道德經 Dao De Jing
齊道 Chi Dao Translation
(PD) 道德經 Dao De Jing Chi Dao Translation — Dao De Jing on Japanese Garden.
(Wording and photograph enhancements by Larry Neal Gowdy.)
Copyright ©2018 September 06, 2018
道德經 Dao De Jing Background
道德經 Dao De Jing is recorded to have been written by Laozi (Lao-Tzu, or 'old master') somewhere between about 2,000 to 8,000 years ago. There is, apparently, no firm consensus of dates, nor of whether Laozi was the only author of Dao De Jing, but, nevertheless, the Dao De Jing is important for numerous reasons. Aside from Dao De Jing being important to Taoists (Daoists) and others, Dao De Jing also presents a useful reference of how some individuals had recognized natures of Nature, natures that are still unknowns to all but a relative few today.
Nature never changes, Nature is always correct, Nature is always honest, Nature is the sole standard of what is logical. If a thing was correct 8,000 years ago, then it is still correct today because Nature never changes. Man changes, man's beliefs change, man's words change, and man's ways change, but Nature does not change. The only correct way, is Nature's way.
Of the writings within Dao De Jing, the first section is perhaps the most valuable from the 齊道 Chi Dao - Harmony Way perspective. The section's concepts are not new, nor are the concepts only able to be found within written words; the concepts have always existed, the concepts have always remained unchanged, the concepts were known by all who gave the effort to find the concepts, and the concepts are still being found today by individuals who did not previously hear of nor read of the natures.
Relative to 齊道 Chi Dao, the three core concepts of the first section are [1] words do not relate to what is real within Nature, [2] Nature's open system of creativity has no boundaries, and [3] man's way is the belief that Nature's inner nature can be known by observing and memorizing words that speak of Nature's outer boundaries of closed systems. Man's way is knowledge of words. Nature's way is understanding of experience.
道德經 Dao De Jing does not explain much of Nature's way, but it is good that a man does not say more than what might spark the listener's interest. If a man does not spark his own mind, then speaking many words would enable the listener to believe that they know what the words mean, and permit the listener self-harm. The 道德經齊道 Dao De Jing Chi Dao translation offers a few additional words, with the hope of sparking the readers' minds, but, still it will always be true that each individual must choose self-effort to discover within themselves what the words point to. Memorizing words, is not Nature's way, nor correct thought, nor useful thought.
Exercising only the toes, leaves the arm muscles weak. Memorizing words, leaves the mind weak.
Laozi was a very wise man, and though 道德經 Dao De Jing is not the sole authority, nor the sole source of knowledge of Nature's way, still, 道德經 Dao De Jing is honorable, very much appreciated, and worthy of being read.
道德經 Dao De Jing Title Meaning
道德經 - daodejing - Dao De Jing - daodeching - Tao Te Jing - taoteching - Way of Weaving - Way of Life.
道 (dao) path, the way, way.
德 (de) benevolence, character, favor, faith, ethics, goodness, heart, kindness, mind, moral, morality, morals, virtue. [Infers a present possession of the thing: 'of'.]
經 (jing) weaving, warp, thread running lengthwise in woven fabric, to go through, to experience, to control, to manage, to engage in, through, after, past, channel, deformation; verb= endure, pass through; adjective= abiding, immanent, ordinate, regular. [Also sometimes interpreted to imply classics, sacred book, scripture.]
Hearing music, some people hear the melodies, some people hear the notes, some people hear the musical instruments, some people hear chords, some people hear harmonies, some people hear emotions, some people hear warmths, some people hear compositions, and no two individuals hear the same thing.
Similarly, no two people interpret a word the same. Nothing in Nature is identical, the same, nor equal.
No man can describe with words his hearing of music. Words have no meaning. Names are not the things themselves. Names have no meaning.
Man invented his mathematics, and man can claim that equals exist within mathematics, but mathematics does not relate to Nature, mathematics is not Nature's way, mathematics can be changed, mathematics can be observed to be incorrect, and the equals within mathematics are not correct.
Man invented his words without meaning, and his words remain without meaning. Only a few people are able to describe what a word implies. Most people cannot describe any unknown word without attempting to use other unknown words to be the definitions of unknown words.
Nature never changes, only Nature is correct; Nature is the sole standard.
Mathematics changes, mathematics cannot be correct; mathematics has no standard.
Words change, words cannot be correct; words have no standard.
道德經 Dao De Jing is one of the very few writings that point to the reality that words have no meaning, and that words cannot be correct.
From a point of view that observes Nature's way of creativity through harmony, the title might be interpreted to be Way of Weaving (i.e. Woven Strings™). From a point of view that observes Nature's way as a thing to be observed as the observer, the title might be interpreted to be Way of Experience. From a point of view that seeks directions of how to live one's life, the title might be interpreted to be Way of Life. From an academic point of view that only wishes to memorize words, the title might be interpreted as Way of Doctrine.
Some popular modern English interpretations offer the words The Book of the Way to be the title.
Regardless of how an individual might interpret the title's words, the choice will reflect one's own life, as well as reflect one's own willingness to participate in one's own life.
Regardless of which words that an individual might choose for the title, Nature's way will still remain unchanged, and the words will still remain unknowns.
Within Nature, the only way to understand a thing, is to live the thing firsthand, to be the thing itself. Memorizing words of knowledge, is not an understanding, nor a participation in one's own life. All words of knowledge, are incorrect.
The following is a draft Chi Dao translation of the first section of 道德經 Dao De Jing. Below or beside each sentence is a brief commentary of interpretation.
道德經 Dao De Jing Translation
1
'Way to-suit way, not constant way.'
Man invents many different ways that suit the purposes of what the invented ways aimed for, but man's invented ways always change: none of the invented ways are Nature's constant way.
2
'Name to-suit name, not constant name.'
Man has invented countless words of names, but all of the words and names always change; none of the invented names are correct, nor Nature's name.
3
'No name, heavens earth, the beginning.'
The creation of Creation, there was no name, nor can man place a name on a thing that man cannot perceive to exist.
4
'There-are name countless things it mother.'
The thing that created Creation, it birthed and nourished Creation; man has given countless names to countless things that the Source created.
5
'Therefore constant not desire,' [[people do not desire constant]]
'Because see it subtle,' [[because people see it subtle]]]
'Constant be desire,' [[people have desire for constant]]
'Because see its boundary.' [[because people see its boundaries]]
[[Constant not desired because it is so subtle that it is not seen, but constant is desired because constant's boundary is seen.]]
People do not give words to things unseen, nor do people desire to know things unseen. Nature's constant is subtle, invisible, and so, people do not desire what the people do not know to exist.
People desire to know Nature's constant, because, people can see Nature's boundaries. Today's global religion teaches that it knows Nature's constant, but the claim cannot be correct. The religion claims that it knows Nature's constant because the religion has mathematically measured the surface boundaries of closed systems. Nature's creativity, however, is an open system that cannot be measured.
Creativity has no boundaries. Nature's constant has no boundaries.
6
'These both daoist,' [[daoist sees subtle and boundary]]
7
'Similar express but-not unusual name,' [[daoist not use invented name]]
8
'Similar name it unknown.' [[name is unknown, daoist call it unknown]]
9
'Unknown it also unknown,' [[the word mysterious/unknown is also mysterious/unknown, or, the subtle is also subtle]]
10
'Masses subtle the door.' [[The door to the constant way is mysterious/unknown to the masses, or, The door to the constant way is elusive to the masses because of subtleties.]]
道德經 Dao De Jing Interpretations
How an individual interprets the words of 道德經 Dao De Jing will rely upon how well the individual understands their own life.
All man-made ways (ideologies) are not Nature's way of creativity. All man-made ways always change, and are not Nature's unchangeable way. All man-made ways are not creative, not like Nature's way of creativity. Nature never changes, only Nature is correct, man's ways are not correct.
All words of all languages are unknowns. A person makes a mistake when they believe that a word is correct and has meaning.
Man cannot invent a name that correctly points to the beginning of Creation, nor to the Source of Creation. All names that claim to be the name of the Source, are incorrect.
Man has invented countless names to give to the things that Nature created, but the names are not the things themselves.
Man does not desire to understand Nature's constant firsthand in his own life, because the constant is subtle, not easy to see, and not easy to become himself. Man desires to know incorrect knowledge of Nature's constant by man measuring the boundaries of closed systems, and by man memorizing words.
The daoist, however, sees the subtle and the boundaries. The daoist expresses subtleties and boundaries firsthand, the daoist understands by becoming the thing, but the daoist does not use nor claim that his actions have a name. The daoist way has no name.
Masses ponder the door to Nature's way, but few individuals will choose to become the thing, to become creative as is Nature's way. Masses ponder and speak many unknown words of how creativity might be expressed, but the masses only desire words of knowledge; the masses do not understand.
齊道 Chi Dao Harmony Way
To read, to memorize, and to accept the words of 道德經 Dao De Jing to be true, is incorrect. All words have no meaning, all words are unknowns. The only thing capable of being understood, is one's own life, to become what the names point to.
The following is a 齊道 Chi Dao Harmony Way reflection of pointing at a few of the things that the 道德經 Dao De Jing section does not touch upon.
The Source created Creation.
The Source has no name.
Nature is a created thing.
Nature creates created things.
Nature is root of Source.
Created things are closed systems.
Closed systems have boundaries.
Boundaries have fate.
Open systems have no boundary.
Open systems have no fate.
Source's creativity has no boundary.
Nature's creativity has no boundary.
Daoist's creativity has no boundary.
Daoist is root of Source.
All created things are composed of three or more other things.
Dissecting created things to find the first things, will not find created things.
Created things begin with attribute.
Creativity is attribute.
Harmony is attribute of creativity.
Daoist attribute of own creativity.
Daoist harmony with self.
Daoist create self in own image.
道德愛 daodeai - Way of Love, no boundaries.
齊道 chidao - Harmony Way attribute daodeai.
Daoist become attributes that create.
Daoist root of Source's attribute.
Without daodeai, man is as the rock and cloud.
He exists within closed systems.
He moves without choice.
His life is as vapor.
He becomes dust.
It is his fate.
(The full 道德經齊道 Dao De Jing Chi Dao translation and interpretation is not available online. Interested individuals can email for more information.)