Chapter 21 (original) (raw)
Translation
The opening of moral character allows only the way through.
Of the way serving the outside world, only suddenly, only indistinct.
Indistinct and suddenly, among which exist a shape.
Suddenly and indistinct, among which exists the outside world.
Deep and dark in which exists essence.
Its essence is more than real.
In which exists trust.
From ancient times up to the present,
Its reputation never left because of the experience of the multitude.
Why do I know the multitude are of just this condition?
Because of this.
hole (opening) virtue (character; heart) of hold (allow, permit) only (alone) road (way, principle, speak; think) is (yes this; that) from (through > ever; follow). 孔德之容惟道是从。_(kŏng dé zhī róng wéi dào shì cōng.)_
road (way, principle, speak; think) of do (serve as; be; for) thing (matter; the outside world) only (but; thinking) suddenly (seemingly) only (but; thinking) indistinct. 道之为物惟恍惟惚。_(dào zhī wéi wù wéi huăng wéi hū.)_
indistinct ! suddenly (seemingly) ! his (its; their, that; such) among (in which) have (there is; exist) elephant (appearance; shape; image). 惚兮恍兮其中有象。_(hū xī huăng xī qí zhōng yŏu xiàng.)_
suddenly (seemingly) ! indistinct ! his (its; their, that; such) among (in which) have (there is; exist) thing (matter; the outside world). 恍兮惚兮其中有物。_(huăng xī hū xī qí zhōng yŏu wù.)_
deep (quiet and elegant) ! dark (obscure; deep; profound; stupid) ! his (its; their, that; such) among (in which) have (there is; exist) refined (choice; essence). 窈兮冥兮其中有精。_(yăo xī míng xī qí zhōng yŏu jīng.)_
his (her; its; their; that; such) refined (choice; essence) very (extremely; more than) true (real; unmistakably). 其精甚真。_(qí jīng shén zhēn.)_
his (its; their, that; such) among (in which) have (there is; exist) true (trust; have faith in; believe in). 其中有信。_(qí zhōng yŏu xìn.)_
self (certainly; from; since) ancient (age-old) reach (come up to; and) modern (present-day; now), 自古及今，_(zì gŭ jí jīn,)_
his (its; their, that; such) name (fame; reputation) no (not) go (leave; remove) use ( take
according to; because of so as to and) read (inspect; experience) many (crowd; multitude) just (only). 其名不去以阅众甫。_(qí míng bù qù yĭ yuè zhòng fŭ.)_
I (we) who (why) know (realize; tell) many (crowd; multitude) just (only) of form (shape; condition; account) ? 吾何以知众甫之状哉? (wú hé yĭ zhī zhòng fŭ zhī zhuàng zāi?)
use ( take
according to; because of so as to and) this. 以此。_(yĭ cĭ.)_
Third Pass: Chapter of the Month 5/5/2018
Corrections?
None this time
Reflections:
The opening of moral character allows only the way through.
This first line holds a key that unlocks the rest of this chapter for me. However, the term moral character (德 = dé = virtue, character, integrity, heart) has cultural baggage/bias that easily obscures the ‘big picture’ here. Dropping off those words we get, the opening allows only the way through. In a sense, the opening is a filter that removes all labels (definition, differentiation, bias) and substance of any sort. What remains to pass through? Only suddenly, only indistinct. (1)
Indistinct and suddenly are of the moment, neither before nor after… and naturally nameless. Consciousness perceives the ‘_way possible to think, runs counter to the constant way’._ Where we differ from the rest of life on earth is the act of attempting to make tangible a natural essence [that] is more than real. The second line of chapter 1 cautions us on the shaky foundation upon which our labels, words, names — language itself — rests. The name possible to express runs counter to the constant name. Sure, language is useful for survival, but as with any good tool, it can cut both ways.
Its essence is more than real. Amid which exists trust. Trust is the ‘least common denominator’ that all things in creation have in common. Trust, a.k.a. universal consciousness, links ‘us’ (all creation) together, but in such an indistinct and suddenly way, that ‘we’ stand in awe. ‘We’ (all of creation) know this essence, but cannot pin it down enough in order to ignore it (take it for granted, discount, disrespect, etc.), and therefore…
Its reputation never left because of the experience of the multitude.
In other words, as ‘we’ all experience this essence; and through this essence ‘we’ are; ‘we’ know. (Again, this ‘we’ refers to all of creation, from atoms to galaxies.) Because humans have a brain that lends itself to ‘objective’ perception, our species cannot help but symbolically label this essence — to capture it, so to speak. Soon, we end up cleaving to the label as the essence, e.g., the word God. The labels dominate the mind. Although, it is not the label per se that gets in our way, but the emotional attachment to the label. The fervent certainty in our ‘objective knowledge’ is the real problem. As chapter 71 cautions: Realizing I don’t’ know is better; not knowing this knowing is disease.
Why do we cleave so desperately to word meaning until it becomes a law unto itself, until it owns our minds rather than being merely a temporary tool for the mind to use? One word says it all — fear! Our lonely disconnected existence drives us to make our ‘self-experience’ feel as tangible and real as possible. The fact that its essence is more than real is just too awesome and even terrifying for our particular brain to handle. Our incessant labeling of its essence divides us from its essence, which then drives us all the more to label its essence. This has an ironic humor ending with the fact that you can run from Mother Nature but you cannot hide (2). Why has this become such an issue for humanity? This turns into something of a ‘which came first’ question. The shift from our ancestral ways to civilization’s hierarchical structure provides the best answer I have seen to date. For more details, see The Tradeoff.
(1) Civilization’s circumstances instill in us, from infancy onward, a propensity to notice distinctions, often making mountains out of molehills of difference. This hypersensitivity to difference serves civilization’s hierarchical structure. Differences are crucial to set up ranking in a hierarchy. To rebalance ourselves and return to a more ancestral mind-set, one needs to reprogram the digital processes playing out between one’s ears (i.e., the stories that misguide perception are the result of the electrochemical on-off (yin-yang) nature of neurological processes — a.k.a. the ‘bio-computer’ between our ears). That probably means enough self-brainwashing to better notice only suddenly, only indistinct. Well, perhaps brainwashing isn’t the right word. How does self-unlearning sound?
The problem lies in the mind’s ability to notice, learn and remember stuff. This draws us emotionally into acting upon what we think we know much more than is healthy. Chapter 48 points the way back toward balance…
(2) Well, our species may stand less in awe than the rest of creation. Our labeling of all things — the only suddenly, only indistinct — gives us a false sense of security, and so we take nature for granted. D.C. Lau puts it nicely, When the people lack a proper sense of awe, then some awful visitation will descend upon them. Word for word less so, at least at first glance: When the people don’t fear power, Normally great power arrives. We people don’t fear power [of nature] because we escape into our mind induced illusions for security… Oh yes… all this included. 🙂
Second Pass: Work in Progress 5/02/2013
Issues:
On line 3,4,5,7: I am replacing among which and in which with amid which. They are reasonably synonymous, although among which feels less central, i.e., it is just among. Amid which feel more of the core, at ‘center’, (i.e., zhōng (中 ) centre; middle; in; middle). Note: this is actually a dual character, qízhōng (其中) among [which, them, etc.]; in [which, it, etc.]).
On line 3: I added the missing ‘s’ to exist.
On line 5,6: I added a ‘the_‘ to essence to elevate its status a little. The word here is jīng (精) refined; essence; extract; perfect; spirit; <Chin. med.> essence of life. Well… at least I didn’t capitalize it—_The Essence. 😉
Commentary:
This chapter parallels my symptom’s view of the world of which we are aware (‘know’). Within each thing of which I’m aware, if I look more closely, I find a deeper more subtle precursor, influence, or cause. And within that, a still deeper originator, and so on down the line until words cease to function, and my mind shifts over to a more intuitive understanding. Eventually, all that is left is carrying out the indescribable teaching… at least as long as I can remain relatively grounded in the essence.
This applies to every facet of life, which make all ‘simple answers’ false ones in the end. Everything is interconnected—a layered multitude (see Tao as Emergent Property). This gives a clue for understanding what is meant by chapter 70’s, Our words are very easy to know, very easy to do. Under heaven none can know, none can do.
Being a social species, the story is more interesting to us than the truth (see, The Story Trump the Truth). Drilling down to the deep, dark, silent essence, is a rather solitary, scant, pathetic journey. Sharing the story of the day, on the other hand, is far more socially satisfying—delicious gossip all. Nothing every changes really however because the story we tell ourselves is not the bottom line. To the contrary, our stories are but shifting sands of emotion—projections of our own needs and fears.
I’ve always deeply appreciated the final line, Because of this. Reasoned thought always makes use of an object, a ‘that’—something we can reference and point to. This implies a more subjective internal essence. This is the source of trust. It is the mystical not of words teaching, without action advantage. Yet we try. Of course, that is what makes it so profound.
Suggested Revision:
The opening of moral character allows only the way through. Of the way serving the outside world, only suddenly, only indistinct; Indistinct and suddenly, amid which exists a shape. Suddenly and indistinct, amid which exists the outside world; Deep and dark amid which exists the essence. Its essence is more than real. Amid which exists trust. From ancient times up to the present, Its reputation never left because of the experience of the multitude. Why do I know the multitude is of just this condition? Because of this.
First Pass: Chapter of the Week 05/10/2009
Today this chapter speaks to me of consciousness, or the light there of. Often the mind is interested in the objects of awareness – what the light shines upon. The mystery is the light itself, and in using the light to ‘inspect’ the light… ‘Use the light, but give up the discernment‘. Very odd, like using the eye to see itself. The marvel of consciousness is that, unlike the impossibility of a physical eye seeing itself, consciousness can. Or at least it feels so, most especially when the names and words are put to bed. Only in that silence can I see the indistinct and suddenly.
‘The opening of moral character allows only the way through’ sure sounds awkward compared with D.C. Lau’s In his every movement a man of great virtue follows the way and the way only. The difference, if there is one, lies in the view that an opening of moral character must be present in order to allow the way through. D.C. Lau’s translation seems to evoke a more active approach on the part of man. The phrase, ‘In his every movement’ is no where to be found in the Chinese. For me, the literal Chinese evokes a more passive view, more like: when the window is open the sun shines through. D.C. Lau’s phrasing lends a ‘free will‘ tone to this chapter which the original lacks.