Chapter 41

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue



By Lao Tzu (Laozi)

Chapter 41

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

Classic Book (Ching) about the Tao (Way, Nature, Patterns, Processes) and Te (Virtue, Potency, Power, Integrity, Wise Person, Sage)

Indexing, Concordance, Search Terms, Topics, Themes, Keys, Subjects

English and Chinese (Wade-Giles) Terms, Chapter #41:  Sameness and Difference, Hearing of the Tao, Hear or Listen (wên), Dao, Laughing, Opposites, Contraries, Hidden and Nameless Tao, Reason, Appearances, Hidden, Mysterious, Contradictions, Non-Rational, Power, Purity, Steadfast, Laughs or Ridicules (hsiao), Completion, Dark or Obscure (mei), Scholar or Student (shih), Superior or Supreme (shang), Sage, Sustain, Straight or Level (yi), Goodness, Established or Solid (chien), Complete or Finish (ch'êng), Bright or Luminous (ming), Empty, Full, Retreat (t'ui), Virtue, Practice or Action (hsing), Learning, Understanding, Process, Middle or Center (chung), Cycle, Imperfect, Great or Perfect (ta), Vessel or Tool (ch'i), Large or Broad (kuang), Flawed, Inferior or Low (hsia), Incomplete, Highest or Supreme (shang), Complete or Fulfill (ch'êng), Diligent or Attentive (ch'in), Perfection, Hidden or Concealed (yin), Real or True (chên), Complex, Saying or Maxim (yen), Tao, Preserve or Retain (ts'un), Humor, Act or Make (wei), White (pai), Fulfillment, Loose or Doubt (wang), Rugged or Rough (lei), Ravine or Chasm (ku), Unsteady or Frail (t'ou), Changing or Uncertain (yū), Advance or Progress (chin), Sullied or Tarnished (ju), Enough or Sufficient (tsu), Faint or Hushed or Tone (shêng), Substantial or Real or Genuine (chih), Square (fang), Music or Sound (yin), Corners or Boundaries (yü), Form or Image (hsiang), Shape or Body (hsing), Exact or Alone (wei), Good or Excellent (shan), Give or Bestow (tai),   同異 
Chapter #41  Tao Te Ching  2/17f/2021

 

Términos en Español, Capitol #41: Iqualdad y Diferencia, Reírse, Opuestos, Contrarios, Oculto, Sin Nombre, Razón, Apariciones, Misterioso, Contradicciones, Poder, Pureza, Firme, Finalización, Académico, Estudiante, Sabio, Sage, Sostener, Bondad, Vacío, Lleno, Virtud, Aprendizaje, Comprensión, Proceso, Ciclo, Imperfecto, Defectuoso, Incompleto, Perfección, Comlejo, Humor, Cumplimiento, Superior, Supremo, Escucha, Diligente, Atento, Oscuro, Retiro, Práctica, Acción, Media, Alta, Centro, Retener, Duda, Inferior, Bajo, Ríe, Hacer, Decir, Maxim, Brillante, Luminoso, Progreso, Recto, Nivel, Rugoso, Áspero, Barranco, Abismo, Grande, Blanco, Mancillado, Empañnado, Amplia, Suficiente, Establecido, Sólido, Iestable, Frágil, Sustancial, Genuino, Verdadero, Cambiante, Incierto, Cuadrado, Esquinas, Límites, Embarcación, Herramienta, Completo, Acabado, Música, Sonido, Callada, Tono, Forma, Imagen, Oculto, Exacta, Solo, Bueno, Excelente, Dar, Cumplir, Blanco. 
Capítulo #41  Daodejing  2/17f/2021

Electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

"When wise students hear about the Dao,
they follow it with care.
When ordinary students hear about the Dao,
they sometimes believe in it, and sometimes doubt.
When foolish students hear about the Dao,
they laugh at it out loud.
If they did not laugh at it, it would not be the Dao.
There are these age-old sayings:
the brightest way seems dark;
the way forward seems like retreat;
the way that is smooth seems to be rough;
the highest goodness seems quite empty;
the purest whiteness seems to be soiled;
the vastest goodness seems insufficient;
the staunchest goodness seems to be frail;
the most solid reality seems to change.
The greatest square has no corners;
the greatest talents ripen late;
the greatest music has no sound;
the greatest images have no form.
The Dao is hidden, beyond all name;
and yet it is the Dao that nourishes and fulfils all things."
-  Translated by Tom Chilcott, 2005, Chapter 41

"When a superior scholar hears of Reason he endeavors to practise it.
When an average scholar hears of Reason he will sometimes keep it and sometimes lose it.
When an inferior scholar hears of Reason he will greatly ridicule it.
Were it not thus ridiculed, it would as Reason be insufficient.
Therefore the poet says:
"The Reason--enlightened seem dark and black,
The Reason--advanced seem going back,
The Reason--straight-levelled seem rugged and slack.
"The high in virtue resemble a vale,
The purely white in shame must quail,
The staunchest virtue seems to fail.
"The solidest virtue seems not alert,
The purest chastity seems pervert,
The greatest square will rightness desert.
"The largest vessel is not yet complete,
The loudest sound is not speech replete,
The greatest form has no shape concrete."
Reason so long as it remains latent is unnamable.
Yet Reason alone is good for imparting and completing."
-  Translated by D.T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 41

"Better knights hear of Tao
Dutifully, yet they are practicing it
Average knights hear of Tao
They look aware, they look unaware
Lesser knights hear of Tao
They have great laughing.  
Without laughing, there's not enough of the action of tao happening.
So long-established words are present.
Luminous tao looks dark
Advancing tao looks like it is falling back
Level tao looks uneven
Better ideal looks like a valley
Great whiteness looks spotted
Extensive ideal looks like it lacks enough
Established ideal looks unsteady
Durable ideal looks changeable
Great squares are absent of corners
Great tools are slowly perfected
Great music sounds faint
Great form lacks shape.
Tao is hidden, absent from name
In the end,
Only Tao values lending at interest and moreover perfects."
-   Translated by David Lindauer, Chapter 41 

"The superior scholar hears of Dao, he may devote himself to it and follow it;
the average scholar hears of Dao, he sometimes understands it and sometimes he ignores it;
and the inferior scholar hears of Dao, he greatly ridicules it.
If it is not superior, it would not be Dao.
Thus, there are sayings in the Book of Establishment:
Enlightened Dao looks as if obscured;
advanced Dao looks as if retreating and the smooth way of Dao looks as if rugged;
high virtue looks as if common;
the superior distinction may seem indistinct;
abundant virtue looks as if insufficient;
vigorous virtue looks as if easy-going and pure virtue looks as if stupidity.
The superior square may seem to be cornerless.
The superior personality may be established late.
The superior sound may have no way to be heard.
The superior model may seem to be insignificant.
The function of Dao has no name.
It is Dao - the impartial law of nature that knows best how to help and accomplish."
-  Translated by Zi Chang Tang, Chapter 41

One man, hearing of the way, will strive to follow it
Another will practice it sometimes, and not others
A third will hear of it, and laugh at how useless it sounds
And that's as it should be.

The clearest path is often easily missed
The easiest seems to go in the wrong direction
The smoothest looks rutted and rough
True strength is hidden, like seeds in a valley before the rains
True white shows every blotch and blemish
True virtue feels pathetic, thin, weak, insufficient

Such is the way of words;  they always fail in their ideals
Does an infinite square have corners or edges?
Could a cup be molded to hold everything, including itself?
Can a note sound that has all tones, and none?
Would everything seen at once look like anything at all?

The Tao is eternal, too large and too small for names
Only it can begin things and bring them to their ends."
-  Translated by Ted Wrigley, Chapter 41  

"Similarity and Difference
T'ung I

The first-rate scholar, on hearing Tao,
Is diligent in practicing it;
The second-rate scholar, on hearing Tao,
Wavers between faith and forgetfulness;
The third-rate scholar, on hearing Tao,
Bursts into loud laughter.
If not laughed at, it would not be Tao!
Hence the following proverbs -
He who understands Tao seems confounded by it.
He who advances toward Tao seems retreating from it.
He who follows plain Tao seems treading on rugged ground.
Superior virtue appears to be hollow.
Perfect purity appears to be tainted.
Vast virtue appears to be inadequate.
Solid virtue appears to be infirm.
Genuine substance appears to be spurious.
Vast space is devoid of corners.
Great talent is late in maturing.
A high note can hardly be heard.
The Great Form has no sign.
Tao is hidden and has no name;
Yet only Tao excels in contributing to achievement."
-  Translated by Henry Wei, 1982, Chapter 41

"When a wise person hears Tao, he practices it diligently.
When an average person hears Tao, he practices it sometimes, and just as often ignores it.
When an inferior person hears Tao, he roars with laughter.
If he didn't laugh, it wouldn't be Tao.
Thus the age old sayings:
The way to illumination appears dark.
The way that advances appears to retreat.
The way that is easy appears to be hard.
The highest virtue appears empty.
The purest goodness appears soiled.
The most profound creativity appears fallow.
The strongest power appears weak.
The most genuine appears unreal.
The greatest space has no corners.
The greatest talent matures slowly.
The greatest voice can't be heard.
The greatest image can't be seen.
Tao is hidden and has no name.
Tao alone nourishes and fulfills all things."
-  Translated by Brian Browne Walker, 1996, Chapter 41

"The master who acts from above strains to listen to the Tao, and becomes exhausted.
The master who acts from the middle hears the Tao very faintly, and then loses it.
The master who acts from below hears the Tao and laughs greatly.
Those who are unable to laugh will not have enough of a reason to practice the Tao.

Thus we can say:
The luminous Tao seems dark.
The advancing Tao seems to retreat.
The smooth Tao appears flawed.
The highest action of the soul seems empty.

Great purity appears degraded.
Abundant action of the soul appears to not be enough.
Stable action of the soul appears to be unsteady.
Simple truth seems fickle.

It is the great square that has no corners.
It is the great vessel that is not complete.
It is the great music that has no sound.
It is the great elephant that has no form.

The Tao is hidden without a name.
Yet for these exact reasons the Tao is good and completes."
-  Translated by Alan Sheets and Barbara Tovey, 2002, Chapter 41 

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 © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0
 

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance  By Alexander Simkins. 

The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed  By Derek Lin. 

Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony   By Ming-Dao Deng. 

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

The Tao of Pooh   By Benjamin Hoff. 

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life  By Ming-Dao Deng. 

Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook  Translated by Thomas Cleary. 

"When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao.
Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest are seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things."
-  Translated by Stephen Mitchell, 1988, Chapter 41 

Cloud Hands Blog

"When the lofty hear of Way
they devote themselves.
When the common hear of Way
they wonder if it's real or not.
And when the lowly hear of Way
they laugh out loud.
Without that laughter, it wouldn't be Way.

Hence the abiding proverbs:

Luminous Way seems dark.
Advancing Way seems retreating.
Formless Way seems manifold.

High Integrity seems low-lying.
Great whiteness seems tarnished.
Abounding Integrity seems lacking.
Abiding Integrity seems missing.
True essence seems protean.

The great square has no corners,
and the great implement completes nothing.
The great voice sounds faint,
and the great image has no shape.

Way remains hidden and nameless,
but it alone nourishes and brings to completion."
-  Translated by David Hinton, Chapter 41 

"All the Scholars: Poking fun at the Tao

When the best scholars hear of the Tao,
they practice it with diligence.
When the middling scholars hear of the Tao,
they seem to get it, and then seem to lose it.
When the worst scholars hear of the Tao,
they make fun of it.
If they didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Tao.

The sayings go:
The light of the Tao appears dark.
Progress in the Tao looks like retreat.
The smooth Tao appears tangled.
The highest truth seems incomplete.
The greatest purity seems defiled.
Vast goodness appears to be inadequate.
Proven integrity looks furtive.
The simplest truth seems fickle.
An infinite square has no corners.
Those with the greatest ability mature slowly.
The perfect note is rarely heard.
The great world of appearance has no shape.
The Tao is hidden and has no name,
and yet by it we are forgiven and fulfilled."
-   Translated by Amy and Roderic Sorrell, 2003, Chapter 41 

"When a wise scholar hears the Tao,
He practises it diligently.
When a mediocre scholar hears the Tao,
He wavers between belief and unbelief.
When a worthless scholar hears the Tao,
He laughs boisterously at it.
But if such a one does not laugh at it,
The Tao would not be the Tao!

The wise men of old have truly said:

  The bright Way looks dim.
The progressive Way looks retrograde.
The smooth Way looks rugged.
High Virtue looks like an abyss.
Great whiteness looks spotted.
Abundant Virtue looks deficient.
Established Virtue looks shabby.
Solid Virtue looks as though melted.
Great squareness has no corners.
Great talents ripen late.
Great sound is silent.
Great Form is shapeless.
 

The Tao is hidden and nameless;
Yet it alone knows how to render help and to fulfill."
-  Translated by John C. H. Wu, Chapter 41   

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

"Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Tao, earnestly carry it into practice.
Scholars of the middle class, when they have heard about it, seem now to keep it and now to lose it.
Scholars of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh greatly at it.
If it were not laughed at, it would not be fit to be the Tao.
Therefore the sentence-makers have thus expressed themselves:
'The Tao, when brightest seen, seems light to lack;
Who progress in it makes, seems drawing back;
Its even way is like a rugged track.
Its highest virtue from the vale doth rise;
Its greatest beauty seems to offend the eyes;
And he has most whose lot the least supplies.
Its firmest virtue seems but poor and low;
Its solid truth seems change to undergo;
Its largest square doth yet no corner show
A vessel great, it is the slowest made;
Loud is its sound, but never word it said;
A semblance great, the shadow of a shade.'
The Tao is hidden, and has no name; but it is the Tao which is skilful at imparting
to all things what they need and making them complete."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 41 

A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 41 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A note on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching

上士聞道, 勤而行之.
中士聞道, 若存若亡, 下士聞道, 大笑之. 
不笑不足以為道. 
故建言有之, 明道若昧.
進道若退.
夷道.
若纇???.
上德若谷.
太白若辱.
廣德若不足.
建德若偷.
質真若渝.
大方無隅. 
大器晚成.
大音希聲.
大象無形.
道隱無名. 
夫唯道, 善貸且成. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 41

shang shih wên tao, ch'in erh hsing chih.
chung shih wén tao, jo ts'un jo wang, hsia shih wên tao, ta hsiao chih.
pu hsiao pu tsu yi wei tao.
ku chien yen chê chih.
ming tao jo mei.
chin tao.
jo t'ui yi tao jo lei.
shang tê jo ku.
ta pai jo ju.
kuang tê jo pu tsu.
chien tê jo t'ou.
chih chên jo yü.
ta fang wu yü.  
ta ch'i wan ch'eng.
ta yin hsi shêng.
ta hsiang wu hsing.
tao yin wu ming.
fu wei tao shan tai ch'ieh ch'êng.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 41 
 

Audio Version in Chinese of Chapter 41 of the Tao Te Ching

shang shi wen dao, qin er xing zhi.
zhong shi wen dao, ruo cun ruo wang, xia shi wen dao, da xiao zhi.
bu xiao bu zu yi wei dao. 
gu jian yan che zhi. 
ming dao ruo mei.
jin dao.
ruo tui yi dao ruo lei.
shang de ruo gu.
da bai ruo ru. 
guang de ruo bu zu.
jian de ruo tou. 
zhi zhen ruo yu.
da fang wu yu. 
da qi wan cheng. 
da yin xi sheng. 
da xiang wu xing.
dao yin wu ming. 
fu wei dao shan dai qie cheng.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 41 

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. 

"Men of stamina, knowing the way of life,
Steadily keep to it;
Unstable men, knowing the way of life,
Keep to it or not according to occasion;
Stupid men, knowing the way of life
And having once laughed at it, laugh again the louder.
If you need to be sure which way is right, you can tell by their laughing at it.
They fling the old charges:
'A wick without oil,'
'For every step forward a step or two back.'
To such laughers a level road looks steep,
Top seems bottom,
'White appears black,
'Enough is a lack,'
Endurance is a weakness,
Simplicity a faded flower.
But eternity is his who goes straight round the circle,
Foundation is his who can feel beyond touch,
Harmony is his who can hear beyond sound,
Pattern is his who can see beyond shape:
Life is his who can tell beyond words
Fulfillment of the unfulfilled."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 41 

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

"When the best shih hears Tao, he puts out great effort to practice it.
When the average shih hears Tao, he will keep it sometimes, and sometimes forget about it.
When the poorest shih hears Tao, he just has a big laugh."
If he does not laugh, it must not quite be Tao.
Yes, the 'Well-Founded Sayings' has it: The bright Tao seems dark the Tao going forward seems to be going backward the smooth Tao seems rough.
The loftiest Te seems like a valley great purity seems sullied abundant Te seems insufficient
Well-founded Te seems flimsy what is pure and natural seems faded the best square has no corners
A great bronze takes long to finish great music has a delicate sound the Great Image has no shape.
Tao is something concealed, nameless.
It is just Tao, good at sustaining a person and completing him."
-  Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 41 

"When the superior man hears of the Tao, he practises it diligently.
When the average man hears about the Tao, he follows it only intermittently.
When the foolish man hears of the Tao, he bursts out laughing.
But for this laughter Tao would not be Tao.

Hence, the ancients have said:
The lightest path seems to be dark;
Going forward seems like going back;
The easy way seems to be hard;
The highest Virtue seems empty;
That which is pure seems sullied;
Ample Virtue appears inadequate;
Strength to be had from Virtue seems lacking;
Virtue itself appears unreal.

The greatest space has no corners;
The greatest talent develops slowly;
The loudest sound cannot be heard;
The greatest form has no shape.

Tao is hidden and without a name;
Yet it is Tao which nourishes all things and brings everything to completion."
-  Translated by Keith H. Seddon, Chapter 41 

"When the highest type of men hear the Tao (truth),
   they try hard to live in accordance with it.
When the mediocre type hear the Tao,
   they seem to be aware and yet unaware of it.
When the lowest type hear the Tao,
   They break into loud laughter -
   If it were not laughed at, it would not be Tao.

Therefore there is the established saying:
   "Who understands Tao seems dull of comprehension;
   Who is advance in Tao seems to slip backwards;
   Who moves on the even Tao (Path) seems to go up and down."

Superior character appears like a hollow (valley);
Sheer white appears like tarnished;
Great character appears like infirm;
Pure worth appears like contaminated.
   Great space has no corners;
   Great talent takes long to mature;
   Great music is faintly heard;
   Great form has no contour;
   And Tao is hidden without a name.
It is this Tao that is adept at lending (its power)
   and bringing fulfillment."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 41

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 © 2011-2021 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

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

"When seers see their nothingness
They never let it out of sight
But others see it now and then
And miss out on its true delight
Still others only laugh it off
And look at it with ridicule
It wouldn't be the real truth
If it weren't laughed at by the fool
The brightest way seems darkness
Just going on seems like retreat
The simple way seems difficult
Capacity seems like defeat
Clarity can seem obscure
And love seem not to care
Totality seems not enough
And truth can seem to err
Awareness doesn't have a name
To all appearances is null
Yet it produces everything
And so this empty place is full." 
-  Translated by Jim Clatfelter, 2000, Chapter 41 

"When a deep person hears of the Tao, they study and put it into practice, embodying the practice of Tao in their life.
When a common person hears of the Tao, they half follow it, but half forget it in their daily life.
When a shallow person hears of the Tao, they laugh out loud. If they did not laugh out loud it would not be the Way.
Thus it is that the wise sages said:
Those understanding the brightness of Tao seem dim,
Those who walk the Way of Tao seem to go backward,
Those walking the direct path of Tao seem to wander long.
This is because the brightest light voluntarily dims itself,
The highest virtue is as deep as a valley,
And the Tao in its straightness seems rough and difficult.
The greatest caution can seem as cowardice,
The most insightful clarity can seem as opacity,
The greatest square can seem to have no apparent corner.
The greatest wisdom seems unsophisticated,
And the greatest form has no shape.
The Tao is great but hidden,
It is known by all, but remains nameless,
Yet it is the Tao alone that gives rise to all, and completes all."
-  Translated by Rivenrock, Chapter 41  

"When the man of highest capacities hears Tao
He does his best to put it into practice.
When the man of middling capacity hears Tao
He is in two minds about it.
When the man of low capacity hears Tao
He laughs loudly at it.
If he did not laugh, it would not be worth the name of Tao.
Therefore the proverb has it:
“The way out into the light often looks dark,
The way that goes ahead often looks as if it went back.”
The way that is least hilly often looks as if it went up and down,
The “power” that is really loftiest looks like an abyss,
What is sheerest white looks blurred.
The “power” that is most sufficing looks inadequate,
The “power” that stands firmest looks flimsy.
What is in its natural, pure state looks faded;
The largest square has no corners,
The greatest vessel takes the longest to finish,
Great music has the faintest notes,
The Great From is without shape.
For Tao is hidden and nameless.
Yet Tao alone supports all things and brings them to fulfillment."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 41

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

"When superior people hear of the Way, they carry it out with diligence.
When middling people hear of the way, it sometimes seems to be there, sometimes not.
When lesser people hear of the Way, they ridicule it greatly.
If they didn't laugh at it, it wouldn't be the Way.
So there are constructive sayings on this: The Way of illumination seems dark,
the Way of advancement seems retiring,
the Way of equality seems to categorize; higher virtue seems empty,
greater purity seems ignominious,
broad virtue seems insufficient,
constructive virtue seems careless.
Simple honesty seems changeable, great range has no boundaries,
great vessels are finished late;
the great sound has a rarefied tone, the great image has no form,
the Way hides in namelessness.
Only the Way can enhance and perfect."
-  Translated by Thomas Cleary, 1991, Chapter 41 

"When men of service hearken to the Way,
The lofty strive to see it applied,
The average cannot seem to decide,
While the lower sort grandly deride.
Their derision makes Dao’s reputation.
So the Words of Guidance says:
“Seers of the Way seem not to see
And those who advance, to retreat.
The smoothest path seems unsure,
Honoured virtue seems undistinguished,
Ample virtue unqualified,
Resolute virtue undependable,
Stable virtue unfaithful.
Pure white seems impure,
Broad planes lack angles,
Great works take time,
Mighty voices rarely sound,
Grand vision has no set design,
Unknown the Way and thus unnamed.”
But the Way it is, the Way alone,
That brings first motions to fruition."
-  Translated by Moss Roberts, 2001, Chapter 41  

"When a superior person hears of the Tao,
She diligently puts it into practice.
When an average person hears of the Tao,
he believes half of it, and doubts the other half.
When a foolish person hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud at the very idea.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao.

Thus it is said:
The brightness of the Tao seems like darkness,
the advancement of the Tao seems like retreat,
the level path seems rough,
the superior path seem empty,
the pure seems to be tarnished,
and true virtue doesn't seem to be enough.
The virtue of caution seems like cowardice,
the pure seems to be polluted,
the true square seems to have no corners,
the best vessels take the most time to finish,
the greatest sounds cannot be heard,
and the greatest image has no form.

The Tao hides in the unnamed,
Yet it alone nourishes and completes all things."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 41  

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  

"When great scholars heard of Tao, they diligently followed it.
When mediocre scholars heard of Tao, sometimes they kept it, sometimes they lost it.
When inferior scholars heard of Tao, they laughed at it.
Whether they laugh or whether they follow, Tao remains active.
Therefore the poets have said:
Brightness of Tao seems to be dark,
Progress in Tao seems going back,
The aim of Tao seems confused.
The highest Tao seems lowliest,
Great purity seems full of shame,
The fullest Teh seems incomplete.
Teachers of Teh have lost their zeal
And certain Truth appears to change.
A great square with inner angles,
A great vase unfinished,
A great voice never heard,
A great Image with inner form.
Tao is hid within its Name,
But by Tao the Masters bless,
And all things bring to perfectness."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 41   

"The superior man, on hearing Tao,
Practices it diligently.
The average man, on hearing Tao,
Regards it both as existing and not existing.
The inferior man, on hearing Tao,
Laughs aloud at it.
Without his laughter, it would not be Tao.
Therefore the established word says:
The luminous Tao seems obscure.
The advancing Tao seems retreating.
The even Tao seems rough.
The highest virtue seems empty.
Great whiteness seems blackened.
Broad virtue seems insufficient.
Established virtue seems secret.
Pure substance seems fluid.
The great square has no corners.
The great vessel is late in completing.
The great voice sounds faint.
The great image has no shape.
Tao is concealed and has no name.
Yet only Tao is good in giving and completing."
-  Translated by Paul J. Lin, Chapter 41  

"The best students, learning of the Tao, set to work earnestly to practice the Way.
Mediocre students now cherish it, now let it go.
The worst students mock at it.
Were it not thus mocked, it were unworthy to be Tao.

Thus spake the makers of Saws: the Tao at its brightest is obscure.
Who advanceth in that Way, retireth.
Its smooth Way is rough.
Its summit is a valley.
Its beauty is ugliness.
Its wealth is poverty.
Its virtue, vice.
Its stability is change.
Its form is without form.
Its fullness is vacancy.
Its utterance is silence.
Its reality is illusion.

Nameless and imperceptible is the Tao; but it informeth and perfecteth
all things."
-  Interpolated-Translated by Aleister Crowley, 1918, Chapter 41 

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

"Scholars of the highest type, who hear about the Tao,

Practice it with diligence unceasing;

Scholars of the middle sort, when they have heard of it,

May keep it, or may find its hold releasing;

But scholars of the lowest class, who hear about the Tao,

Laugh with laughter constantly increasing;

Were they not to laugh at it, the the lowest class of men,

Its fitness as the Tao would soon be ceasing.

And so the sentence-makers have spoken of it so,

The Tao when at its brightest, only darkness seems to show,

The most advanced who follow it, appear to backward go.

The even path they travel is a rugged sort of trail,

The highest virtue that they find is like a sunken vale,

The purity they boast about, disgraceful is and stale.

The broadest virtue is a thing they somehow seem to lose,

The firmest virtue that they hold is like a poor refuse,

 And changeable and fickle is the rectitude they use.

Their greatest square is grown so great no corners can it show,

Their vessels are so huge they never have the time to grow,

Their voices are so very loud they cannot make a sound,

And the forms that they produce so vast that shape is never found. 

Tis true the Tao is hidden; that it is nameless here;

But for giving and imparting, and for making all things clear,

And for making them complete, it is the Tao without a peer."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 41 

"When the best seeker hears of Tao he strives with great effort to know it
When an average seeker hears of Tao he thinks of it now and again
When the poorest seeker hears of Tao he laughs out loud
Tao is always becoming what we have need for it to become
If it could not do this it would not be Tao
There is an old saying,
The clear way seems clouded
The straight way seems crooked
The sure way seems unsteady
The greatest power seems weak
The purest white seems tainted
The abundant seems empty
The stable seems shaky
The certain seems false
The Great Square has no corners
The Great Vessel is never filled
A beginner may be clumsy but after practice ?what talent!
A large drum may sit silently but when banged ?what noise!
Tao lies hidden yet it alone is the glorious light of this world"
-  Translated by Johathan Star, 2001, Chapter 41 

"Wenn ein Weiser höchster Art vom Sinn hört,
so ist er eifrig und tut danach.
Denn ein Weiser mittlerer Art vom Sinn hört,
so glaubt er halb, halb zweifelt er.
Wenn ein Weiser niedriger Art vom Sinn hört,
so lacht es laut darüber.
Wenn er nicht laut lacht,
so was es noch nicht der eigentliche Sinn.
Darum hat ein Spruchdichter die Worte:
Der klare Sinn erscheint dunkel.
Der Sinn des Fortschritts erscheint als Rückzug.
Der ebene Sinn erscheint rauh.
Das höchste Leben erscheint als Tal.
Die höchste Reinheit erscheint als Schmach.
Das weite Leben erscheint als ungenügend.
Das starke Leben erscheint verstohlen.
Das wahre Wesen erscheint veränderlich.
Das große Geviert hat keine Ecken.
Das große Gerät wird spät vollendet.
Der große Ton hat unhörbaren Laut.
Das große Bild hat keine Form.

Der Sinn in seiner Verborgenheit ist ohne Namen.
Und doch ist gerade der Sinn gut
im Spenden und Vollenden."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 41 

"Das Erfülltsein alles Seienden vomUnergründlichen

Der wirkliche Weyse, das Unergründliche erkennend,
sucht es zu verwirklichen.
Der in seinem Streben nach Weisheit noch Schwankende
folgt ihm nur dann und wann.
Der nur von Weisheit Redende nimmt es nicht ernst.
Erschiene es ihm nicht töricht, wäre es nicht das Letzte.
Daher sagte einst ein Dichter:
Der vom inneren Lichte Erleuchtete
erscheint im Licht der Welt dunkel.
Der innerlich Fortschreitende erscheint rückschrittlich.
Der innerlich Ausgeglichene erscheint unbrauchbar.
Wer seinem höchsten Selbst vertraut,
geht nach der Welt Meinung zugrunde.
Wer rein bleibt, gilt als einfältig und dumm.
Wer kraft seines Selbstes duldsam
alles zu verstehen sich bemüht, gilt als charakterlos.
Wer kraftvoll in seinem Selbst wurzelt,
gilt als Eigenbrödler.
Wer aus seinem Herzen lebt, gilt als unberechenbar.
Das Unergründliche gleicht:
einem unendlichen Viereck ohne Ecken,
einem Gefäß von unendlicher Größe, das nichtsfaßt,
einem Laut von unendlichen Schwingungen,
den man nicht hört,
einem Bild von unendlicher Größe,
das nicht erschaut werden kann.
Wenn auch das Unergründliche
nicht zu erkennen und nicht zu benennen ist,
es erfüllt, wirkt und vollendet doch alles."
-  Translated by Rudolf Backofen, 1949, Chapter 41  

"When the best student hears about the way
He practices it assiduously;
When the average student hears about the way
It seems to him there one moment and gone the next;
When the worst student hears about the way
He laughs out loud.
If he did not laugh
It would be unworthy of being the way.

Hence the Chien yen has it:
The way that is bright seems dull;
The way that is forward seems to lead backward;
The way that is even seems rough.
The highest virtue is like the valley;
The sheerest whiteness seems sullied;
Ample virtue seems defective;
Vigorous virtue seems indolent;
Plain virtue seems soiled;
The great square has no corners.
The great vessel takes long to complete;
The great note is rarefied in sound;
The great image has no shape.

The way conceals itself in being nameless.
It is the way alone that excels in bestowing and in accomplishing."
-  Translated by D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 41  

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 © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0
 

Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey   Translated by Stephen Mitchell

"The true student hears of the Tao; he is diligent and practices it.
The average student hear of it; sometimes he appears to be attentive, then again he is inattentive.
The half hearted student hears of it; he loudly derides it.
If it did not provoke ridicule it would not be worthy of the name Tao.
Again there are those whose only care is phraseology.
The brilliancy of the Tao is an obscurity;
the advance of the Tao is a retreat;
the equality of the Tao is an inequality;
the higher energy is as cosmic space;
the greatest purity is as uncleanness;
the widest virtue is as if insufficient;
established virtue is as if furtive;
the truest essence is as imperfection;
the most perfect square is cornerless;
the largest vessel is last completed;
the loudest sound has fewest tones;
the grandest conception is formless.
The Tao is concealed and nameless,
yet it is the Tao alone which excels in imparting and completing."
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 41 

"The wise student hears of the Tao and practices it diligently.
The average student hears of the Tao and gives it thought now and again.
The foolish student hears of the Tao and laughs aloud.
If there were no laughter, the Tao would not be what it is.
Hence it is said:
The bright path seems dim;
Going forward seems like retreat;
The easy way seems hard;
The highest Virtue seems empty;
Great purity seems sullied;
A wealth of Virtue seems inadequate;
The strength of Virtue seems frail;
Real Virtue seems unreal;
The perfect square has no corners;
Great talents ripen late;
The highest notes are hard to hear;
The greatest form has no shape;
The Tao is hidden and without name.
The Tao alone nourishes and brings everything to fulfillment."
-  Translated by Gai-fu Feng and Jane Enlish, 1989, Chapter 41 

"When a great scholar hears of the Way,
he adopts it and practices it.
When a fair scholar hears of the Way,
he sometimes remembers and sometimes forgets.
When a poor scholar hears of the Way,
he laughs outright.

If he did not laugh, it would not be the Way.

Hence, these phrases ...

The simple way seems unwise.
The fruitful way seems useless.
The smooth way seems rough.

Highest Virtue is like a Valley.

Great honesty seems insulting.
Broad Virtue seems insufficient.
Good Reputation seems undeserved.
True Character seems uncertain.

Great principle takes no sides.
Great ability arrives late.
Good speech strives for clarity.
Great Form has no shape.

Tao is hidden and nameless,
but only Tao permits early results."
-  Translated by Karl Kromal, 2002, Chapter 41 

"Quand les lettrés supérieurs ont entendu parler du Tao, ils le pratiquent avec zèle.
Quand les lettrés du second ordre ont entendu parler du Tao, tantôt ils le conservent, tantôt ils le perdent.
Quand les lettrés inférieurs ont entendu parler du Tao, ils le tournent en dérision.
S'ils ne le tournaient pas en dérision, il ne mériterait pas le nom de Tao.
C'est pourquoi les Anciens disaient:
Celui qui a l'intelligence du Tao paraît enveloppé de ténèbres.
Celui qui est avancé dans le Tao ressemble à un homme arriéré.
Celui qui est à la hauteur du Tao ressemble à un homme vulgaire.
L'homme d'une vertu supérieure est comme une vallée.
L'homme d'une grande pureté est comme couvert d'opprobre.
L'homme d'un mérite immense paraît frappé d'incapacité.
L'homme d'une vertu solide semble dénué d'activité.
L'homme simple est vrai semble vil et dégradé.
C'est un grand carré dont on ne voit pas les angles;
un grand vase qui semble loin d'être achevé;
une grande voix dont le son est imperceptible;
une grand image dont on n'aperçoit point la forme.
Le Tao se cache et personne ne peut le nommer.
Il sait prêter secours aux êtres et les conduire à la perfection."
-  Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 41    

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

"Los estudiantes sabios escuchan al Tao
y lo practican diligentemente.
Los estudiantes mediocres escuchan al Tao
y lo abandonan una y otra vez.
Los estudiantes vulgares escuchan al Tao
y se ríen de él.
Si gente como esa no se riera,
el Tao no sería lo que es.
En consecuencia se dice que:
El pasado brillante parece empañado.
Progresar parece retroceder.
El modo fácil parece arduo.
La mayor Virtud parece vacía.
La gran pureza parece sombría.
La Virtud más sana parece inadecuada.
La fuerza de la Virtud parece frágil.
La Virtud real parece irreal.
El perfecto cuadrado parece sin ángulos.
Los grandes talentos maduran tarde.
Las notas más agudas son difíciles de oír.
Las más grandes formas no tienen forma.
El Tao es oculto y sin nombre.
Sólo el Tao alimenta y
logra que todo se realice."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 41  

"Cuando un sabio de la más alta categoría oye
hablar del Sentido,
se aplica y actúa conforme a él.
Cuando un sabio de mediana categoría oye
hablar del Sentido,
medio se lo cree, medio lo pone en duda.
Cuando un sabio de inferior categoría oye
hablar del Sentido,
se ríe a carcajadas.
Si no se ríe a carcajadas,
aun n se trataba del verdadero Sentido.
Un poeta gnómico dijo:
“El Sentido, siendo claro, parece oscuro.
El Sentido, siendo el progreso,
aparenta ser un regreso.
El Sentido, siendo liso, parece áspero.

La Vida más elevada semeja un valle.
La pureza suprema se manifiesta como vergüenza.
La Vida, siendo extensa, parece insuficiente
y aunque es fuerte, llega furtivamente.
La esencia verdadera parece mutable.

El gran cuadrado no tiene ángulos.
El gran instrumento tarda en acabarse.
El gran sonido no se oye.
La gran imagen carece de forma.”
El Sentido es misterioso y no tiene nombre.
No obstante, es pródigo en donativos y realizaciones."
-  Translation into Spanish from Richard Wilhelm's 1911
German Version by an Unknown Spanish Translator, 2015, Capítulo 41

"Un hombre superior oye hablar del dao,
y puede practicarlo con dedicación.
Un hombre normal oye hablar del dao,
y tan pronto lo conserva como lo abandona.
Un hombre inferior oye hablar del dao,
y estalla en risotadas.
Si no se riera de él, no podría ser considerado comoel verdadero dao.
Por eso dice el Jian yan:
"El dao, luminoso, parece oscuro;
el dao, progresivo, parece regresivo;
el dao, llano, parece desigual."
La virtud superior parece como fondo de barranco,
la gloria suprema parece vergüenza,
la virtud omnímoda parece insuficiencia.
La virtud firme parece debilidad,
la verdad esencial parece falsedad,
el gran cuadrado no tiene ángulos.
La gran vasija tarda en elaborarse,
el gran sonido no se puede oír,
la gran imagen no tiene forma,
el dao es grande, pero ningún hombre lo puede designar,
Sólo el dao es capaz de iniciar y llevar a la plenitud."
-  Translated by Juan Ignacio Preciado, 1978, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 41

"La persona sabia, al llegar a saber sobre Tao, se esfuerza por alcanzar la autorealización en Tao.
Pero aquel que no es sabio, al llegar a saber sobre Tao,
     por momentos Lo mantiene en su mente, por momentos Lo pierde.
Los tontos, en cambio, al oír sobre Tao, Lo ridiculizan y llaman a Aquellos Que han conocido a Tao dementes,
     extraviados... La sabiduría les parece una locura; la justicia suprema, un vicio;
     la impecabilidad, un depravación y la gran verdad, una mentira...
Si, el gran cuadrado no tiene ángulos y no es posible oír el gran sonido y no es posible ver la gan imagen.
Tao está oculto a sus miradas y lleva a la Perfección sólo a los dignos!"
-  Translated by Anton Teplyy, 2008, Capítulo 41    

"Cuando un sabio discípulo escucha hablar del Tao, lo profesa con esmero.
Cuando un mediocre discípulo escucha hablar del Tao, oscila entre su comprensión a incomprensión.
Cuando un mal discípulo escucha hablar del Tao, se mofa de él.
Si éste no se, mofara de él, el Tao no sería Tao.
Dicen antiguas palabras sabias:
Quien recibe la luz del Tao parece deslumbrado.
Quien avanza con el Tao parece haber retrocedido.
Quien se hace poderoso con el Tao parece vulgar.
La virtud superior se parece al valle.
La absoluta blancura parece oscura.
La más grande virtud parece deficiente.
La más sólida virtud parece negligente.
La virtud establecida parece pervertida.
Gran cuadrado no tiene ángulos.
Gran jarrón despacio se hace.
Gran música tiene escasa resonancia.
Gran figura no tiene forma.
El Tao es misterioso, sin nombre.
Sin embargo sólo él sabe cómo dar ayuda y plenitud."
-  Translation from Logia Medio Dia, 2015, Capítulo 41  

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 © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0
 

Commentary

Next Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #42

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Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching 

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 41

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) Translated with and introduction and detailed exposition and commentary by Professor Robert G. Henricks.  New York, Ballantine Books, 1992.  Includes Chinese characters for each chapter.  Bibliography, detailed notes, 282 pages. 

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  By Jonathan Star.  Translation, commentary and research tools.  New York, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Penguin, 2001.  Concordance, tables, appendices, 349 pages.  A new rendition of the Tao Te Ching is provided, then a verbatim translation with extensive notes.  Detailed tables for each verse provide line number, all the Chinese characters, Wade-Giles Romanization, and a list of meanings for each character.  An excellent print reference tool! 

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  Translated by D. C. Lau.  Addison Wesley, Reprint Edition, 2000.  192 pages.  ISBN: 978-0140441314. 

The Taoism Reader  By Thomas Cleary.  Shambhala, 2012.  192 pages.

Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao  By Wayne W. Dyer.  Hay House, Reprint Edition, 2009.  416 pages. 

The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons.  By Deng Ming-Dao.  New York, Harper Collins, 2013.  429 pages.  

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 by Mike Garofalo

Virtue Ethics

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 

Concordance to the Daodejing

The Tao of Zen.  By Ray Grigg.  Tuttle, 2012, 256 pages.  Argues for the view that Zen is best characterized as a version of philosophical Taoism (i.e., Laozi and Zhuangzi) and not Mahayana Buddhism. 

Chapter 41 in the Rambling Taoist Commentaries by Trey Smith.  The Rambling Taoists are Trey Smith and Scott Bradley. 

The Philosophy of the Daodejing  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  Translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter).  Includes many brief selected commentaries for each Chapter draw from commentaries in the past 2,000 years.  Provides a verbatim translation and shows the text in Chinese characters.  San Francisco, Mercury House, 1996, Second Edition, 184 pages.  An invaluable resource for commentaries.   

Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation  By Ha Poong Kim.  Xlibris, 2003, 198 pages. 

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation  By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall.  Ballantine, 2003, 256 pages. 

Thematic Index to the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living.  Translated by Eva Wong.  Lieh-Tzu was writing around 450 BCE.  Boston, Shambhala, 2001.  Introduction, 246 pages. 

Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic.  By Hu Huezhi.  Edited by Jesse Lee Parker.  Seven Star Communications, 2006.  240 pages. 

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. By John Bright-Fey.  Crane Hill Publishers, 2006.  376 pages.

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching