Chapter 7

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

By Lao Tzu (Laozi)


Tao, Dao

 

 

Chapter 7

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

Humility, Dimming Radiance, Sheathing the Light,  韜光    

 

 

"Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides.
What is the secret of their durability?
Is it not because they do not live for themselves
That they can live so long?
Therefore, the Sage wants to remain behind,
But finds himself at the head of others;
Reckons himself out,
But finds himself safe and secure.
Is it not because he is selfless
That his Self is realised?"
-  Translated by John C. H. Wu, Chapter 7   

 

 

 

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 is eternal, earth is lasting.
The reason why heaven and earth are eternal and lasting is because they do not live for themselves,
That is the reason they will ever endure. 
Therefore the wise man will keep his personality out of sight and because of so doing he will become notable.
He subordinates his personality and therefore it is preserved.
Is it not because he is disinterested, that his own interests are conserved?"
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 7  

 

 

 

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

 

                             

 

 

 

"Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long.
The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is
Because they do not live of, or for, themselves.
This is how they are able to continue and endure.
Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place;
He treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved.
Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realized?"
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 7   

 

 

 

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 is eternal, the Earth everlasting.
How come they to be so?
It is because they do not foster their own lives;
That is why they live so long.
Therefore the Sage
Puts himself in the background; but is always to the fore.
Remains outside; but is always there.
Is it not just because he does not strive for any personal end
That all his personal ends are fulfilled?"
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 7

 

 

 

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

 

                             

 
 
 
"Heaven and Earth can endure long.
If Heaven and Earth endure long,
It is because they do not live for self,
Therefore they can long endure.
That is why the self-controlled man puts himself last,
Yet he is found in the foremost place.
He regards his body as outside of himself,
Yet his body is preserved.
Is it not that his chief interest is in the Inner Life?
Therefore he can perfect his chief interest." - Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, 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 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

 

                    

 
 
 
"Nature continues long. 
What is the reason that Nature continues long? 
Because it produces nothing for itself it is able to constantly produce.
It is for this reason that the Holy Man puts himself in the background; yet he comes to the front. He is indifferent to himself; yet he is preserved.
Is it not because he has no interests of his own that he is able to secure his interests?" - Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 7
 
 
 

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 universe is everlasting.
The reason the universe is everlasting
Is that it does not life for Self.
Therefore it can long endure.
Therefore the Sage puts himself last,
And finds himself in the foremost place;
Regards his body as accidental,
And his body is thereby preserved.
Is it not because he does not live for Self
That his Self is realized?"
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 7  

 

 

 

 

Lao Tzu, Laozi

 

 

Next Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #8

Previous Chapter of the Tao Te Ching #6

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching 

 

 
 
 

 

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 7

 

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 7   Provides side by side comparisons of translations of the Tao Te Ching by James Legge, D. T. Suzuki, and Dwight Goddard.  Chinese characters for each paragraph in the Chapter are on the left; place your cursor over the Chinese characters to see the Pinyin romanization of the Chinese character and a list of meanings. 


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


Tao Te Ching Commentaries - Google Search 


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


Chapter 7 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.  Offline on 5/12/2013. 


Tao Te Ching English Translations from Terebess Asia Online.  Over 30 translations. 


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 7, 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. 


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


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. 

 

 

                                       

 

 

 

 


 

 

Laozi, Dao De Jing

 

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching

Research by
Michael P. Garofalo

 

Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Grove, Gushen Grove Notebooks, Red Bluff, California

This webpage was last modified or updated on May 12, 2013.
This webpage was first distributed online on February 7, 2011.
 

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Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

 

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching 

Introduction

Bibliography  

Thematic Index 1-81  

Chapter Index 1-81   

 

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

 

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