Chapter 45

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue



By Lao Tzu (Laozi)


 

Compiled and Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.

Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington

Chapter 44     Chapter 46     Index to All the Chapters     Taoism     Cloud Hands Blog    Commentary

English     Chinese     Spanish

 

 

 

Chapter 45

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

Classic Book (Ching) about the Tao (Way, Nature, Patterns, Processes) and Te (Virtue, Potency, Power, Integrity, Wise Person, Sage)

 

Indexing, Concordance, Search Terms, Topics, Themes, Keys, Subjects


English and Chinese (Wade-Giles) Terms, Chapter #45:  Great or Most (ta), Changes, Opposites, Empty or Void (ch'ung), Contraries, Tranquil, Great or Overflowing Virtue, Stillness, Perfection, Attention, Imperfect, Movement, Skill, Awkward, Straight, Crooked, Full, Empty, Purity, Quiet, Perfect or Flawless (ch'êng), Full or Abundant (ying), Movement or Motion (tsao), Sitting, Skill or Artful (ch'iao), The Virtue of Greatness, Seems or Appears (jo), Hot or Heat (), Standard or Order (chêng), Eloquence or Oratory (pien), Cold or Shiver (han), Use or Function (yung), Contrasts, Eloquent, True or Correct (chih), Dumb, Calmness, Sage, Wisdom, Serene, Imperfect or Broken (ch'üeh), Achievement, Heaven (t'ien), Overcomes or Conquers (shêng), Worn or Exhausted (pi), Stutter or Stammer (no), Great Accomplishment, Unskilled or Clumsily (cho), Still or Calm or Quiet (ch'ing), Bent or Crooked (ch'ü),  洪德   
Chapter #45  Tao Te Ching  2/20E/2021


Términos en Español, Capítulo #45:  Cambios, Opuestos, Contrarios, Tranquil, Quietud, Perfección, Atención, Imperfecta, Movimiento, Habilidad, Torpe, Recto, Lleno, Vacío, Pureza, Sentado, La Virtud de la Grandeza, Caliente, Frío, Contrastes, Elocuente, Calma, Sabio, Sabiduría, Logro, Aparece, al Parecer, Gran, Perfecto, sin Defectos, Imperfecta, Roto, Uso, Función, Desgastado, Agotado, más, Completa, Abundante, Vacío, Vacío, Verdadera, Correcta, Doblado, Torcido, Habilidad, Ingenioso, no Calificada, Elocuencia, Oratorio, Tartamudeo, Balbuceo, Supera, Conquista, Calor, Naturaleza, Calma, Tranquilidad, Celo, Estándar, Orden, Movimiento. 
Capítulo #45  Daodejing  2/20E/2021

 

Electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

 

 

English Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

 

"Perfection cannot be attained,
but it can be noticed.
If you pay full attention
to what seems flawed and ordinary
you will notice the perfection
hiding beneath appearances.
If you pay full attention to each other
you will notice how perfectly
you are each becoming who you really are.
By seeing the perfection in what is
you allow the creation
of what is not."
-  Translated by William Martin, 1999, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The Great Perfection seems imperfect yet this world it creates is never impaired
The Great Fullness seems empty yet this world it creates is never lacking
Great truth seems false
Great skill seems clumsy
Great eloquence seems like babble
Keep moving and youl miss the cold
Keep silent and youl beat the heat
Be tranquil like the rain of spring
Be pure like the sheen of silk
Then the Great Perfection will be perfect and the Great Fullness will be full"
-  Translated by Jonathan Star, 2001, Chapter 45

 

 

"People may confuse the Greatest Perfection with insanity,
Great volume with void, |
Great curvature with straightness,
Great humor with foolishness,
A great speaker with beomg unable to speak. 
Intense movement overcomes cold;
Stillness overcomes heat. 
Calm and harmony just ensure correct understanding
Of everything that happens in the world."
-  Translated by Mikhail Nilolenko, Chapter 45

 

 

"Rare is that perfection which is not to some degree incomplete,
Yet its utility is not impaired.

Rare is the abundance which is not to some degree empty,
Its fullness, tho', is not exhausted.

Paradoxically:
Ultimate straightness often seems croaked.
Profound skillfulness and intelligence often appears clumsy and stupid.
Great eloquence often sounds as awkwardness and stammering.
Movement overcomes the cold, but calm subdues all heat.
The Sage, by his clarity, serenity and tranquility,
Becomes a model for All Things
under the heavens."
-  Translated by Alan B. Taplow, 1982, Chapter 45 

 

 

The superior perfection may seem imperfect.
Because of its vast capacity, its function is never exhausted.
Because of its vast capacity, its function is never limited.
The superior fulness may seem empty.
The superior straightness may look like crookedness.
The superior skill may appear clumsy.
The superior eloquence may sound like stammering.
Inaction overcomes restlessness.
Inaction overcomes impulsiveness.
Quiescence overcomes irritation.
He kept purity and tranquility to be the model of the world.
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 45

 

 

"The masters greatest perfection seems imperfect, yet when used it is inexhaustible,
The masters' greatest fullness appears empty, yet it can continue giving without end.
The masters' greatest straightness appears crooked, yet it is upright and righteous.
The masters' greatest skill appears rustic and clumsy, yet it works with unparalleled accuracy.
The masters' greatest eloquence appears as tongue-tied stammering, yet he teaches without words.
The masters' movement conquers cold,
The masters' stillness conquers heat,
The stillness and tranquility of the master conquers the world."
-  Translated by Rivenrock, Chapter 45   

 

"What is most perfect seems imperfect,
But using it doesn't use it up.
What is most full seems empty,
But using it doesn't wear it down.
Great straightness seems crooked;
Great skill seems clumsy;
Great eloquence seems hesitant.
Movement conquers cold,
But stillness conquers heat.
Clearness and serenity
Are beneath-heaven's norm."
-  Translated by Herrymon Maurer, 1985, Chapter 45  

 

 

Creative Commons License
This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington  © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0

 

 

 

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

 

                             

 

 

 

"Great accomplishment looks incomplete;
Use will not wear it out.
Great fullness looks empty;
Use will not exhaust it.
Great straightness looks crooked;
Great skill looks clumsy;
Great eloquence sounds stuttering;
"Being in motion overcomes cold;
Being still overcomes heat."
Be clear and still, and you will be the lord of all under Heaven.
-  Translated by Ha Poong Kim, Chapter 45 

 

 

Cloud Hands Blog

 

 

"True perfection seems flawed
Yet its usefulness is never exhausted.
True fulfillment seems empty
Yet its usefulness is infinite.
True straightness seems crooked,
Great skill appears easy,
Great eloquence sounds awkward.
Cold overcomes heat.
Tranquility conquers agitation.
Purity and stillness is the universal ideal."
-  Translated by John R. Mabry, Chapter 45 

 

 

"Great perfection is with imperfection.
Its use is not impaired.

Great fullness is with emptiness
Its usefulness is not exhausted.

Great truth is with inaccuracies.
Great skill is with limitations.
Great oratory is with stammering.

Movement overcomes cold.
Stillness overcomes heat.
The act of pure tranquility guides Heaven below the sacred body."
-  Translated by Alan Sheets and Barbara Tovey, 2002, Chapter 45

 

 

"Great perfection seems imperfect;
Its utility will never deteriorate.
Great fullness seems hollow;
Its utility will be inexhaustible.
The most straight appears to be bent;
The most skillful appears to be awkward;
The most eloquent appears to be stammering.
Hastiness subdues cold;
Quiescence subdues heat.
Purity and quiescence are the norms of the universe."
-  Translated by Henry Wei, 1982, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

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  

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices   By Mike Garofalo

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation  By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
Tao Te Ching on The Art of Harmony   By Chad Hansen. 
The Way and Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought   By Arthur Waley

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons


                             

 

 

 

"Sit quietly
focus and forget
rest with the great achievement.
The ancient child asks
"what is the great achievement?"
It is beyond description in any language
it can only be felt intuitively
it can only be expressed intuitively. 
Engage a loose, alert, and aware
body, mind, and sound
then look into the formless
and perceive no thing.
See yourself as a sphere
small at first
growing to encompass
the vastness of infinite space. 
Sit quietly
focus and forget then
in a state of ease and rest
secure the truth of the great achievement.
Employing the truth will not exhaust its power
when it seems exhausted it is really abundant
and while human art will die at the hands of utility
the great achievement is beyond being useful.
Great straightness is curved and crooked
great intelligence is raw and silly
great words are simple and naturally awkward. 
Engaged movement drives out the frozen cold
mindful stillness subdues the frenzied heart.
Sit quietly
focusing
forgetting
summon order from the void
that guides the ordering of the universe."
-  Translated by John Bright-Fey, 2006, Chapter 45 

 

 

"Great perfection appears defective,
but its usefulness is not diminished.
Great fullness appears empty,
but its usefulness is not impaired.
Great straightness seems crooked,
Great cleverness seems clumsy,
Great triumph seems awkward.
Bustling about vanquishes cold,
Standing still vanquishes heat.
Pure and still, one can put things right everywhere under heaven."
-  Translated by Victor Mair, Chapter 45 

 

 

"Great accomplishments seem incomplete
yet their legacy is long lived.
Great abundance seems insignificant
but it is inexhaustible.
A beam of light is just a wave.
Great skill seems easy.
Great eloquence seems boring.
Motion generates heat.
Stillness manifests the cold.
Peace and harmony are the nature of Infinity."
-  Translated by John Worldpeace, Chapter 45  

 

 

 

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
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

 

                                       

 

 

 

"The greatest accomplishments seem imperfect,
yet their usefulness is not diminished.
The greatest fullness seems empty,
yet it will be inexhaustible.
The greatest straightness seems crooked.
The most valued skill seems like clumsiness.
The greatest speech seems full of stammers.
Movement overcomes the cold,
and stillness overcomes the heat.
That which is pure and still is the universal ideal."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 45 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A note on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

大成若缺.
其用不弊. 
大盈若沖.
其用不窮. 
大直若屈.
大巧若拙.
大辯若訥. 
躁勝寒.
靜勝熱. 
清靜為天下正. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 45

 

 

ta ch'êng jo ch'üeh.
ch'i yung pu pi. 
ta ying jo ch'ung.
ch'i yung pu ch'iung.
ta chih jo ch'u.
ta ch'iao jo cho.
ta pien jo no.
tsao shêng han.
ching shêng jê.
ch'ing ching wei t'ien hsia chêng.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 45

 

 

Audio Version in Chinese of Chapter 45 of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

da cheng ruo que.  
qi yong bu bi.
da ying ruo chong.  
qi yong bu qiong.
da zhi ruo qu.  
da qiao ruo zhuo.
da bian ruo ne.
zao sheng han.
jing sheng re.  
qing jing wei tian xia zheng.
-  Pinyin Romanizations, Daodejing, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters and English (includes a word by word key) from YellowBridge

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Hanyu Pinyin (1982) Romanization, English and German by Dr. Hilmar Alquiros. 

Laozi Daodejing: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script, detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English. 

Chinese and English Dictionary, MDGB

Chinese Character Dictionary

Dao De Jing Wade-Giles Concordance by Nina, Dao is Open

Dao De Jing English and Wade-Giles Concordance by Mike Garofalo

Tao Te Ching in Pinyin Romanization with Chinese characters, WuWei Foundation

Tao Te Ching in Pinyin Romanization

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters and English

Tao Te Ching: English translation, Word by Word Chinese and English, and Commentary, Center Tao by Carl Abbott

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, English, Word by word analysis, Zhongwen

Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition  Chinese characters, Wade-Giles (1892) Romanization, and a list of meanings for each character by Jonathan Star 

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters: Big 5 Traditional and GB Simplified

Convert from Pinyin to Wade Giles to Yale Romanizations of Words and Terms: A Translation Tool from Qi Journal

Chinese Characters, Wade-Giles and Pinyin Romanizations, and 16 English Translations for Each Chapter of the Daodejing by Mike Garofalo. 

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Wade-Giles and Pinyin Romanization spellings, English; a word for word translation of the Guodian Laozi Dao De Jing Version. 

Lao Zi's Dao De Jing: A Matrix Translation with Chinese Text by Bradford Hatcher. 

 

 

"Great perfection is with imperfection.
Its use is not impaired.
Great fullness is with emptiness
Its usefulness is not exhausted.
Great truth is with inaccuracies.
Great skill is with limitations.
Great oratory is with stammering.
Movement overcomes cold.
Stillness overcomes heat.
The act of pure tranquility guides Heaven below (the sacred body)."
-  Translated by Alan Sheets, 2002, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

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. 

 

                             

 

 

 

"What is most perfect seems somehow defective;
Yet you can use it, and it never wears out.
What is most full seems to be empty;
Yet you can use it, and it never runs dry.
Great skill seems to be clumsy;
Great gains seem to be losses;
Great straightness seems to be bent.
Activity overcomes cold;
Tranquility overcomes heat.
Pure and tranquil, you can stabilize the whole world."
-  Translated by Robert G. Hendricks, Chapter 45 

 

 

"Great perfection appears lacking (ch'üeh),
Its use is unending.
Great fullness appears empty,
Its use is inexhaustible.
Great straightness appears bent,
Great ingenuity (ch'iao) appears crude,
Great eloquence (pien) appears inarticulate.
When agitation (tsao) wins (sheng), the cold arrives,
When tranquillity (ching) wins (sheng), the hot arrives.
Clear and tranquil the world is in the right mode (cheng)."
-  Translated by Ellen Marie Chen, 1989, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The greatest attainment is as though incomplete, but its utility remains unimpaired.
The greatest fullness is as a void; but its utility is inexhaustible.
The greatest uprightness is as crookedness; the greatest cleverness as clumsiness; the greatest eloquence as reticence.
Motion overcomes cold; stillness conquers heat.
Purity and stillness are the world’s standards."
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 45 

 

 

Creative Commons License
This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington  © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching  Translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo  

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching  Translated by John C. Wu

Lao-Tzu and the Tao-Te-Ching  Translated by Livia Kohn

Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way Translated by Moss Roberts

 

                             

 

 

 

"The greatest perfection seems incomplete,
but its utility is never impaired.
The greatest fullness seems empty,
but its use cannot be exhausted.
What is most direct seems devious.
The greatest skill seems awkward.
The greatest eloquence seems like stuttering.
Movement overcomes cold.
Stillness overcomes heat.
The serene and calm are guides for all."
-  Translated by Sanderson Beck, 1996, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The masters greatest perfection seems imperfect, yet when used it is inexhaustible,
The masters' greatest fullness appears empty, yet it can continue giving without end.
The masters' greatest straightness appears crooked, yet it is upright and righteous.
The masters' greatest skill appears rustic and clumsy, yet it works with unparalleled accuracy.
The masters' greatest eloquence appears as tongue-tied stammering, yet he teaches without words.
The masters' movement conquers cold,
The masters' stillness conquers heat,
The stillness and tranquility of the master conquers the world."
-  Translated by John Dicus, 2002, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The greatest perfection seems inadequate,
But it is unfailing in its usefulness;
What is brimful seems empty,
But it is inexhaustible in its usefulness.
The completely straight seems crooked, the greatest skill seems awkward,
The greatest eloquence seems like stammering.
Activity overcomes cold,
But stillness overcomes heat.
Only by purity and stillness will the world be governed."
-  Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

Walking the Way: 81 Zen Encounters with the Tao Te Ching by Robert Meikyo Rosenbaum

The Tao of Zen by Ray Grigg

Tao Te Ching: Zen Teachings on the Taoist Classic by Takuan Soho 

Buddhism and Taoism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual, and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China by Christine Mollier  

 

                                     

 

 

 

"Esteem lightly your greatest accomplishment, your patience will not fail.
Reckon your great fullness to be emptiness, your strength will not become exhausted.
Count your rectitude as foolishness,
Know your cleverness to be stupidity,
Recognize your eloquence to be stammering words,
And you will find that
As movement overcomes cold, and as stillness overcomes heat, even so, he who knows the true secret of tranquility
Will become a pattern for all mankind."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The perfect seems flawed, but its usefulness is unlimited.
Full seems empty, but it is inexhaustible.
Straight seems bent.
Intelligent seems stupid.
Eloquent seems tongue–tied.
Motion defeats the cold.
Stillness defeats the heat.
The Tao–Master remains calm as a guide for all things."
-  Translated by George Cronk, 1999, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The highest perfection is like imperfection,
And its use is never impaired.
The greatest abundance seems meager,
And its use will never fail.
What s most straight appears devious,
The greatest skill appears clumsiness;
The greatest eloquence seems like stuttering.
Movement overcomes cold,
But keeping still overcomes heat.
Who is calm and quiet becomes the guide for the universe."
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 45

 

 

 

Further Teachings of Lao-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries (Wen Tzu)   By Thomas Cleary

The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons   By Deng Ming-Dao

Awakening to the Tao   By Lui I-Ming (1780) and translated by Thomas Cleary

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices   By Mike Garofalo

Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings with Selections from Traditional Commentaries   Translation and commentary by Brook Ziporyn

The Inner Chapters of Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi)   Translated by A. C. Graham

 

                                  

 

 

 

"Who can behold his great work incomplete

Will keep his usefulness without decay,

He who regards his fullness as a void

In usefulness can exercise each day.

 

His greatest straightness seems like crookedness,

His greatest skill seems like stupidity,

His greatest eloquence of voice and tongue

The stammering seems of imbecility.

 

By constant motion cold is overcome,

But heat by being still is conquered best,

In purity and clearness is the type

Of all beneath the sky made manifest."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching
 Chapter Number Index


Standard Traditional Chapter Arrangement of the Daodejing
Chapter Order in Wang Bi's Daodejing Commentary in 246 CE
Chart by Mike Garofalo
Subject Index
 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What is most perfect seems to have something missing;
Yet its use is unimpaired.
What is most full seems empty;
Yet its use will never fail.
What is most straight seems crooked;
The greatest skill seems like clumsiness,
The greatest eloquence like stuttering.
Movement overcomes cold;
But staying still overcomes heat.
So he by his limpid calm
Puts right everything under heaven."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

 

 

"Große Vollendung muß wie unzulänglich erscheinen, so wird sie unendlich in ihres Wirkung.
Große Fülle muß wie strömend erscheinen, so wird sie unerschöpflich in ihrer Wirkung.
Große Geradheit muß wie krumm erscheinen.
Große Begabung muß wie dumm erscheinen.
Große Beredsamkeit muß wie stumm erscheinen.
Bewegung überwindet die Kälte.
Stille überwindet die Hitze.
Reinheit und Stille sind der Welt Richtmaß."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 45 

 

 

 

 

 

"Vom Zielwillen des Lebens und vom Richtmaaßder Welt

Was sich vollendet, erscheint oft wie unvollkommen,
und doch wirkt seine verborgene Zielkraft unaufhörlich.
Was wirkliche Fülle besitzt,
scheint sich stets zu verströmen,
und doch bleibt es unerschöpflich.
Das Gerade erscheint oft wie krumm,
große Geschicklichkeit wie Ungeschick,
wirkliche Kunst wie ein Stammeln.
Bewegung überwindet die Kälte, Stille die Hitze.
Immer bleibt das Reine und Echte Richtmaaß der Welt."
-  Translated by Rudolf Backofen, 1949, Chapter 45

 

 

 

 

 

"The perfect seems defective, but can be used limitlessly.
The truly full seems empty, but can be used endlessly.
The straight seems crooked.
The truly artful seems clumsy.
The most eloquent seems tongue-tied.
Peace outdoes turmoil, and cold heat.
Peace is therefore the best policy."
-  Translated by Liu Qixuan, Chapter 45 

 

 

Creative Commons License
This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington  © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey   Translated by Stephen Mitchell

Tao Te Ching   Translated by David Hinton

The Book of Tao: Tao Te Ching - The Tao and Its Characteristics   Translated by James Legge

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: Growth of a Religion   By Isabelle Robinet

Zhuangzi (Chuang Tsu), Daoist Scripture: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotations, Notes

Zhuangzi: Basic Writings   Translated by Burton Watson

Zhuangzi Speaks: The Music of Nature   An illustrated comic by Chih-chung Ts'ai

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons

 

                                              

 

 

 

"He who sees that his highest attainments are always incomplete may go on working indefinitely.
He who sees his greatest possessions to be inadequate may go on acquiring forever.
His highest rectitude is but crookedness.
His greatest wisdom is but foolishness.
His sweetest eloquence is but stammering.
Action overcomes cold; inaction overcomes heat.
With virtue and quietness one may conquer the world."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 45 

 

 

"The greatest accomplishment appears imperfect, but its utility is limitless.
Immense fullness appears inadequate, yet its use is inexhaustible.
Though as straight as an arrow, it appears crooked.
Polished agility appears awkwardly clumsy.
Great eloquence appears haltingly hesitant.
Tranquillity prevails upon rashness.
Coldness overcomes heat.
The sage maintains quietude and practises non-action.
He sets an example for everyone to follow."
-  Translated by Han Hiong Tan, Chapter 45 

 

 

"A man's work, however finished it seem,
Continues as long as he live;
A man, however perfect he seem,
Is needed as long as he live:
As long as truth appears falsity,
The seer a fool,
The prophet a dumb lout,
If you want to keep warm keep stirring about,
Keep still if you want to keep cool,
And in all the world one day no doubt
Your way shall be the rule."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 45

 

 

"Le Saint est grandement parfait, et il paraît plein d'imperfections; ses ressources ne s'usent point.
Il est grandement plein, et il paraît vide; ses ressources ne s'épuisent point.
Il est grandement droit, et il semble manquer de rectitude.
Il est grandement ingénieux, et il paraît stupide.
Il est grandement disert, et il paraît bègue.
Le mouvement triomphe du froid; le repos triomphe de la chaleur.
Celui qui est pur et tranquille devient le modèle de l'univers."
-  Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 45      

 

 

 

Spanish Language Versions of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
Tao Te Ching en Español


Lao Tsé Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por Anton Teplyy

Tao Te Ching   Traducido por Stephen Mitchell, versión española  

Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por el Padre Carmelo Elorduy

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons   Consejos de Estilo de Vida de Sabios

Tao Te Ching en Español

Lao Tzu-The Eternal Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por Yuanxiang Xu y Yongjian Yin 

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices   By Mike Garofalo    Maduración Duraznos: Estudios y Prácticas Taoístas por Mike Garofalo

Tao Te Ching - Wikisource

Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por William Scott Wilson. 

Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching   Traducido al español por Javier Cruz

Tao te king   Translated by John C. H. Wu, , versión española  

Daodejing   Español, Inglés, y Chino Versiones Lingüísticas de la Daodejing


 

                                      

 

 

 

Spanish Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

 

"La Gran Perfección parece insuficiente,
pero surte un efecto infinitamente eficaz.
La Gran Plenitud es de apariencia vacía,
pero su acción es inagotable.
La Gran Rectitud es en apariencia torcida.
La Gran Habilidad es en apariencia torpe.
La Gran Elocuencia es en apariencia incongruente.
El movimiento vence al frío.
La quietud vence al calor.
Lo pacífico y sereno son las cosas que restauran
el orden del Universo."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013,
Capítulo 45 

 

 

"La gran perfección tendrá un aspecto de
insuficiencia,
Mas surtirá un efecto infinitamente eficaz.
La gran plenitud parecerá dúctil, como un
fluido, mas su efecto no se agotará
La gran rectitud parecerá torcida.
El gran talento, estupidez,
La gran oratoria, mudez
El movimiento aleja el frío.
La quietud, al calor.
Pureza y quietud
son la justa medida del mundo."
-  Translation into Spanish from Richard Wilhelm's 1911 German Version by an Unknown Spanish Translator, 2015, Capítulo 45

 

 

"La gente puede confundir La Más Grande Perfección con una locura;
     el gran volumen, con el vacío; una gran curva, con una recta;
     un gran donaire, con una torpeza; un gran orador, con aquel que no sabe hablar. 
El movimiento intenso supera el frío; la inmovilidad supera el calor. 
Sólo la tranquilidad y la armonía aseurarán la comprensión correcta
     de todo lo que ocurre en el mundo."
-  Translated by Anton Teplyy, 2008,
Capítulo 45 

 

 

"La gran perfección parece deficiente,
Su uso no la extingue.
La gran plenitud parece equilibrada,
Su uso no la agota.
La gran rectitud parece doblada.
La gran destreza parece torpe.
La gran elocuencia parece un balbuceo.

Cuando la quietud triunfa, la agitación llega.
Cuando el frío invernal triunfa, el calor llega.

La pureza y la quietud actúan
Y el mundo está en orden."
-  Translated by Álex Ferrara, 2003, Capítulo 45 

 

 

"La perfección más grande parece imperfecta, pero quien la aprovecha la halla inagotable.
La más grande abundancia parece vacía, pero aprovechándola no se halla su fin.
La más grande rectitud parece torcida.
Lo más hábil parece torpe.
Las grandes palabras parecen tartamudeos.
La acción constante vence al frío.
La inmovilidad vence al color.
La paz y la serenidad son la normas del mundo."
Translation from Logia Medio Dia, 2015,
Capítulo 45 

 

 

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This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington  © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0

 

 

Commentary

 

Coming Later ... 2022

I welcome email with commentary on Chapter 45 of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #46

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Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching 

 

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 45

 

Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse.  Complete versions of all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching by many different translators in many languages: 124 English, 24 German, 14 Russian, 7 Spanish, 5 French and many other languages.  Links are organized first by languages, and then alphabetically by translators.  Formatting varies somewhat.  The original website at Onekellotus went offline in 2012; but, the extensive collection of these Tao Te Ching versions was saved for posterity by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine and available as of 9/9/2015.  This is an outstanding original collection of versions of the Daodejing─ the Best on the Internet.  Caution: copyright infringement may sometimes be an issue at this website. 


Tao Te Ching, Translations into English: Terebess Asia Online (TAO).  124 nicely formatted complete English language translations, on separate webpages, of the Daodejing.  Alphabetical index by translators.  Each webpage has all 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching translated into English.  A useful collection!  Many reformatted and colored versions from the original collection at Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse.  Caution: copyright infringement may sometimes be an issue at this website. 


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. 


Daodejing by Laozi: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script, detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English.  This is an outstanding resource for serious students of the Tao Te Ching


Tao Te Ching: A New Translation and Commentary.  By Ellen Chen.  Paragon House, 1998.  Detailed glossary, index, bibliography, notes, 274 pages. 


The Tao and Method: A Reasoned Approach to the Tao Te Ching.  By Michael Lafargue.  New York, SUNY Press, 1994.  640 pages.  Detailed index, bibliography, notes, and tables.  An essential research tool. 


Two Visions of the Way: A Study of the Wang Pi and the Ho-Shang Kung Commentaries on the Lao-Tzu.  By Professor by Alan Kam-Leung Chan.   SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture.  State University of New York Press, 1991.  Index, bibliography, glossary, notes, 314 pages.  ISBN: 0791404560.     


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 print reference tool! 


Chinese Reading of the Daodejing  Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi with Critical Text and Translation.  By Professor Rudolf G. Wagner.  A SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture.  English and Mandarin Chinese Edition.  State University of New York Press; Bilingual edition (October 2003).  540 pages.  ISBN: 978-0791451823.  Wang Bi (Wang Pi, Fusi), 226-249 CE, Commentary on the Tao Te Ching.


Tao Te Ching  Translated by D. C. Lau.  Addison Wesley, Reprint Edition, 2000.  192 pages.  ISBN: 978-0140441314. 

 

 

                                                           

 

 

The Taoism Reader  By Thomas Cleary.  Shambhala, 2012.  192 pages.


Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao  By Wayne W. Dyer.  Hay House, Reprint Edition, 2009.  416 pages. 


The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons.  By Deng Ming-Dao.  New York, Harper Collins, 2013.  429 pages.  


The Classic of the Way and Virtue: A New Translation of the Tao-te Ching of Laozi as Interpreted by Wang Bi.  Translated by Richard John Lynn.  Translations from the Asian Classics Series.  New York, Columbia University Press, 1999.  Extensive index, glossaries, notes, 244 pages. 


Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin Romanization, English and German by Dr. Hilmar Alquiros. 


Yellow Bridge Dao De Jing Comparison Table   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. 


Translators Index, Tao Te Ching Versions in English, Translators Sorted Alphabetically by Translator, Links to Books and Online Versions of the Chapters 


Taoism and the Tao Te Ching: Bibliography, Resources, Links


Spanish Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching, Daodejing en Español, Translators Index 


Concordance to the Daodejing


The Tao of Zen.  By Ray Grigg.  Tuttle, 2012, 256 pages.  Argues for the view that Zen is best characterized as a version of philosophical Taoism (i.e., Laozi and Zhuangzi) and not Mahayana Buddhism. 


Chapter 1 in the Rambling Taoist Commentaries by Trey Smith.  The Rambling Taoists are Trey Smith and Scott Bradley. 


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


Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6   Valley Spirit Center in Red Bluff, California.   Sacred Circle in the Gushen Grove. 


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. 


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


Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living.  Translated by Eva Wong.  Lieh-Tzu was writing around 450 BCE.  Boston, Shambhala, 2001.  Introduction, 246 pages. 


Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic.  By Hu Huezhi.  Edited by Jesse Lee Parker.  Seven Star Communications, 2006.  240 pages. 


Cloud Hands Blog   Mike Garofalo writes about Mind-Body Arts, Philosophy, Taoism, Gardening, Taijiquan, Walking, Mysticism, Qigong, and the Eight Ways.


The Whole Heart of Tao: The Complete Teachings From the Oral Tradition of Lao Tzu.
By John Bright-Fey.  Crane Hill Publishers, 2006.  376 pages.

 

 

 

                                               

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Laozi, Dao De Jing

 

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching


Research and Indexing by
Michael P. Garofalo

 

 

Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington

Red Bluff, California (1998-2017).   Vancouver, Washington (2017-2021)
 

Indexed and Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo
 


This webpage was last edited, changed, reformatted, improved, modified or updated on February 20, 2021.    
 
This webpage was first distributed online on April 26, 2011. 

 

 

Creative Commons License
This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Vancouver, Washington  © 2011-2021 CCA 4.0


 

 

Michael P. Garofalo's E-mail

Brief Biography of Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.

 

 

 

 


Ripening Peaches: Daoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: Resources and Guides
 

Cloud Hands Blog


Valley Spirit Qigong

Ways of Walking

The Spirit of Gardening

Months: Cycles of the Seasons

Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu, Zhuang Zhou, Master Chuang)  369—286 BCE

Chan (Zen) and Taoist Poetry

Yang Style Taijiquan

Chen Style Taijiquan

Taoist Perspectives: My Reading List

Meditation

Bodymind Theory and Practices, Somaesthetics

The Five Senses

 

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

 

Grandmaster Chang San Feng

Virtues

Qigong (Chi Kung) Health Practices

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey: Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove

Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Index to Cloud Hands and Valley Spirit Websites

 

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching 

Introduction

Bibliography  

Index to English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching

Thematic Index 1-81  

Chapter Index 1-81    

Concordance to the Daodejing

Recurring Themes (Terms, Concepts, Leimotifs) in the Tao Te Ching

Spanish Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

Resources

Comments, Feedback, Kudos, Suggestions

Chinese Characters, Wade-Giles (1892) and Hanyu Pinyin (1982) Romanizations

The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) circa 500 BCE

 

 

 

Cloud Hands Blog

 

 

 

Tao Te Ching
 Chapter Number Index


Standard Traditional Chapter Arrangement of the Daodejing
Chapter Order in Wang Bi's Daodejing Commentary in 246 CE
Chart by Mike Garofalo
Subject Index
 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81