Prim ar y S our ce Doc um ent

wit h Qu est io ns ( D BQs)

SELECTIONS FROM THE LAOZI (DAODEJING)

Int rod uct io n

The Daodejing (The Classic of the Way and Its Power) is a compilation reflecting a particular strain of thought from
around 300 BCE. It is traditionally attributed to a mysterious character known as Laozi (the old master). There is no
evidence that such a person existed at all. The book attributed to him, the Daodejing is, however, tremendously
popular. It exists in several different versions and became one of the bases of both the philosophy of Daoism and the
related but distinct Daoist religion. Like the Confucian Analects, the Mencius, the Han Feizi, and others, the Daodejing
is the product of that period in Chinese history when the kings of the Zhou dynasty had lost all real authority and
their kingdom had disintegrated into a coterie of feudal states that squabbled and fought with one another in ever-
shifting arrangements of alliances and enmities.

Docu ment E xc erpt s w it h Questio ns (Longer selection follows this section)

From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia
University Press, 1999), 79-94. 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights
reserved.

SelectionsfromtheLaozi(Daodejing)

TheWaythatcanbespokenofisnottheconstantWay;
Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheconstantname.
ThenamelessisthebeginningofHeavenandEarth;
Thenamedisthemotherofallthings.
Thusbeconstantlywithoutdesire,
soastoobserveitssubtlety.
Andconstantlyhavedesire,
soastoobserveitsoutcome.
Thesetwohavethesameorigin,
Butarenameddifferently.
Bothmaybecalledmysterious.
Mysteriousandstillmoremysterious,
Thegatewayofallsubtleties!

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TheWaygivesbirthtotheOne;
TheOnegivesbirthtotwo;
Twogivebirthtothree;
Andthreegivebirthtoallthings.
Allbeingssupporttheyinandembracetheyang;
Andthroughtheblendingofqi 1theycreateharmony.
Whatpeoplehateistobeorphaned,lonely,unfortunate,
Yetkingsandlordscallthemselvesbythesenames.
Thereforethingsmaygainbylosing,andlosebygaining.
Whatothersteach,Ialsoteach:
Theviolentdonotattainanaturaldeath.
ThisItakeasthefatherofmyteaching.

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Whatissoftestintheworld
Overcomeswhatishardestintheworld.
Nothingpenetrateswherethereisnospace.
ThusIknowthatindoingnothingthereisadvantage.
Thewordlessteachingandtheadvantageofdoingnothing
therearefewintheworldwhounderstandthem.

Quest io ns:

1. What does Laozi mean by the term The Way?

2. How would Laozi recommend that we deal with problems and challenges?
3. How is Laozis philosophy different from that of your own?
4. How is Laozis philosophy different than that of Confucius? Of Han Fei and
Lord Shang?

1QiisafundamentalconceptinChinesethought.Itssensedependsonthecontext,butamongthemost
frequentlyencounteredtranslationsarevitalenergy,vitalforce,materialforce,andbreath.

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Lo nger S electio n
From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia
University Press, 1999), 79-94. 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rights
reserved.

SelectionsfromtheLaozi(Daodejing)

TheWaythatcanbespokenofisnottheconstantWay;
Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheconstantname.
ThenamelessisthebeginningofHeavenandEarth;
Thenamedisthemotherofallthings.
Thusbeconstantlywithoutdesire,
soastoobserveitssubtlety.
Andconstantlyhavedesire,
soastoobserveitsoutcome.
Thesetwohavethesameorigin,
Butarenameddifferently.
Bothmaybecalledmysterious.
Mysteriousandstillmoremysterious,
Thegatewayofallsubtleties!

Wheneveryoneintheworldknowsbeautyasbeauty,
uglinessappears.
Wheneveryoneknowsgoodasgood,
notgoodarrives.
Thereforebeingandnonbeinggivebirthtooneanother;
Difficultandeasygivecompletiontooneanother;
Longandshortform2oneanother;
Highandlowfill3oneanother;
Soundandvoiceharmonizewithoneanother;
Aheadandbehindfollowafteroneanother.
Thereforethesageaccomplishesthingsbydoingnothing(wuwei),
Furtheringateachingthatiswithoutwords.
Allthingsarise,andhedoesnotleavethem.
Hegivesthemlifebutwithoutpossessingthem.

2ReadingxingwiththeMawangduitextsratherthanqiaowiththetextofthethirdcenturycommentator,
WangBi.
3ReadingyingwiththeMawangduitextsratherthanqingwiththeWangBitext.

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Heactsbutwithoutrelyingonhisownability.
Hesucceedsbutwithoutdwellingonhissuccess.
Andbecausehedoesnotdwellonit,itdoesnotleavehim.

Donotexalttheworthy,
andthepeoplewillnotcompete.
Donotvaluegoodsthatarehardtocomeby,
andthepeoplewillnotsteal.
Donotdisplayobjectsofdesire,
andthepeoplesmindswillnotbedisturbed.
Thereforetheorderingofthesage
emptiestheirminds,
fillstheirbellies,
weakenstheirambitions,
strengthenstheirbones.
Healwayscausesthepeopletobewithoutknowledge,
withoutdesire,
Andcausesthewiseonesnottodaretoact.
Hedoesnothing(wuwei),andthereisnothingthatis
notbroughttoorder.

TheWayisempty.
Itmaybeusedwithouteverbeingexhausted.
Fathomless,itseemstobetheancestorofallthings.
Bluntingthesharpness,
Untyingthetangles,
Subduingthelight.
Mergingwiththedust.
Profound,itappearstoexistforever.
WhosechilditisIdonotknow.
ItseemstohaveexistedbeforetheLord.

HeavenandEartharenothumane,
Regardingallthingsasstrawdogs.4

4StrawdogswereusedforsacrificesinancientChina.Aftertheyhadbeenused,theywerethrownaway
andtherewasnosentimentalattachmenttothem.

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Thesageisnothumane,
Regardingthepeopleasstrawdogs.
BetweenHeavenandEarthhowlikeabellows!
Vacuousbutinexhaustible,
Movingandproducingevermore.
Anexcessofwordsendsinimpoverishment.
Itisbettertoholdtothecenter.

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TheWaygivesbirthtotheOne;
TheOnegivesbirthtotwo;
Twogivebirthtothree;
Andthreegivebirthtoallthings.
Allbeingssupporttheyinandembracetheyang;
Andthroughtheblendingofqi 5theycreateharmony.
Whatpeoplehateistobeorphaned,lonely,unfortunate,
Yetkingsandlordscallthemselvesbythesenames.
Thereforethingsmaygainbylosing,andlosebygaining.
Whatothersteach,Ialsoteach:
Theviolentdonotattainanaturaldeath.
ThisItakeasthefatherofmyteaching.

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Whatissoftestintheworld
Overcomeswhatishardestintheworld.
Nothingpenetrateswherethereisnospace.
ThusIknowthatindoingnothingthereisadvantage.
Thewordlessteachingandtheadvantageofdoingnothing
therearefewintheworldwhounderstandthem.

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Withoutpassingthroughthedooronemayknow
allunderHeaven;
Withoutlookingoutthewindowonemayobserve
theWayofHeaven.
Thefurtheronegoes,thelessoneknows.

5 Seefootnote1,above.

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Thisiswhythesageknowswithoutmoving,
understandswithoutseeing,
succeedswithoutdoing.

48

Devotiontolearningmeansincreasingdaybyday;
DevotiontotheWaymeansdecreasingdaybyday.

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