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道 Tâo
Chapter 10

Circulate spirit (nourish the soul, breath, Carry the legions)
Embrace the one
Energy not leaving now!

Concentrate spirit (breath)
Achieve yielding (tender, gentle)
Energy infant child now! (soft, tender, yielding, open, without ideas or illusions)

Wash away, remove (obstructions and obstacles, illusory visions)
See the profound
Energy without flaw now!

Love the country (land)
govern the people
Energy without doing now!

The gates of heaven
Open, Close
Energy acts female now! (open, receive, be receptive, do not push or try to lead)

Pure understanding
Reaching everywhere
Energy without knowledge now!

It gives birth
It raises up

Gives birth
But does not possess
Does all
But does not boast
Stands over
But does not dominate

This is called:
Profound Virtue (Deep Ethics)

十 章

載 營 魄 抱 一 ,
能 無 離 ？
專 氣 致 柔 ,
能 嬰 兒 ？
滌 除 玄 覽 ,
能 無 疵 ？
愛 人 治 國 ,
能 無 為 ？
天 門 開 闔 ,
能 為 雌 ？
明 白 四 達 ,
能 無 知 ？
生 之 畜 之 ,
生 而 不 有 ,
為 而 不 恃 ,
長 而 不 宰 ,
是 謂 玄德 。

Key Terms

Observations and Comments

Legge Translation Notes

###, 'Possibilities.' This chapter is one of the most difficult to understand and translate in the whole work. Even Kû Hsî was not able to explain the first member satisfactorily. The text of that member seems well supported; but I am persuaded the first clause of it is somehow corrupt.

The whole seems to tell what can be accomplished by one who is possessed of the Tâo. In par. 3 he appears free from all self-consciousness in what he does, and of all self-satisfaction in the results of his doing. The other two paragraphs seem to speak of what he can do under the guidance of the Tâo for himself and for others. He can by his management of his vital breath bring his body to the state of Tâoistic perfection, and keep his intelligent and animal souls from being separated, and he can rule men without purpose and effort. 'The gates of heaven' in par. 2 is a Tâoistic phrase for the nostrils as the organ of the breath;-see the commentary of Ho-shang Kung.