Dao De Jing, chapter 22
Friday, 6 September 2024 07:24![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lnhammerThe crooked become whole,
The bent become upright,
The low waters become full [ponds],
The ruined become fresh,
The few [desires] are satisfied,
The many [desires] are baffled.
Because of this, the sage holds the One [Way] as a model for all under heaven.
He doesn’t show himself off, and so is renowned;
He doesn’t assert himself, and so is clearly seen;[22-1]
He doesn’t praise himself, and so is rewarded;
He isn’t proud of himself, and so [22-2] lasts long.
In regards to which, he doesn’t compete,
And thus no one under heaven can compete with him.
The ancients’ saying that the crooked become whole—
How are those worthless words?
Truly become perfect and return to It.
[22-1] Other texts swap lines 8 and 9
[22-2] Other texts add “[his] talent”
曲则全，
枉则直，
洼则盈，
弊则新，
少则得，
多则惑。
是以圣人抱一为天下式。
不自见，故明；
不自是，故彰；
不自伐，故有功；
不自矜，故长。
夫唯不争，
故天下莫能与之争。
古之所谓曲则全者，
岂虚言哉？
诚全而归之。
In the usual “other texts,” what is the standard text’s chapter 24 is in front of this chapter. (This is not their only difference in ordering—the biggest being the “other texts” swap DDJ’s two sections, putting dé before dào.) I can only conclude that the author of chapter 20 is not the sort of sage described here. The final “It” is, as expected, universally assumed to be the Way.
---L.
The bent become upright,
The low waters become full [ponds],
The ruined become fresh,
The few [desires] are satisfied,
The many [desires] are baffled.
Because of this, the sage holds the One [Way] as a model for all under heaven.
He doesn’t show himself off, and so is renowned;
He doesn’t assert himself, and so is clearly seen;[22-1]
He doesn’t praise himself, and so is rewarded;
He isn’t proud of himself, and so [22-2] lasts long.
In regards to which, he doesn’t compete,
And thus no one under heaven can compete with him.
The ancients’ saying that the crooked become whole—
How are those worthless words?
Truly become perfect and return to It.
[22-1] Other texts swap lines 8 and 9
[22-2] Other texts add “[his] talent”
曲则全，
枉则直，
洼则盈，
弊则新，
少则得，
多则惑。
是以圣人抱一为天下式。
不自见，故明；
不自是，故彰；
不自伐，故有功；
不自矜，故长。
夫唯不争，
故天下莫能与之争。
古之所谓曲则全者，
岂虚言哉？
诚全而归之。
In the usual “other texts,” what is the standard text’s chapter 24 is in front of this chapter. (This is not their only difference in ordering—the biggest being the “other texts” swap DDJ’s two sections, putting dé before dào.) I can only conclude that the author of chapter 20 is not the sort of sage described here. The final “It” is, as expected, universally assumed to be the Way.
---L.
no subject
Date: 6 September 2024 20:49 (UTC)