Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu is a book of
5000 Ancient Chinese characters, some of which are not in use now. So translations differ and some of them read
like different texts. Again the subject
is also an involved one, making a translator’s task difficult. So a translation by a person, who knows not
only Chinese and English well but also has a spiritual bent and is exposed to
Eastern thinking without bias, may come nearer to interpreting Lao Tzu’s mind
correctly. The translation by Gia
Fu Feng and Jane English is considered to be one such. Reading this without any
commentary, and thinking about it, I find they may have captured Lao Tzu’s
spirit in their work. Maybe my own
thinking that Tao represents Brahman, the Cosmic Supreme without form and qualities,
and the opening chapter being eminently amenable to this interpretation in this
translation, is at the root of my preference.
However I find this translation is widely used, as seen from many of the
popular quotes from this book.
This
book consists of 81 chapters, no chapter exceeding a page which makes it easily
readable. Though one can read the whole
book in a few hours, to understand it, even with sharp intellect may take days
of reading and re-reading accompanied by subtle thinking on these words. The topics covered are not only on Tao, but
also on others like sage, virtues like moderation, humility, dispassion etc.,
the code for a just ruler, the futility of violence and war. The language is not straight forward but bristles
with paradoxes and
aphorisms, as I mentioned in my earlier blog “Tao and Brahman”.
The first
chapter runs as follows and its interpretation from my view is given below
that.
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source
but differ in name; this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.
Tao can be interpreted as Brahman. was seen in the
earlier blog. I want to qualify this as
Nirguna Brahman, the one without form and qualities, as contrasted with Saguna
Brahman, the one with form and qualities which is used in Upasana or Dhyanam
and which is also referred to as Iswara.
Hereafter we will refer to Nirguna Brahman as Brahman and Saguna Brahman
as Iswara. Iswara is Brahman with the power of Maya active. It is Iswara who is the creator, preserver and
destroyer of this universe and who is represented by various forms with names, used
in worship. So Brahman is the nameless
and Iswara is the named mentioned in Chapter 1. It can be realised only by a refined mind free
from binding desires. A binding desire
is one that craves for fulfilment. From
binding desires spring other negative emotions like Raga (attachment),
Dwesha(hatred), lobha (greed), Moha (delusion), Madha (pride), Mascharya
(jealousy). Such an unrefined mind is lost in the material world and cannot
visualise beyond the manifested world to understand Iswara, what to speak of Brahman, from whom the manifested world has
come through Iswara . Darkness refers to
mystery. To such an unrefined mind stuck
with binding desires Iswara itself is a mystery and Brahman a still greater
mystery, a mystery within mystery, mother of all mysteries.I give below a few quotes from Tao Te Ching which echo Indian philosophical thought and which need no explanation.
Being at one with Tao is eternal.
And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away. (Ch. 16)
Knowing
others is wisdom;
Knowing the Self is enlightenment. (Ch.33)
Knowing the Self is enlightenment. (Ch.33)
Tao
abides in non-action.
Yet nothing is left undone (Ch.37)
Yet nothing is left undone (Ch.37)
Those
who know, do not talk
Those who talk, do not know. (Ch.56)
Those who talk, do not know. (Ch.56)
Tao
is the source of the ten thousand things
It is the treasure of the good man, and the refuge of the bad. (Ch.62)
It is the treasure of the good man, and the refuge of the bad. (Ch.62)
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