"Gravity is the source of lightness,
Calm, the master of haste.
A lone traveller will journey all day, watching over his belongings;
Yet once safe in his bed he will lose them in sleep.
The captain of a great vessel will not act lightly or hastily.
Acting lightly, he loses sight of the world,
Acting hastily, he loses control of himself.
A captain can not treat his great ship as a small boat;
Rather than glitter like jade
He must stand like stone."
-  Translated by Peter Merel, Chapter 26   

 

 

Cloud Hands Blog

 

 

"The Solid is the root of the light;
The Quiescent is the master of the Hasty.
Therefore the Sage travels all day
Yet never leaves his provision-cart.
In the midst of honor and glory,
He lives leisurely, undisturbed.
How can the ruler of a great country
Make light of his body in the empire by rushing about?
In light frivolity, the Center is lost;
In hasty action, self-mastery is lost."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 26

 

 

"Heavy is the root of light.
Stillness is the master of impatience.
Thus the wise man travels all day, but does not leave his wagon.
Although there are glorious sights, he is relaxed and proper.
Why should the Lord of 10,000 chariots
conduct himself lightly under Heaven?
Lightness leads to loss of roots.
Impatience leads to loss of control."
-  Translated by Karl Kromal, 2002, Chapter 26  

 

 

For these reasons,

The Super-Ego may travel the whole world
without leaving their own vehicle behind;
though inside a walled courtyard of a busy inn,
one may placidly rise above it all.

How, then, should a King with ten-thousand chariots
take themself lightly before Heaven?

If a King takes themself lightly,
they lose their taproot;
if they are hasty, they will lose their Kingship."
-  Translated by Jerry C. Welch, 1998, Chapter 26  

 

 

 

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living  Translated by Eva Wong

The Daodejing of Laozi   Translated by Philip Ivahoe 

Daoism: A Beginner's Guide   By James Miller

Early Daoist Scriptures  Translated by Stephen Bokencamp

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance  By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins

Practical Taoism  Translated by Thomas Cleary

Daoism and Chinese Culture  By Livia Kohn

 

                                       

 

 

 

"The heavy is of the light the root, and rest is motion's master.  
Therefore the holy man in his daily walk does not depart from gravity.
Although he may have magnificent sights, he calmly sits with liberated mind. 
But how is it when the master of the ten thousand chariots in his personal conduct is too light for the empire?
If he is too light he will lose his vassals.
If he is too passionate he will lose the throne."
-   Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 26  

 

 

 

A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 26 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A note on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

重為輕根.
靜為躁君.
是以君子終日行, 不離輜重.
雖有榮觀.
燕處超然.
奈何以萬乘之主, 而身輕天下.
輕則失臣.
躁則失君.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 26

 

 

chung wei ch'ing kên.
ching wei tsao chün.
shih yi shêng jên chung jih hsing, pu li tzu chung.
sui yu jung kuan.
yen ch'u ch'ao jan.
nai ho wan ch'êng chih chu, erh yi shên ch'ing t'ien hsia.
ch'ing tsê shih pên.
tsao tsê shih chün.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 26 

 

 

Audio Version in Chinese of Chapter 26 of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

zhong wei qing gen.
jing wei zao jun.
shi yi sheng ren zhong ri xing, bu li zi zhong.
sui you rong guan.
yan chu chao ran.
nai he wan sheng zhi zhu, er yi shen qing tian xia.
qing ze shi gen.
zao ze shi jun.
-  Hanyu Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 26 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Chinese Character Dictionary

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: English translation, Word by Word Chinese and English, and Commentary, Center Tao by Carl Abbott

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, English, Word by word analysis, Zhongwen

Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition  Chinese characters, Wade-Giles Romanization, and a list of meanings for each character by Jonathan Star 

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters: Big 5 Traditional and GB Simplified

Convert from Pinyin to Wade Giles to Yale Romanizations of Words and Terms: A Translation Tool from Qi Journal

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 Place of Peace ...
The heavy is foundation for the light;
So quietness is master of the deed.
The Wise Man, though he travel all the day,
Will not be separated from his goods.
So even if the scene is glorious to view,
He keeps his place, at peace, above it all.
For how can one who rules
Ten thousand chariots
Give up to lighter moods
As all the world may do?
If he is trivial,
His ministers are lost;
If he is strenuous,
There is no master then."
-  Translated by Raymond Blackney, 1955, Chapter 26  

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching  Translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo  

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching  Translated by John C. Wu

Lao-Tzu and the Tao-Te-Ching  Translated by Livia Kohn

Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way Translated by Moss Roberts

 

                             

 

 

 

"The natural way is the way of the sage,
serving as his dwelling, 
providing his centre deep within, 
whether in his home or journeying.
Even when he travels far, 
he is not separate
from his own true nature.
Maintaining awareness of natural beauty, 
he still does not forget his purpose.  
Although he may dwell in a grand estate,
simplicity remains his guide, 
for he is full aware, that losing it,
his roots as well would disappear.
So he is not restless,
lest he loses the natural way.  
Similarly, the people's leader 
is not flippant in his role, nor restless, 
for these could cause the loss 
of the roots of leadership."
-  Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 26  

"Gravity is the foundation of levity.
Serenity masters hastiness.
Therefore the wise travel all day
without leaving their baggage.
In the midst of honor and glory
they remain leisurely and calm,
How can a leader of a great country
behave lightheartedly and frivolously?
In frivolity, the foundation is lost.
In hasty action, self-mastery is lost."
-  Translated by Sanderson Beck, 1996, Chapter 26  

 

 

This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2010-2021 CCA 4.0

Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-Depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic  By Hu Xuzehi

Tao Te Ching  Annotated translation by Victor Mair  

Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation  By Ha Poong Kim

The Philosophy of the Daodejing  By Hans-Georg Moeller  

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices   By Mike Garofalo

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation  By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall

Tao Te Ching on The Art of Harmony   By Chad Hansen. 

The Way and Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought   By Arthur Waley

 

                             

 

 

 

"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 

 

 

 

The Complete Works of Lao Tzu: Tao Teh Ching & Hua Hu Ching   Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu   Translated by Brian Walker

Tao Te Ching  Translated by Arthur Waley

Tao - The Way   Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles

Taoism: An Essential Guide   By Eva Wong

 

                             

 

 

 

"Weight underlies lightness, quiescence underlies motion.
Therefore the Sage never loses his gravity and quiescence from day to day.
Though glorious palaces should belong to him, he would dwell in them peacefully, without attachment.
Alas that a king with many chariots should conduct himself with frivolity in the midst of his kingdom!
By levity he loses his ministers, and by inconstancy his throne."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 26

 

 

"Serenity is wiser than superficiality, dignity is master of turbulence.
The sage does not step off the path of serenity.
He is not distracted by unruly passions, angered in contemplation nothing can perturb him.
Woe, if the ruler of the land considers himself more important than the realm.
His follower loses, who succumbs to frivolity.
His dominance loses, who is driven by passions."
-  Translated by Andre Gauthier, Chapter 26    

 

 

"Heaviness is the basis of lightness.
Stillness is the standard of activity.

Thus the Master travels all day
without ever leaving her wagon.
Even though she has much to see,
she is at peace in her indifference.

Why should the lord of a thousand chariots
be amused at the foolishness of the world?
If you abandon yourself to foolishness,
you lose touch with your beginnings.
If you let yourself become distracted,
you will lose the basis of your power."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 26 

 

 

 

Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching by Robert Meikyo Rosenbaum

The Tao of Zen by Ray Grigg

Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic by Takuan Soho 

Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China by Christine Mollier  

 

                                     

 

 

 

"Gravity is the root of lightness,
Quiescence is the master of motion.
That is why a king's son though he may travel all day long, does not cease to be quiet and grave; though he may achieve glory he abides in restfulness, he affirms his detachment.
How sad it would be if the Lord of a thousand chariots should conduct himself lightly in the kingdom!
If his conduct is light, he will fail as a Minister;
If he is hasty in action, he will fail as a Ruler."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 26

 

 

"The heavy is the root of the light;
Stillness is the lord of bustle.
Therefore the prince,
Traveling all day,
Never parts with his baggage-wagon.
Even at a magnificent sight,
He remains at ease, unmoved.
How could the lord of ten thousand chariots
Regard his own body more lightly than all under Heaven?
If you act lightly, the root is lost;
If you bustle, the lord is lost."
-   Translated by Ha Poong Kim, Chapter 26 

 

 

"The heavy is the base root of the light.
Stillness is the prince of movement.
These things should be always united in a just temperament.
Therefore a wise prince, when he travels in his light carriage, never separates himself from the heavy wagons which carry his baggage.
However beautiful the landscape through which he passes, he takes care to lodge only in peaceful places.
Alas, how could an emperor behave so foolishly,
losing all authority by dint of frivolity, and all the rest through his waywardness?"
-  Translated by Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 26 

 

 

 

Further Teachings of Lao-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries (Wen Tzu)   By Thomas Cleary

The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons   By Deng Ming-Dao

Awakening to the Tao   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   Translation and commentary by Brook Ziporyn

The Inner Chapters of Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi)   Translated by A. C. Graham

 

                                  

 

 

 

"As the heavy must be the foundation of the light,
So quietness is lord and master of activity.
Truly, “A man of consequence though he travels all day
Will not let himself be separated from his baggage-wagon,
However magnificent the view, he sits quiet and dispassionate”.
How much less, then, must be the lord of ten thousand chariots
Allow himself to be lighter than these he rules!
If he is light, the foundation is lost;
If he is active, the lord and master is lost."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 26

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Saneness or sobriety is more basic than frivolity.
Calmness or self-sufficiency is superior to being agitated.
Therefore the intelligent man, though he goes on a long journey,
will never depart far from his means of conveyance.
No matter how exciting the distractions, he never submits to their lures.
What would happen if Nature were to act frivolously?
If it became frivolous, it would be deprived of its sanity.
If it became agitated, it would lose control of itself."
-  Translated by Archie J. Bahm, 1958, Chapter 26

 

 

"Das Gewichtige ist des Leichten Wurzel.
Die Stille ist der Unruhe Herr.
Also auch der Berufene:
Er wandert den ganzen Tag,
ohne sich vom schweren Gepäck zu trennen.
Mag er auch alle Herrlichkeiten vor Augen haben:
Es weilt zufrieden in seiner Einsamkeit.
Wieviel weniger erst darf der Herr des Reiches
in seiner Person den Erdkreis leicht nehmen!
Durch Leichtnehmen verliert man die Wurzel.
Durch Unruhe verliert man die Herrschaft."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 26 

 

 

"The root's stability makes possible the leaf's communion with air. 
Likewise, serenity is always still there, at the heart of agitation. 
The sage travels lightly, but his wagons are heavily laden. 
He is still, even as he moves through the beauty and strangeness of the world. 
He is unattached and rooted simultaneously, a leaf moving freely on a stem. 
He moves outward into the air, into a kingdom, into everything 
and yet remains steady within himself. 
Without that steadiness, rulership is ridiculous."
-  Translated by Crispin Starwell, Chapter 26 

 

 

This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2010-2021 CCA 4.0

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey   Translated by Stephen Mitchell

Tao Te Ching   Translated by David Hinton

The Book of Tao: Tao Te Ching - The Tao and Its Characteristics   Translated by James Legge

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: Growth of a Religion   By Isabelle Robinet

Zhuangzi (Chuang Tsu), Daoist Scripture: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotations, Notes

Zhuangzi: Basic Writings   Translated by Burton Watson

Zhuangzi Speaks: The Music of Nature   An illustrated comic by Chih-chung Ts'ai

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons

 

                                              

 

 

 

"Weight is the root of lightness, stillness the master of motion,

And the daily way of the sage departs not from his base,

Although he have brilliant prospects, he is unconcerned and quiet,

Should the lord of ten thousand chariots be too light for his place?

Then he will lose not supporters alone,

But, being too restless, loses his throne."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 26   

 

 

 

 

 

"Prudence is more stable than frivolity.
Rationality is superior to impatience.
Therefore, the sage always behaves prudently and rationally.
Even when successful, he is not carried away.
How could the king of a big kingdom rule without prudence?
Frivolity results in the loss of stability.
Impatience leads to the loss of superiority."
-  Translated by Thomas Z. Zhang, Chapter 26 

 

 

 

 

 

"Heaviness is the basis of lightness;
Calmness is the controlling power of hastiness.
Therefore the Sage, though travelling all day long,
Never separates from his baggage-wagon;
He lives in tranquility.
How is it then, that a king of ten-thousand chariots
Should conduct himself so lightly in the empire?
To be light is to lose the basis;
To be hasty is to lose the controlling power."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 26 

 

 

 

 

 

"Le grave est la racine du léger; le calme est le maître du mouvement.
De là vient que le saint homme marche tout le jour dans le Tao et ne s'écarte point de la quiétude et de la gravité.
Quoiqu'il possède des palais magnifiques, il reste calme et les fuit.
Mais hélas! les maîtres de dix mille chars se conduisent légèrement dans l'empire!
Par une conduite légère, on perd ses ministres; par l'emportement des passions, on perd son trône."
-  Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 26 

 

 

 

Spanish Language Versions of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
Tao Te Ching en Español

Lao Tsé Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por Anton Teplyy

Tao Te Ching   Traducido por Stephen Mitchell, versión española  

Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por el Padre Carmelo Elorduy

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons   Consejos de Estilo de Vida de Sabios

Tao Te Ching en Español

Lao Tzu-The Eternal Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por Yuanxiang Xu y Yongjian Yin 

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices   By Mike Garofalo    Maduración Duraznos: Estudios y Prácticas Taoístas por Mike Garofalo

Tao Te Ching - Wikisource

Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por William Scott Wilson. 

Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por Javier Cruz

Tao te king   Translated by John C. H. Wu, , versión española  

Daodejing   Español, Inglés, y Chino Versiones Lingüísticas de la Daodejing

 

                                      

 

 

 

Spanish Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

"Lo pesado es la raíz de lo ligero.
La calma somete a lo agitado.
Así, el sabio cuando viaja
no se aleja de la caravana.
Aunque pudiera divagar por los paisajes más excelsos,
conserva su paz y se hace superior.
¡Cuanta más atención debería poner el señor
del imperio en la esfera terrestre de su persona,
en vez de ocuparse de sus diez mil carruajes!
Quien se comporta superficialmente
pierde la raíz de su poder.
Quien se ofusca,
se pierde a sí mismo."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 26 

 

 

"La gravedad es el origen de la ligereza,
La Calma, la dueña de la agitación.

Así pues, el que dirige una gran empresa
no debe actuar con ligereza o agitación.
Actuando a la ligera, pierde contacto con el Mundo,
Actuando agitadamente, pierde contacto consigo mismo.

El sabio viaja todo el día sin perder el control;
Rodeado de cosas deseables, permanece en calma y sin sujecciones."
-  Translation by Antonio Rivas, 1998, Capítulo 26 

 

 

"Lo pesado dirige lo liviano.
Lo inmóvil es señor del movimiento.
Por lo tanto: El sabio al actuar, nunca deja la apacible gravedad,
y aun si tiene gloria, y resplandor vive tranquilo por encima de todo.
¿Cómo puede un señor de diez mil carros ser tan ligero ante El imperio?
Si actúa ligeramente tiene su raíz en la gravedad.
Si procede hacia el movimiento activo, perderá su trono."
-  Translation from Logia Medio Dia, 2015, Capítulo 26 

 

This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington © 2010-2021 CCA 4.0