Dao De Jing, chapter 16

[lnhammer]

Bring emptiness to its utmost,
Keep stillness in truth.
The ten-thousand things all flourish alike—
I observe their return in this way:
The things are lush and varied,
Yet each returns again to its root.
This returning to roots, I call^[16-1] “Stillness”—
Which I consider a command to return.
This command to return I call^[16-1] “the Unchanging.”
Knowing the Unchanging I call^[16-1] “Wisdom.”
Not knowing the Unchanging^[16-2]
[Is the] confusion [that] breeds evil.
Knowing the Unchanging [breeds] tolerance,
Tolerance breeds impartiality,
Impartiality breeds kingliness,
Kingliness breeds heavenliness,
Heavenliness breeds the Way,
The Way breeds longevity,
And [until] death, the body is unharmed.

^[16-1] Other texts have “is” and lack the particle indicating a quotation
^[16-2] Other texts add “is confusion, [and]”, without which this sentence is nigh incoherent

致虚极，
守静笃。
万物并作，
吾以观复。
夫物芸芸，
各复归其根。
归根曰静，
是谓复命。
复命曰常，
知常曰明。
不知常，
妄作凶。
知常容，
容乃公，
公乃王，
王乃天，
天乃道，
道乃久，
没身不殆。

This time the “I” is explicit, at least the first one—the rest are cascaded from that context. Same “unchanging” I rendered as “constant” in 1.1-2. Am thinking about whether I should use the same word in both places, and if so which. Possibly Constancy here?

---L.

Comments

[sartorias]

Interesting chain.

[lnhammer]

Indeed.

I am not at all clear on what sort of "king"ship is involved -- state-rule? self-rule? a regal bearing? something I haven't a cue?