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Lao Tzu for Everyone
Students, Scholars,
& Seekers
Peter Gilboy, Ph.D.

A Note

regarding the characters

used in this translation.

Lesson 44

3 More Questions

from Lao Tzu

  費fèi

 (貝 commodities + 弗 split left & right)

spend, cost, waste

Line 1
Line 2

Interlinear

 

Line 1

Your name or your body--

which is closest

to you?

名míng    與yǔ     身shēn   孰shǔ    親qīn  

name/fame   (conj.)    body/person    which   relatives/intimate

   Name (fame) and body,

which is intimate?

      The character 名míng means "name" and also "fame," as when we say someone "has made a name" for himself or herself.  Whether translated "name" or "fame," the idea is the same--that we have attached a label to ourselves and now we identify with it rather than with our being. 

     Our label may be "famous," "wealthy," "smart" or "scheming." But if we had to choose between our physical embodiment--that is, our being--and our label, we would choose the same one every time.

     Our being is more precious to us than anything else, and yet, because it is so close to us, we scarcely notice it.  Instead of identifying with our being, we identify with a mental image of ourselves, as if are the protagonist of the movie in our heads. But when we remember our being, return to it, the self-image drops away, and we instantly become present to our being. 

. . . . . .

Line 3

Line 2

Your body or your riches--

which one do you

prize the most?

​​​​ 身shēn   與yǔ     貨huò     孰shǔ  多duō

 body     (conj.)    wealth/assets     which      many

Body and wealth,

which is more?

      We are more focused on what we might gain for ourselves in our lives, than on our being; that is, until we are forced to choose.  

           

      . . . . . .

​​​​

Line 3

Getting or losing--

which do you think

is worse?

  得dé  與yǔ   亡wáng   孰shǔ   病bìng

 get    (conj.)    die/lose     which    sickness

Getting and losing,

which is sickest?

 

     If there are indeed laws to guide me in my 道 way, both as a species and as a unique person, then there is no need for me to join the "movers and shakers" of our world and push my way through my life.  I might simply listen for the Way, become attuned to it, and  acquiesce to its counsel. This is wu wei, or  "not doing"  anything of ourselves. Is it my will, then, or the Way's, that is being done? 

     

Line 4
Line 5

Line 4

Strong cravings

will surely cost you.

Stockpile many things

and you will surely

suffer a great loss.

      甚shén    愛ài      必bì   大dà  費fèi   

     great extent    love/fondness     surely    great    spend/waste 

 多duō  藏cáng  必bì    厚hòu    亡wáng  

 many    hide away    surely thick/generous  lose.   

Extreme love surely leads to great waste. 

Hide away a lot, and surely you will generously lose.

     “Strong cravings” and "stockpiling" refer to our seeking and accumulating what is unessential. These lead us away from remembering our personal being as the gift that it is. This is what "costs" and is a "great loss."

 

     Until we prize our gift as a gift, we will be unsatisfied, and seek prizes elsewhere. 

​​​​. . . . . .

     

Line 6

Line 5

Therefore, knowing what

is enough saves you

from humiliation.

And, knowing when

to stop saves

you from danger.

     故gù    知zhī     足zú    不bù    辱rǔ 

              therefore     know   foot/sufficient      not     shame/humiliate   

 知zhī  止zhǐ   不bù   殆dài

       know          stop           not        danger. 

Therefore, knowing enough,

no shame.

Knowing to stop,

no danger.

      We need only pause and consider how many of our personal dilemmas are the result of "going too far." 

​​​​. . . . . .

     

Line 6

This is how

you stay the course

to the end.

可kě  以yǐ   長cháng  久jiǔ

             (able)                long           long time.

 You will be able to

last a long time.

     Note how many of the above are not "doings," but are "not doings."  They refer to us not doing that which does not need to be done.  Wu wei. 

 

     The artist know what is enough, and therefore knows when stop.  The sage is an artist at life.  He or she knows that each occasion already provides within it what is needed by way of our our response. Anything else, or anything more, is our own "doing."  

​​​​. . . . . .

     

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