The 81 verses of the Dao De JIng (Translation by Feng)

The Dao De Jing (also called Tao Te Ching) was written in China roughly 2,500 years ago by a Chinese Philosopher called Lao Tzu (or Lao Zi)  Its 81 verses have been translated into English more times than any other Chinese document. The Dao De Jing provides the basis for the philosophical school of Daoism (Taoism), which is an important pillar of Chinese thought. Daoism teaches that there is one undivided truth at the root of all things. Dao De Jing literally translates as The Way (Dao/Tao) Power (De/Te) scripture or Book (Jing/Ching) It is almost impossible to render an ancient Chinese text properly in English without losing some part. Different translations of the Dao De Jing may appear as completely different texts. In order to understand the original text fully it is helpful to read various translations.

    If you're wondering why there are so many variations of the Dao De Jing, (and so many pronunciations of the name) the reason is fairly simple.  Back when there was little interaction between China and the Western world, it was rather difficult to get a completely accurate translation of Chinese. The best most translators could do was a phonetic translation.  But as International Affairs became more open a far more accurate translation became available.

To understand Daoism it is important to know a few specific terms:

Dao- loosely translated as 'the way', a closer translation would be road or path

Daoism- roughly this means 'learning to live in harmony with the natural laws of the world. This is not so much as a religion, but a philosophy for living well.  One of the Cornerstones of Chinese thought.

Yang- the strong, male, creative, giving force, which is associated with heaven. The heaven above us is always in motion and brings about change. Yang is associated with the following ideas and things: Day, Light, Fire, Heat, Summer, Spring, Even Numbers, South, East, Left, Up, Intellect  Activity, Mountain, Desert, Straight Line, Hard, Dissolving, Physical World, death, Tiger, Bladder, Intestines, Skin.

Yin- the quiet, female, intuitive, receiving force, which is associated with earth. The earth is the source of life, it provides us with what we need to survive. Yin is associated with the following ideas and things: Night, Dark, Rain, Water, Cold, Winter, Autumn, Odd Numbers, Moon, North, West, Right, Down, Intuition, Passive, Static, Contraction, Decreasing, Valley, River, Curve, Soft, Solidifying, Spiritual World, Dragon, Birth, Kidneys, Heart, Liver, Lungs.

In Chinese philosophy,  life is the action/reaction of complementary principles, Yin and Yang.

The T'ai-chi T'u or yin-yang diagram is indicative of this idea. The positioning of the dark Yin and light Yang suggests a never ending cycle. When Yin reached its height, it flows back in favor of Yang, then vice versa.  and this continues eternally. The dots inside each half symbolize  that within each is a little of the other. Yin cannot exist without Yang and vice versa.  The ideal state of things in the world of humans is a state of harmony represented by the balance of Yin and Yang in body and mind.

On to the Dao De Jing:
(this translation is by Feng- in case you're interested in finding a different translation).

For ease of finding certain verses, I've broken this down into pages with 10 verses on each.

If you have any questions or comments