What is Possible, What Can Be Done, Possibilities Through the Dao, 能為
"By patience the animal spirits can be disciplined.
By self-control one can unify the character.
By close attention to the will, compelling gentleness, one can become like a
little child.
By purifying the subconscious desires one may be without fault.
In ruling his country, if the wise magistrate loves his people, he can avoid
compulsion.
In measuring out rewards, the wise magistrate will act like a mother bird.
While sharply penetrating into every corner, he may appear to be unsuspecting.
While quickening and feeding his people, he will be producing but without pride
of ownership.
He will benefit but without claim of reward.
He will persuade, but not compel by force.
This is De, the profoundest virtue."
- Translated by
Dwight Goddard and
Henri Borel, 1919,
Chapter 10
"When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they
can be kept from separating.
When one gives undivided attention to the vital breath, and brings it to the
utmost degree of pliancy,
He can become as a tender babe.
When he has cleansed away the most mysterious sights of his imagination,
He can become without a flaw.
In loving the people and ruling the state, cannot he proceed without any purpose
of action?
In the opening and shutting of his gates of heaven, cannot he do so as a female
bird?
While his intelligence reaches in every direction, cannot he appear to be
without knowledge?
The Tao produces all things and nourishes them;
It produces them and does not claim them as its own;
It does all, and yet does not boast of it;
It presides over all, and yet does not control them.
This is what is called the 'Mysterious Quality' of the Tao."
- Translated by
James Legge, 1891,
Chapter 10
Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni
Translated by Brian Walker
Translated by Arthur Waley
Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles
By Eva Wong
"creative spirit
vital soul
wondrous bodymind
can you combine these into one phase
and gently hold onto it
one phase one part one moment
can you commune with
and direct the elemental force of life
and enter into the rebirth of gentleness
and be like a newborn
can you wash and cleanse your mystic inner vision
while clearing it of the refuse left behind you
ordinary sight
is it possible for you to stay out of your own way
while being your own leader
can you stomp the earth
look to the heavens while being receptive
passive
possessed of quietude
can you be knowledgeable and clever
and regard it as whimsical
create and nourish
let all creation be the worlds
not your own
have fun when you work
work when you have fun
be a leader without appearing to be
and you will personify fine uncarved wood
in the hands of a master carpenter
can you guess who this master is."
- Translated by the Reverend Venerable
John Bright-Fey,
2006, Chapter 10
By Hu Xuzehi
Annotated translation by Victor Mair 
By Ha Poong Kim
By Hans-Georg Moeller 
By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
By Wes Burgess
By Arthur Waley
"Can you hold
the door of your tent
Wide to the firmament?
Can you, with the simple stature
Of a child, breathing nature,
Become, notwithstanding,
A man?
Can you continue befriending
With no prejudice, no ban?
Can you, mating with heaven,
Serve as the female part?
Can your learned head take leaven
From the wisdom of your heart?
If you can bear issue and nourish its growing,
If you can guide without claim or strife,
If you can stay in the lead of men without their knowing,
You are at the core of life."
- Translated by
Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 10
By Alexander Simkins
By Derek Lin
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng
Translated by Thomas Cleary
"By conserving the natural and spiritual powers it is possible to escape dissolution.
By restraining the passions and letting gentleness have its sway it is possible to continue as a child.
By purging the mind of impurities it is possible to remain untainted.
By governing the people with love it is possible to remain unknown.
By continual use of the Gates of Heaven it is possible to preserve them from rust.
By transparency on all sides it is possible to remain unrecognized.
o bring forth and preserve, to produce without possessing, to act
without hope of reward, and to expand without waste, this is the supreme
virtue."
- Translated by
Walter Gorn-Old, 1904, Chapter 10
Translated by Eva Wong 
Translated by Philip Ivahoe
By James Miller
Translated by Stephen Bokencamp
By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins
Translated by Thomas Cleary
By Livia Kohn
"In bringing your spiritual (ying) and bodily (p'o) souls to embrace the One,
Can (neng) you never depart (li) from it?
In concentrating your breath to attain softness,
Can you be like an infant (ying erh)?
In cleansing your mirror (lan) of the dark (hsüan),
Can you make it spotless?
In opening and closing heaven's gate (t'ien men),
Can you be the female (tz'u)?
In being enlightened (ming) and comprehending all,
Can you do it without knowledge?
In loving the people and governing the state,
Can you practice non-action?
To give birth, to nurture,
To give birth yet not to claim possession (yu),
To act (wei) yet not to hold on to,
To grow (chang) yet not to lord over (tsai),
This is called the dark virtue (yüan te)."
- Translated by
Ellen Marie Chen, 2000, Chapter 10
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"Bring soul and spirit into unity, they will become welded in the Inner Life.
Conquer vital force until it yields to you, you will become as a new-born child.
Purify the channels of deep perception, you will dwell safely in the Inner Life.
Govern a kingdom by loving the people, they will learn to act from the Inner Life.
Open and shut the doors of heaven, you will have repose of mind in active life.
Let your purity shine forth in all directions, men will see that you have an Inner Life.
Give it birth, nourish it,
Give it birth, but do not seek to possess.
Act but do not appropriate.
Endure but do not rule.
That is called profound Teh."
- Translated by
Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 10
Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching
The Tao of Zen
Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic
Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and
Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China
"Can you keep the unquiet physical-soul from straying,
Hold fast to the Unity, and never quit it?
Can you, when concentrating your breath,
Make it soft like that of a little child?
Can you wipe and cleanse your vision of the Mystery till all is without blur?
Can you love the people and rule the land,
Yet remain unknown?
Can you in opening and shutting the heavenly gates play always the female part?
Can your mind penetrate every corner of the land,
But you yourself never interfere?
Rear them, then, feed them,
Rear them, but do not lay claim to them.
Control them, but never lean upon them;
Be chief among them, but do not manage them.
This is called the Mysterious Power."
- Translated by
Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 10
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Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 10
By Jonathan Star. Translation, commentary and research tools. New York, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Penguin, 2001. Concordance, tables, appendices, 349 pages. A
new rendition of the Tao Te Ching is provided, then a verbatim translation with
extensive notes. Detailed tables for each verse provide line number, all
the Chinese characters, Wade-Giles romanization, and a list of meanings for
each character. An excellent reference tool!
Yellow Bridge
Dao De Jing Comparison Table, Chapter 10 Provides side by side comparisons of translations of the Tao Te
Ching by James Legge,
D. T. Suzuki, and Dwight Goddard. Chinese characters for each paragraph in
the Chapter are on the left; place your cursor over the Chinese characters to
see the Pinyin romanization of the Chinese character and a list of meanings.
The Complete Works of Lao Tzu: Tao Teh Ching & Hua Hu Ching
Tao Te Ching Commentaries - Google Search
Tao Te Ching: A
Bibliography and Index of Translations on the Web
Translators'
Index, Tao Te Ching Translators Sorted Alphabetically by Translator, Links
to Books and Online Versions
Chapter 10 in the
Rambling
Taoist Commentaries by Trey Smith. The
Rambling Taoists are Trey Smith and Scott Bradley.
By Hu Xuzehi. Seven Star Communications, 2006, 240 pages.
The Philosophy of the Daodejing
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
The largest collection of very nicely formatted complete versions of the Tao
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index.
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Tao Te Ching
English Translations from Terebess Asia Online.
Over 30 translations.
Lao-tzu's Taoteching
Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation
Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation
Thematic Index to the
81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Te-Tao Ching - A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui
Texts (Classics of Ancient China)
Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching
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Ripening Peaches: Daoist Studies and Practices
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The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) circa 500 BCE
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