Translation and interpretation of "Laozi's Tao Te Ching·Chapter 4 Dao Chong"
Dao Chong 01, but it may not be enough when used 02; Yuanxi is like the origin of all things 03. Defeat its sharpness04, dissolve its confusion05, harmonize its light06, and be the same as its dust07. Zhanxi resembles or exists08. I don’t know whose son09 is the first of Emperor Xiang10.
Today's Translation
The Tao body is extremely empty, but its uses are endless. Unfathomable, like the origin of all things. Wear off the corners of the body and resolve the turmoil. It will be light but not exposed, and it will be in harmony with the world. Dim and deep, vague and non-existent! I don’t know whose son it is, like the ancestor of heaven and earth.
Comments
This chapter talks about the essence of Tao as empty and empty, but its uses are inexhaustible. Lao Tzu said that Tao is the son of one’s family, like the ancestors of heaven and earth. This is a description and praise of Tao. In his descriptions, Laozi used literary personification and symbolic metaphors to depict the hazy artistic conception of Taoism and emptiness. This is difficult for some scholars who are not familiar with literary and artistic techniques to understand. Therefore, Mr. Gao Heng said: "Tan Xian's "Reading "Laozi"" and Ma Xulun's "Laozi's Exegesis" both believe that this is a derivative text. According to this place, the article is inconsistent and should be deleted." ("Laozi Annotation") Actually, it is not. "Laozi" is a philosophical work, and it is also a philosophical prose poem, which has the characteristics of literature and art. Therefore, when commenting on Laozi's books, we cannot simply treat them as philosophical works. When poets write poems, they often break through the limitations of logical thought and logical narrative, and use anthropomorphic metaphors and symbols to describe and praise the objects they describe. These four lines of Laozi's poems "defeating its sharpness, resolving its differences, harmonizing with its predecessors, and sharing its dust" are exactly descriptions and praises of the hazy realm of the great road. Qing Dynasty critic Liu Xizai commented on Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" and said: ""Li Sao" has one line in the east, one in the west, one in the sky, and one in the ground. It is extremely open, close, and uplifting, but there are some things that remain unchanged." ("Summary of Art") ·Fu Gui") should also be viewed in this way when studying the books of "Laozi".
As for the four sentences in this chapter, "defeat its sharpness, resolve its confusion, reconcile its light, and become the same as its dust", it is repeated in Chapter 56 of "Laozi". This is not difficult to understand. These four sentences are not the only ones that appear repeatedly in the book "Laozi". The themes of each chapter of "Laozi" are not the same. Repeated sentences appearing in the book have their own purposes and should not be regarded as ramifications or abbreviations. Repetition of sentence patterns is a common phenomenon in poetry. This is also a philosophical prose poem that is different from ordinary works.
Laozi's teachings are so mysterious that they cannot be seen, heard or fought. It is mysterious. Even so, as we said in the previous chapter, Laozi’s Tao of the universe has material attributes and belongs to materialism. Mr. Gao Heng said: "This chapter is Laozi's cosmology... These are also manifestations of idealism." ("Laozi Annotation") Mr. Gao's view is not in line with Laozi's thoughts on Taoism.
Mr. Chen Guying’s comments on this chapter are concise and comprehensive and can explain the problem quite well. Quoted below for readers’ reference.
The Tao body is virtual. This virtual body is not nothing, but it contains endless creative factors. Therefore its effects are endless.
This virtual Tao body is the source of all things. Here, Lao Tzu defeats the theory of divine creation. ("Laozi's Annotation and Commentary")
Comments
01 Tao: It refers to the ontology of the universe. Chong: empty. Wu Cheng said: "The word Chong is originally used as a yü, and the instrument is empty." The Taoist body is extremely empty, so it is called "Daochong".
02 Ying: Poor. Lin Xiyi said: "Chong means empty. Although the body of Tao is empty, its uses are endless."
03 Yuan: Wu Cheng said: "The abyss is unfathomable." Zong: Wu Cheng said: "Zong is like the 'Zong' of 'Zongzi'. Zong is the unification of the clan, and Tao is the unification of all things, so it is called 'the ancestry of all things'. If it is similar, it is not necessary to use the word." The sentence says: Taoism is the ultimate Void, unfathomable, like the ancestor of all things.
04 To blunt its sharpness: Lin Xiyi said: "To blunt its sharpness is to sharpen its sharpness." Sharp is also the sharpness.
05 Resolve the confusion: Resolve the confusion. Lin Xiyi said: "To resolve the confusion, it is said that there is order in the chaos."
06 He Qiguang: restrained brilliance. Lin Xiyi said: "The light is not exposed, so it is called 'He Qi Guang'." Wu Cheng said: "Harmony means peace, which means concealment."
07 Tong Qi Chen: Lin Xiyi said: "It is dust-free but not self-cleaning, so it is said to be 'the same as its dust'. This Buddhist sutra calls it 'not dirty and not pure'." According to Wu Cheng: "These four sentences mean that the use of the Tao is not enough."
08 Zhan: Lin Xiyi said: "Zhan is faint and invisible. If it exists or disappears, it seems to exist but seems to be nothing, so it is called 'Zhan, it seems as if it exists'. That is, 'Zhan is in a trance, and there is something in it. Wu Cheng said: "This sentence is a weak statement." 09 "I don't know" sentence: Lin Xiyi said: "I don't know whose son it is, it's also a question." "It's about beauty."
10 "Xiang Emperor" sentence: Lin Xiyi said: "Xiang means likeness. Emperor is the beginning of creation, so it is called 'Xiang Emperor's first'. It's called 'Xiang', and it's called 'Like', both of which are visible but not invisible, knowable but not knowable. This word is used to describe its wonderfulness.
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