Chapter 5 Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue
道德經

By Lao Tzu (Laozi)

Chapter 5 Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

Impartiality, Straw Dogs, The Bellows, Less Talking, The Uses of Emptiness, 虛用

"Heaven and earth are not Good
They treat the thousands of things like straw dogs.
The Wise Person is not Good
He treats the hundred clans like straw dogs.
The space between heaven and earth
Isn't like a bellows?
Empty, by not shriveled up,
Set it in motion and always more comes out.
Much talking, quickly exhausted.
It can't compare to watching over what is inside."
- Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 5

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

"Heaven and earth do not act from any wish to be benevolent;
They deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with.
The sages do not act from any wish to be benevolent;
The deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with.
May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows?
'Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power;
'Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more.
Much speech to swift exhaustion lead we see;
Your inner being guard, and keep it free."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 5

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

"Heaven and earth are not like humans, they are impartial.
They regard all things as insignificant, as though they were playthings made of straw.
The wise man is also impartial.
To him all men are alike and unimportant.
The space between heaven and earth is like a bellows,
It is empty but does not collapse,
It moves and more and more issues.
A gossip is soon empty, it is doubtful if he can be impartial."
- Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 5

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

"Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as straw dogs.
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs.
The space between heaven and Earth is like a bellows.
The shape changes but not the form;
The more it moves, the more it yields.
More words count less.
Hold fast to the center."
- Translated by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English, 1989, Chapter 5

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 5

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 5 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

Translators' Index, Tao Te Ching Translators Sorted Alphabetically by Translator, Links to Books and Online Versions

Chapter 5 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 5, 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.