Explained: The First Chapter Of The Tao Te Ching "The Worlds Oldest Zen Poem" (Extract From Zen Sage Zen Warrior)
This is another short extract from my book (Zen Sage Zen Warrior) summarizing my understanding of zen ideas thus far. While my study on zen continues I put this book together to give the reader a quick overview in one book. I'm working on a better version of explaining the Tao Te Ching (as well as some other interesting material I found). Lets begin with a look at a standard translation;
Translation by James Legge;
1. All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing
this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.
2. So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to
(the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.
3. Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show
itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership;
they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a
reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no
resting in it (as an achievement).
The work is done, but how no one can see;
'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.
D.T Suzuki's version;
D.T Suzuki's version;
1. Everywhere it is obvious that if beauty makes a display of beauty, it is sheer ugliness. It is obvious that if goodness makes a display of goodness, it is sheer badness. For;
2. "To be and not to be are mutually conditioned.
The difficult, the easy, are mutually definitioned.
The long, the short, are mutually exhibitioned.
Above, below, are mutually cognitioned.
The sound, the voice, are mutually coalitioned.
Before and after are mutually positioned."
The holy man abides by non-assertion in his affairs and conveys by silence his instruction. When the ten thousand things arise, verily, he refuses them not. He quickens but owns not. He acts but claims not. Merit he accomplishes, but he does not dwell on it.
"Since he does not dwell on it
It will never leave him."
1. The idea here is that pride of showing off can turn something beautiful into something ugly. For example; A girl who knows she is beautiful and makes a display of her beauty displays ugliness in the pride she displays. (An example that I think applies to the culture the Tao te Ching was written in if not ours). Seen from another angle, if you know what beauty is then you have an idea of what ugliness is as well as you wouldn’t be able to know something is beautiful without being able to label something else as ugly.
This same idea also applies to being good or acts of goodness which is probably more understandable to western/abrahamic cultures. If someone pretends to be humble then it isn’t humbleness but pride. If someone pretends to be good when they are not they are hypocrites. Conversely, it can be seen as ‘if you can perceive good then you already have an understanding of what evil is or you wouldn’t have even been able to perceive good in the first place’.
2. This part is rhyming poetry and goes something like this;
You know that something exists by having an idea of what non-existence might be like. You know something is difficult because you know what easy is. You know something is long because you know what short is. That fact that you can define something as “up” or “down” means you have these opposite concepts in your head to begin with. Even music attains the ability to sound good by the contrast between the different notes thereby, together, creating a melody. You know what is before you by defining something as being after the said conception.
In other words, this sounds very much like one of Socrates dialogues in its content. The idea that one can only know something is long relative to something that is short and these are all ideas one has in their heads to define absolutes which don’t exist in nature without our additional labeling. Ideas from Plato’s dialogues in the Tao Te Ching written roughly the same time? Doesn’t seem that far fetched to me. The people in the ancient world seemed to travel quite a bit.
3. Since the world doesn’t exist in absolutes, the Sage is content with a non-authoritative (or more maternal) approach to dealing with daily affairs. Allowing people to go about their business and leading by example where he/she can.
When the many distractions of the world arise the Sage doesn’t refuse or ignore them nor does he seek them out. He does what needs to be done without laying claim to the fruits of his actions. He does “good” deeds but he doesn’t care about that as it was just something that had to be done. Since he doesn't try and own it, or hold on to it, whatever he did is with him always and just adds to his skill set.
The idea here is that the Sage learns to be IN the world but not OF it and can thus flow with the ways of the world in his culture.