A Simple Explanation of the Tao Te Ching -- Verse 2

The following translation of Verse 2 of the Tao Te Ching was arrived at by employing Jonathan Star's verbatim translation provided at the end of his "Definitive Edition" of the Tao Te Ching. For more information about Star's book and my translation process, please read the blog article, "Process Note: Interpreting the Tao Te Ching." Please compare my translation to one you may have on hand; I think you will find this meta-translation helpful.

Verse 2, The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Every manifested unit of consciousness within our Universe is attracted to beauty in all its delightful forms. Each attraction co-creates its own polar opposite--the negative meme of "repulsion."

All recognize virtue whenever it arises as "virtue"--this distinction alone gives rise to the "lack of virtue" meme.

In the same way, "existence" and "non-existence" beget each other in reciprocal interdependence.

Difficult and easy perfectly complement one another,

Long is relative only to short,

High is relative only to low.

A musical note relies upon a voice to sing it just as a voice depends upon having a note to sing.

Front and back, before and after, future and past--self-referential, circular definitions.

This is why those living in tune with the Universal UC deal quietly with the affairs of daily living, administering metaversal principles to do what needs to be done through action rather than words. Every decision is executed appropriately, as needed, without attachment to either recognition or outcome, and once the task is completed, it is forgotten.

Because of this attitude, accomplishments are eternal.

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What I take away from this verse is that all of the memes we deal with in daily living are enmeshed with their polar opposites. In other words, this is a universe of relativities and relationships and whenever we push in one direction, we wind up pulling in the other direction. The Buddha among others said that all suffering is due to attachment. Verse 2 says this is because attachment is fused to its dialectical opposite--repulsion. The Golden Mean advises staying to the middle of dialectics so that neither attraction nor repulsion is activated, as a means of avoiding suffering.

Verse 2 goes a step beyond advising staying centered. It gives the example of the Wise Sage (called by the Simple Explanation "those living in tune with the Universal UC") avoiding memes altogether by doing "what needs to be done through action rather than words." When one's Self UC is fully aligned with the Universal UC's notion of the best course of action for any moment and place, then decisions will seem to come automatically and they will be the best possible response to the situation. There will be no relativistic memes invoked because "thinking" will not be involved with the response. Naturally, since one's Ego was not involved with the decision-making, there is no call or desire for recognition or even attachment to outcome. It was the Universe's call; it's the Universe's score. Except that the Universal UC does not keep egoistic scores, which are limiting and relativistic, as Verse 2 points out; therefore, such accomplishments are eternal.

Tao te Ching -- Verse 53

The Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is an ancient Chinese collection of 81 wisdom verses. In the "Simple Explanation” model, the Tao spoken of by Lao Tzu refers to the metaversal information and principles of organization that have informed our universe since the moment before creation; also known as the Universal Unit of Consciousness. Non-being refers to clearing your personal UC of earthly memes and karma. Non-action refers to allowing the original universal UC to direct your personal UC for the greater good. Here is the 53rd verse of the Tao Te Ching, which I have translated directly into Simple Explanation terminology from Jonathan Star's verbatim translation.

Staying centered near the vortex maintains alignment with the metaverse...

Verse 53

If those in charge possessed even the smallest bit of understanding,

they would follow nothing but the great metaversal way and dread straying from its main path.

The great metaversal path is very easy to travel, yet those in charge prefer taking side roads.

The seat of government is excessively well cared for, while the nation's fields are overgrown with weeds and the storehouses are all but empty.

Clothed in gorgeous garments, sporting the finest gadgets, gorging themselves with food and drink--bursting at the seams with more possessions than they could possibly use--this is recognized for what it is: the boasting of thieves.

This is the opposite of the metaversal path! Really!

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The Simple Explanation of verse 53 is that those in charge would make better decisions if they leaned not on their own self-serving understanding, but followed the principles of metaversal organization. This is expressed metaphorically as "staying centered" on the path. Using the torus as a visual model of staying centered looks like this:

The Simple Explanation's torus model showing the (white) line of metaversal information running through the zero-point center of here and now. This pole transmits the perfect choice for any given moment.

Not centering decisions within the metaversal plan leads to egoic decision-making, which is referred to as taking side paths. Self-centered decisions made by government officials, by definition, puts their interests above those in their care. This is because when we stray from the central path of wisdom, our choices are dictated by personal karma and memes rather than the greater good.

If the job of every unit of consciousness (UC) is to reach out to others with love, help, and information, that goes doubly for those sitting atop the hierarchical pile. The very reason for government is the care and feeding of those governed. For those in charge to ignore their "Heavenly Mandate" in favor of feathering their own nests is an abuse of power. Such abuse may prosper for a time but it cannot be maintained, as it goes against the metaversal plan.

Verse 53 says that the extravagent excesses indulged in by those in power comes at the expense of the greater populace. Lao Tzu likened such extravagence at the expense of others to "the boasting of thieves." He ends the verse with two exclamations to drive home the point! Really!

Readers of the Simple Explantion may realize by now that verse 53 not only refers to human society, but applies equally well to all other units of consciousness, be they sub-atomic particles, cells, or what-have-you. One of my favorite blog articles describing the hierarchical nature of the universe is "My Self, the Governor of Whoville." Once you see yourself as one who governs others, you will be closer to understanding how verse 53 applies to your life and your decision-making.

 

Process Note: Interpreting the Tao Te Ching

Reading sacred texts often leaves one puzzled. This puzzlement arises two ways--either the reader is not sufficiently spiritually evolved just yet to understand the writing, or the translator has not quite understood the text and translated it erroneously.

Every morning, prior to meditating, my husband and I sit together and read aloud from a variety of sacred manuscripts. These manuscripts always include three different versions of the Tao Te Ching. It is interesting to see how the different translators interpret Lao Tsu so differently.

Oftentimes, some lines in a verse will not make sense to me as translated. Looking to a different translation often clears up the confusion. Now that I have my hands on "The Definitive Edition" of the Tao Te Ching translated by Jonathan Star, I can look up the original pictograms and the multiplicity of possible meanings, and then write out for myself a translation that makes sense to me. I have been progressing thusly through the Tao Te Ching for several years now.

Since coming up with the "Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything" a year ago, the Tao Te Ching has become much less mysterious to me. This explanatory power proves to me the spiritual utility of the Simple Explanation's cosmological model.

 Here's how I go about translating the Tao Te Ching:  

For every verse in the Tao Te Ching, Star's Verbatim Translation provides the Chinese character, the number of the character's radical, an English transliteration of the character using the Wade-Giles system, and most importantly for my purposes, a list of English equivalents for each character.

So, for example, the first character of Verse 21, k'ung, is translated as "Vast/all-embracing/high[est]/ great/grand/empty/ >surname of Confucius: K'ung Fu Tzu". The second character of Verse 21 is te, "Te/virtue/power }}highest virtue/a man of great virtue/"the natural expression of Power"(Wing)"

Reading the entire stanza of 8 characters for context helped me to choose "Highest virtue" as the Simple Explanation's translation. I used this process for all 71 characters of Verse 21 to come up with the Simple Explanation of the Tao Te Ching, Verse 21.

Here's a picture of two pages of Verse 27 from the verbatim section:



if you click on the image, you can make it bigger

A Simple Explanation of the Tao Te Ching -- Verse 21

Prior to reading this post, please acquaint yourself with "Start Here: A Simple Explanation--Basic Principles" in the column on the right side of the screen. The Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is an ancient Chinese collection of 81 wisdom verses. In “The Simple Explanation” model, the Tao spoken of by Lao Tzu refers to the metaversal information and principles of organization that have informed our universe since the moment before creation. Non-being refers to clearing your personal UC of earthly memes and karma. Non-action refers to allowing the original higher-order UC to direct your personal UC for the greater good.

Here is the 21st verse of the Tao Te Ching, which I have translated directly into Simple Explanation terminology from an original verbatim translation by Jonathan Star.

Tao Te Ching, Verse 21

Highest virtue arises through total alignment with the originating source of consciousness.

How to become one with this elusive source? By disregarding everything else.

Oh, so elusive! So very indistinct!

Yet within its dimensionless center, dimensions form.

So uncertain! So intangible!

Yet its middle contains the latent substance of all things.

So profound! Such a mystery!

Housed deep within that mysterious middle--the seed of life is consciousness itself.

The life force within is self-evident. Thus, life itself provides trustworthy evidence of the originating source.

From the first moment until now, the manifestations of consciousness remain ever the same. Thus do we all bear witness to the Creator, the Originator.

This is accordingly how I know the ways of every thing and the origin of all things: by observing what is within me.



For further contemplation, I recommend "A Simple Fractal Model of the Conscious Universe," elsewhere in this blog.

A Simple Explanation of the Tao Te Ching -- Verse 68

Prior to reading this post, please acquaint yourself with "Start Here: A Simple Explanation--Basic Principles" in the column on the right side of the screen. The Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is an ancient Chinese collection of 81 wisdom verses. In the "Simple Explanation” model, the Tao spoken of by Lao Tzu refers to the metaversal information and principles of organization that have informed our universe since the moment before creation. Non-being refers to clearing your personal UC of earthly memes and karma. Non-action refers to allowing the original universal UC to direct your personal UC for the greater good. Here is the 68th verse of the Tao Te Ching, which I have translated directly into Simple Explanation terminology from an original verbatim translation by Jonathan Star.

Tao Te Ching, Verse 68

The most skillful military leader is neither violent nor aggressive;

The most skillful soldier never acts out of anger.

The best way to win a battle is to avoid confrontation.

The best way to get the job done is to make sure that others’ needs are met.

This ancient principle is known as “living in harmony” with your fellows.

Living in harmony brings out the best in others.

When you live in perfect harmony with others, you live in perfect harmony with the metaverse.

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In this verse, Lao Tzu describes the metaversal principle of Harmonious Cooperation thusly: all Units of Consciousness have their jobs to do, and the most efficient way for us all to get our jobs done is through cooperation, not competition. Even Generals and soldiers, whose very jobs seem defined by combative non-cooperation, are most successful when they fight not out of anger or violent intent, but dispassionately, solely to "get the job done."

Wayne Dyer says of competition in his commentary on the Tao entitled Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao :
“…cooperate with your opponents by wanting them to play at a high level—the best they’re capable of. Shift your focus from being upset or self-reproaching to the task at hand. See the ball, move the ball, or remain upright and balanced in a martial-arts contest. When anger isn’t a component, your game will go to a new level… So change your thinking about competing to cooperating in all areas of your life, including your work.” p. 324
I like Dyer's meme: "See the ball, move the ball." In other words, there is no opponent, there is no competition, there is no attachment to outcome; there is only the job of moving the ball.

Begging the question: In this game of life, how do you know if the ball needs moving? You will find yourself there and aware in some situation; you will see a ball that needs moving; you will be in an excellent position to move the ball; therefore, it is quite likely your job is to move the ball. That's all. Your primary job is not to harm or crush any other in order to move that ball. If the Universe has some need for the ball to move, it will be moved. The Universe has arranged circumstances to put you there to move the ball. If someone else winds up doing the job instead of you, that's great, too. It doesn't really matter who in particular gets the job done, as long as it gets done. In this manner, we not only cooperate with one another, but we cooperate with the Universe, and the metaversal principles it embodies.