Chapter 42

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



By Lao Tzu (Laozi)

Chapter 42

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 #42:  Transformations, Begets or Produces (shêng), Dao, Cause or Make (wei), Modification, Reason, Violence, Two (erh), Three (san), One (yi), Many, Tao, Obscure, Carriages, Princes, Fools, Detest or Loathe or Hate (wu), Orphan (ku), Widow (kua), King (wang), Lord (kung), Make or Act (wei), Forceful or Violent (ch'iang, liang), Increase, Decrease, Unity, Duality, Teaching, Virtue, Tyrant, Hostility, Unnatural, Myriad Beings, 10,000 Things (wan wu), Language, Titles, Creative, Things or Beings (huo), Loose or Decrease (sun), Gain or Increase (yi), Taught or Teachings (chiao), Origin, Breath, Chi, Embrace or Wrap (pao), Emptiness, Yin or Shade or Female Principle (yin), Yang or Sun or Male Principle (yang), Harmony, Death, Blend or Combine (ch'ung), Vital Force or Vital Breath (ch'i, qi), Obtain or Gain (tê), Father or Chief (fu), Harmony or Balanced (ho), People or Mankind (jên),  道化 
Chapter #42  Tao Te Ching  2/17k/2021

Términos en Español, Capítulo #42:  Transformaciones, Producir, Parir, Causar, Cosas, Modificación, Racional, Violencia, Dos, Tres, Uno, Muchos, Carrozas, Príncipes, Tontos, Aumentar, Disminuir, Unidad, Dualidad, Virtud, Tirano, Hostilidad, Contra Natura, Idiomas, Títulos, Origen, Respiración, Vacío, Yin, Yang, Armonía, Muerte, Producir, Causa, Hacer, Detesta, Huérfano, Viuda, Rey, Señor, Ley, Contundente, Violentos, Aumentar, Enseñar, Abrazo, Sombra, Sol, Combinar, Obtener, Ganancia, Padre, Jefe, Armonía, Equilibrados, Gente, Humanidad, Mezcla.
Capítulo #42  Daodejing  2/17k/2021

Electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

"The Dao produced One; One produced Two;
Two produced Three; Three produced All things.
All things leave behind them the Obscurity out of which they have come, and go forward to embrace
the Brightness into which they have emerged, while they are harmonized by the Breath of Vacancy.
What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as carriages without naves;
and yet these are the designations which kings and princes use for themselves.
So it is that some things are increased by being diminished, and others are diminished by being increased.
What other men thus teach, I also teach.
The violent and strong do not die their natural death.
I will make this the basis of my teaching."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 42

"The Way produces one.
One produces two.
Two produces three.
Three produces everything.
Everything has polar elements in it
That interact to achieve harmony.
People all hate being isolated, helpless and wicked,
But kings use these words as their titles.
Therefore, things can gain from losses
And can lose because of gainings.
I just teach what I have been taught.
Those who willfully go against the Way
Will die an undue death,
And are fit to be my textbook."
-  Translated by Liu Qixuan, Chapter 42

"Tao produce unity.
Unity splits into two.
Two gives birth to three.
Three produces everything.
Everything carries Yin and embraces Yang.
Yin and Yang work together makes harmony.
Loneliness, friendlessness, and worthlessness are generally disliked.
Yet, kings and lords use these terms to describe themselves.
Things can benefit from damages.
Things can also be damaged from benefits.
Therefore, I can teach what the other taught me:
Those who act against the law of the Nature will never get what they want.
This is a basic principle for me to teach."
-  Translated by Thomas Z. Zhang, Chapter 42

"Tao begot one.
One begot two.
Two begot three.
And three begot the Ten Thousand Things.
The Ten Thousand Things carries yin and embrace yang.
Yin and Yang begot their individual unity.
Orphanedness, widowedness and worthlessness are things people hate.
And yet this is how kings and lords call themselves.
People always grows by emptying,
And empties by growth,
What others teach, I also teach:
A violent man will die an untimely death!”
Therefore, I will make this the root of my teaching."
-  Translated by Eiichi Shimomisse, 1998, Chapter 42

"Dao engenders one. (Tai-chi)
One engenders two. (Yin and Yang)
Two engenders three. (combinations of Yin and Yang)
Three engenders everything.
Everything carries Yin and embraces Yang.
The mixing of Yin and Yang becomes an entity.
People dislike words like orphaned, widowed and unworthy.
Nevertheless, the lords use these terms as their titles.
An affair may finally turn out well despite a very bad start.
Conversely, it could turn out badly with a good start.
That is what I have learnt: nothing is certain in life.
I will use this to teach others.
However, I will still use
"Those who resort to violence will die by violence" as my principal teaching."
-  Translated by Han Hiong Tan, Chapter 42

"The Dao begets the One;
the One begets two;
two beget three;
and three beget the myriad things.
The myriad things, bearing yin and embracing yang, form a unified harmony through the fusing of these vital forces.
What people most hate are "the orphan," "the widower," and "the unworthy," yet lords and princes use these terms to refer to themselves.
Thus it is that some are augmented by being diminished, and others are diminished by being augmented.
What others teach, I also teach.
The dangerously bold do not get to die a natural death, so I am going to use them as the fathers of my teaching."
-  Translated by Richard John Lynn, Chapter 42 

"The Way gave birth to unity,
Unity gave birth to duality,
Duality gave birth to trinity,
Trinity gave birth to the myriad creatures.
The myriad creatures bear yin on their backs and embrace yang in their bosoms.
They neutralize these vapors
and thereby achieve harmony.
That which all under heaven hate most
Is to be orphaned, destitute, and hapless.
Yet kings and dukes call themselves thus.
Things may be diminished by being increased, increased by being diminished.
Therefore,
That which people teach,
After deliberation, I also teach people.
Therefore,
"The tyrant does not die a natural death."
I take this as my mentor."
-  Translated by Victor Mair, Chapter 42

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

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

"Dao sprouted as one.
One sprouted into two.
Two sprouted into three.
Three sprouted into all the living things in the universe.
All living things suffer through darkness and embrace the light.
In the middle, life's energy finds a way to act from the harmony of both.
A person's stance might be to really hate being "alone, isolated and One Without Grain".
Yet the nobility choose to call themselves by that title.
A living thing may be damaged by increase; or may profit by decrease.
Therefore, if a person realizes that their attitude can teach others,
In the evening they will consider and discuss things, teaching each other.
Therefore those who are aggressive and violent will die incomplete.
I'll take these lessons as though they came from my father."
-  Translated by Nina Correa, 2005, Chapter 42  

Cloud Hands Blog

"The way begets the one
The one begets the two
The two beget the three
The three beget the myriad beings
The myriad beings carry the shadow and embrace the light
Mixing the breaths with harmonious action
People have their reasons to truly dislike being
“Orphaned & friendless, without worth”
Yet sovereign & duke take these as titles
Since beings may sometimes lose something, and yet benefit
May sometimes gain something, and yet be diminished
What someone else has taught
I too come to teach:
Those who are forceful & hostile
do not meet their natural ends
I will regard this as a premise of the teaching."
-  Translated by Bradford Hatcher, 2005, Chapter 42  

"In the beginning was only the Tao Way,
Its first manifestation was the cause of another manifestation.
That one has produced yet another manifestation.
Thus all things have appeared.
The pair of Yin and Yang has manifested,
The Ch'i energy started to move everything,
Harmony was thus established.
The ordinary people depend on each other,
Only the Wise Person is contempt with himself,
Living by himself, he goes with the harmonious flow of the Tao Way."
-  Translated by Sarbatoare, Chapter 42

"The Tao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to all things.

All things have their backs to the female
and stand facing the male.
When male and female combine,
all things achieve harmony.

Ordinary men hate solitude.
But the Master makes use of it,
embracing his aloneness, realizing
he is one with the whole universe."
-  Translated by Edwin Shaw, 1996, Chapter 42   

"Out of Tao came the One.
The One begot the Two.
Two produced Three.
Out of Three the multiplicity of beings flowed which are appearance outside being inside both united by Spirit.
The masses are afraid of being inside, alone and little.
The few the leaders give preference to it knowing that being-more is less and being-less is more."
-  Translated by K. O. Schmidt, 1975, Chapter 42

"From Direction, One is born.
From One, Two is born.
From Two, Three is born.
From Three, myriad matters are born.
Myriad matters turn their backs on yin and embrace yang.
The complement of their energy produces harmony.
What people dislike are loneliness, isolation, and ungraciousness,
yet this is how Dukes and Princes self-address.
Thus, a matter expands through contraction;
contracts through expansion.
This is what others have taught me;
let me teach others the same: "A violent person does not die in place."
This is the theme of my teaching.
-  Translated by David H. Li, Chapter 42 

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. 

"The Tao gives birth to the One.
The One gives birth to two.
Two gives birth to three.
And three gives birth to the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things have their backs in the shadow
while they embrace the light.
Harmony is achieved by blending
the breaths of these two forces.
People dislike the words "alone," "helpless," "worthless,"
yet this is how Princes describe them selves.
So it is that sometimes a thing is increased
by being diminished and
diminished by being increased.
What others teach I also teach:
"A violent person will not die a natural death."
I shall make this the basis of my teaching."
-  Translated by Tolbert McCarroll, 1982, Chapter 42 

A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A note on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching

道生一.
一生二.
二生三.
三生萬物. 
萬物負陰而抱陽.
沖氣以為和. 
人之所惡唯孤寡不穀, 而王公以為稱. 
故物或損之而益.
或益之而損. 
人之所教, 我亦教之. 
強梁者不得其死.
吾將以為教父.   
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 42

tao shêng yi. 
yi shéng erh.
erh shêng san. 
san shêng wan wu. 
wan wu fu yin erh pao yang.
ch'ung ch'i yi wei ho.
jên chih so wu wei ku kua pu ku, erh wang kung yi wei ch'êng.
ku wu huo sun chih erh yi.
huo yi chih erh sun.
jên chih so chiao, wo yi chiao chih. 
ch'iang liang chê pu tê ch'i ssu.
wu chiang yi wei chiao fu.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 42 
 

Audio Version in Chinese of Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching

dao sheng yi. 
yi sheng er. 
er sheng san. 
san sheng wan wu.
wan wu fu yin er bao yang. 
chong qi yi wei he.
ren zhi suo wu wei gu gua bu gu, er wang gong yi wei cheng.
gu wu huo sun zhi er yi. 
huo yi zhi er sun.
ren zhi suo jiao, wo yi jiao zhi. 
qiang liang zhe bu de qi si. 
wu jiang yi wei jiao fu.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 42 

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. 

"Nature first begets one thing.
The one thing begets another.
The two produce a third.
In this way, all things are begotten.
Why? Because all things are impregnated by two alternating tendencies, the tendency towards completion and the tendency towards initiation, which acting together, complement each other.
Most men dislike to be considered of no account, lowly, unworthy.
Yet intelligent leaders call themselves thus.
For people are admired for their humility and despised for their pride.
There are many other ways of illustrating what I am teaching: "Extremists reach untimely ends."
This saying may be taken as a good example."
-  Translated by Archie J. Bahm, Chapter 42  

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

"The principle is not a thing. Call it zero.
The principle in action is the unity of creation.
This unity is a single whole. Call it one.
Creation consists of pairs of opposites or polarities.
Call these polarities two.
These polarities become creative when they interact.
Their interaction is the third element. Call it three.
For example, a man and a woman are two.
Their interaction, or intercourse, the third element makes babies.
That is creative.
That is how all creativity occurs.
The wise leader knows about pairs of opposites and their interactions.
The leader knows how to be creative.
In order to lead, the leader learns to follow.
In order to prosper, the leader learns to live simply. In both cases, it is the interaction that is creative.
Leading without following is sterile.
Trying to become rich by accumulating more and more is a full-time career and not free at all.
Being one-sided always produces unexpected and paradoxical results.
Being well-defended will not protect you; it will diminish your life and eventually kill you.
Exceptions to these examples of traditional wisdom are very hard to find."
-   Translated by John Heider, 1985, Chapter 42  

"The number one of the Way was born.
A duad from this monad formed.
The duad next a triad made;
The triad bred the myriad,
Each holding The number one of the Way was born.
A duad from this monad formed.
The duad next a triad made;
The triad bred the myriad,
Each holding yang
And held by yin,
Whose powers’ balanced interaction
Brings all ten thousand to fruition.
By the names men most of all abhor –
“Orphaned,” “wanting,” “destitute” –
Kings and lords make themselves known.
For in this world
Those who take less shall have more,
Those given more shall have less.
These words men have taught
And so shall I teach:
“Who lives by might never do die right”,
These my authority, my guiding light."
-  Translated by Moss Roberts, 2001, Chapter 42 

"The Way begot one,
And the one, two;
Then the two begot three
And three, all else.

All things bear the shade on their backs
And the sun in their arms;
By the blending of breath
From the sun and the shade,
Equilibrium comes to the world.

Orphaned, or needy, or desolate, these
Are conditions much feared and disliked;
Yet in public address, the king
And the nobles account themselves thus.
So a loss sometimes benefits one
Or a benefit proves to be loss.

What others have taught
I also shall teach:
If a violent man does not come
To a violent death,
I shall choose him to teach me."
-  Translated by Raymond B. Blakney, 1955, Chapter 42  

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

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 Principle has emitted its virtue, the latter begins to evolve according to two alternating modalities.
This evolution produces (or condenses) the median air (tenuous matter).
From tenuous matter, under the influence of the two modalities yin and yang, all sentient beings are produced.
Coming out from the yin (from strength) they pass to the yang (to the act),
through the influence of the two modalities on matter.
What men dislike is being alone, unique, incapable, (in obscurity and abasement),
and yet emperors and princes are designated by these terms, (which imply humility without debasement).
Beings diminish themselves by wanting to augment themselves,
and they are augmented through diminishing themselves."
-  Translated by Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 42  

"Tao engenders One,
One engenders Two,
Two engenders Three,
Three engenders the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things carry shade
And embrace sunlight.
Shade and sunlight, yin and yang,
Breath blending into harmony.
Humans hate
To be alone, poor, and hungry.
Yet kings and princes
Use these words as titles.
We gain by losing,
Lose by gaining.
What others teach, I also teach:
"A violent man does not die a natural death."
This is the basis of my teaching."
-  Translated by Stephen Addis, 1993, Chapter 42  

"The Tao formulated the One.
The One exhaled the Two.
The Two were parents of the Three.
The Three were parents of all things.
All things pass from Obscurity to Manifestation, inspired harmoniously by
the Breath of the Void.
Men do not like to be fatherless, virtueless, unworthy: yet rulers
describe themselves by these names.
Thus increase bringeth decrease to some, and decrease bringeth increase to others.
Others have taught thus; I consent to it. Violent men and strong die not by natural death.
This fact is the foundation of my law."
-  Translated by Aleister Crowley, 1918, Chapter 42  

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

"Tao gives birth to One,
One gives birth to Two,
The Two gives birth to Three,
The Three gives birth to all universal things.
All universal things shoulder the Yin and embrace the Yang.
The Yin and Yang mingle and mix with each other to beget the harmony.
People distain the orphaned, widowed and worthless,
Yet they are the name by which rulers called themselves.
Therefore all things may increase when diminished,
And they may diminish when increased.
What people teach is "get rid of weakness and become strong,"
But what I teach is "get rid of the strong to become weak.
The violent and forceful do not die a natural death,"
I will begin my teaching just from this saying."
-  Translated by He Xuezhi, Chapter 42

"The Tao gives birth to One
One gives birth to Two
Two gives birth to Three
The three give birth to the ten-thousand things.

The ten-thousand things take refuge in yin but harbor yang
Infusing ch’i in order to act in harmony.

That which is detested among people:
Only [being] orphaned, bereft, unfortunate.
Yet kings are indifferent to being [thus] called.
Therefore, beings might decry them
And yet [they are] profited.
Might profit them and yet [they are] decried.

That which is taught among people—
I also teach it:
Those who are swelling with violence
Do not conquer their death.

I will therefore take [these] teachings as [my] father."
-  Translated by Aalar Fex, 2006, Chapter 42 

"One produced two; two produced three; three produced the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things turn away from the dark (Yin) and embrace the light (Yang); the vapours of the void blend them harmoniously.
What people loathe is to be "orphaned", "lonely", "destitute", and yet kings and dukes call themselves thus.
For things are sometimes increased by decrease, and decreased by increase.
What others have taught I also teach; that men of violence will not reach their natural death, I shall be the father of that doctrine."
-  Translated by Jan J. L. Duyvendak, 1954, Chapter 42 

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  

"In Tao is Unity of Life,
In Unity is Duality of Life,
In Duality is Trinity of Life,
In Trinity all beings have life.
All beings shun the principle of Inertia,
They hold to the principle of Life.
They are brought into deep harmony by the Breath of the Deep.
That which men dislike is to be called orphans, solitary, wheels without naves;
Yet princes and rulers may thus be named.
Therefore some are increased by being diminished,
And some are diminished by being increased.
That which men have taught I also shall teach:
"He who is strong and violent shall not meet with easy death."
I shall in this way teach fundamentals."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 42  

"Tao gives birth to unity, unity gives birth to duality, duality gives birth to trinity, and trinity gives birth to all things.
All things are wrapped by yin and contain yang, and their pulsing ch'is marry.
That which men abominate, the lonely, the hubless, their leaders take as names.
Thus one does not either benefit from a loss or lose from a benefit.

What other people teach, I also teach.
"The end of a strong one is an untimely death."
I will take this as a precept to teach proper behaviour."
-  Translated by Tam C. Gibbs, 1981, Chapter 42 

"The Tao gave birth to One.
The One gave birth to Two.
The Two gave birth to Three.
The Three gave birth to all of creation.

All things carry Yin
yet embrace Yang.
They blend their life breaths
in order to produce harmony.

People despise being orphaned, widowed and poor.
But the noble ones take these as their titles.
In losing, much is gained,
and in gaining, much is lost.

What others teach I too will teach:
"The strong and violent will not die a natural death.""
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 42 

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 Tao produced One; One produced Two;

Two produced Three; Three produced All.

All the myriad things bear the yin with darkened pall,

They embrace the yang which lights the coming view,

And between the yin that was, and the yang that is to be,

The immaterial breath makes harmony.

Things that men dislike are to be orphans, lonely men,

Unworthy, incomplete, and yet these very things

Are taken for their titles by princes and by kings;

So it is sometimes that losing gains again,

And sometimes that gaining loses in its turn.

I am teaching what, by others taught, I learn;

The violent and aggressive a good death do not die,

And the father of this teaching, it is I."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Hesysinger, 1903, Chapter 42 

"Out of Tao, One is born;
Out of One, Two;
Out of Two, Three;
Out of Three, the created universe.
The created universe carries the yin at its back
   and the yang in front;
Through the union of the pervading principles it
   reaches harmony.

To be "orphaned," "lonely" and "unworthy" is what men hate most.
   Yet the princes and dukes call themselves by such names.
For sometimes things are benefited by being taken away from,
And suffer by being added to.

Others have taught this maxim,
Which I shall teach also:
"The violent man shall die a violent death."
This I shall regard as my spiritual teacher."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 42  

"Die Selbstentfaltung des Seins

Aus dem Unergründlichen erquoll das Eine.
Aus dem Einen ward das Zweite.
Aus dem Zweiten ward das Dritte.
Das Dritte erzeugte das Viele.
Alles Lebendige geht aus dem Dunklen hervor und
strebt nach dem Licht.
Des Lebens Wesenheit
bewirkt den steten Einklang beider Kräfte.
Kein Mensch will einsam, verlassen und gering sein;
Fürsten und Könige aber bezeichnen sich gern so;
denn sie wissen um das Geheimnis,
daß das, was nichts gilt, erhoben wird,
daß das, was gilt, zerfällt.
Also lehre ich auch, was schon die andern lehrten:
Immer stirbt, bevor er stirbt, wer eigenwillig handelt.
Das ist der Ausgangspunkt meiner Lehre."
-  Translated by Rudolf Backofen, 1949, Chapter 42

"Der Sinn erzeugt die Eins.
Die Eins erzeugt die Zwei.
Die Zwei erzeugt die Drei.
Die Drei erzeugt alle Dinge.
Alle Dinge haben im Rücken das Dunkle und streben nach dem Licht,
und die strömende Kraft gibt ihnen Harmonie.
Was die Menschen hassen, ist Verlassenheit, Einsamkeit, Wenigkeit.
Und doch wählen Fürsten und Könige sie zu ihrer Selbstbezeichnung.
Denn die Dinge werden entweder durch Verringerung vermehrt
oder durch Vermehrung verringert.
Was andre lehren, lehre ich auch:
Die Starken sterben nicht eines natürlichen Todes.
Das will ich zum Ausgangspunkt meiner Lehre machen."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 42 

"The Way bears sensation,
Sensation bears memory,
Sensation and memory bear abstraction,
And abstraction bears all the world;
Each thing in the world bears feeling and doing,
And, imbued with mind, harmony with the Way.
As others have taught, so do I teach,
"Who loses harmony opposes nature";
This is the root of my teaching."
-  Translated by Peter A. Merel, Chapter 42   

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

"Tao begets one; one begets two; two begets three; three begets all things.
All things are backed by the Shade, (yin) and faced by the light (yang),
and harmonized by the immaterial Breath (ch'i).
What others teach, I also teach:
'The daring and violent do not die a natural death.'
This maxim I shall regard as my instructor."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 42 

"Tao emaned the One; the one emaned the Two; and the two emaned the Three.
From the Three all things have proceeded.
All things are backed by the Unmanifest and faced by the Manifest.
That which unites them is the immaterial breath.
Orphanage, isolation, and a chariot without wheels are shunned by the people; but kings and great men appropriate these names to themselves.
For things increase by being deprived; and being added to they are diminished.
That which people teach by their actions I make use of to instruct them.
Those who are violent and headstrong, for example, do not die a natural death.
They teach a good lesson, and so I make use of them."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 42 

"Dao gave birth to One - Existence: Heaven;
One gave birth to Two - Coexistence: Heaven and Earth;
Two gave birth to Three: Heaven, Earth and Life;
and Three gave birth to All Things.
All Things are sustained by Yin - the inactive cosmic gas, and are embraced by Yang - the active cosmic gas.
To produce these gases into orderly use is to harmonize them.
What the people hate are: "orphanhood", "widowhood" and "indigence".
Yet these terms are used as designations by rulers.
Materialistically, one may gain by losing,
Similarly, one may lose by gaining.
What people preach I also preach.
Then I shall be the master of preaching.
A violent person cannot die a natural death."
-  Translated by Tang Zi Chang, Chapter 42 

Le Tao a produit un; un a produit deux;
deux a produit trois; trois a produit tous les êtres.
Tous les êtres fuient le calme et cherchent le mouvement.
Un souffle immatériel forme l'harmonie.
Ce que les hommes détestent, c'est d'être orphelins, imparfaits, dénués de vertu, et cependant les rois s'appellent ainsi eux-mêmes.
C'est pourquoi, parmi les êtres, les uns s'augmentent en se diminuant; les autres se diminuent en s'augmentant.
Ce que les hommes enseignent, je l'enseigne aussi.
Les hommes violents et inflexibles n'obtiennent point une mort naturelle.
Je veux prendre leur exemple pour la base de mes instructions."
-  Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 42      

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

"El Tao engendra al Uno,
El Uno engendra al Dos,
El Dos engendra al Tres.
El Tres engendra a los diez mil seres.
Los diez mil seres llevan el Yin en sus espaldas y el Yang en sus frentes,
Y la armonía de su Chi depende del equilibrio de estas dos fuerzas.
Los hombres aborrecen la soledad, la pobreza, la indignidad,
y estos nombres los usan los soberanos para sus títulos.
Porque unos ganan perdiendo, y otros pierden ganando.
Yo enseño lo que otros han enseñado:
"el hombre que vive violentamente, morirá violentamente".
Esta es la guía de mi enseñanza."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 42   

"El Sentido genera el Uno.
El Uno genera el Dos.
El Dos genera el Tres.
Y el Tres genera todas las cosas.
Todas las cosas dan la espalda a lo oscuro
y se dirigen hacia la luz.
La energía fluyente les da la armonía.

Los hombres odian la orfandad, la soledad,
la nimiedad.
Y, sin embargo, reyes y príncipes
eligen tales términos como títulos.

Porque las cosas disminuyendo, aumentan,
y aumentando, disminuyen.

Mi enseñanza es similar a la de otros:
“Los fuertes no mueren por causas naturales.”
Este será el punto de partida de mi doctrina."
-  Translation into Spanish from Richard Wilhelm's 1911 German Version by an Unknown Spanish Translator, 2015, Capítulo 42

"El Tao engendró la unidad.
La unidad engendró la dualidad.
La dualidad produjo la tríada.
La tríada dio vida a los diez mil seres.
Los diez mil seres tienen el yin en sus espaldas, llevan el yang entre sus brazos.
De la mezcla de sus alientos vitales los dos reciben su vital armonía.
El abandono, la pequeñez y el desprecio, es aquello que los hombres más aborrecen;
mientras que los reyes hacen de ellos un título de gloria.
Por eso algunas veces lo que parece menguar se incrementa, y lo que parece incrementarse disminuye.
Lo que los otros enseñaron yo también lo enseño:
Que el violento no muere de muerte natural.
Este es el fundamento de mi doctrina."
-  Translation from Logia Medio Dia, 2015, Capítulo 42 

Todo produce el Uno; el Uno produce el dos; el dos produce el tres:
    el tres produce todas las cosas. 
Todas las cosas van desde la Sombra (Yin) hacia la Luz (Yang). 
Y son armonizadas por el soplo divino (Chi).
Lo que otros enseñan, yo también enseño:
"El osado y el vilento no morirán de muerte natural."
Consideraré esta (máxima) como mi adoctrinador."
-  Translated from Chinese into English by Ch'u Ta-Kao, Translated from English into Spanish by Caridad Diaz Faes, Capítulo 42   

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 #43

Previous Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #41

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching 

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 42

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. 

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 1 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