"Taoists use the metaphor of gu shen, "the valley
spirit." A valley supports life, feeds the animals who live there and provides fertile earth for agriculture. It can do this only because
it
is empty. It accepts the flow of the river because it is most low and most humble. It receives the warmth of the sun
because it is wide and not filled with anything to block the light. It brings forth life because it supports all
who come to it."
- Deng Ming-Dao, Scholar Warrior, p. 182
I live in the north Sacramento Valley,
California, near the town of Red Bluff. At this location, the Sacramento Valley is about 70 miles wide. To the east are the
southern Cascades, a range of volcanic mountains, with some nearby peaks over 10,000 feet high
(e.g., Mt. Lassen). To the west
are the Yolly Bolly Mountains, with nearby peaks over 8,000 feet high.
To the north are multiple mountain ranges such as the Trinity Alps and
Cascades, and the massive peak, Mt. Shasta, over 14,000 feet
high. Dozens
of creeks flow from the mountains down into the Sacramento Valley, and all flow
into the
Sacramento River. The
area where I live is rural. The primary agricultural products are
almonds, olives, walnuts, prunes,
winter wheat, cattle, and sheep. My outdoor practice of
T'ai Chi Ch'uan
and Qigong cannot help but be influenced by the "Valley Spirit."
Our sacred circle garden is called the
Gushen Grove.
- Mike Garofalo, November, 2013
"The valley spirit not dying
is called the mysterious female.
The opening of the mysterious female
is called the root of heaven and earth.
Continuous, on the brink of existence,
to put it into practice, don't try to force it."
- Translated by Thomas Cleary, Tao Te Ching,
Chapter 6
"The valley spirit never dies
Call it the mystery, the woman.
The mystery,
the Door of the Woman,
is the root
of earth and heaven.
Forever this endures, forever.
And all its uses are easy."
- Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin, Chapter 6
The Valley Spirit (Ku Shên, Gu Shen), The Completion of Material Forms, Effort or Labor or Toil (ch'in), The Infinitude of Creative Effort, Mother or Female (p'in), Earth (ti), Heaven (t'ien), Endless, Mysterious or Profound or Secret (hsüan), Fertile, Spirit or Soul (shên), Bounty, Enduring or Remaining in Existence (ts'un), Ceaseless, Using (yung), Visible, Creation, Inexhaustible, Spontaneous, Deep, Root or Origin or Cause (kên), Field, Spring, Female (p'in), Deathless, Womb, Gate or Door or Entrance (mên), Source, Continuous (mien), Valley or Fountain (ku), Seems or Appears (jo), Productive, Rebirth, The Mysterious Female, 成象
"The Valley Spirit never dies
It is named the Mysterious Female.
And the doorway of the Mysterious Female
Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang.
It is there within us all the while.
Draw upon it as you will, it never runs dry."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, Chapter 6
"The Tao is called the Great Mother
empty yet inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.
It is always present within you.
You can use it any way you want.
- Translated by Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 6
"The wu-chi diagram describes
the process of transformation through internal alchemy, or the return to the Tao. The empty circle at the bottom is the
Mysterious Gate [Mysterious Entrance] or the Valley Spirit. Gate means
"opening," and Valley referes to "Emptiness" or "Void." On the physical level the
Valley Spirit lies in the Life Gate (ming-men) on the spinal column (an area on the spine between the
kidneys).
The ming-men controls movement of generative energy in the lower tan-t'ien
(the area near the navel). On the spiritual level, the Valley Spirit is
consciousness emptied of sensations, emotions, and thoughts."
- Cultivating
Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, p. xvii
Translated by Eva Wong, 1992.
"The Mysterious Gate has many
names. In Confucianism, it is called the altar of wisdom. It embodies limitless compassion. It is a consciousness
without thoughts and it reflects the way of heaven. It is intuitive knowledge and reflects
the way of earth. In Buddhism, the Mysterious Gate is the spirit mountain, the
empty consciousness of original mind, or nirvana, the realm of the Amitabha Buddha.
In Taoism, it is the Golden Palace, the realm of t'ai-chi, the domain of the
Three Pure Realms, the root of existence of all things. Although it is given
different names by the three religions, it is nonetheless the same thing. In Confucianism,
when this gate is opened, the sage emerges. In Buddhism, when this gate is opened, the
Buddha emerges. In Taoism, when this gate is opened, the immortal emerges."
- Cultivating
Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, p. 18
Translated by Eva Wong, 1992.
"Know honor,
Yet keep humility.
Be the valley of the universe!
Being the valley of the universe,
Ever true and resourceful,
Return to the state of the uncarved block."
- Tao Te Ching, #28, Translaged by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English
"High mountains receive more of these energies than the surrounding
lowlands, and their atmosphere is
more easily ionized. The positive ions are pulled down the mountains by
the earth's force fields, while
the negative ions tend to rise, leaving a greater concentration on the mountain
tops. Applied to human
beings, negative charges have good effects, while positive charges have bad
effects."
- Frank Waters, Mountain Dialogues, p. 69
"Ku shen: “Valley
Spirit”. The first word modifies the second here, as in English.
Both are normally nouns. (“Shen gu”
would be “valley of spirits” or “spiritual valley”.)"
- Chapter Two
"When discussing Taoist philosophy, metaphors are used to describe various concepts. These examples are usually taken from nature. The metaphor of 'gu shen', loosely translated as 'the valley spirit', has been used to describe the concept of Emptiness. Emptiness, by most people, is viewed as something negative. The metaphor of gu shen shows how very important, and positive, Emptiness is. A valley allows the flow of the river because it is low and humble. It is wide so accepts the warmth and light of the sun to sustain growth. So in it's emptiness, it supports life, not only in it, but to those who come to it."
"The Tao Te Ching can be
seen as advocating mostly "female" (or Yin)
values, emphasizing "water" fluidity and softness (instead of the solid and stable
"mountain"), choosing the obscure and mysterious aspect of things in order to be able to
rule-without-ruling them. In this respect, this book can be understood as challenging "male" (or Yang)
values such as clarity, stability, positive action, and domination of nature, values often also
referred to as Confucian."
- Online Law
Encyclopedia
"The life-force of the valley
never dies--
This is called the dark female.
The gateway of the dark female--
This is called the root of the world.
Wispy and delicate, it only seems to be there,
Yet its productivity is bottomless."
- Translated by
Roger T. Ames and David L.
Hall, Dao De Jing, Chapter 6
"You darkness that I come
from,
out of which all things come,
I love you more that all the fires
that fence the world,
for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone,
and then no one outside learns of you,
But the darkness pulls in everything,
shapes and fires, animals and myself.
How easily it gathers them,
powers and people.
It is possible a great energy is moving near us.
I have faith in the night."
- Ranier Marie Rilke, I Have Faith in Nights
A monk introduced himself to the teacher
Hsuan-sha, saying,
"I have just entered this monastery. Please show me
where to enter the Way."
"Do you hear the sound of the valley stream?" asked Hsuan-sha.
"Yes," said the monk.
"Enter there!"
谷神不死, 是謂玄牝.
玄牝之門.
是謂天地根.
綿綿若存.
用之不勤.
- Chinese characters, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching
ku shên pu ssu, shih wei hsüan p'in.
hsüan p'in chih mên.
shih wei t'ien ti kên.
mien mien jo ts'un.
yung chih pu ch'in.
- Wade-Giles transliteration, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching
gu shen bu si, shi wei xuan pin.
xuan pin zhi men.
shi wei tian di gen.
mian mian ruo cun.
yong zhi bu qin.
- Pinyin transliteration, Chapter 6, Daodejing
1-4
(304-307)
gu3 .
shen2 .
bu4 .
si3
.
5-8
(308-311)
shi4 .
wei4 .
xuan2 .
pin4
.
9-12
(312-315)
xuan2 .
pin4 .
zhi1 .
men2
.
13-17
(316-320)
shi4 .
wei4 .
tian1 .
di4 .
gen1
.
18-21
(321-324)
mian2 .
mian2 .
ruo4 .
cun2
.
22-25
(325-328)
yong4 .
zhi1 .
bu4 .
qin2
- Laozi Daodejing Sealscript, Chapter 6, by Alice
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters and English (includes a word by word key) from YellowBridge
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin transliteration (romanization), English and German by Dr. Hilmar Alquiros.
Laozi Daodejing: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script, detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin, German, French and English. Excellent!
Chinese and English Dictionary, MDGB
Dao De Jing Wade-Giles Concordance by Nina
Dao De Jing English and Wade-Giles Concordance by Mike Garofalo
Tao Te Ching in Pinyin transliteration with Chinese characters, WuWei Foundation
Tao Te Ching in Pinyin transliteration
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters and English
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, English, Word by word analysis, Zhongwen
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters: Big 5 Traditional and GB Simplified
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin and Wade Giles transliteration spellings, English; a word for word translation of the Guodian Laozi Version.
Lao Zi's Dao De Jing: A Matrix Translation with Chinese Text by Bradford Hatcher.
Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition
The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain.
"Departing from the Mysterious,
entering the Female.
It appears to have perished, yet appears to exist.
Unmovable, its origin is mysterious."
- The Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic
"In the Recorded Sayings of Master
Ta Ma it is said, "The Mysterious [hsuan] represents
heaven, ching [essence], and the nose. The Female [p'in]
represents earth, blood [qi], and
the abdomen. Hsuan is the father of ching [jing], and p'in
is the mother of qi. So that which departs from the father is ching, and that which enters the female is qi.
Within each person there is the Mysterious Female. Everyone can create a spiritual
embryo. The Valley Spirit refers to yang shen [pure spirit]; with just one drop of yang
shen uniting with the ching and qi, the Spirit Embryo is born."
- The Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic. The Taoist
Guide to Health, Longevity, and Immortality.
Translated with commentary by Stuart Alve Olson. Rochester, Vermont,
2003. Index, bibliography,
216 pages. ISBN: 0892811358. Reference, p. 139.
"Here's the commonly available version for Chapter
6
[of the Tao Te Ching):
谷神不死, 是謂玄牝.
玄牝之門, 是謂天地之根．
綿綿若存，用之不勤
And the subtle difference of the older one:
谷神不死 是謂玄牝
玄牝之門 是謂天地之根
綿綿呵若存 用之不勤
The life-force of the valley never dies--
This is called the dark female.
The gateway of the dark female--
This is called the root of the world.
Wispy and delicate, it only seems to be there,
Yet its productivity is bottomless.
- Translated by Ames and Hall
"The spirit of the valley – a powerful symbol of the
female principle – is eternal. It has always been there and will always be. We
can call it the mystical female, or the sacred feminine. The sacred
feminine is the universal source of life. Therefore, the doorway to the essence
of the mystical female is what we can call the root, origin, or genesis of the
entire world. This essence – life itself – is a continuous flow. We tend to take
it for granted and not pay attention to it, but it is always there. And it does
not matter how much it is utilized – the power of life is literally
inexhaustible."
- Derek Lin, Tao Te Ching, p. 12.
"And that futhermore, 綿 was actually,
帛 (white, on top of turban, meaning silk) as the left-side and 系 (drawing threads together, meaning series) making a character I don't think is in the Unicode standard. Even Jade Emperor's Mind Seal Classic which references this passage uses the 綿 form. Combined with
呵 which zhongwen.com says means "exhale", that last passage includes some reference to inner alchemy. ...
According to Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang, 谷神 and 神谷
refers to the crown (GV-20) and the third eye. The two halves of the brain is divided in the middle, the convolutions on both side form a valley. The opening (門) to the valley (谷) lies in those two acupuncture points and chakra vertecies. When energy floods the valley, the 神 is expressed through the eyes. ...
Reiki practitioners tend to pull in from ... somewhere, with the idea that they are pulling from an inexhaustible source of energy. They are pulling through the 谷神. Some practice specifically pulling through the crown, and down the spine, sometimes all the way through the earth. Mixing the 'heavenly' and 'earthly' energies makes a big difference in the quality and quantity."
- qaexl, Valley
Spirit
"Carus と Waley
では、 he が使用されている。 翻訳の時代を考えると、 総称として
he が疑いなく使われていたのであろうが、 しかし、 「女性の賢人」 という可能性を一顧だにしなかったことも確実であろう。また、
Feng and English は妙を mystery
徼を manifestation と訳しているのに対し、ル・グウィンは、
what's hidden と only what it wants
と、 意味にふみこんで訳している。どちらがいいのか一概に言えないにしても、 詩を意識し、 なるべく平明に語ろうとしているル・グウィンの姿勢はよくわかる。次に 6 章の 「谷神は死せず、 是れを玄牝と謂う （谷神不死、 是謂玄牝）」の部分を見てみたい。
The valley spirit never dies. / Call it the mystery, the woman.
（Le Guin 9）
The valley sprit not expires, / Mysterious woman 'tis called by the sires.
（Carus 37）
The Valley Spirit never dies. / It is named the Mysterious Female.
（Waley 149）
The valley spirit never dies; / It is the woman, primal mother.
（Feng and English.）"
- Earthsea - Le Guin and the Tao Te Ching, The Chukyo University Society of English Language and Literature
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain.
'The Completion of Material Forms.' This title rightly expresses the import of this enigmatical chapter; but there is a foundation laid in it for the development of the later Tâoism, which occupies itself with the prolongation of life by the management of the breath or vital force.
'The valley' is used metaphorically as a symbol of 'emptiness' or 'vacancy;' and 'the spirit of the valley' is the something invisible, yet almost personal, belonging to the Tâo, which constitutes the Teh in the name of our King. 'The spirit of the valley' has come to be a name for the activity of the Tâo in all the realm of its operation. 'The female mystery' is the Tâo with a name of Chapter 1, which is 'the Mother of all things.'
All living beings have a father and mother. The processes of generation and production can hardly be imaged by us but by a recognition of this fact; and so Lâo-dze thought of the existing realm of nature--of life--as coming through an evolution (not a creation) from the primal air or breath, dividing into two, and thence appearing in the forms of things, material and immaterial. The chapter is found in Lieh-dze (I, 1 b) quoted by him from a book of Hwang-Tî; and here Lâo-dze has appropriated it, and made it his own."
- Texts
of Taoism (SBE 39)
"According to Lao-Tzu, the Tao is what gives rise to the Ten Thousand Things (wan-wu); it penetrates all of existence; it "acts without acting" (wu-wei). How, though, can anything act without acting? The best analogy I have seen to explain this is one from Prof. Robert Henricks, who compares the Tao to an uncultivated field, and the Ten Thousand Things to wildflowers. The field does nothing, it does not act... but the wildflowers can not exist without the field. So it is with the Ten Thousand Things and the Tao. The Ma-wang-tui slips refer in Chapter 6 to the "valley spirit" - this is likely another name for the Tao. Here is Chapter 6 in its entirety:
The valley spirit never dies;
We call it the mysterious female.
The gates of the mysterious female -
These we call the roots of Heaven and Earth.
Subtle yet everlasting! It seems to exist.
In being used, it is not exhausted.
Like the field under the wildflowers, the valley spirit is used by the Ten Thousand Things, but they are not necessarily aware of it. All one can say of the Tao is that "it seems to exist" - there is no physical evidence for its existence. It is still, empty, and inexhaustible.
The flowers are nourished by the field, but do not exhaust it. Likewise, the Tao enriches our lives, but there is no way we could ever "use up" the Tao."
-
The Tao and the Field
“The dragon and tiger are
none other than yin and yang, the female and male. They are
the cauldron and furnace of alchemical literature, the medicinal substance
required to
compound the golden pill. The cauldron, cool and limitless as the element
Water, fills herself and nourishes the Fire that would not die. You have read in the
Great One of
the miraculous pass, the portal into all knowledge. I will tell you what this
pass is. It
is none other that the inexhaustible female. Must I be blunt? Can you grasp
the concept
of the dragon and the tiger, water and fire, cauldron and furnace, pestle and
mortar?
The mysterious female is the key to the firing process. This talk of base
metals into
gold and drinking an elixir of mercury is not the real alchemy. Enter into her
and take
it into yourself, again and again. Lao Tzu said, “The valley spirit is the
mysterious female.
Her door is the root of heaven and earth.” It replenishes itself continuously.
There is
no coercion, but it is freely given. Opening up, you will enter the cinnabar
chamber
where all knowledge is stored. Conserving your essence, you will draw her into
yourself, up through the lower and middle tan tien into the seat of ecstasy.
Her
you will find madness and death … or the knowledge that will give you eternal
life.”
- Simon Marnier, White Tiger, Green Dragon,
p. 23
"The Valley and the Spirit never die.
They form what is called the mystic mother,
From whose gate comes the origin of heaven and earth.
This origin seems ever to endure.
In use it can never be exhausted." - Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 6
"The Valley Spirit never dies. It is called the Mysterious Female.
The entrance top the Mysterious Female Is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endless flow of inexhaustible energy." - Translated by Stephen Addis, 1993, Chapter 6
"The spirit of the valley never dies. It is called the subtle and profound female.
The gate of the subtle and profound female Is the root of Heaven and Earth.
It is continuous, and seems to be always existing. Use it and you will never wear it out." - Translated by Chan Wing-Tsit, 1963, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit is not dead; They say it is the mystic female. Her gateway is, they further say, The base of heaven and earth. Constantly, and so forever, Use her without labor." - Translated by Raymond Blakney, 1955, Chapter 6
"Here are two translations from the Tao Te Ching,
Chapter 6:
"The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother.
Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth."
(Feng and English)
"The Valley Spirit never dies.
It is named the Mysterious Female.
And the Doorway of the Mysterious Female
Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang."
(Arthur Waley)
Is the valley spirit "primal mother" or Mysterious Female? There's a difference!
In the first translation, her gateway "is", present tense, right now, the root
of heaven and earth. But in the second, the Tao seems to be talking about a
cosmic event long ago, the origin of "Heaven and Earth," some sort of creation
myth: "the Doorway of the Mysterious Female is the base from which Heaven and
Earth sprang." Yet, neither translation is wrong. The Chinese text
permits both of them, and indeed, many others. It has to do with the great
differences between Chinese and English. "
-
Laputan Logic
"Tao is the mysterious origin of creation. It
manifests itself through an energy
we call Teh. The “Spirit of the Valley” is the result of effectively adapting to
–
and dealing with – this energy. Laotse uses the word “valley” to describe this
result, because energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can, however, be
directed, deflected, and channeled in the same way that a valley directs,
deflects, and channels the perceivable energy form of moving water. Nature
is the greatest expression of Tao and it is tangible evidence of the
intelligence
of the source from which it emanates. Adapting to this expression, this energy,
is how we move toward adapting to its source because the source and its
expressions are actually one and the same."
-
The Spirit of the Valley
"The spirit of emptiness is immortal.
It is called the Great Mother
because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.
It is like a vapor,
barely seen but always present.
Use it effortlessly."
- Tao Te Ching,
Chapter 6, Translated by
J. H. McDonald
The Valley Spirit, The Completion of Material Forms, The Infinitude of
Creative Effort, The Mysterious Female
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
"The Spirit of the perennial spring is said to be immortal, she is called the
Mysterious One.
The Mysterious One is typical of the source of heaven and earth.
It is continually and endlessly issuing and without effort."
- Translated by
Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919
"The Spirit of the Depths is immortal; it is called the Azure Heaven and the
Mother Earth.
The passage through which these Two Influences emerge and enter is called the
root of the visible creation.
They are ceaseless in action as though permanent, and may be drawn upon without
ever being exhausted."
- Translated by
Frederic H. Balfour, 1884
"The valley spirit never dies.
It is the unknown first mother,
whose gate is the root
from which grew heaven and earth.
It is dimly seen, yet always present.
Draw from it all you wish;
it will never run dry."
- Translated by
T. McCarroll
"The valley spirit never dies.
It's named the mystic woman.
And the gate of the profound woman is the root that heaven and earth sprang
from.
It's there within us all the while;
draw upon it as you will,
you can never wear it out."
- Translated by
T. Byrn
"The mystery of the valley is immortal;
It is known as the Subtle Female. The gateway of the Subtle Female
is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Everlasting, endless, it appears to exist.
Its usefulness comes with no effort."
- Translated by
R. L. Wing
"The valley spirit is not dead:
They say it is the mystic female.
Her gateway is, they further say,
The base of heaven and earth.
Constantly, and so forever,
Use her without labor."
- Translated by
Raymond Blakney, 1955
"The spirit of emptiness is immortal.
It is called the Great Mother
because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.
It is like a vapor,
barely seen but always present.
Use it effortlessly."
- Translated by
John McDonald
"Like the sheltered, fertile valley,
the meditative mind is still,
yet retains its energy.
Since both energy and stillness,
of themselves, do not have form,
it is not through the senses
that they may be found,
nor understood by intellect alone,
although, in nature, both abound.
In the meditative state,
the mind ceases to differentiate
between existences,
and that which may or may not be.
It leaves them well alone,
for they exist,
not differentiated, but as one,
within the meditative mind."
- Translated by
Stan Rosenthal
"The concept of Yin is ever present.
It is the Mystic Female from whom
the heavens and the earth originate.
Constantly, continuously, enduring always.
Use her!"
- Translated by
C. Ganson
"The heart of Tao is immortal
the mysterious fertile mother of us all.
of heaven and earth,
of every thing
and not-thing.
Invisible yet ever-present,
You can use it forever without using it up."
- Translated by
Brian Walker
"Like a riverbed, the heart is never filled It is an ineffable female Whose entrance is the source of the World; Tao is ever present within it: Draw upon it and it will never fail." - Translated by Peter Merel
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same; The female mystery thus do we name. Its gate, from which at first they issued forth, Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth. Long and unbroken does its power remain, Used gently, and without the touch of pain." - Translated by Stephen McIntyre, 2009
"The Cavity of the mysterious female lies within. Its without structure and form and is limitless. Try to find it, and it will seem as if it is beyond thousands of mountains. Try to locate it, in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, or kidneys, and you will find nothing. Words cannot describe this cavity. If you try to grasp it, it is nowhere to be found.
The cavity of the Mysterious Gate is the most important
gate in the body. The cavity is the mind within the mind. Its not made of flesh
and blood, yet its the spirit that directs everything in us. The spirit dwells
inside a substantive form. It is there, and yet not there. When the ego is
absent, the one cavity of the Mysterious Gate will emerge. However, even if
there is only a small trace of ego present, the cavity will disappear."
-
Nourishing
the Essence of Life: The Inner, Outer, and Secret Teachings of Taoism
"The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark
womb
as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it.
The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb the dark womb's mouth
we call the source of creation as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust
it."
- Translated by
Red Pine, Chapter
6
谷神不死, 是謂玄牝.
玄牝之門.
是謂天地根.
綿綿若存.
用之不勤.
- Chinese characters, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching
ku shên pu ssu, shih wei hsüan p'in.
hsüan p'in chih mên.
shih wei t'ien ti kên.
mien mien jo ts'un.
yung chih pu ch'in.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching
Audio
Version in Chinese of Chapter 6 of the Tao Te Ching
gu shen bu si, shi wei xuan pin.
xuan pin zhi men.
shi wei tian di gen.
mian mian ruo cun.
yong zhi bu qin.
- Pinyin Romanization, Chapter 6, Daodejing
"The spirit of the valley does not die
It may be known as the mysterious feminine
The gateway of the mysterious feminine
May be known as the source of heaven and earth
Endless, continuous, seeming to exist
To practice this is not effort."
- Translated by
Bradford Hatcher,
2005, Chapter 6
"The valley spirit does not die.
It is called the dark and mysterious female.
The portal of the dark and mysterious female is called the root of heaven and
earth.
It has a kind of wispy continuity as though existing.
Use it without exertion."
- Translated by
Patrick E. Moran,
Chapter 6
"The Spirit of the Valley never dies.
It is called the Mysterious Female.
The gate of the Mysterious Female is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Ever-abiding, always existing,
It can be used, but never exhausted."
- Translated by
Keith H. Sutton,
Chapter 6
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 6
"Nature's spirit never dies, so it is called the organ of reproducibility.
This organ functions as the root of the world.
It lasts forever and can never be used up."
- Translated
Xiaolin Yang, Chapter 6
"The Spirit of the Fountain dies not.
It is called the Mysterious Feminine.
The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine
Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth.
Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence;
And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible."
- Translated by
John C. H. Wu, 1961, Chapter 6
"The manifestations of Infinity never cease
manifesting.
Infinity is the primal creator, the oneness of male
and female.
Infinity is the gate though which heaven
and earth manifested.
It is invisible to the senses,
yet totally permeates all things.
It is inexhaustible and eternally available
for any purpose."
- Translated by
John Worldpeace, Chapter 6
"The Tao is called the Great Mother:
empty yet never-ending,
it gives birth to unlimited worlds.
It is always at hand within you.
Use it gently, and without force."
- Translated by
Rivenrock, Chapter
6
"The unlimited capacity of valleys;
the unbelievable power of Spirits;
and the unending life of immortality are called the Profound Origin Mother.
The beginning of the Profound Origin Mother is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endlessly, endlessly!
It is existing.
Yet its usefulness is invisible."
- Translated by
Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 6
"The Tao never dies;
It is a deep womb.
And the opening of the womb
Is called the root of heaven and earth.
It exists for ever,
And its use can never be exhausted."
- Translated by
Gu Zengkun, Chapter 6
"The mystery of the valley is immortal;
It is known as the Subtle Female.
The gateway of the Subtle Female
Is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Everlasting, endless, it appears to exist.
Its usefulness comes with no effort."
- Translated by
R. L. Wing, 1986, Chapter 6
"The Spirit of the Valley never dies.
Hence comes the name Mysterious Female.
The gateway of the Mysterious Female
Is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuous like a thread it seems to exist;
Its utility is inexhaustible."
- Translated by
Henry Wei, 1982, Chapter 6
"The unlimited capacity of valleys;
the unbelievable power of Spirits;
and the unending life of immortality are called the Profound Origin Mother.
The beginning of the Profound Origin Mother is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endlessly, endlessly!
It is existing.
Yet its usefulness is invisible."
- Translated by
Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 6
谷 = Valley
神 = Spirit
Chapter 15 Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Circa 200 BCE
Reference to Valley, Gu, in Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching 谷
Open and broad as valleys
Vacant like a valley
Empty, like valleys
How empty! They resemble the valley
They were like valleys! Vast, oh
Receptive – As if an open valley
Willing and open like a deep valley
Accepting like a valley
Hollow like a cave
Hollow, like caves
Expansive as a vale
Wide and open-stretching, like a vale
Receptive! like a valley
Open-minded, like a valley
Open, like a valley
and Capacious, like a deep valley
Broad, as a valley
Open as a valley
Vacant were they, as a ravine
They were like a valley between high mountains
Open and broad as valleys
Receptive as a valley
Empty as a valley
Capacious, they were like a valley
Expansive? Like the space between hills
Yet, receptive as a hollow in the hills
Wide open, like a valley
They were empty as a valley
and Capacious, like a deep valley
How wide, like a valley
Vacant, like a valley
Vacant, like a valley
Empty, like a valley
They were lowly, like the valley
Regarding digging ditches: the steeper you slope their sides, the sooner they
will wash down
Like a valley awaiting a guest, How receptive!
Receptive, like an inviting, open valley
Taken from the 38 English language translations included on this
Chapter 15 hypertext
notebook
on the Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu. Compiled by Mike Garofalo, Gushen Grove, 2018.
谷 Ku, Gu, Valley, Flood Plain, Canyon, Gorge, Ravine, Channel, Hollow
Pictured as, Described as, Likened to, Imagined as, Pretended to be ...
A good area for a house, farms and a village. The Chinese character
reminds me of a house with two higher mountains in the background.
Usually, a productive valley featuring an all year river and streams; flatter,
wider, open, with good soil; and with mountains on one or two sides.
Fertile foothills and flood plains bordered by mountains like the
North Sacramento River
Valley in California, or the
Willamette River Valley
in Oregon,
or the Columbia River
Valley in Washington.
A cozy cabin at the edge of a beautiful meadow, small ponds, and creek in the foothills. Something like the Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest, England, where Winnie the Pooh and friends lived. Fantasy valleys are everywhere in art and fiction.
By "hollow" we might mean, 1. Having a hole or empty space inside. Synonyms: empty, void, unfilled, vacant. Example: The broad and green valley that lie below was largely uninhabited. 2. Without significance. Synonyms: meaningless, empty, valueless, worthless, useless, pyrrhic, nugatory, futile, fruitless, profitless, pointless. Example: He had no intentions, he felt hollow inside.
All the "Great Civilizations" from the history of the Four Corners of our Globe Earth, for the last 10,000 years, are the stories of human beings living in a valley by a river.
Channels can be natural or man made. An arroyo is a channel for flash floods in the desert. We can hollow out a cave for a larger shelter, or dig through a mountain side to create a channel for water from a productive spring. Something like the Panama Canal creates its own valley, a powerful Ku.
A rugged area, sparsely populated, where a seasonally powerful river or glaciers over the millennium have cut a steep walled canyon out of the mountains, like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, Yosemite Valley in California, or the Snake River Gorge in Idaho.
A valley offers an opening, a slit, a doorway, a crack, a corridor, a way in and out, an entrance and exit. I was born in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles, California, and will die in the Columbia River Valley of Washington.
A valley recreation or vacation retreat, in a small town, in a beautiful place, a welcoming place, a resort and refuge, a safe and peaceful valley place. Packwood, Washington. Bishop, California. Tillamook, Oregon. Borrego Springs, California. Red Bluff, California. Beautiful valleys from around the earth capture our enthusiasm, fascination, and imaginations. Similar experiences are transformed in books or films into valley fantasy realms and valley kingdoms like Shangri La, Shambhala, Shaolin, a remote Alpine or Tibetan village, Sleepy Hollow.
The desired valley is verdant land, fertile, receptive to agricultural cultivation, broad and open, empty and vacant, and we are willing and accepting of the work ahead needed to survive.
The valley is the source of our food, our essential life-line, our basic way to earn our 'daily bread', our means of creating bodily energy. The valley is in many ways acknowledged, studied, respected, revered, worshipped, sacred, divine.
The valley is Female. The valley is the Vulva, the Origin, the Womb, receptive and expansive, empty of self-concern and generous, the Creative Source of the birthing of the ten thousand things necessary for our continued existence.
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Empty - Full Empty-Filling/Emptying-Full Empty/Filled
Open - Closed On - Off Future - Past
Open Minded - Fixed Thinking (Ungrounded Beliefs, Routine Views)
Vacant - Occupied Vacant/Occupied
Potential - Existent Future - Past
Wide - Narrow
Hollow - Filled Hole - Peg Female -
Male
Expansive - Limited
Receptive - Hostile Accepting - Rejecting
Light - Heavy
Flowing - Damned (Blocked)
Open - Closed Future - Past
On - Off Off - On
See also: Chapter 6 Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Circa 200 BCE
See also: The Concept of the Valley Spirit: Gu Shen
Links and References
Chan Buddhist and Taoist Poetry
Chapter Index to
the Dao De Jing
Concordance to the Tao Te Ching
Dao De Jing by
Laozi, Chapter 6 Compiled
by Mike Garofalo
Daoism
Compiled by Mike Garofalo
The Doctrine of the
Mysterious Female in Taoism: A Transpersonalist View. By Evgueni A.
Tortchinov. Department of Philosophy, Ste. Petersburg State University,
Russia. 54Kb.
Gushen Grove Notebooks
for the Tao Te Ching
Gushen Grove
Sacred Circle in Red Bluff, California
Months of the Year: Quotes, Sayings, Poetry, Lore
The One Cavity of the Mysterious Gate
Ripening Peaches: Taoist
Studies and Practices By Mike Garofalo
Taoism
Compiled by Mike Garofalo
Tao Te Ching by
Lao Tzu, Chapter 6 Compiled
by Mike Garofalo
Valley
Spirit Center in Red Bluff, California
Valley Spirit (Gu
Shen) Concept of the Tao Te Ching
Old Link
Valley Spirit (Gu
Shen) Concept of the Tao Te Ching
Old Link
Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching
© 2002- 2018, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Red Bluff, California (1998-2017) and Vancouver, Washington (2017-)
This webpage was last changed, modified, edited or updated on
February 4, 2018.
Some of the information on this webpage was first distributed online in March of
2002.
Brief Biography of Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.
Valley Spirit Center, Red Bluff, California
Study Tai Chi or Chi Kung with Mike Garofalo
Ripening Peaches: Daoist
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Valley Spirit T'ai Chi Ch'uan - Cloud Hands
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Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu, Zhuang Zhou, Master Chuang) 369—286 BCE
Taoist Perspectives: My Reading List
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One Old Taoist's Final Journey: Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Martial Arts
Index to Cloud Hands and Valley Spirit Websites
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