Compiled and Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington
Chapter 20 Chapter 22 Index to All 81 Chapters Daoism Concordance Cloud Hands Blog
Classic Book (Ching) about the Tao (Way, Nature, Patterns, Processes) and Te (Virtue, Potency, Power, Integrity, Wise Person, Sage)
Concordance: Indexing, Search Terms, Topics, Themes, Subjects, Words
English and Chinese (Wade-Giles) Terms:
Emptying the Heart, Indistinct or Evasive or Eluding (hu),
Everything or All (chung), Vitality or Essence or Spirit Eluding Sensations,
Things or Objects (wu), Deep
and Obscure, Never Vanishing,
Profound,
Vague, Now or The Present (chin), Eluding, Tao,
Quintessential Energy, Illusive, Being,
Heart of Emptiness, Quality or Manner (jung), Beyond Sense, Unending, Purity, Truth
or Evidence or Proof (hsin), Change, Hidden or Deep or Profound (yao), Present, Past, Doorway, Future, Beauty, Unfathomable,
Nebulous, Grand Integrity, Elusive or Vague or Nebulous (huang), Knowledge,
Origin or Creation or Beginning (fu), Middle or Center or Withing (chung), Essence,
Vast or Great (k'ung), Dao, Seed, Obscure or Dim or Dark (ming), Form
or Substance (hsiang), Watch or See or View (yüeh), Departed or
Gone (ch'ü), Unformed, Origin, Nameless, Antiquity or Olden Days (hsin),
Real or Genuine (chên), Knowledge Through the Dao, Virture or Power (tê), 虛心
Términos en Español:
Vaciado del
corazón, Todo, Vitalidad,
Escencia, Cosas, Profundo, Oscuro, Vago, Ahora, Eludiendo, Ilusorio,
Quntessential, Energía, Calidad, Manera, Sin Fin, Pureza, Verdad, Evidencia,
Cambio, Oculto, Profunda, Presente, Pasado, Portal, Futuro, Belleza, Insondable,
Nebuloso, Esquiva, Vagos, Conocimiento, Origen, Creación, Medio, Centro,
Semilla, Forma, Ver, Vista, Infiltrados, Sin Nombre, Antigüedad, Real, Genuino,
Poder.
Electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching
English Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching
"Vast virtue's form
Follows Reason's norm.
And Reason's nature
Is vague and eluding.
How eluding and vague
All types including!
How vague and eluding,
All beings including!
How deep and how obscure.
It harbors the spirit pure,
Whose truth is ever sure,
Whose faith abides for aye
From of yore until to-day.
Its name is never vanishing,
It heeds the good of everything.
Through what do I know that "it heeds the good of everything"?
In this
way, verily: Through it."
- Translated by
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and
Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 21
"The appearance of Virtue in its fullest exuberance is no more than the
result of compliance with the Tao.
Tao, considered as an entity, is obscure and vague.
Vague and obscure!
Yet within it there is Form.
Obscure and vague!
Yet within it there is Substance.
Vacuous and unfathomable!
Yet within it there is Quintessential Energy—and this is supremely real.
Within it, too, there is Trustworthiness.
From from ancient down to modern times its name has never been lost
By it I can include in the range of my observation the whole of animate nature.
How am I cognizant of the acquiescence of animate nature in the Tao?
By the Tao itself."
- Translated by
Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 21
"The capacity of Grand Virtues is obtained only by following Dao.
Dao is a matter, even though it is indistinct and elusive.
It is elusive and indistinct, yet within it All Images are formed;
It is indistinct and elusive, yet within it All Things are created;
It is shadowy and obscure, yet within it All Vitalities are produced.
It's own vitality is real and valid.
Throughout the past and present the name of Dao has never been dropped.
It observes All Origins.
How do we know that All Origins are so?
By these observations."
- Translated by
Tang Zi Chang, Chapter 21
"A virtuous person comes into being only according to
the Tao.
Tao is something which is obscure and indistinct.
Indistinct and obscure —
yet there is an appearance.
Obscure and indistinct —
yet there is a substance.
Vague and dim —
yet there is an essence within it.
This essence is genuine.
There is truth within it.
Since ancient times until now, its name never forsaken,
it stands there to guard all the good deeds.
How do I know all the good deeds are guarded by this Tao?
I know.
- Translated by
Chao-Hsiu Chen, 2004, Chapter 21
"The virtue of the sage is to follow Tao and Tao alone.
What Tao is indeed is elusive and evasive.
Evasive and elusive, and yet it has the image.
Elusive and evasive, and yet it has the essence.
Profound and dark, and yet therein is the spirit.
Extremely real is this spirit and therein lies the evidence.
From ancient till now, it is called Tao and is the principle of all things.
Being in tune with Tao, the sage is aware of the world as it actually is."
- Translated by
Eichi Shmomisse, 1998, Chapter 21
"The form of great virtue is something that only the Tao can follow.
The Tao as a "thing" is vague and obscure.
How obscure! How vague! Yet in it there is form.
How vague! How obscure! But in it there are things.
How deep! How dark! In it there is an essence.
The essence is so real--therein is belief.
Since before time and space were,
the Tao IS.
It is beyond is and is not.
How do I know this is true?
I look inside myself and see."
- Translated by
Rivenrock, Chapter 21
Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2011-2023 CCA 4.0
Translated by Eva Wong 
Translated by Philip Ivahoe
By James Miller
Translated by Stephen Bokencamp
By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins
Translated by Thomas Cleary
By Livia Kohn
"The grandest forms of active force
From Tao come, their only source.
Who can of Tao the nature tell?
Our sight it flies, our touch as well.
Eluding sight, eluding touch,
The forms of things all in it crouch;
Eluding touch, eluding sight,
There are their semblances, all right.
Profound it is, dark and obscure;
Things' essences all there endure.
Those essences the truth enfold
Of what, when seen, shall then be told.
Now it is so; 'twas so of old.
Its name, what passes not away;
So, in their beautiful array,
Things form and never know decay.
How know I that it is so with all the beauties of existing things?
By this nature of the Tao."
- Translated by
James Legge, 1891,
Chapter 21
"The grandest aspects of producing force
Find Tao their energizing way and source;
In Tao things move unseen, impalpable,
Yet in it form and semblance brood and dwell;
Impalpable, invisible, yet things
Float forth within on transcendental wings;
Dark and profound, yet lo! within it there,
Are the pure essences which aeons bear;
It holds the truth, it keeps its ancient name,
And watches all that from the beginning came;
From the Beginning! How know I this is so?
By this, it is the Tao, by this I
know!"
- Translated by
Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 21
"The Teh follows Tao.
Tao is like a dream: invisible; intangible; obscure.
It is invisible yet there is form to it. It is intangible yet there is a feel to
it.
It is obscure yet there is method to it.
The method is true and so there are signs of it.
From ancient times until now the signs have never ceased by which we can see the
beginning.
How can I know the nature of the beginning?
By these signs!"
- Translated by
Frank J. MacHovec, 1962
"The impression made by magnificent Te comes only from Tao.
Tao is a something but elusive, but evasive.
Evasive, elusive, inside
it lies the mind's true form.
Elusive, evasive, inside it lies something
substantial.
Shadowy, dim.
Inside it lies vital energy.
This energy is
very strong inside it lies true genuineness.
From ancient times until today
Its name has not been forgotten allowing us to see the beginnings of everything.
How do I recognize the form of the beginnings of everything?
By this
low in the cycle of Change, which is Love and Beauty.
How do I know
this?
By my comprehension of the Dao."
- Translated by
Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 21
"The demeanour of a man of great virtue is consistent with the way of Dao.
Dao, as an entity, is not tangible.
Though it is intangible, it appears to have some image.
Although it appears nebulous, it has some form.
Though inscrutable and indistinct, it appears to have some vitality.
This vitality is as real as it is creditable.
From antiquity until now, Dao has always existed.
Through following the way of Dao, one tries to understand the beginning of
the world.
To understand the beginning of the universe is from the study of Dao."
- Translated by
Tan Han Hiong, Chapter 21
"Hollow Heart
Hsu Hsin
The inherent quality of Grand Virtue (Teh)
Always conforms only to Tao.
Tao is something dreamily winking and waning.
Waning, winking, it embodies forms;
Winking, waning, it embodies things.
It may seem receding afar and darkening,
Yet within it there is an essence.
This essence is very real.
Inside is something invariably vital.
From hoary antiquity to the present time,
Its effect has never gone awry,
And serves as witness to the Creator of all things.
How do I know the way of the Creator?
Through this (witness)."
- Translated by
Henry Wei, 1982, Chapter 21
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"The sole source of energy is the Tao.
Who may declare its nature?
It is
beyond Sense, yet all form is hidden within it.
It is beyond Sense, yet
all Perceptibles are hidden within it.
It is beyond Sense, yet all Being is
hidden within it.
This Being excites Perception, and the Word thereof.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, its Name
operateth continuously,
causing all to flow in the cycle of Change, which
is Love and Beauty.
How do I know this?
By my comprehension of the Tao."
- Translated by
Aleister Crowley, 1918, Chapter 21
A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 21 of
the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A
note
on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching
孔德之容, 唯道是從.
道之為物, 唯恍唯惚.
惚兮恍兮, 其中有象.
恍兮忽兮, 其中有物.
窈兮冥兮, 其中有精.
其精甚, 其中有信.
自古及今其名不去.
以閱衆甫.
吾何以知衆甫之狀哉.
以此.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 21
k'ung tê chih jung, wei tao shih ts'ung.
tao chih wei wu, wei huang wei hu.
hu hsi huang hsi, ch'i chung yu hsiang.
huang hsi hu hsi, ch'i chung yu wu.
yao hsi ming hsi, ch'i chung yu ching.
ch'i ching shên, chên ch'i chung yu hsin.
tzu ku chi chin ch'i ming pu ch'ü.
yi yüeh chung fu.
wu ho yi chih chung fu chih jan tsai.
yi tz'u.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 21
Audio Version in Chinese of Chapter 21 of the Tao Te Ching
kong de zhi rong, wei dao shi cong. dao zhi wei wu, wei huang wei hu. hu xi huang xi, qi zhong you xiang. huang xi hu xi, qi zhong you wu. yao xi ming xi, qi zhong you jing. qi jing shen, zhen qi zhong you xin. zi gu ji jin qi ming bu qu. yi yue zhong fu. wu he yi zhi zhong fu zhi zhuang zai. yi ci. - Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 21
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters and English (includes a word by word key) from YellowBridge
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin Romanization, English and German by Dr. Hilmar Alquiros.
Laozi Daodejing: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script, detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English.
Chinese and English Dictionary, MDGB
Dao De Jing Wade-Giles Concordance by Nina, Dao is Open
Dao De Jing English and Wade-Giles Concordance by Mike Garofalo
Tao Te Ching in Pinyin Romanization with Chinese characters, WuWei Foundation
Tao Te Ching in Pinyin Romanization
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters and English
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, English, Word by word analysis, Zhongwen
Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters: Big 5 Traditional and GB Simplified
Chinese Characters, Wade-Giles and Pinyin Romanizations, and 16 English Translations for Each Chapter of the Daodejing by Mike Garofalo.
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin and Wade Giles Romanization spellings, English; a word for word translation of the Guodian Laozi Dao De Jing Version.
Lao Zi's Dao De Jing: A Matrix Translation with Chinese Text by Bradford Hatcher.
"The complete manifestation of things visible proceeds only from Life.
In its nature Life is always coming into activity, yet in itself it eludes our sight and tough.
Eluding sight! eluding touch!
Within it are hid the plane of created things.
Eluding touch! eluding sight!
Within it are hid all created beings.
It is profound! It is obscure!
Within it is hid pure Spirit.
It is pure Spirit, enfolding Truth!
Within it is hid an infallible witness.
Free of Old until Now
Its Name remains unchanged.
Through its Doorway comes the Universe into existence.
How do I know that the Universe is coming to full perfection through Life?
The witness is in Life itself."
- Translated by
Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 21
"Those of magnificent character (de)
Are committed to way-making (dao) alone.
As for the process of way-making,
It is ever so indefinite and vague.
Those vague and indefinite,
There are images within it.
Those indefinite and vague,
There are events within it.
Those nebulous and dar,
There are seminal concentrations of qi within it.
These concentrations of qi are authentic,
And have within them true credibility.
From the present moment back into antiquity,
Praise for way-making has never ceased,
And it is through way-making that we can act in accordance with
the sire of the many.
How do I know that the sire of the many is so?
By this."
- Translated by
Roger Ames and David Hall, 2003, Chapter 21
By Alexander Simkins. 
By Derek Lin.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
The Feminine Tao: Early Women Masters East and West
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
Translated by Thomas Cleary.
"The greatest virtue is in simply following Tao, the intangible, inscrutable.
Inscrutable, intangible, and yet containing forms.
Intangible, inscrutable, and yet containing things.
Profound and obscure, but having an essence, a veritable essence in which is consistence.
From eternity until now its nature has remained unchanged.
It inheres in all things from their beginnings.
How do I know of the origin of things?
I know by Tao."
- Translated by
Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 21
All of the beings which play a role, in the great manifestation of the
cosmic theater,
Have come from the Principle, through its virtue.
The Principle is indistinct and indeterminate, mysterious and obscure.
In its indistinction and indetermination there are types, a multitude of
beings.
In its mystery and obscurity there is an essence which is
reality.
From ancient times until the present, its name (its being) has stayed the same, all beings have come from it.
How do I know that it was the origin of all beings?
By objective
observation of the universe, which reveals that contingencies must have
come from the absolute."
- Translated by
Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 21
"The greatest power is the gift of following the Way
alone.
How the Way does things is hard to grasp, elusive.
Elusive, yes, hard to grasp, yet there are thoughts in it.
Hard to grasp, yes elusive, yet there are things in it.
Hard to make out, yes, and obscure, yet there is spirit in it, veritable spirit.
There is certainty in it.
From long, long ago till now it has kept its name.
So it saw the beginning of everything.
How do I know anything about the beginning?
By this."
- Translated by
Ursula K. Le Guin, 1998, Chapter 21
"The great virtue as manifested is but following the Tao.
Tao is a thing that is both invisible and intangible.
Intangible and invisible, yet there are forms in it;
Invisible and intangible, yet there is substance to it;
Subtle and obscure, there is essence in it;
This essence being invariably true, there is faith in it.
From of old till now, it has never lost its nameless name,
Through which the origin of all things has passed.
How do I know it is so with the origin of all things?
By this Tao."
- Translated by
Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 21
Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2011-2023 CCA 4.0
By Hu Xuzehi
Annotated translation by Victor Mair 
By Ha Poong Kim
By Hans-Georg Moeller Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices By Mike Garofalo
By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
By Arthur Waley
"All the innumerable forms of teh correspond to the norm of Tao,
but the nature of the Tao's activity is infinitely abstract and illusive.
Illusive and obscure, indeed, but at its heart are forms and types.
Vague and illusive, indeed, but at its heart is all being.
Unfathomable and obscure, indeed, but at its heart is all spirit, and spirit is reality.
At its heart is truth.
From of old its expression is unceasing, it has been present at all beginnings.
How do I know that its nature is thus?
By this same Tao."
- Translated by
Dwight Goddard, 1919, Chapter 21
"One of deep virtue cherishes the subtle essence of the universe.
The subtle essence of the universe is elusive and evasive.
Though it is elusive and evasive,
it unveils itself as images and forms.
Evasive and elusive,
it discloses itself as indefinable substance.
Shadowy and indistinct,
it reveals itself as impalpable subtle essence.
This essence is so subtle, and yet so real.
It is the subtle origin of the whole of creation and non-creation.
It existed prior to the beginning of time as the single deep and subtle reality of the universe.
It brings all into being."
- Translated by
Ni Hua Ching, 1995, Chapter 21
"The comprehensiveness of supreme energy
is its conformity to the Tao.
The Tao considered as an entity is impalpable, indefinite.
Indefinite, impalpable, within are concretions.
Impalpable, indefinite, within are shapes.
Profound, obscure,
within there is essence.
This essence being supremely real,
within is sincerity.
From the beginning until now it has not changed, and thus it has
watched all the essentials.
How do I know it has been thus will
all principles?
By what has just been said."
- Translated by
C.
Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 21
Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni
Translated by Brian Walker
Translated by Arthur Waley
Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles
By Eva Wong
"The appearance of grand integrity is that it follows the Way alone.
The Way objectified is blurred and nebulous.
How nebulous and blurred!
Yet within it there are images.
How blurred and nebulous!
Yet within it there are objects.
How cavernous and dark!
Yet within it there is an essence.
Its essence is quite real;
Within it there are tokens.
From the present back to the past,
Its name has been imperishable.
Through it we conform to the father of the masses.
How do I know what the father of the masses is like?
Through this."
- Translated by
Victor H. Mair, 1990, Chapter 21
"Forgiveness of great virtue
Flows from the Way alone.
The Tao may appear as a being.
Yet is just vague, only obscure.
Obscure it is! It is vague!
In its midst, some appearance.
Vague it is! It is obscure!
In its midst, some being.
Serene it is! It is profound!
In its midst, some essence.
True this essence, nothing but so true!
In its midst, some trust!
From the old to today
Its name never vanished,
To open the beginnings of all.
How do I know what those beginnings are?
From this alone."
- Translated by
Livia Kohn, 1993, Chapter 21
"The surest test
if a man be sane
Is if he accepts life whole, as it is,
Without needing by
measure or touch to understand
The measureless untouchable source
Of its
images,
The measureless untouchable source
Of its substances,
The
source which, while it appears dark emptiness,
Brims with a quick
force
Farthest away
And yet nearest at hand
From oldest time unto this
day,
Charging its images with origin:
What more need I know of the
origin
Than this?"
- Translated by
Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 21
Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching
The Tao of Zen
Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic
Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China
"The features (yung) of the vast (k'ung) Te,
Follows entirely (wei) from Tao.
Tao as a thing,
Is entirely illusive (huang) and evasive (hu).
Evasive and illusive,
In it there is image (hsiang).
Illusive and evasive,
In it there is thinghood (wu).
Dark and dim,
In it there is life seed (ching).
Its life seed being very genuine (chen),
In it there is growth power (hsin).
As it is today, so it was in the days of old (ku),
Its name goes not away (ch'ü),
So that we may survey (yüeh) the origins of the many (chung fu).
How do I know that the origins of the many are such?
Because of this."
- Translated by
Ellen Marie Chen, 1989, Chapter 21
"In every movement one of great virtue follows Tao and
Tao alone.
Tao is elusive and intangible.
Intangible and elusive, yet within it is an image.
Elusive and intangible, yet within it is a form.
Deep and obscure, yet within it is an essence.
The essence is very real, and therein, is something that can be tested.
From the ancient times till now its manifestations have never ceased.
It is that by which we may see the beginning of all things.
How do I know what is at the beginnings of all things?
Because of this."
- Translated by
Kari Hohne, 2009, Chapter 21
"Such the scope of the All-pervading Power.
That it alone can act through the Way.
For the Way is a thing impalpable, incommensurable.
Incommensurable, impalpable.
Yet latent in it are forms;
Impalpable, incommensurable
Yet within it are entities.
Shadowy it is and dim;
Yet within it there is a force,
Is none the less efficacious.
From the times of old till now
Its charge has not departed
But cheers onward the many warriors.
How do I know that the many warriors are so?
Through this."
- Translated by
Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 21
Further Teachings of Lao-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries (Wen Tzu)
By Thomas Cleary
The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
By Lui I-Ming (1780) and translated by Thomas Cleary
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices By Mike Garofalo
Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings with Selections from Traditional Commentaries
"A Quintessential Energy,
supremely real.
The Life Seed, growing, genuine, overflowing.
Yet Within the Within, a spacious void,
Dark and Obscure, vague and unfathomable.
As Sure as Something, as nebulous as nothing.
As Clear as Light, as profound as darkness.
Grasped and Touched, released and beyond reach.
Fragrant as springtime orange blossoms, scentless as the winter fig.
The Essentials and the Unknown, the One and the ten thousand things.
Coming into Being, returning to infinite emptiness.
The Names are Spoken, the unnamed is silent.
Profound Doorways Open to the Way, old men reflect on the journey."
- Interpolation by
Michael P. Garofalo, 2013, Chapter 21
"The manifestation of vast virtue
Flows only from Tao.
Tao in itself,
Is vague and chaotic.
Chaotic it is and vague, within it are shapes:
Vague it is and chaotic, within it are things:
Profound it is and dark, within it is essence:
This essence is absolutely genuine, within it is truth —
From ancient times till now, its name has never ceased.
It presides over all beginnings.
How do I know that all beginnings are so?
By this."
- Translated by
P. J. Maclagan, 1899, Chapter 21
|
Tao Te
Ching |
|||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 |
| 81 | |||||||||
"Des großen Lebens Inhalt
folgt ganz dem Sinn.
Der Sinn bewirkt die Dinge
so chaotisch, so dunkel.
Chaotisch, dunkel
sind in ihm Bildes.
Dunkel, chaotisch
sind in ihm Dinge.
unergründlich finster
ist in ihm Same.
Dieser Same ist ganz wahr.
In ihm ist Zuverlässigkeit.
Von alters bis heute
sind die Namen nicht zu entbehren,
um zu überschauen alle Dinge.
Woher weiß ich aller Dinge Art?
Eben durch sie."
- Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter
21
"Vom Vertrauen in die wirkenden Innenkräfte
Der Führungskraft höchstes Ziel
ist Gehorsam gegenüber dem Unergründlichen.
Wie das Unergründliche wirkt, wird niemandem kund.
In unerkennbarer und nicht faßbarer Weyse
erwirkt es die geistigen Kräfte;
in unerkennbarer und nicht faßbarer Weise
erwirkt es die Formkräfte;
in unfaßbarer und nicht ergründbarer Tiefe
trägt es die Keimkräfte in sich.
Die Keimkräfte erwirken die Wirklichkeit,
sie selber sind von der letzten Wirklichkeit erwirkt.
Diese, nie ihr Wesen offenbarend,
erwirkt den Ursprung des Seyns.
Woher weiß ich dies?
Eben durch sie."
- Translated
by Rudolf
Backofen, 1949, Chapter 21
"The greatest virtue you can have
comes from following only the Tao;
which takes a form that is intangible and evasive.
Even though the Tao is intangible and evasive,
we are able to know it exists.
Intangible and evasive, yet it has a manifestation.
Secluded and dark, yet there is a vitality within it.
Its vitality is very genuine.
Within it we can find order.
Since the beginning of time, the Tao has always existed.
It is beyond existing and not existing.
How do I know where creation comes from?
I look inside myself and see it."
- Translated by
John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 21
"The mightiest manifestations of active force flow
solely from Tao.
Tao in itself is vague, impalpable, how impalpable, how vague!
Yet within it there is Form.
How vague, how impalpable!
Yet within it there is Substance.
How profound, how obscure!
Yet within it there is a Vital Principle.
This principle is the Quintessence of Reality, and out of it comes Truth.
From of old until now, its name has never passed away.
It watches over the beginning of all things.
How do I know this about the beginning of things?
Through Tao."
- Translated by
Lionel Giles, 1905, Chapter 21
Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2011-2023 CCA 4.0
Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey
Tao Te Ching
The Book of Tao: Tao Te Ching - The Tao and Its Characteristics
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices
Taoism: Growth of a Religion
Zhuangzi (Chuang Tsu), Daoist Scripture: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotations, Notes
Zhuangzi: Basic Writings
Zhuangzi Speaks: The Music of Nature
Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons
"The form of great virtue is something that only
the Tao can follow.
The Tao as a "thing" is only vague and obscure.
How
obscure! How vague! In it there is form.
How vague! How obscure! In it are
things.
How deep! How dark! In it there is an essence.
The essence is
so real--therein is belief.
From the present to antiquity, its name has
never left it, so we can examine all origins.
How do I know the form of all
origins?
By this."
- Translated by
Charles Muller, 1891, Chapter 21
"The manifestations of her great power follow from Way
alone.
Way is a thing utterly unapparent, utterly unsubstantial.
Utterly unsubstantial, utterly unapparent, yet at her heart are appearances;
utterly unapparent, utterly unsubstantial, yet at her heart are substantial
things.
An abyss she is and dark, yet at her heart are vital forces;
dark she is, an abyss, yet at her heart are reliable powers.
From of old till now, the vital forces of these (apparent and substantial
beings)
have been genuine in the extreme; and that destiny of theirs has never departed
whereby they are to accord with the source-that-supports-all."
- Translated by
Richard Gotshalk, Chapter 21
"In his every movement a man of great virtue
Follows the way and the way only.
As
a thing the way is
Shadowy and indistinct.
Indistinct and shadowy,
Yet within it is an image;
Shadowy and indistinct,
Yet within it is a substance.
Dim and dark,
Yet within it is an essence.
This essence is quite genuine
And within it is something that can be tested.
From
the present back to antiquity,
Its name never deserted it.
It serves as a means for inspecting the fathers of the multitude.
How
do I know that the fathers of the multitude are like that?
By means of this."
- Translated by
D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 21
"Les formes visibles de la grande Vertu
émanent uniquement du Tao.
Voici quelle est la nature du Tao.
Il est vague, il est confus.
Qu'il est confus, qu'il est vague!
Au-dedans de lui, il y a des images.
Qu'il est vague, qu'il est confus!
Au-dedans de lui il y a une essence spirituelle.
Cette essence spirituelle est profondément vraie.
Au-dedans de lui, réside le témoignage infaillible de ce qu'il est ; depuis les
temps anciens jusqu'à aujourd'hui, son nom n'a point passé.
Il donne issue naissance à tous les êtres.
Comment sais-je qu'il en est ainsi de tous les êtres?
Je le sais par le Tao."
- Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter
21
Spanish
Language Versions of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
Tao Te Ching en Español
Lao Tsé. Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching Translated by Stephen Mitchell, Spanish version
Tao Te Ching Translated into Spanish by Father Carmelo Elorduy
Lao Tzu-The Eternal Tao Te Ching
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices By Mike Garofalo
Tao Te Ching - Translations into the Spanish Language
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching
Tao te king
English Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching
"La virtud se expresa siguiendo al Tao.
Tao es evasivo e intengible
Pero expresa toda forma y sustancia;
Tao es oscuro y sútil
Pero expresa toda la Naturaleza;
La Naturaleza no cambia,
Pero expresa toda sensación.
Desde antes del conocimiento
El Tao ha expresado todas las cosas.
¿Cómo puedo saber?
Confiando en mis sentidos."
- Translated by
Antonio Rivas, 1998, Capítulo 21
"La cabida de la virtud de la oquedad proviene del Tao.
El Tao es un ser
oscuro y claro.
En su oscuridad es luminoso, porqueen su interior está la
Forma.
En su luminosidad es oscuro, porqueen su interior hay seres.
Profundo
y secreto, en su interior estála esencia más fina y esta esencia es muy
real, es verdadera.
Desde la más remota antigüedad su nombre no se va
[esinmutable su ser].
Se le considera Padre de todos los seres.
¿Cómo conocer
la forma del Padre de todos los seres?
De aquí [de los seres]."
- Translated by
Carmelo Elorduy,
2006, Capítulo # 21
"La gran fuerza activa se manifiesta, siguiendo de cerca al
Tao.
La naturaleza del Tao es vaga a indistinta; pero, aunque vaga a
indistinta; hay formas en su seno.
Aunque misteriosas e incomprensibles, hay
existencias en su seno.
Tan profundas y sutiles son!
En su seno está la
esencia, y siendo su esencia veraz, la razón de su veracidad está en su seno.
Desde el tiempo de los tiempos hasta hoy, no se detienen sus manifestaciones.
De él surgió lo primordial.
¿Cómo sé que así fue lo primordial?
Por estas
formas."
- Translation from
Logia Medio Dia, 2015,
Capítulo 21
"La grandeza de toda virtud
reside en su fidelidad al Tao.
El Tao es algo confuso e intangible.
Es confuso e intangible, pero tiene formas.
Es confuso pero brillante porque abarca muchas cosas.
Es profundo y oscuro pero contiene una esencia.
Esta esencia es verdadera.
Desde los tiempos más remotos conserva invariable su nombre.
Es el origen de todos los seres.
¿Cómo conocer el origen de todos los seres?
Por esto mismo."
- Translated by
Anonymous,
2015, Capítulo #21
"El Sabio adquiere el Conocimiento al
seguir al Tao.
El Tao es algo confuso e intangible.
Es confuso e intangible, pero adquiere formas.
Es confuso pero poderoso porque abarca muchas cosas.
Es profundo y caótico pero contiene una esencia.
Esta esencia es la Verdadera Naturaleza.
Desde los tiempos más remotos hasta hoy,
jamás se ha podido prescindir de los nombres
para entender las cosas.
¿Cómo se puede entonces conocer la Verdadera Naturaleza?
A través de ella misma."
- Translation from
Wikisource, 2013,
Capítulo 21
Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2011-2023 CCA 4.0
Next Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #22
Previous Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #20
Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching
Commentary and Notes Regarding Chapter 21 of the Tao Te Ching:
"For effective contrast, this chapter is
best read together with chapter 14. Both chapters call Tao, the illusive
and evasive (hu-huang), i.e., the primal Chaos or Hun-tun described in
chapter 25. In chapter 14, Tao recedes and becomes the nothing; here in
chapter 21 the same illusive and evasive Tao moves forward to become the realm
of beings. There Tao is nameless; here Tao is the name that never goes
away. There Tao is the formless form, the image of nothing; here Tao
contains the seeds and images of all beings that are to be. The dominant
character of Tao in chapter 14 is wu, nothing; in this chapter it is
yu, being or having. The conclusion of chapter 14 traces Tao to the
beginning of old; this chapter arrives at the realm of the many in the now."
- Ellen M. Chen, The Tao Te Ching: A New Translation with Commentary,
1989, p.107
"Way-making is participatory, and is
this influenced by the character of those who would act to extend it.
While fluid and processual, it contains within it the eventful phenomena we
identify as those "things" and "images" that make up our lives, including of
course ourselves. The emerging field of experience is auto-generative,
with the energy of transformation residing within it. The seminal
concentration of qi are fecund, give birth to the myriad things around
us, transforming as one thing becomes another. The under-determinacy of
these unique constituents makes their boundaries every porous, but even more so
at the beginning of their ascendancy and in their decline.
Way-making as the unfolding field of experience is the
unsummed totality of things and events. It is unsummed because it is
unbounded, and can only be know from one perspective or other. There is no
single-ordered whole, no perspective outside of it. Each of the foci that
in total constitute experience is holographic in construing its own field of
dynamic, transforming relationships."
- Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall, Dao De Jing: A Philosophical
Translation "Making Life Significant", 2003, p.107
Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 21
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse. Complete versions of all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching by many different translators in many languages: 124 English, 24 German, 14 Russian, 7 Spanish, 5 French and many other languages. Links are organized first by languages, and then alphabetically by translators. Formatting varies somewhat. The original website at Onekellotus went offline in 2012; but, the extensive collection of these Tao Te Ching versions was saved for posterity by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine and available as of 9/9/2015. This is an outstanding original collection of versions of the Daodejing─ the Best on the Internet. Caution: copyright infringement may sometimes be an issue at this website.
Tao Te Ching, Translations into English: Terebess Asia Online (TAO). 124
nicely formatted complete English language translations, on separate webpages, of the Daodejing.
Alphabetical index by translators. Each webpage has all 81 chapters of the Tao Te
Ching translated into English. A useful collection! Many
reformatted and colored versions from the original collection at
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse. Caution: copyright infringement may
sometimes be an
issue at this website.
Lao Tzu: Te-Tao Ching - A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui
Texts (Classics of Ancient China)
Daodejing by Laozi: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script,
detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English.
This is an outstanding resource for serious students of the Tao Te Ching.
Tao Te
Ching: A New Translation and Commentary. By Ellen Chen. Paragon
House, 1998. Detailed glossary, index, bibliography, notes, 274 pages.
The Tao
and Method: A Reasoned Approach to the Tao Te Ching. By Michael
Lafargue. New York, SUNY Press, 1994. 640 pages. Detailed
index, bibliography, notes, and tables. An essential research tool.
Two Visions of the Way: A Study of the Wang Pi and the Ho-Shang Kung Commentaries on the Lao-Tzu.
By Professor by Alan Kam-Leung Chan. SUNY Series in Chinese
Philosophy and Culture. State University of New York Press, 1991.
Index, bibliography, glossary, notes, 314 pages.
ISBN: 0791404560.
Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition
Chinese Reading of the Daodejing
Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi with Critical Text and Translation.
By Professor Rudolf G. Wagner. A SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and
Culture. English and Mandarin Chinese Edition.
State University of New York Press; Bilingual edition (October 2003). 540
pages. ISBN: 978-0791451823.
Wang Bi (Wang Pi, Fusi), 226-249 CE,
Commentary on the Tao Te
Ching.
Tao Te Ching
The Taoism Reader
Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao
The Tao of Being: A Think and Do Workbook
The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
The Classic of the Way and Virtue: A New Translation of the Tao-te Ching of Laozi as Interpreted by Wang Bi.
Translated by Richard John Lynn. Translations from the Asian Classics
Series. New York, Columbia University Press, 1999. Extensive index,
glossaries, notes, 244 pages.
Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters,
Pinyin Romanization, English and German by Dr. Hilmar
Alquiros.
Stoicism and Hellenistic
Philosophy
How to Live a Good Life:
Advice from Wise Persons
One Old Philosopher's
Notebooks Research, Reading, and Reflections by Mike Garofalo.
Yellow Bridge
Dao De Jing Comparison Table Provides side by side comparisons of
translations of the Tao Te Ching by James Legge, D. T. Suzuki, and Dwight
Goddard. Chinese characters for each paragraph in the Chapter are on the
left; place your cursor over the Chinese characters to see the Pinyin
Romanization of the Chinese character and a list of meanings.
Translators Index,
Tao Te Ching Versions in English, Translators Sorted Alphabetically by Translator, Links to Books and
Online Versions of the Chapters
Taoism and the Tao Te
Ching: Bibliography, Resources, Links
Spanish Language
Translations of the Tao Te Ching, Daodejing en Español, Translators Index
The Tao of Zen
Chapter 41 in the
Rambling
Taoist Commentaries by Trey Smith. The
Rambling Taoists are Trey Smith and Scott Bradley.
By Hans-Georg Moeller. Columbia University Press, 2006, 176 pages.
Valley Spirit, Gu Shen,
Concept, Chapter 6
Valley Spirit Center in Red
Bluff, California.
Sacred
Circle in the Gushen Grove.
Lao-tzu's Taoteching
Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation
Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation
Thematic Index to the
81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching
Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living
Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic
Cloud Hands Blog
Mike Garofalo writes about Mind-Body Arts, Philosophy, Taoism, Gardening, Taijiquan, Walking, Mysticism,
Qigong, and the Eight Ways.
The Whole Heart of Tao:
The Complete Teachings From the Oral Tradition of Lao Tzu.
Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching
Green Way Research, Valley Spirit
Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Red Bluff, California, 1998-2017
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington, 2017-2023.
Indexed and Compiled by
Michael P. Garofalo
This webpage was last edited, improved, expanded,
changed, modified or updated on
March 3, 2023.
This webpage was first distributed online on February 2, 2011.
Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2011-2023 CCA 4.0
Brief Biography of Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.
Valley Spirit Center, Red Bluff, California
Study Chi Kung or Tai Chi with Mike Garofalo
Ripening Peaches: Daoist Studies and Practices
Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu, Zhuang Zhou, Master Chuang) 369—286 BCE
Taoist Perspectives: My Reading List
Bodymind Theory and Practices, Somaesthetics
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
Pleasures, Satisfaction, Desires
Qigong (Chi Kung) Health Practices
One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey: Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove
Index to Cloud Hands and Valley Spirit Websites
Index to English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching
Recurring Themes (Terms, Concepts, Leimotifs) in the Tao Te Ching
Spanish Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching
The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) circa 500 BCE
|
Tao Te
Ching |
|||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 |
| 81 | |||||||||
Return to the Top of this Webpage
