Chapter 4 Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue
道德經

By Lao Tzu (Laozi)

Chapter 4 Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

The Ancestor of All Things, Great Obscurity, 無源

"The Dao appears to be emptiness but it is never exhausted.
Oh, it is profound!
It appears to have preceded everything.
It dulls its own sharpness, unravels its own fetters, softens its own brightness, identifies itself with its own dust.
Oh, it is tranquil!
It appears infinite.
I do not know from what it proceeds.
It even appears to be antecedent to the Lord."
- Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 4

Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-Depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic By Hu Xuzehi

Tao Te Ching Annotated translation by Victor Mair

Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation By Ha Poong Kim

The Philosophy of the Daodejing By Hans-Georg Moeller

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall

Be Enlightened! A Guidebook to the Tao Te Ching and Taoist Meditation: Your Six-Month Journey to Spiritual Enlightenment By Wes Burgess

The Way and Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought By Arthur Waley

"The Tao is full, exhaustless and complete; yet in operation as though not self-elated.
In its origin it is as it were the Ancestor of All Things.
It chastens asperity; it unravels confusion; it moderates the radiance,
And and it identifies itself with the sordid ones of the earth.
It enables a man to associate with the base without being defiled.
Pellucid like a spreading ocean, it yet has the semblance of permanence.
I know not whose offspring it is.
Its ειδωλον existed before God was."
- Translated by Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 4

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong

The Daodejing of Laozi Translated by Philip Ivahoe

Daoism: A Beginner's Guide By James Miller

Early Daoist Scriptures Translated by Stephen Bokencamp

Lifestyle Advice for Wise Persons Compiled by Mike Garofalo

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins

Practical Taoism Translated by Thomas Cleary

Daoism and Chinese Culture By Livia Kohn

"Dao chang,
er yong zhi huo bu ying.
Yuan xi,
si wan wu zhi zong.
Cuo qi rui,
jie qi fen;
he qi guang,
tong qi chen;
zhan xi,
si huo cun.
Wu bu zhi shui zhi zi,
xiang di zhi xian."
- Pinyin romanized transliteration, Chapter 4

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander Simkins

The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed By Derek Lin

Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony By Ming-Dao Deng.

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

The Tao of Pooh By Benjamin Hoff.

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life By Ming-Dao Deng

Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook Translated by Thomas Cleary

"The Tao is like the emptiness of a vessel; and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fullness.
How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honored Ancestor of all things!
We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things;
We should temper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others.
How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue!
I do not know whose son it is. It might appear to have been before God."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 4

The Complete Works of Lao Tzu: Tao Teh Ching & Hua Hu Ching Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu Translated by Brian Walker

Tao Te Ching Translated by Arthur Waley

Tao - The Way Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles

Taoism: An Essential Guide By Eva Wong

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 4

Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition 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 4 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 Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni.

Tao Te Ching Commentaries - Google Search

Tao Te Ching: A Bibliography and Index of Translations on the Web

Chapter 4 in the Rambling Taoist Commentaries by Trey Smith. The Rambling Taoists are Trey Smith and Scott Bradley.

Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-Depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic By Hu Xuzehi. Seven Star Communications, 2006, 240 pages.

The Philosophy of the Daodejing By Hans-Georg Moeller. Columbia University Press, 2006, 176 pages.

Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse The largest collection of very nicely formatted complete versions of the Tao Te Ching. The collection includes 209 complete versions in 27 languages, plus 28 Chinese versions. There are 112 English language versions of the Tao Te Ching available at this website. A variety of search methods and comparision methods are provided, as well a a detailed index.

Lao-tzu's Taoteching Translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter). Includes many brief selected commentaries for each Chapter draw from commentaries in the past 2,000 years. Provides a verbatim translation and shows the text in Chinese characters. San Francisco, Mercury House, 1996, Second Edition, 184 pages. An invaluable resource for commentaries.

Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation By Ha Poong Kim. Xlibris, 2003, 198 pages.

Chapter 4, Line by Line Comparisons of 27 Translations of the Tao Te Ching Compiled by the St. Xenophon Wayist Seminary

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall. Ballantine, 2003, 256 pages.

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) Translated with and introduction and detailed exposition and commentary by Professor Robert G. Henricks. New York, Ballantine Books, 1992. Includes Chinese characters for each chapter. Bibliography, detailed notes, 282 pages.