老子道德經(核心三十三篇)
Laozi’s Dao De Jing (core 33 chapters)
Translated by LI Siming, 2011
1. Temporariness of names, functionality and origin of nothingness vs. beingness
道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。
The Dao that can be spoken is not the enduring and unchanging Dao.
The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.
無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。
Nothingness, is the origin of heaven and earth;
Beingness, is the mother of all things.
故常無欲，以觀其妙；常有欲，以觀其徼。
Abide in nothingness, one see deep wisdom;
Abide in beingness, one see boundless creation.
此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。
Both arise from same source but have different names, together they are called mystery.
玄之又玄，衆妙之門。
Lie in the deepest of mystery, is the gate to all wisdom and wonder.
2. Dualistic nature of worldly standards, vs. non-dual lifestyle of sage
天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。
皆知善之為善，斯不善已。
Everyone know what is beauty, because of the concept of non-beauty;
Everyone know what is virtue, because of the concept of non-virtue;
故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。
Therefore, beingness and nothingess creates each other,
difficult and easy forms each other,
long and short calibrates each other,
high and low leans toward each other,
tone and sound harmonises each other,
front and back follows each other.
是以聖人處無為之事，行不言之教；
Therefore the sage manages affairs without the concept of doing anything,
and he educates other through his speechless living.
萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有。
為而不恃，功成而弗居。
夫唯弗居，是以不去。
All things do their works without slightest complaint,
they give born to others without claiming ownership.
they do things without telling others what they have done,
and they retire when their job is done.
Because of their retirement, their achievement is eternal.
4. Qualities, unknown qualities of the Dao
道沖而用之或不盈。
淵兮似萬物之宗。
The Dao is like a vessel; we use it and it has no limit.
It is deep, like the source of everything.
挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵。
It does not have sharpness, dissolves disputes, blends brightness, and is ordinary like dust.
湛兮似或存。
吾不知誰之子，象帝之先。
It can not be seen but appears to exist.
I do not know who give birth to it, it appears to exist before god.
5. Impartiality and endless capacity of the Dao
天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗；
聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。
Heaven and earth do not fixate on benevolent; they deal with all things as if they are grass dogs.
The sages do not fixate on benevolent; they deal with people as if they are grass dogs.
天地之間，其猶橐籥乎？
虛而不屈，動而愈出。
If we look at the space between heaven and earth, isn’t it like a musical wind chamber?
When emptied it is without limit, when moved it gives out limitlessly.
多言數窮，不如守中。
Excessive speechs exhaust ones reasons, it is better to stay centered.
6. Feminine quality of the Dao
谷神不死，是謂玄牝。
玄牝之門，是謂天地根。
綿綿若存，用之不勤。
The valley-like spirit does not die, it is the mysterious femininity.
The door of this mysterious femininity, is the root of heaven and earth.
It exist gently and steadily, we use it and it has no limit.
7. Heaven’s endless and Earth’s timeless
天長地久。天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，故能長生。
是以聖人後其身而身先；外其身而身存。
非以其無私耶？故能成其私。
Heaven extends endlessly and earth stays timelessly.
The reason why heaven and earth are endless and timeless is because,
they do not create and live for themselves, and thus can live forever.
Therefore the sage puts his self last and found their Self comes first;
he treats his self as if it were foreign to him and found their Self continued.
Is it not because of them being selfless? Therefore they can fulfill their Self.
8. The Dao-like water
上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭，處衆人之所惡，故幾於道。
The highest virtue is like that of water.
Water benefits everything and does not fight, it positions itself at place everyone dislike,
and therefore is close to the Dao.
居善地，心善淵，與善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，動善時。
夫唯不爭，故無尤。
It is excellent at: positioning itself, rooting its mind, giving out benevolence,
maintaining its integrity, governing things, manifesting its abilities, and
moving at the appropriate time.
It does not fight with/for anything, and therefore draw no grudge.
