Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 sage wise men of ancient space and time were agents of the tao source of life and as such appeared mysterious and intent as they perceived the sacred voices and the subtle
clues
of the miracle and its injunctions
2 their trance of wisdom was so profound that they seem distant and removed yet present and intrigued as they gave their full attention to observe the smallest of happenings and while this behavior was beyond ordinary
understanding
it can be described without looking to the mind
3 calculating yet spontaneous
a revealed attentiveness of a hunter crossing a
frozen stream
4 fearless yet tentative
they behaved as if the teacher's teacher had
placed a knife at every
quarter to keep them alert and aware
5 dignified yet playful
they conducted themselves as if to be the courteous
guest of
everyone that they met
6 humble yet resolute
they deferred to the ordinary forces around them
without
submission and looked like ice yielding in the sun
7 authentic and unspoiled
they acted with honest simplicity as if the depth of
their beings
were composed of concentrated innocence
8 receptive and approachable
they presented a rarefied space of sanctuary and
repose inviting to
all
9 carefree and gently demanding
they blended freely with nature and with people
but did not
sacrifice their own inner direction
10 the ancient child asks
who is it that can find quiet among the noise
11 the sage wise man sits comfortably still and can lay down amidst the confusion
12 the ancient child asks
who is it that can remain calm and seize the
moment
13 through engaged activity the sage wise man preserves his life and
the life around him
14 to embrace the tao way of life is to seek emptiness as a means to avoiding spiritual materialism and the entropy it induces
15 by not seeking accomplishment you become endless and vitalized continually
This chapter tells you how to live your life to emulate the Tao.
1 MIND and BODY: This paints a picture of people who live a mystic lifestyle.
2 MIND and BODY: The last two lines reiterate something said previously; to wit, from a Taoist
perspective, you can't understand the sage's behavior with a rational mind. It is beyond ordinary reasoning, thinking, and logic.
3-9 MIND and BODY: This stanza begins listing examples of the way a Taoist should live his life. The first line of these seven stanzas presents a pair of opposites that must be balanced one against the other. In the midst of balancing the two concepts, the Taoist behavior appears.
4 MIND and BODY: "The teacher's teacher" is a reference to the forces of nature, to Mother Nature, in western literature. Behaving as it a knife is placed at every quarter refers to a Taoist meditative technique in which the Cultivator remains completely still and is uniformly attentive to every aspect of his bodymind in all directions.
10-11 HAND: These stanzas are a question and a response. The initiator, speaking for Lao-tzu, asks the question in stanza 10. The student answers accordingly in stanza 11. These are specific meditative instructions.
12-13 HAND: The Master questions and the student responds. In stanza 13, "engaged activity" is, from a Taoist perspective, activity that is mindful, spontaneous, and playful.
14-15 MIND and BODY: "Spiritual materialism," which the Taoist continually avoids, refers to emotional or intellectual baggage that ultimately gets in the way, separating the Cultivator from the Tao
Source.