Dao De Jing, Chapter 26

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 26


"The heavy is the root of the Light.
The quiet the master of motion.
Therefore the wise man in all the experience of the day will not depart from dignity.
Though he be surrounded with sights that are magnificent,
he will remain calm and unconcerned.
How does it come to pass that the Emperor,
master of ten thousand chariots,
has lost the mastery of the Empire?
Because being flippant himself, he has lost the respect of his subjects;
being passionate himself, he has lost the control of the Empire."
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard, 1919, Chapter 26


"What is heavy acts as a starting point for lightness.
What is calm acts as a controlling influence over impetuosity. 
It is natural for a person of character to move about all day long without losing sight of his heavy baggage.
Although he may be surrounded by police, he takes a comfortable stance; as a result he seems to be clear and bright. 
How is it that a king has ten thousand chariots, yet as for his own body, he moves lightly in the world?
When he is light he then loses his roots.
When he is impetuous he then loses control."
-  Translated by Nina Correa, 2005, Chapter 26 

"The heavy is the root of the light.
The still is the master of unrest.
Therefore the sage, traveling all day,
Does not lose sight of his baggage.
Though there are beautiful things to be seen,
He remains unattached and calm.
Why should the lord of ten thousand chariots act lightly in public?
To be light is to lose one's root.
To be restless is to lose one's control."
-  Translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, 1989, Chapter 26 

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 26, 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

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