Chapter 6

Tao Te Ching  (Daodejing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue

By Lao Tzu  (Laozi)


 

Compiled and Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo

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

Chapter 5       Chapter 7       Index to All 81 Chapters     Daoism     Concordance     Cloud Hands Blog           

English       Chinese       Spanish   

 

 

 

Chapter 6

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)

 

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


English and Chinese (Wade-Giles) Terms:  The Valley Spirit (Ku Shên, Gu Shen), The Completion of Material Forms, Effort or Labor or Toil (ch'in), The Infinitude of Creative Effort, Mother or Female (p'in), Earth (ti), Heaven (t'ien), Endless, Mysterious or Profound or Secret (hsüan), Fertile, Spirit or Soul (shên), Bounty, Enduring or Remaining in Existence (ts'un), Ceaseless, Using (yung), Visible, Creation, Inexhaustible, Spontaneous, Deep, Root or Origin or Cause (kên), Field, Spring, Female (p'in), Deathless, Womb, Gate or Door or Entrance (mên), Source, Continuous (mien), Valley or Fountain (ku), Seems or Appears (jo), Productive, Rebirth, The Mysterious Female, Goddess, Gaia, Earth Mother,  成象    

Términos en Español:  El Espíritu del Valle, Esfuerzo, Trabajo, Madre, Mujer, Tierra, Cielo, Diosa, Madre Tierra, Interminable,  Misterioso, Profunda, Secreto, Fértil, Espíritu, Alma, Generosidad, Duradero, Incesante, Usando, Visible, Creación, Inagotable Espontánea, Raíz, Origen, Causa, Campo, Primavera, Hembra, Inmortal, Útero, Portón, Puerta, Entrada, Fuente, Continuo, Valle, Parece, Aparece, Productiva, Renacimiento, Mujer Misteriosa. 

Electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

 

English Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

 

"The Spirit of the perennial spring is said to be immortal, she is called the Mysterious One.
The Mysterious One is typical of the source of heaven and earth.
It is continually and endlessly issuing and without effort."
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The Spirit of the Depths is immortal; it is called the Azure Heaven and the Mother Earth.
The passage through which these Two Influences emerge and enter is called the root of the visible creation.
They are ceaseless in action as though permanent, and may be drawn upon without ever being exhausted."
-  Translated by Frederic H. Balfour, 1884, Chapter 6 

 

 

"Like the river in the valley, the spirit is never dried up.
I call it the Mother-Deep.
The motion of the Mother-Deep I regard as the origin of the Heaven and the Earth.
Forever it endures and moves without design."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn-Old, 1904, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The Spirit of the Valley dies not, it is called Mother-substance of the Deep.
The Door of Mother-substance of the Deep is called the Root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuously, continuously,
It nourishes and preserves.
Use it,
Thy strength shall not fail."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The Valley Spirit never dies.
It is named the Mysterious Female.
And the doorway of the Mysterious Female
Is the base from which Heaven and Earth sprang.
It is there within us all the while;
Draw upon it as you will, it never runs dry."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 6

 

 

"The never-dying spirit of the cave is called the mysterious mother.
The doorway of the mysterious mother is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Lingering like a veil barely seen, it has only a hint of existence;
and yet it is inexhaustibly used."
-  Translated by Tran Tien Cong, Chapter 6

 

 

"The spirit of the valley (Dao) is immortal.
It is known as the mystical female.
The birth canal of the mystical female
Opens to the universe.
Dao seems to be able to go on forever and continues to function effortlessly."
-  Translated by Tan Han Hiong, Chapter 6

 

 

"The heart of Tao is immortal, the mysterious fertile mother of us all,
of heaven and earth, of every thing and not-thing.
Invisible yet ever present, you can use it forever without using it up."
-  Translated by Brian Browne Walker, 1996, Chapter 6

 

 

"Perceiving the Subtle

The mystery of the valley is immortal;
It is known as the Subtle Female.
The gateway of the Subtle Female
Is the source of Heaven and Earth.

Everlasting, endless, it appears to exist.
Its usefulness comes with no effort."
-  Translated by R. L. Wing, 1986, Chapter 6 

 

 

 

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 © 2018 CCA 4.0

 

 

 

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  

 

                                     

 

 

 

 

"The spirit of the valley does not die
It may be known as the mysterious feminine
The gateway of the mysterious feminine
May be known as the source of heaven and earth
Endless, continuous, seeming to exist
To practice this is not effort."
-  Translated by Bradford Hatcher, 2005, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The spirit of the valley never dies;
It is called the mysterious female.
The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuously it seems to exist.
There is no labor in its use."
-  Translated by Wu Yi, Chapter 6

 

 

Cloud Hands Blog

 

 

"The valley spirit does not die.
It is called the dark and mysterious female.
The portal of the dark and mysterious female is called the root of heaven and earth.
It has a kind of wispy continuity as though existing.
Use it without exertion."
-  Translated by Patrick E. Moran, Chapter 6 

 

 

Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The Spirit of the Valley never dies.
It is called the Mysterious Female.
The gate of the Mysterious Female is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Ever-abiding, always existing,
It can be used, but never exhausted."
-  Translated by Keith H. Sutton, Chapter 6 

 

 

"God of food is eternal, so it is like the mother.
The nature mother is the root of everything.
Tao is long lasting and never exhausted in application."
-  Translated by Thomas Z. Zhang, Chapter 6

 

 

"Perfection of the Symbol
Ch'eng Hsiang


The Spirit of the Valley never dies.
Hence comes the name Mysterious Female.
The gateway of the Mysterious Female
Is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuous like a thread it seems to exist;
Its utility is inexhaustible."
-  Translated by Henry Wei, 1982, Chapter 6

 

 

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

"The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb
as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it.
The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb the dark womb's mouth
we call the source of creation as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it."
-  Translated by Red Pine, Chapter 6

 

 

"Be a valley to the spirit and you will not die.
This is called the Fathomless and the Female
The gate to the Famthomless and Femals
Is called The Root of Heaven and Earth
Soft and gentle
This is her way of existence.
Do not draw on her use laboriously.
-  Translated by Dan G. Reid, 2016, Chapter 6

 

 

"The Valley spirit is immortal.
The Spirit is the Female, the Primal Mother.
Her ultimate gateway is the principle of heaven and earth.
The spirit is veiled and dim,
And yet when used, it requires no toil."
-  Translated by Eichi Shimomisse, 1998, Chapter 6

 

 

 

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

 

                             

 

 

 

"The valley spirit never dies.
It is the unknown first mother,
whose gate is the root
from which grew heaven and earth.
It is dimly seen, yet always present.
Draw from it all you wish;
it will never run dry."
-  Translated by T. McCarroll, Chapter 6 

 

   

 

A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 6 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A note on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching

 

 

谷神不死, 是謂玄牝.
玄牝之門.
是謂天地根.
綿綿若存.
用之不勤.
-  Chinese characters, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching

 

 

ku shên pu ssu, shih wei hsüan p'in.
hsüan p'in chih mên.
shih wei t'ien ti kên.
mien mien jo ts'un.
yung chih pu ch'in.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching 

 


Audio Version in Chinese of Chapter 6 of the Tao Te Ching

 


gu shen bu si, shi wei xuan pin. 
xuan pin zhi men. 
shi wei tian di gen. 
mian mian ruo cun. 
yong zhi bu qin. 
-  Pinyin Romanization, Chapter 6, Daodejing

 

 

 

 

 

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

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin 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 Spanish and Wade-Giles Concordance   Indexing by Mike Garofalo.    GWR Hypertext Notebooks

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 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 25 English Translations for Each Chapter of the Daodejing.  Compiled and indexed by Mike Garofalo. 

Tao Te Ching in Chinese characters, Pinyin and Wade Giles 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. 

 

 

"The valley spirit never dies.
It's named the mystic woman.
And the gate of the profound woman is the root that heaven and earth sprang from.
It's there within us all the while;
draw upon it as you will,
you can never wear it out."
-  Translated by T. Byrn, Chapter 6   

 

 

Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The mystery of the valley is immortal;
It is known as the Subtle Female. The gateway of the Subtle Female
is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Everlasting, endless, it appears to exist.
Its usefulness comes with no effort."
-  Translated by R. L. Wing, Chapter 6 

 

 

 

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 from 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 valley spirit is not dead:
They say it is the mystic female.
Her gateway is, they further say,
The base of heaven and earth.
Constantly, and so forever,
Use her without labor."
- Translated by Raymond Blakney, 1955, Chapter 6 

 

 

" 'The valley and the wind will never die.'
They are the creators of the one who is the mystical mother,
The one whose hair is the source of heaven and earth.
This source will never end.
Even if it is exploited endlessly, it will never diminish."
-  Translated by Chohan Chou-Wing, Chapter 6

 

 

The spiritual valley can never be extinguished.
It is correctly referred to as the mysteries of the receptive.
The entrance to mysterious receptivity is correctly referred to as
the origin of the whole universe.  
It is continuous and unbroken!
Its usefulness seems to persevere without effort."
-  Translated by Nina Correa, 2005, Chapter 6

 

 

"The valley spirit not expires,
Mysterious woman ’tis called by the sires.
The mysterious woman’s door, to boot,
Is called of heaven and earth the root.
Forever and aye it seems to endure
And its use is without effort sure.”
-  Translated by D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The valley spirit not dying
is called the mysterious female.
The opening of the mysterious female
is called the root of heaven and earth.
Continuous, on the brink of existence,
to put it into practice, don't try to force it."
-  Translated by Thomas Cleary, Chapter 6

 

 

Creative Commons License
This 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 © 2018 CCA 4.0

 

 

 

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

 

                             

 

 

 

"Like the sheltered, fertile valley,
the meditative mind is still,
yet retains its energy.
Since both energy and stillness,
of themselves, do not have form,
it is not through the senses
that they may be found,
nor understood by intellect alone,
although, in nature, both abound.
In the meditative state,
the mind ceases to differentiate
between existences,
and that which may or may not be.
It leaves them well alone,
for they exist,
not differentiated, but as one,
within the meditative mind."
-  Translated by Stan Rosenthal, Chapter 6   

 

 

"The concept of Yin is ever present.
It is the Mystic Female from whom
the heavens and the earth originate.
Constantly, continuously, enduring always.
Use her!"
-  Translated by C. Ganson, Chapter 6    

 

 

 

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

 

                             

 

 

 

"Like a riverbed, the heart is never filled
It is an ineffable female
Whose entrance is the source of the World;
Tao is ever present within it:
Draw upon it and it will never fail."
-  Translated by Peter Merel, Chapter 6   
 

 

Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The valley spirit never dies
Call it the mystery, the woman.
The mystery,
the Door of the Woman,
is the root
of earth and heaven.
Forever this endures, forever.
And all its uses are easy."
-  Translated by Ursula K. Le Guin, Chapter 6

 
 
 
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

 

                             

 

 

 

"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 6    
 
 
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain."
-  Translated by Stephen McIntyre, 2009, Chapter 6   
 
 
Creative Commons License
This 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 © 2018 CCA 4.0

 
 
 
Further Teachings of Lao-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries (Wen Tzu)   Translated 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

 

                                  

 
 
 
"The valley spirit is deathless:
the unborn womb,
the door,
the root of heaven and earth,
the Source,
subtly everlasting
beyond existence and nonexistence.
Constantly we draw on it;
it graces us by being inexhaustible."
-  Translated by Robert Meikyo Rosenbaum, 2013, Chapter 6  
 
 

Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6 

 
 

"The heart of Tao is immortal
the mysterious fertile mother of us all.
of heaven and earth,
of every thing
and not-thing.
Invisible yet ever-present,
You can use it forever without using it up."
-  Translated by Brian Walker, Chapter 6 

 

 

"Nature's spirit never dies, so it is called the organ of reproducibility.
This organ functions as the root of the world.
It lasts forever and can never be used up."
-  Translated Xiaolin Yang, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The Spirit of the Fountain dies not.
It is called the Mysterious Feminine.
The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine
Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth.
Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence;
And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible."
-  Translated by John C. H. Wu, 1961, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The manifestations of Infinity never cease manifesting.  
Infinity is the primal creator, the oneness of male and female.
Infinity is the gate though which heaven and earth manifested.
It is invisible to the senses, yet totally permeates all things.
It is inexhaustible and eternally available for any purpose."
-  Translated by John Worldpeace, Chapter 6

 

 

"The Tao is called the Great Mother:
empty yet never-ending,
it gives birth to unlimited worlds.
It is always at hand within you.
Use it gently, and without force."
-   Translated by Rivenrock, Chapter 6 

 

 

"The unlimited capacity of valleys;
the unbelievable power of Spirits;
and the unending life of immortality are called the Profound Origin Mother.
The beginning of the Profound Origin Mother is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endlessly, endlessly!
It is existing.
Yet its usefulness is invisible."
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 6

 

 

"The Tao never dies;
It is a deep womb.
And the opening of the womb
Is called the root of heaven and earth.
It exists for ever,
And its use can never be exhausted."
-  Translated by Gu Zengkun, Chapter 6

 

 

"The mystery of the valley is immortal;
It is known as the Subtle Female.
The gateway of the Subtle Female
Is the source of Heaven and Earth.
Everlasting, endless, it appears to exist.
Its usefulness comes with no effort."
-  Translated by R. L. Wing, 1986, Chapter 6

 

 

 

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                  

 

 

 

"The Spirit of the Valley never dies.
Hence comes the name Mysterious Female.
The gateway of the Mysterious Female
Is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuous like a thread it seems to exist;
Its utility is inexhaustible."
-  Translated by Henry Wei, 1982, Chapter 6 

 

 

"Der Geist des Tals stirbt nicht,
das heißt das dunkle Weib.
Das Tor des dunklen Weibs,
das heißt die Wurzel von Himmel und Erde.
Ununterbrochen wie beharrend
wirkt es ohne Mühe."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 6

 

 

"Das Aus-sich-selbst-quellen alles Lebendigen
Unvergänglich ist der Geist der Tiefe.
Es ist das Urmütterliche.
In des Urmütterlichen Schoß wurzeln Himmel und Erde.
Es ist der Urquell des Lebens,
der mühelos aus sich selber quillt."
-  Translated by Rudolf Backofen, 1949, Chapter 6

 

 

"The unlimited capacity of valleys;
the unbelievable power of Spirits;
and the unending life of immortality are called the Profound Origin Mother.
The beginning of the Profound Origin Mother is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endlessly, endlessly!
It is existing.
Yet its usefulness is invisible."
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 6

 

 

 

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

 

                                              

 
 
 
"The Valley and the Spirit never die.
They form what is called the mystic mother, 
From whose gate comes the origin of heaven and earth. 
This origin seems ever to endure.
In use it can never be exhausted."
-  Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 6
 
 
"The Valley Spirit never dies. 
It is called the Mysterious Female. 
The entrance top the Mysterious Female Is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endless flow of inexhaustible energy." - Translated by Stephen Addis, 1993, Chapter 6
 
 
"The spirit of the valley never dies. 
It is called the subtle and profound female. 
The gate of the subtle and profound female Is the root of Heaven and Earth.
It is continuous, and seems to be always existing. Use it and you will never wear it out." - Translated by Chan Wing-Tsit, 1963, Chapter 6
 
 

"The spirit of emptiness is immortal.
It is called the Great Mother
because it gives birth to Heaven and Earth.
It is like a vapor,
barely seen but always present.
Use it effortlessly."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, Chapter 6 

 

 

"L'esprit de la vallée ne meurt pas; on l'appelle la femelle mystérieuse.
La porte de la femelle mystérieuse s'appelle la racine du ciel et de la terre.
Il est éternel et semble exister matériellement.
Si l'on en fait usage, on n'éprouve aucune fatigue."
-  Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 6  

 

 

 

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 Esencia del Todo no muere.
Es la Mujer Misteriosa, Madre del Universo.
El camino de la Mujer Misteriosa
es la raíz del Cielo y de la Tierra.
Su duración es perenne, su eficiencia infatigable."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 6 

 

 

"El espíritu del valle nunca muere.
Es la madre secreta.
La puerta de la madre secreta es la raíz
del cielo y de la tierra.
Sutil, sin interrupción, continuamente perdura;
pero en su actividad no cesa nunca."
Translation from Logia Medio Dia, 2015, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 6 

 

 

"Igual que el lecho de un río, el corazón nunca se llena.
Es un indescriptible
Cuya entrada es la fuente del Mundo;
Tao está siempre presente en él:
Mantenido sobre él, nunca fallará.
-  Translated by Antonio Rivas Gonzálvez, 1998, Capítulo 6 

 

 

"El espíritu del valle no muere.
Se lo llama la hembra misteriosa.
La puerta de la hembra misteriosa es llamada
El origen del Cielo y de la tierra.
Contínua y delicada, parece existir.
Con el uso no se fatiga."
-  Translated by Álex Ferrara, 2003, Capítulo 6

 

 

"El Espíritu de la Fuente no muere.
Se llama lo Femenino Misterioso.
La Puerta de lo Femenino Misterioso
es llamada Raíz de Cielo-y-Tierra.
Permaneciendo como hilos de araña,
sólo tiene un indiciode existencia;
mas cuando bebe de ésta, resulta inagotable."
-  Translated into Spanish by Alfonso Colodrón from the
   English translation by John C. H. Wu, 1993, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo #  

 

 

 

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This 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 © 2018 CCA 4.0

 

 
 
 
Mysterious Female
 

 

Next Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #7

Previous Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #5

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching 

 

 

 

      

 

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 6

 

 

神        (Gu Shen, Valley Spirit)

 

Chapter 15   Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Circa 200 BCE

Reference to Valley, Gu, in Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching  

Open and broad as valleys
Vacant like a valley
Empty, like valleys
How empty! They resemble the valley
They were like valleys! Vast, oh
Receptive – As if an open valley
Willing and open like a deep valley
Accepting like a valley
Hollow like a cave
Hollow, like caves
Expansive as a vale
Wide and open-stretching, like a vale
Receptive! like a valley
Open-minded, like a valley
Open, like a valley
and Capacious, like a deep valley
Broad, as a valley
Open as a valley
Vacant were they, as a ravine
They were like a valley between high mountains
Open and broad as valleys
Receptive as a valley
Empty as a valley
Capacious, they were like a valley
Expansive? Like the space between hills
Yet, receptive as a hollow in the hills
Wide open, like a valley
They were empty as a valley
and Capacious, like a deep valley
How wide, like a valley
Vacant, like a valley
Vacant, like a valley
Empty, like a valley
They were lowly, like the valley
Regarding digging ditches: the steeper you slope their sides, the sooner they will wash down
Like a valley awaiting a guest, How receptive!
Receptive, like an inviting, open valley

Taken from the 38 English language translations included on this Chapter 15 hypertext notebook
on the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.  Compiled by Mike Garofalo, Gushen Grove, 2018.   

 

 

谷  Ku, Gu, Valley, Flood Plain, Canyon, Gorge, Ravine, Channel, Hollow

               Pictured as, Described as, Likened to, Imagined as, Pretended to be ...


A good area for a house, farms and a village.  The Chinese character reminds me of a house with two higher mountains in the background. 

Usually, a productive valley featuring an all year river and streams; flatter, wider, open, with good soil; and with mountains on one or two sides. 

Fertile foothills and flood plains bordered by mountains like the North Sacramento River Valley in California, or the Willamette River Valley in Oregon,
or the Columbia River Valley in Washington.

A cozy cabin at the edge of a beautiful meadow, small ponds, and creek in the foothills.  Something like the Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest, England, where Winnie the Pooh and friends lived.  Fantasy valleys are everywhere in art and fiction. 

By "hollow" we might mean, 1. Having a hole or empty space inside.  Synonyms: empty, void, unfilled, vacant.  Example: The broad and green valley that lie below was largely uninhabited.  2.  Without significance.  Synonyms: meaningless, empty,  valueless, worthless, useless, pyrrhic, nugatory, futile, fruitless, profitless, pointless.  Example: He had no intentions, he felt hollow inside. 

All the "Great Civilizations" from the history of the Four Corners of our Globe Earth, for the last 10,000 years, are the stories of human beings living in a valley by a river. 

Channels can be natural or man made.  An arroyo is a channel for flash floods in the desert.  We can hollow out a cave for a larger shelter, or dig through a mountain side to create a channel for water from a productive spring.  Something like the Panama Canal creates its own valley, a powerful Ku. 

A rugged area, sparsely populated, where a seasonally powerful river or glaciers over the millennium have cut a steep walled canyon out of the mountains, like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, Yosemite Valley in California, or the Snake River Gorge in Idaho.   

A valley offers an opening, a slit, a doorway, a crack, a corridor, a way in and out, an entrance and exit.  I was born in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles, California, and will die in the Columbia River Valley of Washington. 

A valley recreation or vacation retreat, in a small town, in a beautiful place, a welcoming place, a resort and refuge, a safe and peaceful valley place.  Packwood, Washington.  Bishop, California.  Tillamook, Oregon.  Borrego Springs, California.  Red Bluff, California.  Beautiful valleys from around the earth capture our enthusiasm, fascination, and imaginations.  Similar experiences are transformed in books or films into valley fantasy realms and valley kingdoms like Shangri La, Shambhala, Shaolin, a remote Alpine or Tibetan village, Sleepy Hollow.    

The desired valley is verdant land, fertile, receptive to agricultural cultivation, broad and open, empty and vacant, and we are willing and accepting of the work ahead needed to survive. 

The valley is the source of our food, our essential life-line, our basic way to earn our 'daily bread', our means of creating bodily energy.  The valley is in many ways acknowledged, studied, respected, revered, worshipped, sacred, divine.  

The valley is Female.  The valley is the Vulva, the Origin, the Womb, receptive and expansive, empty of self-concern and generous, the Creative Source of the birthing of the ten thousand things necessary for our continued existence. 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 
     

   

 

       

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Empty - Full     Empty-Filling/Emptying-Full     Empty/Filled

Open - Closed     On - Off     Future - Past    

Open Minded - Fixed Thinking (Ungrounded Beliefs, Routine Views) 

Vacant - Occupied     Vacant/Occupied

Potential - Existent     Future - Past   

Wide - Narrow

Hollow - Filled    Hole - Peg     Female - Male        

Expansive - Limited

Receptive - Hostile     Accepting - Rejecting

Light - Heavy

Flowing - Damned (Blocked) 

Open - Closed     Future - Past    

On - Off     Off - On

 

 


 

 


 

See also:    Chapter 6  Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Circa 200 BCE

See also:    The Concept of the Valley Spirit: Gu Shen

 

  

 

 

Commentary for Chapter 6 of the Dao De Jing


Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6 


Lao-tzu's Taoteching  Translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter), 1996.  Includes many brief selected commentaries for each Chapter draw from commentaries in the past 2,000 years. 


Practicing the Tao Te Ching: 81 Steps on the Way.  By Solala Towler.  Foreword by Chunglang Al Huang.  Sounds True, 2016.  320 pages.  ISBN: 9781622036035.  VSCL.  I own the Kindle edition.  Chapter Six: Meditation on the Fecund Mother, Goddess, Dark-Mysterious, Ever Giving Earth Mother, Visualize Her, Celebrate Her.  


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.


The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life.  By Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh.  New York, Simon and Schuster, 2016.  Resource list, no index, 12 pages.  ISBN: 9781476777849.  VSCL. 


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. 


Early Daoist Scriptures.  Translated by Stephen R. Bokenkamp.  Peter Nickerson, Contributor.  Berkeley, University of California Press, Revised Edition, 1999.  520 pages.  This compilation includes a translation of "The Xiang'er Commentary to the Laozi," pages 78-148, with a long introduction to the same, pages 29-78.  Scholars think this document was created in the late 5th century, CE.  It was discovered in Buddhist Grottos in 1920, but parts were missing. 


Lao-Tzu: My Words are Very Easy to Understand.  Lectures on the Tao Teh Ching by Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing (1902-1975).  Translated from the Chinese by Tam C. Gibbs, 1981.  Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books, 1981, 1991.  240 pages.  Includes the Chinese characters for each of the 81 Chapters.  A brief biography of Professor Cheng is included.  


The Teachings of Lao-Tzu: The Tao Te ChingTranslation, commentary, and notes by Paul Carus, 1913.  New York, St. Martin's Press, 2000.  D.T. Suzuki worked and studied with Paul Carus around 1905 in Illinois, and translated together their version the Tao Te Ching.   


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.  One of my favorites. 


The New Lao Tzu: A Contemporary Tao Te Ching.  Interpretation, comments, notes by Ray Grigg.  Tuttle, 1995.  187 pages.  


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. 


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


The Tao of the Tao Te Ching.  A Translation and Commentary by Michael LaFargue.  State University of New York Press, 1992.  Detailed glossary, extensive bibliography, 270 pages. This translation is based on the oldest version ( 168 BCE) of the Tao Te Ching found in King Ma's tomb - the famous Magwandali manscript.  81 Chapters arranged in a topical order by the author.


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. 


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.  Wang Bi (Wang Pi, Fusi), 226-249 CE, Commentary on the Tao Te Ching.


Tao Te Ching  Translated with commentary by D. C. Lau.  Addison Wesley, Reprint Edition, 2000.  192 pages. 

 

 

 

                                                            

 

 

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


The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life.  By Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh.  Simon and Schuster, 2017.  240 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 Tao of Being: A Think and Do Workbook  By Ray Grigg.  Green Dragon Pub., 1988. 204 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. 


Stoicism and Hellenistic Philosophy  


How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons 


The Ho-Shang Kung Commentary on Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching.  Author: Heshang Gong.  Translated into English by Dan G. Reid.  Center Ring Publishing, 2016.  326 pages. 


One Old Philosopher's Notebooks  Research, Reading, and Reflections by Mike Garofalo.


Virtues and a Good Life


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 41 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 the author Red Pine (Chi Song), 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.  Here is some interesting information with photographs about the life of Bill Porter (Red Pine, Chi Song). 


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
Green Way Research, 2010-2018. 
Indexed and Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License© 2018 CCA 4.0
 

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, USA (1998-2017)

Revised and updated by Mike Garofalo, Cloud Hands Home, City of Vancouver, State of Washington, Northwestern USA (2017-)


This webpage was last modified, edited or updated on February 4, 2018.
 
This webpage was first distributed online on November 7, 2010. 


 

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

Green Way Research

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

Pleasures, Satisfaction, Desires

Grandmaster Chang San Feng

Virtues and a Good Life

Epicureanism

Qigong (Chi Kung) Health Practices

One Daoist Neopagan'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

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                  

 

 

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