37  


道常無為, 而無不為. 
侯王若能守之, 萬物將自化. 
化而欲作, 吾將鎮之以無名之樸. 
無名之樸, 夫亦將無欲. 
不欲以靜, 天下將自定. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 37

dao chang wu wei, er wu bu wei.
hou wang ruo neng shou zhi, wan wu jiang zi hua.
hua er yu zuo, wu jiang zhen zhi yi wu ming zhi pu.
wu ming zhi pu, fu yi jiang bu yu.
bu yu yi jing, tian xia jiang zi ding.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 37 

"The Tao eternally non-acts, and so 
It does nothing and yet there is nothing left to do; 
If prince or king could keep it, all would change 
Of their own accord with a transformation strange. 
And so transformed, should desire to change again still come to be, 
I would quiet such desire by the Nameless One' s simplicity, 
But the Nameless One' s simplicity is free from all desire, 
So tranquilly, of their own accord, all things would still transpire." 
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 37 



"Way-making is really nameless.
Were the nobles and kings able to respect this,
All things would be able to develop along their own lines.
Having developed along their own lines, were they to desire to depart from this,
I would realign them
With a nameless scarp of unworked wood.
Realigned with this nameless scrap of unworked wood,
They would leave off desiring.
Is not desiring, they would achieve equilibrium,
And all the world would be properly ordered of its own accord."
-  Translated by Roger T. Ames and Donald L. Hall, 2003, Chapter 37  


"El dao, permanente, no tiene nombre; 
si los señores y reyes pudieran conservarlo,
todos los seres se transformarían por sí solos.
Si al transformarse apareciera en ellos el deseo de levantar la cabeza,
yo los refrenaría con el trozo de madera sin nombre.
Refrenados mediante el trozo de madera sin nombre,
no se sentirán ofendidos.
Al no existir ofensas surgiría la tranquilidad,
y el cielo y la tierra se ordenarían espontáneamente."
 -  Translated by Juan Ignacio Preciado, 1978, Capítulo #37


"The Way is constantly in non-action,
But it leaves nothing undone.
If dukes and kings can keep to it,
All things will be transformed by themselves.
But, in transforming, desires arise.
I will subdue them by the nameless simplicity;
With nameless simplicity,
There will be no desires.
Being desireless is to be tranquil.
All the world will become calm by itself."
-  Translated by  Yi Wu, Chapter 37   
 

"Tao never does anything,
And everything gets done.
If rulers can keep to it,
The ten thousand things will changes of themselves.
Changed, things may start to stir.
Quiet them with the namelessly simple,
Which alone will bring no-desire.
No-desire: then there is peace,
And beneath-heaven will settle down of itself."
-  Translated by  Herrymoon Maurer, 1985, Chapter 37

 

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 37, 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


A Philosopher's Notebooks

Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth

 

William Wordsworth

Tintern Abbey
Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, on
Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798

Excerpt:

"The coarser pleasures of my boyish days,
And their glad animal movements all gone by,
To me was all in all. – I cannot paint
What then I was.
The sounding cataract
Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colors and their forms, were then to me
An appetite: a feeling and a love,
That had no need of a remoter charm,
By thought supplied, or any interest
Unborrowed from the eye. –  That time is past,
And all its aching joys are now no more,
And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this
Faint I, nor mourn nor murmur: other gifts
Have followed, for such loss, I would believe,
Abundant recompence.
For I have learned
To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes
The still, sad music of humanity,
Not harsh nor grating, though of ample power
To chasten and subdue. And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods,
And mountains; and of all that we behold
From this green earth; of all the mighty world
Of eye and ear, both what they half-create,
And what perceive; well pleased to recognize
In nature and the language of the sense,
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul
Of all my moral being.
Nor, perchance,
If I were not thus taught, should I the more
Suffer my genial spirits to decay:
For thou art with me, here, upon the banks
Of this fair river; thou, my dearest Friend,
My dear, dear Friend, and in thy voice I catch
The language of my former heart, and read
My former pleasures in the shooting lights
Of thy wild eyes."

Most Honored Greening Force

Repost from June 10, 2013:]

"O most honored Greening Force,
 You who roots in the Sun;
 You who lights up, in shining serenity, within a wheel
 that earthly excellence fails to comprehend.
 You are enfolded
 in the weaving of divine mysteries.
 You redden like the dawn
 and You burn: flame of the Sun."
 -  Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), Viriditas
 


"Now summer is in flower and natures hum
Is never silent round her sultry bloom
Insects as small as dust are never done
Wi' glittering dance and reeling in the sun
And green wood fly and blossom haunting bee
Are never weary of their melody
Round field hedge now flowers in full glory twine
Large bindweed bells wild hop and streakd woodbine
That lift athirst their slender throated flowers
Agape for dew falls and for honey showers
These round each bush in sweet disorder run
And spread their wild hues to the sultry sun."
-  John Clare, June 

"Tell you what I like the best --
'Long about knee-deep in June,
'Bout the time strawberries melts
On the vine, -- some afternoon
Like to jes' git out and rest,
And not work at nothin' else!"
-  James Witcomb Riley, Knee Deep in June

The Spirit of Gardening

The Month of June

The Green God Fell to His Knees

"There lies within
A hidden glen
An altar made of stone.
Creeping vine
And moss entwine
To hide this ancient throne.
Tangled thorn
Grows thick to scorn
Those who seek to enter.
For though they strive
No man alive
Shall ever reach its center.
Known as Pan,
To some Green Man,
This glen is his sacred place.
He dons his hood
Of wildwood
To hide his leafy face.
The roving clans
That raped the lands,
Cut down his beloved trees.
And so, alas
As time did pass
The Green God fell to his knees. ..."
- Kristina Peters Moone, The Green Man


"The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.
The force that drives the water through the rocks
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams
Turns mine to wax.
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks."
-   Dylan Thomas, The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower

The Green Man

Lore, Legends, Tales, Celebrations, Springtime Symbols, Folk Stories and Plays
From the hypertext research notebooks of Mike Garofalo

This cabbage, these carrots, these potatoes,
these onions ... will soon become me.
Such a tasty fact!
- Mike Garofalo, Cuttings

Portrait of the Emperor Rudolph II as Autumn.By Arcimboldo, 1591, Held at the Museo Civico, Brescia. 

Vernal Equinox

A Repost from 2017

This will be our last Spring Season living in beautiful Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California. We will be moving to the City of Vancouver, Washington State, on April 14, 2017.

"Here the white-ray'd anemone is born,
Wood-sorrel, and the varnish'd buttercup;
And primrose in its purfled green swathed up,
Pallid and sweet round every budding thorn,
Gray ash, and beech with rusty leaves outworn.
Here, too the darting linnet hath her nest
In the blue-lustred holly, never shorn,
Whose partner cheers her little brooding breast,
Piping from some near bough. O simple song!
O cistern deep of that harmonious rillet,
And these fair juicy stems that climb and throng
The vernal world, and unexhausted seas
Of flowing life, and soul that asks to fill it,
Each and all of these,--and more, and more than these!"
- William Allingham, In a Spring Grove

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."
- Henry Van Dyke, Fisherman's Luck

"The air and the earth interpenetrated in the warm gusts of spring; the soil was full of sunlight, and the sunlight full of red dust. The air one breathed was saturated with earthy smells, and the grass under foot had a reflection of the blue sky in it."
- Willa Cather

"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils."
- William Wordsworth

Spring: Quotations, Sayings, Lore, Poetry

The Spirit of Gardening: 3,800 Quotations

Months and Seasons

Finding the Mother Tree

I am now reading the following book:

Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. By Suzanne Simard. Vintage Books, 2021, index, bibliography, 348 pages. Paperback, $18.00. VSCL

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 7

Dao De Jing by Laozi
Chapter 7


"The Tao is infinite and eternal.
Why is it eternal?
It was never born;
thus it can never die.
Why is it infinite?
It has no desires for itself;
thus it is present for all beings.
The Master stays behind;
that is why he is ahead.
He is removed from all things;
that is why he is one with them.
Because he has let go of himself,
he is perfectly fulfilled."
- Translated by John Dicus, 2002, Chapter 7


"The universe is everlasting.
The reason the universe is everlasting
Is that it does not live for Self.
Therefore, it can long endure.
Therefore, the Sage puts himself last,
And finds himself in the foremost place;
Regards his body as accidental,
And his body is thereby preserved.
Is it not because he does not live for Self,
That his Self is realized?"
- Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 7


"Heaven is lasting, Earth endures.
What enables Heaven and Earth to last and endure?
Because they do not live for themselves - so it is that they can live so long.
And so, the Wise Person: Puts himself last, and so finds himself in front.
He puts himself in the out group, and so maintains his place.
The personal does not exist for him.
Isn't this how he can perfect what for him is most personal?"
- Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 7


"The Tao is infinite, eternal.
Why is it eternal?
It was never born;
thus it can never die.
Why is it infinite?
It has no desires for itself;
thus it is present for all beings.
The Master stays behind;
that is why she is ahead.
She is detached from all things;
that is why she is one with them.
Because she has let go of herself,
she is perfectly fulfilled."
- Translated by Edwin Shaw, 1996, Chapter 7


"Heaven is lasting and earth enduring.
The reason why they are lasting and enduring
is that they do not live for themselves.
Therefore, they live long.
In the same way the Sage keeps himself behind,
and he is in the front.
He forgets himself and is preserved.
Is it not because he is not self-interested
That his self-interest is established?"
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 7 



天長地久.
天地所以能長且久者.
以其不自生.
故能長生.
是以聖人後其身而身先.
外其身而身存.
非以其無私耶.
故能成其私.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 7 


t'ien ch'ang ti chiu.
t'ien ti so yi nêng ch'ang ch'ieh chiu chê.
yi ch'i pu tzu shêng.
ku nêng ch'ang shêng.
shih yi shêng jên hou ch'i shên erh shên hsien.
wai ch'i shên erh shên ts'un.
fei yi ch'i wu ssu hsieh.
ku nêng ch'êng ch'i ssu.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 7

"Heaven is enduring and earth is lasting.
Why heaven and earth can be enduring and lasting is because
they do not live for themselves, thus, they can endure and last.
So that a Sage ruler put himself behind others, and he came to the front;
he excluded himself from struggle with others and he survived.
It is because he was selfless that he fulfilled himself."
- Translated by Tang Zi-chang, Chapter 7



"Heaven and earth will exist forever.
The reason they exist forever is that they do not live for themselves
and they do not live because of themselves.
Therefore they live forever.
In the same way, the sage stays behind everything and finds himself
in front of everything, he is not himself and he is preserved forever.
Since he has no self-interest, his self-interest can realize itself.
Even though it looks like heaven and earth give life to all creatures,
they do not live in order to preserve their own existence,
and therefore they live forever and never die.
In his rule over the kingdom, the sage does everything for people,
ignoring his personal goals,
and ultimately earns glory, honor, and everything he wanted for himself."
-  Translated by Chou-Wing Chohan, Chapter 7 
 

 
"Heaven endures and earth is lasting.
And why can heaven and earth endure and be lasting?
Because they do not live for themselves.
On that account can they endure.
Therefore,
The holy man puts his person behind and his person comes to the front.
He surrenders his person and his person is preserved.
Is it not because he seeks not his own?
For that reason he can accomplish his own."
-  Translated by D. T. Suzuki, 1913, Chapter 7


"The principle of initiation persists; and the principle of completion continues.
Why do such opposing principles persist?
Because they inhere in Nature, rather than stand by themselves.
That is why opposites endure.
The intelligent man, when an issue arises, stands off
and observes both contentions.
Since he does not take sides, he never loses a battle.
By not favoring one side more than the other,
he is able to appreciate the virtues of both sides."
- Translation by Archie J. Bahm, 1958, Chapter 7


"Largo es el Cielo, duradera es la Tierra.
El Cielo su larguray la Tierra su duración lo deben a no vivir vida propia.
Por eso,pueden vivir mucho.
Así, también el hombre perfecto se antepone, porque se ha pospuesto.
Se queda, porque se ha apartado.
Logra sus interesesprivados, porque los ha desatendido."
- Translated by Carmelo Elorduy, 2006, Capítulo 7



"Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides.
What is the secret of their durability?
Is it not because they do not live for themselves
That they can live so long?
Therefore, the Sage wants to remain behind,
But finds himself at the head of others;
Reckons himself out,
But finds himself safe and secure.
Is it not because he is selfless
That his Self is realized?"
- Translated by John C. H. Wu, 1961, Chapter 7


"The heavens and the earth last forever.
They can do so because they do not exist for themselves.
Therefore, great men always let other people go first, but ended up being first themselves.
They put their lives out of consideration, but always survived.
Is it not because they were selfless,
That they benefited themselves at the end?"
- Translated by Yang Xiaolin, Chapter 7

"Heaven is lasting and earth enduring. 
The reason why they are lasting and enduring is that they do not live for themselves;  
Therefore they live long.  
In the same way the Sage keeps himself behind and he is in the front;  
He forgets himself and is preserved.  
Is it not because he is not self-interested  
That his self-interest is established?"
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 7  

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 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.  These are hypertext documents, and available online under Creative Commons 4.

  
Chapter 7, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.  Complied by Mike Garofalo.  

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

A Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

An Old Philosopher's Notebooks

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 4

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 4


"Tao is like an empty vessel,
yet use will not drain it.
Never needing to be filled,
it is the deep and unfathomable source
of the ten thousand things.
Blunt the sharpness.
Untangle the knots.
Soften the glare.
Settle like dust.
Let your wheels move only along old ruts.
Darkly visible,
it only seems as if it were there.
I know not its name.
It existed before the ten thousand things.
I call it Tao."
-  Translated by Kari Hohne, 2009, Chapter 4  

"Tao is a whirling emptiness, yet when used it cannot be exhausted.
Out of this mysterious well flows everything in existence.
Blunting sharp edges, Untangling knots, Softening the glare, It evolves us all and makes the whole world one.
Something is there, hidden and deep!
But I do not know whose child it is.
It came even before God."
-  Translated by Brian Browne Walker, 1996, Chapter 4  

"Tao is infinite.

If we use It, we find It inexhaustible,
Deep!
It appears to be Ancestor of all things.
It rounds our angles. It unravels our difficulties. It harmonizes our Light. It brings our atoms into Unity.
Pure!
It appears to be everlasting in principle.
I do not know whose Son It is,
It existed before God was manifest in Form."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 4 


"The Tao is like an empty bowl, 
Which in being used can never be filled up.
Fathomless, it seems to be the origin of all things.
It blunts all sharp edges,
It unties all tangles,
It harmonizes all lights,
It unites the world into one whole.
Hidden in the deeps,
Yet it seems to exist for ever.
I do not know whose child it is;
It seems to be the common ancestor of all, the father  of things."
-  Translated by John C. H. Wu, 1961, Chapter 4  



道沖而用之或不盈.
淵兮似萬物之宗.
挫其銳.
解其紛.
和其光同其塵.
湛兮似或存.
吾不知誰之子.
象帝之先.-  Chinese characters, Chapter 4, Tao Te Ching

dao chang er yong zhi huo bu ying.
yuan xi si wan wu zhi zong.
cuo qi rui.
jie qi fen.
he qi guang tong qi chen.
zhan xi si huo cun.
wu bu zhi shui zhi zi.
xiang di zhi xian.  -  Pinyin Romanization, Chapter 4, Daodejing




"Existence, by nothing bred,
Breeds everything.
Parent of the universe,
It smoothes rough edges,
Unties hard knots,
Tempers the sharp sun,
Lays blowing dust,
Its image in the wellspring never fails.
But how was it conceived?--this image
Of no other sire."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 4 


"Tao is empty, used yet never filled.
It is deep, like the forefather of all things.
It dulls sharpness, and sorts tangles,
Blends with the light, becoming one with the dust.
So serene, as if it hardly existed.
I do not know whose son it is.
It seems to have preceded God."
-  Translated by Paul J. Lin, Chapter 4 


"El Tao es como un jarrón
que el uso nunca llena.
Es iqual que un abismo,
origen de todas las cosas del mundo.
El embota cualquier filo,
El desmadeja cualquier ovillo,
El fusiona todas las cuces,
El unifica todos los polvos.
El parece muy frofundo,
parece durar siempre.
Higo de un no sé qué,
debe de ser el antepasado de los dioses."
-  Translated by Alba, 1998, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 4 


"The subtle Way of the universe appears to lack strength,
yet its power is inexhaustible.
Fathomless, it could be the origin of all things.
It has no sharpness,
yet it rounds off all sharp edges.
It has no form,
yet it unties all tangles.
It has no glare,
yet it merges all lights.
It harmonizes all things and unites them as one integral whole.
It seems so obscure,
yet it is the Ultimate Clarity.
Whose offspring it is can never be known.
It is that which existed before any divinity."
-  Translated by Hua-Ching Ni, 1995, Chapter 4  


"Tao is an empty vessel;
it is used but never exhausted.
It is the fathomless source
of the ten thousand beings!
It blunts the sharp
and untangles the knots.
It softens the glare
and unites with the dust of the world.
It is tranquil and serene
and endures forever.
I don't know form where it comes
yet it is the ancestor of all."
-  Translated by Solala Towler, 2016, Chapter 4 


"Tao is a container
Though used again and again
It is never full
Profound!  As though the ancestor of all things
Rounding the points
Untying the knots
Softening the glare
Unifying the dust

Tranquil!  Although having a life of its own
I do not know whose child it is
It appears to have preceded the primordial ruler"
-  Translated by Dan G. Reid, 2016, Chapter 4 


"The Tao is like an empty container: 
 it can never be emptied and can never be filled.
 Infinitely deep, it is the source of all things.
 It dulls the sharp, unties the knotted,
 shades the lighted, and unites all of creation with dust.

It is hidden but always present.
 I don't know who gave birth to it.
 It is older than the concept of God."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 4  




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 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.  These are hypertext documents, and available online under Creative Commons 4.

  
Chapter 4, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.  Compiled and indexed by Mike Garofalo.  

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

A Solitary Daoist Neopagan's Final Journey  

An Old Philosopher's Notebooks

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 1

"Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, 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."
-  Translated by D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 1 

"The Tao that is the subject of discussion is not the true Tao.
The quality which can be named is not its true attribute.
That which was before Heaven and Earth is called the Non-Existent.
The Existent is the mother of all things.
Therefore doth the wise man seek after the first mystery of the Non-Existent, while seeing in that which exists the Ultimates thereof.
The Non-Existent and Existent are identical in all but name.
This identity of apparent opposites I call the profound, the great deep, the open door of bewilderment."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 1

"Nature can never be completely described, for such a description of Nature would have to duplicate Nature.
No name can fully express what it represents.
It is Nature itself, and not any part or name or description abstracted from Nature, which is the ultimate source of all that happens, all that comes and goes, begins and ends, is and is not.
But to describe Nature as "the ultimate source of all" is still only a description, and such a description is not Nature itself.
Yet since, in order to speak of it, we must use words, we shall have to describe it as "the ultimate source of all."
If Nature is inexpressible, he who desires to know Nature as it is in itself will not try to express it in words
Although the existence of Nature and a description of that existence are two different things, yet they are also the same.
For both are ways of existing.
That is, a description of existence must have its own existence, which is different from the existence of that which it describes.
And so again we have to recognize an existence which cannot be described."
-  Translated by Archie J. Bahm, 1958, Chapter 1   

道可道, 非常道.
名可名, 非常名.
無名天地之始.
有名萬物之母.
故常無, 欲以觀其妙.
常有, 欲以觀其徼.
此兩者, 同出而異名.
同謂之玄.
玄之又玄.
衆妙之門.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1


tao k’o tao, fei ch’ang tao.
ming k’o ming, fei ch’ang ming.
wu ming t’ien ti chih shih.
yu ming wan wu chih mu.
ku ch’ang wu, yü yi kuan ch’i miao.
ch’ang yu, yü yi kuan ch’i chiao.
tz’u liang chê, t’ung ch’u erh yi ming.
t’ung wei chih hsüan.
hsüan chih yu hsüan.
chung miao chih mên.
-  Wade Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1  


"The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao.
The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name. 
Conceived of as having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth;
Conceived of as having a name, it is the Mother of all things.  
Always without desire we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.  
Under these two aspects, it is really the same;
But as development takes place, it receives the different names.
Together we call them the Mystery.
Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 1 


"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the constant Tao.
The name that can be named is not the constant name.
The nameless is the beginning of life.
It is the mother of the ten thousand things.
Remove your desires and you will see the mystery.
Be filled with desire
And you will see only the manifestation.
These two are the same
yet, they diverge in nature
as they issue forth.
Being the same, they are the source
but the source remains a mystery.
Mystery upon mystery,
The gateway of Tao's manifold secrets."
-  Translated by Kari Hohne, 2009, Chapter 1

"Camino que se puede describir de manera articulada
     no es el Camino Invariable.
El nombre que se puede decir en voz alta
     no es el Nombre Invariable.
Con la boca cerrada y las cosas sin definir,
     estás al principio del universo.
Si haces definiciones, eres la medida de toda la creación.
Así, estando siempre sin deseo,
     miras en lo hondo de lo trascendente.
Albergando constantemente el deseo,
     todas las cosas que te rodean te estorban la vista.
Estos dos entran en el mundo semejantes,
     pero sus nombres son diferentes.
Semjantes, se llaman profundos y remotos.
Profundos y remotos y más aún:
Esta es la puerta de todos los misterios."
-  Translated by Alejandro Pareja, 2012, based upon the William Scott Wilson translation into English, Capítulo 1

"Tao called Tao is not Tao.
Names can name no lasting name.
Nameless: the origin of heaven and earth.
Naming: the mother of ten thousand things.
Empty of desire, perceive mystery.
Filled with desire, perceive manifestations.
These have the same source, but different names.
Call them both deep - Deep and again deep: the gateway to all mystery."
-  Translated by Stephen Addis and Stanley Lombardo, 1993, Chapter 1  

 

"The Way that can be told of is not an Unvarying Way;
The names that can be named are not unvarying names.
It was from the Nameless that Heaven and Earth sprang;
The named is but the mother that rears the ten thousand creatures, each after its kind.
Truly, “Only he that rids himself forever of desire can see the Secret Essences”;
He that has never rid himself of desire can see only the Outcomes.
These two things issued from the same mould, but nevertheless are different in name.
This “same mould” we can but call the Mystery, Or rather the “Darker than any Mystery”,
The Doorway whence issued all Secret Essences."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 1 

 

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 25 or more different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 or more 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.  In 2020, I will be improving the indexing.  

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.  An electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the  Tao Te Ching is provided.   


Chapter 1, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Concordance for 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  

Nature and Our Awareness, Interactions, Insights, and Wholeness

 

Nature and Spirituality: A Bibliography
The Natural World and Our Awareness, Interaction, Insights, Wholeness

By Michael P. Garofalo

Readings about bringing natural settings more into our lives, having a deeper appreciation and love for the natural world, finding inspiration and profound experiences while immersed in a natural setting, spiritual retreats a quests into Nature, learning more about our bodies, nature mysticism, and finding spiritual insights with a deep involvement with the natural world.

Manifestos for the Green Movement!

Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth.  Edited by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.  2021, 259 pages. EBook. VSCL.

Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. By Mark Coleman. New World, 2006, 231 pages. VSCL.

An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming. By Al Gore. Vintage, 2007, 192 pages. VSCL.

Silent Spring. By Rachel Carson. 1962, 400 pages. VSCL.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. By Robin Wall Kimmerer. Milkweed, 2013, 394 pages. VSCL.

The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World. By David Abram. Vintage, 1967, 368 pages. VSCL.

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. By Annie Dillard. 2007, 302 pages. VSCL.

Ecomysticism: The Profound Experience of Nature as a Spiritual Guide. Carl Von Essen. Bear, 2010, 288 pages. VSCL.

Simple in Means, Rich in Ends: Practicing Deep Ecology. By Bill Deval. Gibbs-Smith, 1988, 232 pages. VSCL.

Walden. By Henry David Thoreau. 1854, 400 pages, Annotated. VSCL.

Buddhism. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

Nature Mysticism. By John Edward Mercer. 2012, 271 pages. EBook. VSCL.

Gardening - Quotations. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World. By Karen Armstrong. Anchor, 2022, 197 pages.

Reconnect with Mother Nature: Awaken Your Higher Consciousness. By Alwynn Emerson. Soothsayer, 2023, 231 pages.

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons

Becoming Rooted: One Hundred Days of Reconnecting with Sacred Earth. By Randy Woodley. Broadleaf, 2022, 256 pages.

Walking Outdoors - Quotations. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

The Sky and the Earth Touched Me: Sharing Nature Wellness Exercises. By Joseph Cornell. Crystal Clarity, 2014, 144 pages.

Meditations of John Muir: Nature's Temple. Wilderness Press, 2001, 168 pages.

Modern Druidry. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

Earth Prayers: 365 Prayers, Poems, and Invocations from Around the World. By Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon. 2009, 480 pages.

Virtue Ethics. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

If Trees Could Talk: Life Lessons from the Wisdom of the Woods. By Holly Worton. 2022, 296 pages.

Listen to Nature: Living in Harmony with the Earth. By Sri Chinmoy. 2021.

Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong Done Outdoors. By Michael P. Garofalo.

The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature. By Gerald G. May. 2007, 224 pages.

The Five Senses - Quotations. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul. By Belden C. Lane. Oxford University Press, 2019, 344 pages.

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred. By Victoria Loorz. Broadleaf, 2021, 262 pages.

Tao of Thoreau. By Mark J. Bozeman. 2022, 139 pages.

Taoism. Edited by Michael P. Garofalo.

Yearning for the Wild: Celtic Reflections on Nature and the Soul. By Tom Cowan and Sandra Ingerman. New World, 2003, 208 pages.

Wild Wisdom: Zen Masters, Mountain Monks and Rebellious Eccentrics Reflect on the Healing Power of Nature. By Neil Douglas-Klotz and M. Amos Clifford. Hampton Rhodes, 2021, 202 pages.

Simplicity. By Nancy Braithwaite. 2014, 296 pages.

Looking to Nature: Exploring a Modern Way of Being Spiritual Without the Supernatural. By Todd Macalister. 2020, 149 pages.

Deep Ecology: Living As If Nature Mattered. By Bill Deval and George Sessions. Gibbs-Smith, 2007, 280 pages. VSCL. 

Tending To the Sacred: Rituals to Connect with Earth, Spirit, and Self. 2021, 273 pages. FVRL.

Deep Ecology for the Twenty-first Century: Readings in the Philosophy and Practice of the New Environmentalism. 1995, 520 pages.

Journeys of Simplicity: Traveling Light with Thomas Merton, Basho, Edward Abbey, Annie Dillard and Others.  Edited by Philip Hamden. Skylight, 2007, 144 pages.

Nature Mysticism. Edited by Michael P. Garofalol.

Two Winters in a Tipi: My Search for the Soul of the Forest. By Mark Warren. Lyons, 2012, 264 pages.

Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us Into the Sacred. By Victoria Loorz. 2021, 245 pages.

VSCL  Valley Spirit Center Library. My home library and books I own.