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Tao Te Ching
LAO-TSZE
THE GREAT THINKER
WITH A TRANSLATION OF HIS
THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE AND
MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD
Major-General G. G. ALEXANDER, C.B.
AUTHOR OF "CONFUCIUS, THE GREAT TEACHER"
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & Co., Ltd.
PREFACE.
WWv
The favourable reception given to my work on Con-
fucius has encouraged me to place before the public,
in a form which I have thought best adapted to enlist
its sympathies, another Chinese classical subject — the
life and teaching of the most distinguished of Con-
fucius's contemporaries, Lao-tsze, the Great Thinker.
The great difference between the two men, however,
has necessitated, in the present instance, a somewhat
modified treatment, inasmuch that whilst the person-
ality of Confucius looms out of the past, a compara-
tively clear and well-defined shape, that of Lio-tsze
comes down to us so shadowy and indistinct that,
apart from a few recorded incidents belonging to his
life, our knowledge of him has to be gained from the
thoughts to which he gave utterance in his one great
work, the Tao-tih-King.
It is for this reason that I have made a translation
vi PREFACE.
of this work, the portion of my task, to which I have
devoted the greatest amount of labour, and to which
I have made all else subservient. It may be asked
why it should be necessary for me to undertake that
which has been already accomplished by some of our
most eminent Chinese scholars. My answer is, that
though the scholastic rendering of such a book may
be of the greatest possible value to the student, the
philologist, or the man of letters, it is not unfrequently
made uninviting, indeed repellent, to the general
reader, by a strained literal accuracy which overrides
and destroys the interest of the subject. My great
endeavour, therefore, has been to steer a middle
course between a close verbal line by line translation,
and one that in point of breadth falls little short of
paraphrase, bearing ever in mind the principles set
forth by Dr Legge — our greatest Chinese scholar —
who, in the preface to his translation of the Yih-King,
which forms the sixteenth volume of the Sacred
Books of the East, says : — " The written characters
of the Chinese are not representations of words but
symbols of ideas, and the combination of them in
composition is not a representation of what the
writer would say, but of what he thinks. It is vain.
PREFACE. vii
therefore, for a translator to attempt a literal version.
When the symbolic characters have brought his mind
en rapport with that of his author, he is free to render
his ideas in his own, or any other speech, in the best
manner he can attain to. . . . In the study of a
Chinese classical book there is not so much an inter-
pretation of the character employed by the writer as
a participation of his thoughts; there is the seeing
mind to mind."
But in this view Dr Legge does not stand alone;
von Plaenkner, in his German translation of the Tao-
tih-King, sets it forth still more forcibly, and though,
when putting it into practice, he may have exceeded
safe limits, I think there can be but small doubt as to
the general soundness of his conclusions.
The mode in which a translation should be carried
out is also clearly laid down by Dr Jowett in his
preface to the second and third editions of the
Dialogues of Plato. He says : — " An English trans-
lation ought to be idiomatic and interesting, not only
to the scholar but to the unlearned reader. Its object
should not simply be to render the words of one
language into the words of another, or to preserve
the construction and order of the original ; this is the
viii PREFACE.
ambition of a schoolboy, who wishes to show that he
hasmade a good use of his dictionary and grammar;
but is quite unworthy of the translator who seeks to
produce on his reader an impression similar, or nearly
similar, to that produced by the original. To him
the feeling should be more important than the exact
word" — the italics are mine. " He should remember
Dryden's quaint admonition not to lacquey by the
side of his author, but to mount up behind him. He
must carry in his mind a comprehensive view of the
whole work, of what has preceded, and of what has
to follow, as well as of the meaning of particular pas-
sages. His version should be based, in the first in-
stance, on an intimate knowledge of the text ; but the
precise order and arrangement of the words may be
left to fade out of sight, when the translation begins
to take shape. He must form a general idea of the
two languages, and reduce the one to the terms of
the other," . . . and more to the same effect.
Strengthened by the opinion of these eminent
authorities, I have endeavoured to carry out my work
on thoroughly independent lines. My chief aim, and
greatest difficulty, has been to find out not so much
the exact meaning of the old Philosopher's words as
PREFACE. ix
the precise object he had in his mind when using
them. I cannot pretend to have succeeded in doing
this in all cases, but in no instance have I ventured
to give a different reading of the text from that
adopted by my predecessors, without having first
convinced myself that such a change was absolutely
needed, in order to give clearness and comprehensive-
ness to the ideas which L^o-tsze was endeavouring
to put before the world, and explain with such an
earnest vehemence. The difficulties which have to
be encountered are indeed very great. In addition
to those inherent in the language, are those which
proceed from L^o-tsze having, apparently, written
down his thoughts without any systematic plan of
arrangement ; from the extreme curtness of his style ;
from his love of thesis and antithesis; his startling
paradoxes ; quaint illustrations ; and now and again
incoherences and contradictions.
It may be objected to the phraseology I have
adopted that it does not fairly represent the abrupt
and rugged style of the original. But I do not
consider that this objection can override the fact,
that according to the laws of translation already
quoted, the more closely the translator approaches
X PREFACE.
to the Chinese text in these particulars, the farther
he will be from giving a clear and accurate idea
of the spirit and intention, to which the strangely
formed sentences of the old Philosopher are but a
mere framework. Even in modern languages a
strictly verbal and literal translation not only fails
to convey a just impression of an author's style,
but, frequently, utterly obscures and confuses his
meaning. And this becomes accentuated when, as
with a language like the Chinese, two or three
characters serve to express, or give rise to, such a
number of ideas, that they can only be adequately
represented by the employment of one or more
lengthy English sentences.
But my chief reason for thinking that a new
translation of the Tao-tih-King was needed, pro-
ceeded from my conviction that all previous render-
ings of the word " Tao " were faulty and open to
most serious objection ; for it is hardly possible to
avoid the conclusion that Lio-tzse's great object
was to re-establish a belief in the great traditionary
First Cause, known and worshipped in primitive
times under the name of Tio ; a belief which had
gradually become weakened and obscured, until an
PREFACE. xi
inferior conception of the Deity had been substituted
for it.
I am aware that in having rendered the character,
the phonetic form of which is " Tio," by the word
" God ; " instead of leaving it untranslated, as has
been done by many previous translators, I have
laid myself open to very severe criticism. But it
was only after much deep and anxious consideration
that I did so. I found that the various substitutes
which had been suggested, or, in one or two instances,
used, only imperfectly expressed the sense of a
character, which apart from the signification attached
to it by Lio-tsze, may be said to have — when taking
into account its employment in combination — a
greater variety of meanings than that of almost any
other character in the Chinese language. Moreover,
I was deeply impressed with the insufficiency of the
various methods by which the several translators
sought to evade or overcome this, their chief diffi-
culty, by refusing to employ the single word, which,
according to my view, forms the keynote, not only
to a portion, but to the whole of L^o-tzse's thoughts.
I fancied I could detect a certain timidity in dealing
with this matter, for even those who considered they
xii PREFACE.
had found in the pages of the Tao-tih-King, the
recognition of a triune God, shrank from employing
the one term which would have best enabled them
to enforce their views. This is especially the case
with von Strauss, who, in his able and exhaustive
work on the Tio-tih-King, after having entered fully
into the reasons why the only legitimate rendering of
the character " Tao " must be " God," still follows
the example of many others and leaves it untrans-
lated. But what he says is so clearly put and so
much to the point that I cannot do better than
reproduce it in his own words. In par. lo, p. xxxiv.
of the introduction to his translation of the T^o-tih-
King, he writes thus :— " T^o existed as a perfect but
incomprehensible Being, before Heaven and earth
were (chap. 25) — immaterial and immeasurable
(chap. 4), — Invisible and inaudible, mysterious yet
manifest, without shape or form (chap. 14), — super-
sensuous and hidden from our eyes (chaps. 25, 41), —
The eternal foundation of all things (chap, i), and the
universal progenitor of all beings (chap. 4). — Incap-
able of being named or defined (chaps, i, 32), only
capable of being named when revealed by His works
(chaps. I, 32). — In this dual capacity the source from
PREFACE. xiii
which all that is spiritual proceeds (chaps, i, 6), — for
through Him all things have come into existence
(chap. 2i), — and in like manner all things return
again to Him (chap. i6) ; — and it is through Him
that this takes place (chap. 40). — Although He is
eternal and absolutely free, has no wants or desires
(chap. 34), — whilst eternally at rest, is never idle
(chap. 37), — Does not grow old (chaps. 30, 55), — Is
omnipresent, immutable, and self-determined (chap.
35), — Creates, preserves, perfects, nourishes, and pro-
tects, all things ; hence is glorified for His beneficence,
and held in high honour (chap. 51), — for He loves all
things and does not act as a mere ruler (chap. 34)
— even as though He were powerless (chap. 14). —
The spirituality of His nature not to be doubted
(chap. 21), — though He only reveals Himself to those
who are free from all desires (chap. i). — He who
regulates his actions by Him will become one with
Him (chap. 23), — Therefore He is the foundation of
the highest morality (chap. 38). — He it is who bestows,
and makes perfect (chap. 41),— and gives peace (chap.
46), — Is the universal refuge, the good man's treasure,
the bad man's deliverer, and the pardoner of guilt
(chap. 62).
xiv PREFACE.
" We believe that any impartial person who might
be asked, what word in our language would best
apply to the Being of whom all this can be said,
would be compelled to answer, ' by the word God,
and by none other ! ' And how can anyone with
a knowledge of the foregoing evidence have the
slightest doubt of L^o-tsze having possessed, in a
remarkable degree, a great and deep consciousness
of God of so sublime and precise a nature, that it
almost realises the idea of God belonging to Revela-
tion, though it is needless to remark that the latter
greatly surpasses it in the profundity and fulness of
its manifestations. But in all the centuries preceding
the Christian era, no similar revelation was made
beyond the one made to Israel."*
* " Tao war, als unbegreiflich vollkommenes Wesen, vor Entstehung
Himmels und der Erde (Kap. 25). Korperlos und unermesslich (Kap.
4), unsichtbar und unhorbar, geheimnissvoll und kundlich, gestaltlos
und bildlos (Kap. 14), iibersinnlich und verborgen (Kap. 25, 41), ist er
der ewige Urgrund von allem (Kap. i) und aller Wesen Urvater (Kap.
4) ; als solcher aber unaussprechlich und unnennbar (Kap. I, 32), nenn-
bar nur als durch die Schopfung Offenbarter (Kap. I, 32) und in dieser,
Duplicitat alles Geistigen Ausgang (Kap. i, 6). Denn durch Ihn ist
AUes entsprungen (Kap. 21), Alles kehrfauch wieder zu Ihm zuriick
(Kap. 16), und es zu sich wieder zurlickzubringen, ist sein Thun (Kap.
40) ; denn obwol ewig ohne Verlangen oder Bedilrfniss (Kap. 34), und
daher ewig ohne Thun, is ter doch nie unthatig (Kap. 37), da er, nie
alternd (Kap. 30, 35), allgegenwartig, selbst unwandelbar und nur sich
PREFACE. XV
But von Strauss does not stand alone. In the
introduction to a translation of the TSo-tih-King by
the Rev. John Chalmers, A.M., the author, after
having passed in review the several English words
which might be substituted for the Chinese character
Tao, gives as his reason for leaving it untranslated,
his belief that no one of them can be considered an
exact equivalent ; and then he proceeds to say : " I
would translate it by ' the Word ' in the sense of ' the
selbst bestimmend (Kap. 25), alle Wesen erschafft, erhalt, gestaltet,
vollendet, nahret und schirmet, die deshalb alle Ihn ehren und seine
Wohlthat preisen (Kap. 51), weil er siealle liebt und keines Herrscher
ist (Kap. 34), gleich als ware er machtlos (Kap. 40). In ihm ist Geist,
und sein Geist ist das Zuverlassigste (Kap. 21), aber nur der Begier-
delose erschauet ihn (Kap. i). War sein Thun nach Tao bestimmt,
der wird eins mit Ihm (Kap. 23) ; Tdo ist daher auch der Grund
hochster Sittlichkeit (Kap. 38). Er ist der grosse Geber, VoIIender
(Kap. 41) und Friedebringer (Kap. 46) ; aller Wesen Zuflucht, der
Guten Schatz, der Niclitguten Retter, und der da Schuld vergiebt
(Kap. 62).
" Wir meinen, jeder Unbefangene, den man fragte, wie man in unserer
Sprache das Wesen bezeichne, vom dem diess Alles ausgesagt werden
konne, musste antworten : Gott, und nur Gott ! Und wer die vorstehen-
den Aussagen zusammen fasst, dem kann gar kein Zweifel bleiben, dass
Lao-tsze ein uberraschend grosses und tiefes Gottbewusstseyn, einen
erhabenen und sehr bestimmten Gottesbegriff gehabt habe, der sich
fast durchgangig mit dem Gottesbegriff der Offenbarung deckt, sofern
dieser nicht ilber ihn hinaus tiefer und reicher entwickelt ist was dem
allerdings keiner Nachweisung bedarf. Aber ausserhalb Israels wird
aus alien vorchristlichen Jahrhunderten nichts Aehnliches nachzuweisen
seyn."
xvi PREFACE.
Logos,' but this would be like settling the question
which I wish to leave open, viz. :— what amount of
resemblance there is between the Logos of the New
Testament and this Tio, which is- its nearest repre-
sentative in Chinese ? In our version of the New
Testament in Chinese we have in the first chapter
of St John — ' In the beginning was Tio,' &c."
It surely must be conceded, that this evasion of a
great difficulty, by either retaining the untranslated
Chinese word Tao in the English text, or by so
rendering it as to destroy and confuse the harmony
of the arguments put forward by L^o-tsze, can have
no other effect than to make it almost impossible
to understand, or to form a just appreciation of, a
book which has been characterised by a distinguished
oriental scholar,* as : — " One of the most eminent
masterpieces of the Chinese language, one of the
profoundest philosophical books the world has ever
produced, and one the authenticity of which has
been least contested in his fatherland, and even in
the circle of European Sinologues."
Fortified by such opinions as those I have placed
* G. V. der Gabelenz, Professor of Eastern Asiatic Languages at the
University of Leipsic. In the China Review, vol. xvii. No. 4.
PREFACE. xvii
before the reader, my chief endeavour has been, to
restore to the writings of the old philosopher, what
I conceive to be their real philosophical and meta-
physical value ; at the same time, it has to be re-
membered, that the belief in a great traditional First
Cause, which he was endeavouring to re-establish, was
founded on a purely abstract idea of an overruling
deity, and we must refrain as much as possible from
seeking to bring it into harmony with the idea of God
which belongs to our own beliefs.
Although the Tao-tih-King necessarily forms the
central point in connection with Lao-tsze and his
opinions, I have thought it desirable — indeed indis-
pensable — to enter at some length, in the preliminary
chapters, on all those antecedent causes, which were
the chief factors in producing the religious and
philosophical views entertained by the great Chinese
idealist. Without some such introductory matter,
neither the man nor his thoughts could be rightly
understood, and my chief object throughout has been
to popularise, as far as possible, the thoughts of a
great thinker in a far distant age.
It will be seen that the writings of Lao-tsze's fol-
lowers, and the subsequent development which his
xviii PREFACE.
doctrines — so terribly to their detriment — received at
their hands, have not formed part of the plan to the
execution of which I have confined myself. Had I
done so, I should have been unable to place the
venerable philosopher before the reader, in the light
of his own pure thoughts, for they would have been
obscured and blurred by the misconstruction put
upon them by his ignorant and superstitious ad-
herents. I have, for the same reason, accepted as
seldom as possible the readings of his numerous
Chinese commentators ; for, whether they came from
members of the Taoist school, or from the disciples
of Confucius, I have invariably found that Lio-
tsze's views were dealt with from the standpoint of
their own sectarian proclivities, and brought down, as
far as possible, to the level of their own shallow
capacities.
The division of the Tio-tih-King into chapters, was
not the work of Lao-tsze. It was a subsequent ar-
rangement, often carried out in such a manner as to
disturb the sequence and completeness of the writer's
arguments and method of demonstration. I have,
however, with a view to facility of reference, followed
the usual course, and retained them, though I have
PREFACE. xix
discarded the titles attached to the several chapters,
for ±hey also did not belong to the original work, and
are often very misleading.
Whilst making myself acquainted with the various
translations of the Tao-tih-King, I have confined my-
self, for the purposes of comparison — as will be seen
in the Appendix — to those of Dr Legge, Victor von
Strauss, and Stanislas Julien, and in most cases when
I have found myself in non-agreement with those
eminent authorities, and unable to modify my views,
I have given my reasons for adhering to them.
Of course it would have been preferable to have
made use of Chinese characters in the Appendix in-
stead of their phonetic equivalents, but the great
expense attending such an arrangement made me
reluctant to adopt it.
CONTENTS.
PART I.
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS.
The world's great thinkers— ^The cradle of the Chinese Nation-
Causes of its development and progress — Theories respect-
ing its Babylonian origin — Reasons for rejecting them —
The Mongolian eye — The Chinese language — Primitive
beliefs and religious rites — Condition of the Empire im-
mediately preceding the advent of Lao-tsze, . . 3
PART II.
LAO-TSZE and his PERIOD.
Birth and parentage — Lo-yang and its neighbourhood — Educa-
tion — Nature of his official employment — Knowledge of
adjacent countries and intercourse with them — Interview
with Confucius — His views of God based on a very ancient
tradition — Difference between his doctrines and those of
Confucius — Discrepancies in the accounts of his last days
and death — Social conditions of the period — Some of his
views in harmony with modem ideas, . . -35
PART III.
THE TAO-TIH-KING.
Which title I have translated by: "Thoughts on the Nature
and Manifestation of God." The Notes to the several
Chapters have been transferred to the Appendix, . . 55
PART I.
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS.
It is probable that no one age of which we have
any knowledge could be characterised as utterly-
deficient in Great Thinkers, for the term is, after
all, only a relative one ; and it may be assumed that
the further we go back — provided a certain stage
of civilisation has been reached — the more pro-
minently they would stand out from their fellows.
The number, too, of such men must at first have
been extremely small, and it is doubtless to this
cause, as much as to their intellectual superiority,
that they were able to produce such a profound
impression upon their contemporaries, and not un-
frequently such a widespread and long continued
influence upon succeeding generations.
It must not be forgotten, however, that the
largest proportion of those great thoughts which
were the chief factors in moulding man's destinies
have remained unrecorded, so that it is only now
and again that the individual intelligence of the
Present can be directly brought into close and
4 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
sympathetic contact with the thoughts and feel-
ings possessed by some one person in the distant
Past.
Possibly, if a History of Human Thought were
to be written, we should be compelled to acknow-
ledge that the mental activity of mankind is
somewhat fitful in its action, and that, at times, it
seems to ebb and flow like the waters of the ocean,
now gathering its forces together in monstrous and
irresistible waves, and then, as if exhausted by
its fierce energy, showing an unruffled surface for
such a long period, as to make it difficult to be-
lieve that those forces were still there, and would,
before long, be again in violent and antagonistic
motion.
Just as the waters of the ocean would become
putrid but for the revivifying power of its currents
and its storms, so would mankind have remained
a mere inert, unprogressive mass, so low down in
the social scale that there would be little to dis-
tinguish them from the lower animals, had it not
been for the agitation produced by the influence
of its exceptional thinkers. It was through the
struggle of these to set themselves free from the
shackles of degrading prejudices and behefs that
their fellows became emancipated from a state of
bondage, against which they had otherwise, so
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. s
Strong is the force of habit, made no protest ;
and yet, how strange it is ! — often when in the
very act of striking off our old fetters we are
unwittingly forging new ones, which in due time
will have to be dealt with by a fresh set of
thoughts, which in the end will probably be pro-
ductive of similar results.
In the sixth, fifth, and fourth centuries preceding
our era, the nations of the Eastern world were
singularly rich in Great Thinkers, and amongst
them was one who has a greater claim upon our
notice than he has hitherto received — I speak of
the writer upon " The Nature and Attributes of
God " — Lao-tsze the Chinese.
The subject is a very difficult one. It would
be vain to deny that, as a rule, the public are
not easily induced to take an active or sym-
pathetic interest in anything which may belong
to the history or the social conditions of the strange
and comparatively isolated people who have occu-
pied, for so many thousand years, such a large
portion" of the far East. Yet it would be useless
for me to try and convey an accurate idea of
the man, or of the thoughts to which he gave
expression, unless I could at the same time enable
the reader to possess a sufficient comprehension
of the antecedent causes and conditions which
6 lAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
placed the peculiar stamp characteristic of the
Chinese race upon the Thinker, and led him to
adopt and promulgate ideas which he professed to
have derived from the beliefs prevalent in primeval
times, before, as he thought, man's original perfection
had been vitiated by a prolonged contact with the
world. Confucius had equally drawn his inspira-
tions from the Past, but, according to Lio-tsze,
he had not gone back far enough, and hence the
narrowness and insufficiency of his views ; this
not said in so many words, but expressed more
or less indirectly in almost every page of his
writings, as will be seen by-and-bye.
I have commenced by speaking of L&o-tsze as
" The Chinese," and this brings us at once face
to face with a series of questions, the answering
of which has caused a considerable amount of
controversy and vexation of spirit : — What is the
origin of the Chinese as a people ? Whence did
they obtain their social and political organisation ?
From what sources, extraneous to themselves, ' did
they gain a knowledge of the sciences, and the
foundations upon which they constructed their
written character ? Wherefore is it that in their
early civilisation so much is to be found which
would seem to have a Babylonian origin ?— with
many others of a similar nature ; all somewhat
ORIGINS AN'D ANTECEDENTS. 7
perplexing, and none as yet capable of such a
solution as would render all further investigation
superfluous.
Such being the case, I shall not attempt to answer
these questions categorically, or to analyse the argu-
ments by which the various theories respecting them
are sought to be established, but confine myself, as
far as possible, to placing before the reader such
conclusions as I have been led to arrive at, after the
most careful consideration of all the circumstances
connected with the first establishment of the Chinese
in the basin of the Yellow River, and the causes
which most probably enabled them to obtain such a
marked superiority, both morally and physically,
over their neighbours.
If the reader will refer to a map of that portion
of the Chinese Empire known as China Proper, he
will see that it is enclosed between the sea on its
east and south, and vast ranges of mountains on its
west and north. From these main ranges other
minor ones project in various directions, and from
these again innumerable spurs are thrown out, of
greater or lesser altitude, which spread over a vast
portion of the interior, so that China, instead of
being one great plain, as it is popularly supposed to
be, is in point of fact a very mountainous country,
only accessible to the outer world by means of a few
8 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
difficult mountain passes and desert routes, or by the
sea.
Intersected by many rivers, two of them, having
their sources not far from each other in the moun-
tains of Thibet, flow throughout the land in widely
deviating courses. The northernmost of these two
rivers is the Yellow River, or Hwang-ho ; the
southernmost is the Yang-tsze Kiang. The former
has a length of 2600 miles, the latter of 3300, but
notwithstanding this difference, the area of their
basins is nearly equal, that of the Yellow River being
S40,CXX) square miles, which is only 8000 less than
that of the Yang-tsze Kiang. Until some forty
years ago both rivers discharged themselves, within
a short distance of each other, into the Yellow
Sea, which received its name from the discoloration
occasioned by their waters ; but then the Yellow
River, for the ninth recorded time, once more
changed its direction, and returning to an ancient
channel, forced its way through the alluvial plains
it had done so much to form, until it reached the
long deserted shore of the Gulf of Peche-li.
It is to this river, often spoken of as " China's
sorrow," that, for reasons which will presently appear,
I particularly wish to direct the reader's attention,
for it is in its basin — which may be regarded as the
cradle of the Chinese as a nation — that history first
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS.
brings them under our notice ; but the earliest annals
give us no information whatever with respect to
their origin, nor of the circumstances which led
to their settlement in those regions. If, however,
the very widely accepted view be true, that the
earliest immigrants came from the north-west, and
the physical conditions of the country through which
they had to pass were much the same as they are
now — and of this we have no positive knowledge —
'"N
THE CRADLE OF THE
CHINE S£ EMPIRE
it is tolerably certain they must have advanced by
a route which would have led them to strike the
Yellow River somewhere in that portion of its course
where its current trends to the north. In search,
probably, of a milder clime and a more fruitful soil
than that of the home they had deserted, they would
naturally continue to move on in the direction of the
10 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
south, when, after having effected their passage of
the river, impassable mountains would bar their
farther progress in that direction, and compel them
to turn to the east. Moving slowly on, and occupy-
ing the country as they went, this course would
eventually bring them once more to the banks of
the Yellow River, at that point where its stream turns
for the last time its direction towards the east and
becomes the great fertiliser of the plains. Here the
wanderers, finding all their hopes realised — for this
region has ever been regarded as the garden of China
— would naturally establish themselves permanently,
and in the course of a long period of time, the
duration of which we can form no estimate, lay down
the foundations of a civilised state whilst gradually
obtaining a preponderating influence over their less
favoured neighbours.
Even had the route of the first immigrants led
them at the commencement of their wanderings
farther to the east, the only diflference would have
been, that by descending the eastern banks of the
Yellow River to the same point, a change in the order
of distribution might have been effected,, without
producing any alteration in subsequent events.
As has been already said, the region which thus
became the cradle of the Chinese Empire, and which
includes the modern provinces of Shen-si, Shan-si,
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. ii
and Ho-nan, is called the Garden of China ; and this
is mainly attributable to the fact that it has the
special advantage of possessing over a considerable
portion of its area, as will be seen by a reference to
the sketch map on a former page, a deep, rich, fertilis-
ing,, yellow loam — the " loess "--which, under the
influence of a favourable climate, is productive of an
extraordinary luxuriance of vegetable growth. In
addition to this, the mountains are rich in minerals,
and the hill-sides covered with wild mulberry trees,
the leaves of which supply food for the innumerable
caterpillars whose silken filaments are known to have
been utilised at a very early period, and woven into
fabrics which in the course of time became famous
throughout the world.
The alluvial plains through which the lower Yellow
River takes its course are also extremely fertile, but
at the very commencement of the historical period,
we find enormous difficulties connected with drainage,
and the regulation of the water-ways, had to be over-
come ; and it was probably in the struggles which
they gave rise to, that the early settlers con-
tracted those laborious and industrious habits, by
which the Chinese have always been so greatly
distinguished.
It is only reasonable to Conclude, that the excep-
tional advantages enjoyed by the Chinese in the
12 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
basin of the Yellow River, assisted their development
in much the same way as somewhat similar condi-
tions had so marvellously forwarded that of the
settlers on the banks of the Euphrates and the Nile ;
and it is difficult to see why, from the beginning,,
their progress towards civilisation should^ not have
been a natural process, mainly produced by the
circumstances in which they were placed, rather
than an artificial growth, owing its existence almost
entirely to external influences.
The distribution of land and water some five or
six thousand years ago in Asia, was certainly very
different to what it is now. The intercourse be-
tween peoples separated by great distances could
not have been easy or frequent, and of course with
regard to the prehistoric times, we have no know-
ledge whatever respecting it ; it is evident, however,
that the position of the dwellers in the basin of the
Yellow River, must have given them superior facilities
for communicating with the outside world, to those
possessed by the tribes spread over the other parts of
China, and it is extremely probable that they may,
through this medium, have obtained some knowledge^
of the advanced culture of the West, even before the
advent of the Bac tribe or tribes, which is said to
have taken place somewhere about the twenty-third
century B.C.
ORIGUSrS AND ANTECEDENTS. 13
According to several eminent modern authorities,
it is to the arrival of these tribes from the confines
of Elam, that we have to look not only for the first
establishment of the Chinese as a people, and as a
nation, but for the introduction of a culture gained
from Babylonian sources, which was to exercise such
a remarkable effect upon the destinies of the empire
of which they were the founders.
This view is principally based upon "the circum-
stance of certain affinities having been discovered to
exist, between the earliest Akkadian writing and the
most ancient written characters of the Chinese ; upon
the close resemblance of scientific formularies and
social methods, adopted by the Chinese, to those of
the Babylonians ; and upon many minor details,
which, however important in the aggregate, require
a degree of individual attention quite beyond
what it is in my power to give them in these
pages.
I have gone, most carefully, over all that has been
written upon this subject, but after having done so I
am bound to confess I consider the conclusions
which have been arrived at as premature. The in-
vestigations which have led to them are of the
greatest possible value, but at present they cannot
be said to have reached a point which would justify
any definite decision being arrived at with respect
14 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
to them.* In Ethnological questions, as indeed with
all other questions, there is nothing so likely to lead
us into error as reasoning from analogy, or allowing
ourselves to build up our theories on resemblances
or even isolated coincidences. For example, the cir-
cumnavigator, Cook, discovered on the north-western
coast of America an Indian tribe who sought to
adorn themselves by a most painful perforation of
the lower lips, into which they inserted some circular
ornament so as to make it protrude in the most
disgusting manner ; and in recent years a negro tribe
in Central Africa were found to have adopted an
identical method for beautifying their persons. In
each case the custom was an entirely isolated one, and
there could have been no possible connection between
the two peoples.
But it is difficult to understand what effect the
arrival of the Bacs could have produced upon the
people already in possession of the land they
coveted, unless we are able to form an approxi-
mate idea of their numbers, and of the proportion
in which they stood to those they had either to
conquer or displace. That the numbers on one
side or the other must have been very great is
* Since this was written the lamented death of Professor Terrien de
Lacouperie, one of the most zealous and indefatigable oriental scholars
of the day, who was the leading advocate of this view, has created a
void which will not be easily filled up.
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 15
evident, for from the oldest Chinese records which
are acknowledged to be authentic, we learn that
great works of drainage and reclamation were
being carried on at the time which is fixed for
the arrival of the Bacs, and such a vast under-
taking could only have been conducted by a
government, capable of exercising a controlling
power over an immense body of workers, with-
drawn from the exercise of their ordinary avoca-
tions.
Then comes in the question of race, for however
valuable Philology and Archaeology may be, they
are insufficient of themselves to settle the difficulties
belonging to origins, and in all matters connected
with Ethnology, physical agencies must always
hold a high place. For although it may be true
that affinities in language, and a close resemblance
in customs and modes of thought, cannot be
neglected, they must be combined with a study
of the anatomical divergences which set their
special stamp upon portions of the human race,
and thus enable us to classify and arrange what
would otherwise remain hopelessly confused.
And this brings me to a point, which, considering
its important bearing upon all that concerns the
origin and evolution of the Chinese, has been
strangely overlooked : I refer to the peculiar con-
i6 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
formation of the eyelids, which is spoken of in
all Ethnological works as "the Mongolian eye."
The questions to be settled respecting it, are
whether this remarkable racial peculiarity was
shared by the immigrating Bac tribes, or strictly
confined to the earlier dwellers in the basin of the
Yellow River, by whom it was transmitted to their
descendants ? Or was it common or universal
amongst those tribes subsequently absorbed or
displaced on the extension of the empire? Surely
these are subjects worthy of serious consideration,
and inasmuch as representatives of those early
inhabitants of China, most frequently spoken of
as aboriginal, still exist, living under conditions
of independence and seclusion, which would preserve
them to a large extent from admixture with their
neighbours, there could in their case be no great
difficulty in obtaining the amount of information suit-
able to our purpose. But it is singular how little the
meaning, of what is commonly referred to as the
" Mongolian eye," is understood. I had searched
in vain for a clear and accurate definition of it,
when I came across a work by Dr. Erwin Baelz,
published at Yokohama in 1883, entitled "Die
Korperlichen Eigenschaften des Japaner," in which
I found it minutely described, and to that work I
would refer the reader who might wish to obtain
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 17
a thorough knowledge of the subject. But without
entering too fully into it, I would observe that the
commonly entertained idea, respecting the excep-
tional appearance of the Chinese eye being entirely
due to a certain obliquity of position, is erroneous ;
for this seeming obliquity is nothing more than
the effect produced by the abnormal structure of
the eyelids consequent on the small elevation of
the nasal bones, which causes the epicanthus, or
fold of skin covering the inner canthus of the eye,
to be tightly drawn down in an oblique fold, so
as to completely hide the small portion of red
tissue — the caruncula lachrymalis — which in the
eyes of most other races is so much in evidence.
In addition to this the orbital furrow or hollow
under the eyebrows is all but absent, in conse-
quence of the non-projection of the frontal bones
of the forehead, which is in most cases nearly flat ;
and it is hardly possible to doubt that the general
effect produced by these several structural diver-
gencies from the normal type, would of them-
selves be sufficient to give those who possessed
them, a claim to being considered a distinct family
irrespective of any other physical peculiarities by
which the Mongolian race may be distinguished.
When we come to deal with the origin of the
Chinese from the point of view of language, we
i8 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
are again confronted with difficulties it is not easy
to surmount. But at least this is known — the
structure of the Chinese language, from its paucity
of vocables, its early monosyllabic form, and the
total absence of those changes of the words them-
selves in combination, which are regulated by
certain rules and principles, known to us as grammar,
tends to prove its close affinity to those primitive
forms of speech in which man first sought to
communicate his wants and feelings. And when
we study the written character, the same conviction
is forced upon us, for when traced backwards from
the symbolic to what may be called the pictorial
stage, it is found to have a close resemblance, indeed
in many cases an absolute coincidence, with both
the earliest Akkadian and Egyptian forms of
writing. The natural conclusion to be drawn from
this is, that these three written languages must
have been derived from a common source; and
although I know that this view has been contested,
the data upon which it has been sought to establish
the opposing theories still presents itself to my
mind as inconclusive and incomplete.
There is one peculiarity belonging to the Chinese
language which is absent from all others. Whilst
the Akkadians and Egyptians gradually transformed
their hieroglyphic and symbolic characters into
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 19
phonetic signs having a syllabaric or alphabetic
value, the Chinese, after making a certain progress
in the same direction, the traces of which are still
apparent, seemed suddenly to have stopped short,
and then to have devoted- all their energies to en-
larging and perfecting the remarkable ideographic
system, which forms such a striking monument of
human ingenuity, and which perhaps has done more
to preserve their nationality and keep them together
as a separate people, than any other method that
could have been devised.
The area over which this language was spread
in prehistoric times has yet to be ascertained, for we
do not even know if it were the one spoken and
introduced by the Bacs, or if it were confined, at
first, to the inhabitants of the basin of the Yellow
River, or whether it was also in use amongst the
various tribes spread over the more southerly por-
tions of the Eastern Continent.
It is true that evidence exists of certain tribes,
who dwelt outside the borders of the states then
comprising the Chinese Empire, speaking a language
so different from that of the people who subsequently
subdued them, that they could only be communicated
with through interpreters, but this does not throw
very much light upon the subject, for even now in
China the vernacular spoken in the different pro-
20 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
vinces varies so greatly, that it may be possible
to hear — as I have done — two Chinese conversing
together in " pidgin " English or Malay, through
being quite incapable of communicating with each
other in their own language.
Besides, when we take into consideration the vast
extent of territory occupied by scattered settlements,
often widely separated from each other, and almost
isolated through the want of roads and facilities for
communication, it would be strange if, in the course
of time, an originally common language had not
become transformed into a number of dialects, differ-
ing widely from each other ; and this would be the
more certain to take place amongst peoples who had
no literature to form a fixed standard. We have a
striking example of the way in which new languages
are developed, in the great variety of tongues which
arose in Europe in the course of a very few centuries
after the fall of the Roman Empire, amongst the
races having a common origin and a cognate form of
speech. But perhaps the most striking instance of
the rapid modifications which may take place after
the separation of a people, is that afforded by the
Iroquois. Belonging to the same race, and speaking
the same tongue, on the removal of the several tribes
to localities separated by no great distances, and
almost in touch with each other, so speedily did this
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 21
change take place, that in the course of a very short
period of time they became perfectly unintelligible
to one another, so much so, that on their reunion in
later days it became necessary for them to decide
upon which of the dialects, or new languages, should
be accepted as the general medium of communi-
cation.
To sum up, the conclusions I have arrived at, with
respect to the origin of the Chinese, are : — That an
immense period of time must have elapsed between
the period of their first appearance in the basin of
the Yellow River, and the date at which they are
first brought under our notice in the pages of the
Shoo-king ; that from the superior physical con-
ditions of the territory in which they were located,
their social and political progress could not fail to
be more rapid than that of their less favoured neigh-
bours ; that both their written and spoken language
exhibit signs of having been directly derived from
a primitive and original source ; and that, at the
advent of the Bacs, upon which so much stress has
been laid, said to have taken place about the time
when their history begins, they must, as well in
numbers as in organisation, have reached a point
which would have rendered them capable of assimi-
lating — whether as an independent or a conquered
people — whatever knowledge which might have been
22 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
introduced amongst them, outside of that which they
had previously been able to arrive at.
I think where we fail most in the consideration of
these questions, is in not being able sufficiently to
realise the enormous periods of time, extending far
beyond the reach of all historical research, required to
transform families and tribes into organised political
societies, such in point of fact as the one the Chinese
had attained to, when history first brings them under
our notice. Neither can the habit of industry, which
alone enables a man to become a successful culti-
vator of the soil, be rapidly formed, and it was then,
as now, possessed by the Chinese in a very remarkable
degree. The character of a people requires time for
its development, and certainly that of the first
dwellers on the banks of the Yellow River, can hardly
be said to have been immature.
When we come to the consideration of the social
and political condition of the Chinese at the com-
mencement of their history, together with its subse-
quent development, we rapidly begin to feel that we
are standing on surer ground.
For all that concerns the dawn of Chinese history,
a more reliable authority can scarcely be found
than the accounts which are presented to us in the
pages of the Shoo-king. Unfortunately they are only
fragmentary, being but a portion of extracts made by
ORIGmS AND ANTECEDENTS. 23
Confucius from the voluminous official records, which
were hopelessly lost in the general destruction of all
historical books and documents ordered by the first
autocratic ruler of China in the second century B.C.
The Shoo-king was only saved from the same fate
by a mere accident, nor was it found possible to
restore it to its original completeness.
What had made the destruction of all historical
records comparatively easy of accomplishment, was
the circumstance of their being preserved as State
papers, under the special care of officers appointed
for that purpose, not only at the Imperial Court but
at the Courts of the several feudal States, and it
is through the writings of Confucius having had a
separate and independent existence, that their re-
covery was made possible.
The opening chapter of the Shoo-king com-
mences at a period which is set down as 2356 B.C.
We are at once introduced to a settled form of
monarchical government, busily occupied in vast
works of drainage and reclamation, for the Yellow
River was then, as it has frequently been since, ex-
tremely troublesome, and no small amount of skill
and labour was required to bring its turbulent waters
into subjection. But apart from these physical
operations, we have accounts of reforms and regula-
tions connected with a great variety of subjects
24 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
bearing on social and political progress. Amongst
these may be enumerated laws for the establishment
of harmony amongst the people. The arrangement of
the calendar on an astronomical basis, and the proper
division of the seasons ; the establishment of fixed
boundaries between the several States ; the settlement
of the land tenures ; the creation of various grades of
a feudal nobility, with their distinctive dresses and
insignia ; the ordering of the sacrificial rites, and the
selection of localities for their celebration ; the estab-
lishment of a musical scale in accordance with the
sounds produced from twelve tubes of a fixed length
and diameter, which tubes were also made to serve as
standards for length and capacity ; the construction
of a criminal code ; methods for placing a fair valua-
tion on the land, and for raising a revenue ; and the
establishment of a currency, specimens of which still
exist. And all this, with much more, dealt with in
a period of a few hundred years.
The sovereigns of this period were put forward,
some eighteen hundred years later, by Confucius as
the only models worthy of imitation. Its criminal
code formed the basis upon which all later ones
were constructed. And its social and political forms
are, in a modified degree, those upon which the
organisations of Society and the State may be said
to rest at the present day.
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 25
Even then, a high degree of manufacturing skill
had been reached, for the early Chinese were skilful
weavers both of silken and linen fabrics ; and they
were able to apply the metals, of which their moun-
tains gave them an abundant supply, not only to use-
ful but to ornamental purposes, and a copper currency
had been established, of which specimens exist dat-
ing back to between 3000 and 2000 years B.C. But
in public estimation, of all the useful arts, agri-
culture held the highest place. And as the produce
of the land formed the chief source of revenue,
no efforts were spared to make it as productive as
possible. The taxes were levied on a system by
which their amount was regulated in accordance
with the natural fertility, or poverty, of the soil ; the
whole country being surveyed and the land classified,
for revenue purposes. The whole territory was at
first divided into nine districts, of which the domain
of the supreme ruler formed the nucleus, each dis-
trict being governed by an officer whose title had
the meaning of pastor or shepherd, but in the course
of a few years these districts became converted into
all but independent States, ruled over by hereditary
chiefs who not infrequently assumed the title of
kings, whilst accepting the position of feudatories, to
at first an elective, but subsequently an hereditary
sovereign, whose authority outside his own State
26 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
gradually became extremely small, though certain
religious and ceremonial functions were relegated to
him which he alone was capable of performing.
The extension of the Empire must have been
rapid, for in the reign of the second Emperor
mentioned in the Shoo-king, the number of districts
were increased to twelve, and included in their
limits nearly all that part of modern China between
the Yang-tsze Kiang and the great wall. And
this naturally gave to the Chinese all the ad-
vantages to be derived from the fruitful "loess"
deposits and the rich alluvial plains. The possession
of this vast territory was not obtained without
resistance on the part of the tribes who, on account
of their long occupation, had established rights
they were determined to defend ; but after a severe
struggle they were either reduced to subjection or
compelled to take refuge in mountain fastnesses,
from which for some time it was found impossible
to expel them, and their descendants have in a
few instances preserved a certain amount of isola-
tion and independence to the present day.
Even at this early period of Chinese history,
a condition of civilisation had been reached very
different from that belonging to the traditional
times, when the skins of wild animals formed the
only wear, and no other means for recording
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 27
events existed than that afforded by knotted cords.
The reign of law had been established ; and although
the criminal code contained enactments which do
not accord with our latter-day's idea of justice,
they bear evidence of having been carefully thought
out ; and however harsh and cruel it may seem that
the punishment for an offence should be extended
to the criminal's family, we must not forget, that
it was only late in the 17th century that a similar
law was abrogated in Russia.
The early religion of the Chinese had long passed
out of those phases of superstition in which material-
forms are made to do duty as deities, whose cruel
anger can only be appeased by human sacrifices. Of
these latter, however, a tradition still remained. And
the practice, which was at the time all but universal
throughout the other portions of the globe, was
long continued by the Scythians and the various
Tartar tribes inhabiting the northern frontiers, in
whose case it had assumed the form of immolating
victims on the death of their chiefs or great men.
There is, too, undoubted evidence of such a custom
having been practised by the Chinese, for isolated
cases of it appear down to a comparatively late
period. That this, however, was exceptional, is shown
by the very early substitution of a block of wood
as a representative of the living man; whilst, in
28 lAo-tsze, the great tbinker.
order to avoid the destruction of useful and valuable
property at the burial of their friends, they adopted
a system — which holds at the present day — of
burning a quantity of paper counterfeits, which
they destroyed with a liberality proportionate to the
amount of wealth the deceased possessed and the
veneration in which he was held. At the same time,
self-immolation at the tomb of a relative has always
been, and still is, held in high honour, and number-
less arches have been erected to commemorate the
virtues of wives who thus put an end to their lives
on the death of their husbands.
It is indeed generally allowed, that the early
beliefs of the Chinese were more spiritual in their
nature than those of any other primitive people
with whom we are acquainted. Throughout their
classical writings traces are to be found of the
recognition of an overruling First Cause, known
under different names, such as " Heaven," or the
"Almighty Ruler," or by a term which I have
translated " God." A Power which dominated
over the conceptions of a Pantheism which fur-
nished every locality with a presiding Genius
or Spirit, to whom worship had to be paid in a
mountain set apart for that purpose. The choice
of these mountains being one of the first acts an
Emperor was called upon to perform, on the creation
of a new district.
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 29
There was no priesthood. It was the duty of the
Emperor — for so it is most convenient to designate
the head of the state — to perform the sacrificial rights
by which the favour of High Heaven was besought
on behalf of the Empire as a whole : the Rulers
of the several districts or states, being in like
manner the intercessors for that portion of it over
which their authority extended ; whilst the heads
of families were restricted to the ceremonies which
had for their object the welfare of their children
and the members of their own households.
Such is a brief summary of what is revealed
to us in the opening chapters of Chinese history.
Subsequently a slow but steady progress was con-
tinued on the same lines : the written language
was modified and developed ; a literature gradually
formed ; the organisation of the several states, into
which the original districts had been converted,
perfected ; the limits of the empire extended ; and
large bodies of men trained to arms, ostensibly
for feudal service, but more frequently in order that
they might be employed in internecine wars between
rival vassal states, or in resisting some unwelcome
demand proceeding from their Liege Lord. For
the machinery of state did not always work smoothly,
and there were times when it seemed as if the
vast fabric it had taken so much time and labour
to create, would be torn to pieces in the protracted
30 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
and bloody wars caused by the rivalry of tyrannical
and ambitious princes.
The abridgement of the authority which had be-
longed to the first sovereigns was mainly due to the
vices and incapacity of their successors. But although
the power of these had become so diminished, that
outside their own states it was little more than
nominal, and that their misconduct had twice led to
their deposition and a change of dynasty, the federa-
tion of the several states under the headship of an
hereditary ruler continued to be the recognised
principle upon which the empire was organised for
more than two thousand years ; when, three centuries
later than the time in which Lao-tsze lived, the semi-
independence of the states was destroyed, and the
whole empire united under the rule of a sovereign,
who assumed autocratic powers, and inaugurated the
new regime by a wholesale destruction of the State
records, and all works bearing upon the history of
the past — hopelessly lost treasures which succeeding
generations sought in vain to recover.
Some five hundred years before Lao-tsze lived,
Woo-wang, one of China's greatest heroes, had hurled
the cruel and licentious tyrant, who was the last
sovereign of a dynasty which had lasted more than
six hundred years, off his throne, and placing himself
upon it, became the founder of a dynasty which, after
the name of his patrimonial state, was called Chow.
ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS. 31
Both he and his father Wan-wang were men of
high and noble character. The prayer offered up at
the coronation of his youthful successor, Ching-wan,
will give some idea of the principles by which it was
considered at the time a good ruler ought to be
guided. It was : — " May the king live near to his
people and far from flatterers ; may he be careful of
his time and lavish of his wealth ; familiar with the
virtuous and the employer of the capable." But these
high ideals were far from being generally followed :
in the course of time the sovereign of the House of
Chow became as degenerate as their predecessors, so
that the empire was soon reduced to a state which
can only be described as that of chronic anarchy. Its
social and political condition, indeed, had created a
widespread sense of distrust and insecurity, and it
was through this that many able and patriotic men
were stirred up to protest, each in his own way,
against the degeneracy of the age, and to point out
the changes and reforms needed to restore to their
country all those advantages which the people had
derived in the early days of the empire, from the
example and exalted character of their rulers.
It is difficult to form an estimate of the population,
or of its distribution, at any fixed period. The very
large armies, however, that the feudal princes were
able to bring into the field is a proof of its having
32 lAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
been considerable. To those who have been in the
habit of regarding the Chinese as a thoroughly peace-
ful race, it must be not a little surprising to find how
large a portion of their annals is taken up with battles
and the records of military exploits. The main
strength of an army consisted, from a very early age,
in its chariots, and the manner in which the soldiers
were organised and armed is a proof of how very far
they had advanced beyond primitive modes of warfare.
A strict ceremonial had been early elaborated,
which regulated almost every action and incident of
ordinary life ; and one is led to ask why it is that
mankind so often takes a delight in inventing obser-
vances which would seem to serve no other purpose
than to reduce existence to a weary round of em-
barrassing forms. But are they invented .' Is it not
rather that they are the natural overgrowth produced
by age, which often cannot be eradicated without the
destruction of the body from which they derive their
sustenance. China is hoary with such parasitical
growths ; since Ldo-tsze's time they have indeed
multiplied in every direction with amazing fecundity,
and the question naturally arises, whether, under such
conditions, it may ever be possible for the Chinese,
to rise to the level of those Western nations whose
civilisation is the result of influences, which although
working at times so silently as to be scarcely observ-
able, are full of youthful vigour and are never at rest ?
PART II.
lAo-tsze and his period
LAO-TSZE AND HIS PERIOD.
Some seventeen hundred years from the commence-
ment of Chinese history, as made known to us in the
pages of the Shoo-King, and in the third year of the
reign of the twenty-first sovereign of the dynasty of
Chow — answering to the year 604 B.C. — there was
born of poor parents in that part of China now
known as Honan, a child who was destined to be-
come famous under the designation of Lio-tsze, the
" venerable teacher."
But in his youth he was known only by his family
name of Lee, with the honorific addition of Peh-yang,
and in his early childhood by that of Urh, apparently
from some peculiarity in the form of his ears, as
"ear" is the signification of the character in which
that sound was expressed.
Of course in after days, the usual supernatural,
incidents connected with the birth of all great men
belonging to his period were related and believed ;
but brushing these aside as unworthy of considera-
tion, we have to confess to the very unsatisfactory
36 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
fact that, apart from a very meagre notice of his life in
the " Biographies " of Sze-ma-tsien, the historian, who
died about 85 B.C., history tells us very little about
him, and gives us no information whatever connected
with his childhood, education, or youth.
Sze-ma-tsien has generally been accepted as a
reliable authority by his countrymen, and there seems
to be little reason for his testimony, so far as it con-
cerns the present subject, being set aside as untrust-
worthy by those who have nothing better to substitute
for it than possibilities and surmises. I have, there-
fore, in the small amount of data which I have been
enabled to put together connected with L^o-tsze's
life, preferred to follow his guidance.
A comparison of dates will show that Lio-tsze
was born fifty-five years before the birth of Confucius
and thirty-five before Pythagoras, whilst he pre-
ceded Heraclitus, Plato, Protagoras, Anaxagoras,
and Socrates by nearly two centuries. He was con-
temporary with the seven sages of Greece, but Rome
was in its infancy. In Babylonia, Nebuchadnezzar,
then in the height of his prosperity, was subjugating
Judea, destroying Jerusalem, and annihilating the
Egyptian power in Asia. Nineveh was razed to the
ground the year before Llio-tsze was born, and three
years later Daniel was ennobled for his interpreta-
tion of dreams ; Ezekiel was giving allegorical illus-
LAO-TSZE and his period. 37
trations of his prophetic visions ; and in Egypt Necho
had just failed in his attempt to bring together the
waters of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, whilst
Sakya Muni was laying the foundations of a religion
which was to be professed by myriads, though the
purity of his doctrines was, in the course of time,
to be so encrusted and overgrown with puerile
superstitions, that the teaching of the great Indian
religious reformer is scarcely to be recognised.
That the young Lee Peh-yang must have been
endowed with more than ordinary intelligence, com-
bined with all the advantages which belong to ^
good education, is clearly shown by the fact of his
having received the appointment of a Register or
Historiographer at the Imperial Court of Chow, then
established in the city of L6-yang, to which it had
been removed some one hundred and fifty years
before. The site of Lo-yang was not far from the
present provincial town of Ho-nan-foo. It was
pleasantly situated in a rich and fruitful valley
lying to the south of the Yellow River, between it
and a small affluent which runs for some distance
parallel to it. A range of low hills sheltered it on
the north and separated it from the great river,
which is here scarcely more than from half a mile
to a mile broad, the current dividing further down,
when the water is low, into several shallow channels
38 LAO-TSZE, the great THINKER.
separated from each other by flat sandbanks. The
water is very muddy, and the rate at which the
stream flows varies greatly ; but in March the current
generally runs at the rate of from two to three miles
an hour. The north shore is flat and indistinct,
whilst the southern banks are very steep. And this
is particularly the case higher up, where the stream
cuts a channel through the loess, so that both banks
are sufficiently high to admit of excavations being
made in them, which have served countless genera-
tions as a substitute for houses.
This part of China is not only very fruitful, but
possesses the great charm of exceptional natural
beauty. It has been described as a perfect garden,
whilst the landscape is frequently rendered park-like
by plantations of trees and shrubs, amongst which
the graceful foliage of the waving bamboo stands out
in bold relief against dark groves of cypress,
It was in this city of L6-yang that Lio-tsze
laboured the greater part of his life, and it was in
its neighbourhood, in his extreme old age, that he
was visited by Confucius.
The duties he had to perform at the Imperial court
were regarded as of the very highest importance, and
belonged to an office which dated from the earliest
historical period. Under the two first dynasties the
number of ofiScials employed as " Historiographers "
lAo-tsze and his period.
39
was limited to "the Historiographer of the Right"
and " the Historiographer of the Left," — the duty of
the former being to register the Imperial edicts and
commands, and to take note of such matters as might
more especially appertain to the Emperor and his
ministers, whilst that of the latter was to record all
occurrences and events which might bear upon or
illustrate the instruction and general condition of the
people.
During the dynasty of Chow (1105 to 242 B.C.) the
number of these oflficials * is said to have been in-
creased to seven, their duties being distributed in the
following manner : — The _firsi had to take cognizance
of, and record, all that concerned the general govern-
ment of the Empire ; the second, everything which
might be connected with the feudatory states; the
third, all observations and calculations connected with
astronomy ; the fourtk, the noting down of all calami-
ties, unusual events, and phenomena ; the _^/i(A, the
registration of all edicts, ordinances, and legal enact-
ments ; the sixth, to chronicle all the incidents con-
nected with the royal progresses and expeditions, and
to tabulate all information concerning foreigners, in-
cluding notices of, and translations from, their books ;
the seventh had entrusted to him the preparation of
* See Memoires des Chinois, Paris, 1776, " Sur 1' Antiquity des
Chinois," p. 70.
40 LAO-TSZE, the great THINKER.
memorial notices of the Emperor and members of the
Imperial family.
In addition to these, an official who might be de-
scribed as the " Register and Keeper of the Archives,"
had somewhat similar — though naturally less import-
ant — duties to perform at the court of each of the
feudatory princes.
To which particular department Lee-peh-Yang, or
L^o-tsze, as we shall hereafter call him, belonged, we
have no knowledge. Possibly at the commencement
of his career he may have been attached to more than
one, but in any case it can be- easily imagined that he
must have had especial facilities for acquiring all that
could be learnt from the state records of the Past ;
and it is doubtless to his position as a government
official that he owed his enlarged powers of under-
standing and breadth of thought. That he had not
wasted his opportunities is made evident from the
frequent quotations from the old writers introduced
by him in his one book.
But what an enormous amount of application the
study of the ancient records and literature must have
required, when it is considered that the form and value
of the characters to be deciphered had undergone
great changes, and that they were either punctured
or engraved on leaves, strips of bamboo, or bits of
wood, previous to the time in which they were written
lAo-tsze and his period. 41
with some coloured medium on pieces of silk or
linen — for paper was as yet unknown. Certainly the
arrangement and preservation of a library composed
of such materials could have been no light matter.
It was the aggressions of the western Tartars which
had occasioned the removal of the capital to Lo-yang.
Four centuries earlier the Emperor Muh-wang(99i
to 936 B.C.) was said to have visited this people, when,
under the pretext of a hunting expedition, he had
absented himself from his dominions for a consider-
able period, and the incident has given rise to much
speculation as to the distance he may have travelled
over, and the nations with whom he may have come
into contact. That the records of his progress were
existing in Lao-tsze's time is scarcely to be doubted,
though all traces of them disappeared after the de-
struction of the books ; for the copy of them said to
have been discovered in a tomb during the following
dynasty is generally acknowledged to be apocryphal.
But the little which is known about the matter tends
to prove that there was always a certain amount of
intercourse between the Chinese and the outside
world ; so that it is difficult to believe that they were
wholly and entirely ignorant of all that was going on
in Western Asia, or that they had never heard of the
Assyrians and Babylonians, or of the marvellous
cities which formed the centres of their power.
42 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
In the case of Lao-tsze, it is at all events scarcely
to be doubted, that many of his ideas were inspired
by the writings to which he had access, for it is
impossible to regard such thoughts as his as original
or spontaneous. All great thoughts may indeed be
looked upon as but the sequence and development
of antecedent thoughts, less matured perhaps but
equally derived, which have passed through the
minds of others ; and often when we puzzle our-
selves by seeking to establish a connection between
ideas which seem to flow in the same channels, we
should find an easier solution of our difficulties,
could we but work backwards until we reached the
point of their common origin.
The very education which a man receives, is after
all, little more than the assimilation, in a greater or
lesser degree, in proportion to individual aptitude,
of the slowly aggregated experiences of his pre-
decessors, conveyed in a variety of concrete forms,
which are as endless in their combinations as the
ceaseless changes of the kaleidoscope ; and with the
advantages which Lao-tsze possessed in his own
country, I cannot see why it should have been
necessary for him to have travelled in the far west
— as some declare he must have done — in order to
gain such a knowledge of a great over-ruling First
Cause, as he sought to promulgate in the pages of
the Tao-tih-King.
lAo-tsze and his period. 43
In the absence, therefore, of any reliable evidence
to the contrary, it is hardly possible to arrive at any
other conclusion than that the greater portion of his
life was spent in study and in the performance of the
duties of his office at L6-yang ; for although he was
living in retirement in the neighbourhood of that
place when visited by Confucius — 517 B.C. — he had
then reached extreme old age, and we are told that
he had worked on, until the weakness of his sovereign
and the corruption of the Court, rendered it impos-
sible for him to continue in a position which brought
him in direct contact with so much that was ab-
horrent to his feelings. In this interview with
Confucius he expressed himself very strongly upon
this point, and severely rebuked the Sage for allow-
ing himself to take part in public affairs at a time,
when there was a total absence of either social or
political morality.
It was when he had exhausted this theme, that he
entered upon the subject upon which his thoughts
were chiefly concentrated, the nature and attributes
of the great First Cause, and the relation in which
man stood with respect to Him. Confucius seems to
have borne his upbraidings with all due meekness,
but when the venerable teacher spread out before
him his views on the great mysteries connected with
God, and the creation and government of the world,
44 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
he was so completely overcome by the nature of the
revelation conveyed by the old man's words, that he
was reduced to silence, and, it is said, remained for
three days without speaking. And yet Confucius
could not have been previously ignorant of much
that L^o-tsze taught, for there is no want of evidence
to show, that from a very early period there had
been a knowledge, however shadowy, of God under
the appellation of " the Ta6 ; " though the rtieaning
of the word had been altered until it became little
more than an expression for the path, road, or
medium by which the communication was main-
tained between God and man, though, as often
happens in such cases, " Heaven " and the " Way "
to or from it were often used as if they were synony-
mous terms, and it was in this sense that it was
commonly employed by Confucius.
The question as to whether Tioism was older than
Lao-tsze is fully discussed by Dr Legge in his intro-
duction to the Texts of Taoism — an exhaustive work
which forms the thirty-ninth and fortieth volumes of
the Sacred Books of the East, and to this I refer the
reader who would gain a thorough knowledge of the
subject ; but I cannot deny myself the satisfaction of
quoting a passage which lends the great authority of
the learned Professor to the views I have put forward
respecting the antiquity of the belief in the Taon.
LAO-TSZE and his period. 45
Dr Legge says : — " Prolonged study and research
have brought me to the conclusion that there was a
Tioism earlier than his ; and that before he wrote
the Tao-tih-King, the principles taught in it had been
promulgated, and the ordering of human conduct
and government flowing from them inculcated."
With such a clear and authoritative statement as
this before us, I think it may be accepted, that it was
not needed that Lao-tsze should have either come
from, or travelled in the regions of the West, in
order to have acquired the doctrines which were
subsequently associated with his name.
At the time of his interview with Confucius,
L&o-tsze must have been approaching his ninetieth
year, so that he had reached a very advanced age
when he decided on leaving the territory of Chow.
But on arriving at the frontier of the State, he
was prevailed upon, by the officer who held the
post of Warden of the Passes, to stay his steps,
until such time as he had committed to writing
the opinions, which it is quite evident had already
gained him a widespread reputation. Such was
the origin of the Tao-tih-King, or according to the
terms in which I have translated it, "Thoughts
on the nature and manifestation of God." When
it was completed, he passed the frontier and renewed
his journey, and from that moment — with but one
46 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
exception — every record of him ends. This ex-
ception is an account, in the writings of his great
admirer and disciple Chwang-tsze, who lived be-
tween the fourth and third centuries, B.C., of all
the details connected with a visit to the house of
mourning on the occasion of the old Philosopher's
death, paid by one of his disciples. This, if true,
and I see no reason why it should not be, disposes
of the statement that the time and circumstances
of his death were unknown, as well as of the
theory that Lao-tsze's disappearance was due to
his return to the country from whence he originally
came. For it is pretended by many later critics
that he was a foreigner, and from the opinions he
professed probably a Brahmin ; but I have sought
in vain for any direct evidence which would uphold
these views. One of our Chinese scholars has, too,
gone so far as to deny the authenticity of the
Tao-tih-King, but in this he may be said to stand
alone, and to be in opposition to all our most
reliable authorities.
It should be understood that the fact of Lio-tsze
having passed the frontier of the state of Chow,
did not necessitate his removal from the limits of
the Empire.
Of the personality of Lao-tsze we are told next
to nothing. He is frequently represented as a
LAO-TSZE and his period. 47
bald-headed, long bearded, old man riding on an
ox, whilst Confucius is often depicted seated in a
waggon to which an ox is harnessed. A knowledge
of his temperament can only be obtained through
the scanty data afforded by his behaviour to
Confucius in their only interview, which would
lead to the conclusion that he was irascible and
impatient, even when all due allowance is made
for the natural irritability belonging to old age.
Like his great contemporary he was actuated by
the highest and purest motives, but although they
both accepted — in somewhat different degrees —
a great overruling First Cause, and were in perfect
agreement as to the original perfection of man,
they differed widely in their modes of action.
Confucius sought to regenerate society by the
action of Rulers, whose conduct was to be modelled
on that of the great exemplars of the Past, who he
considered to have illustrated, in their persons, all
the virtues it was possible for a man to possess ;
whilst he seemed to give a somewhat secondary place
to that " Great Way " — the " Tao," which in the eyes
of Lao-tsze was the Alpha and Omega of all
things in Heaven and Earth ; and whilst recognising
the existence of certain divine powers, he evaded
as far as he possibly could all reference to them,
on the plea, put forth with great candour, that he
48 lAo-TSZE, the great THINKER.
did not understand them. Yet he was not wanting
in dogmatic constructiveness when dealing with a
Past from which he eliminated all its defects and
vices.
It will be seen that up to a certain point the doc-
trines of the two Philosophers were in agreement.
But Lio-tsze's greater imaginative powers would not
allow him to rest satisfied with a limited purview of
the Past ; nor could he find the perfection he
was seeking for, until he had reached the beginning
of the ages when, as he believed, a primitive people
were endued with a knowledge of the Great First.
Cause — " the Great Universal Mother." Then it was,
that society was pure and simple, and free from those
defects which became greater with the growth of
time, until they culminated in a general condition
of depravity such as belonged to his own period.
According to his views, society was originally
pure, because the people knew God. The world
had, then, but to know God and all would be
well ; all human effort outside of this knowledge he
looked upon as worthless, for when the seed is sown
it develops in accordance with natural laws, for
which there is no substitute. It must be confessed
that his ideas on this subject are somewhat hazy,
and it is evident that now and again he encounters
difficulties he does not quite know how to get over.
LAO-TSZE AND HIS PERIOD. 49
but it is easy to see that he remains stedfast to the
principle he has so much at heart and is ever
endeavouring to enforce. And this, no matter the
many ways in which he may seek to set it forth,
resolves itself into the simple precept, "Believe in
God and act in accordance with His laws." All else
is made subservient to this.
But how sadly he was misrepresented after his
death ! His disciples at once sought to find an
occult meaning in every word he had uttered, and,
as it was with Confucius so with him, he became
the central point of a creed. To the creed there
naturally followed a ritual, with, in the case of the
sect of Tio, an accompanying priesthood, who sub-
sequently not only borrowed much from Buddhism,
but placed all preceding superstitions under con-
tribution, and laid claim to being adepts in necro-
mancy and the magic art. A comparison between
the ideas put forward by the great philosopher and
metaphysician of the fifth century B.C. and the
doctrines professed by his degraded followers in
the present day, affords a melancholy proof that
time and progress do not always move onward
together hand in hand, and that even when a writer
may strive to give the clearest possible expression
to his thoughts, he will often — as was the case with
Lao-tsze — be completely misunderstood.
D
50 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
To us many of his opinions must ever remain
obscure and devoid of any solid foundation, and when
we regard him in the light of a practical reformer
rather than in that of a metaphysician, we shall
find him utterly wanting ; for although no ejfception
can be taken to his great precept, " Believe in God
and act in obedience to His laws," with respect to
the nature of those laws he is extremely vague,
unless we include in them the principle of laissez-
faire, as illustrated by the silent processes of nature,
upon which he set so great a value.
Whilst never mentioning Confucius by name or
making any direct allusion to his doctrines, it is
evident that he looked upon his great contemporary
as a dangerous innovator, whose inspirations were
derived from a polluted source, and the reader of
the Tio-tih-King is made to feel that many of the
passages were written for the purpose of refuting
fallacies which he believed would retard rather than
advance the return of mankind to those primitive
conditions which had marked the genesis of man's
social organisation.
I commenced by speaking of L^o-tsze as a Chinese.
But apart from racial peculiarities, I would warn the
reader against picturing the old Philosopher to him-
self as a Chinese of the present day, for with all the
continuous flow of that great nation from a source
LAO-TSZE AND HIS PERIOD. 51
lost in the obscurity of ages, change has asserted
itself in China as elsewhere, for never yet was there
a fashion which could be called eternal. The dress
was very different from that of the Tartar-compelled
costume now in use, as may be seen on the vases
which possess, or simulate, the stamp of antiquity ;
the greatest distinction being, perhaps, in the head
coverings and the mode of wearing the hair. In his
time, too, all classes sat habitually on mats, from
which, when seated in the presence of their master,
each disciple rose before venturing to address him.
But if time brings changes, it is quite certain it does
not always bring progress, for the barbarous and
cruel custom of crippling the feet of female children
was not introduced till nearly twelve centuries later
than the period in which Lao-tsze and Confucius
lived and taught. The impulses which produce
human action are indeed full of mystery. No suffi-
cient explanation has ever yet been given of the
causes which led up to the widespread adoption of
such a practice amongst a people who had for years
been capable of appreciating and professedly follow-
ing the precepts of teachers who enforced the most
exalted principles ; for where is anything higher to be
found than the " Return good for evil " of Lao-tsze,
and the " Do not to others what yx)u would not have
done to yourself" of Confucius.
52 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
I think it is hardly possible for anyone to read the
" T^o-tih-King " without much of it coming home to
him in a way which gives him a sense of having read
it before. Perhaps it is that much modern specula-
tion is fast crystalising into forms which have little
to distinguish them from the ideas promulgated by
the venerable historiographer of the Imperial Court
of Chow.
Let us therefore pronounce what opinion we may
on L^o-tsze and his writings, but do not let us forget
that some of his opinions — those indeed which we
find most difficult of comprehension — are not entirely
removed from the sphere of modern thought. As a
proof of this I would instance an article on criticism
in the Nineteenth Century for September 1890, in
which the writer says : —
" Yes, the contemplative life, the life that has for its aim not
doing but being, and not being merely but becoming, that is
what the critical spirit may give us. The Go'ds hve thus. . . ,
We, too, might live like them, and set ourselves to witness with
appropriate emotions the varied scenes that man and nature
afford. We might make ourselves spiritual by detaching our-
selves from action and becoming perfect by the rejection of
energy. . . . From the high tower of Thought we can look
out at the world."
Surely this approaches very closely to some of the
ideas entertained by L^o-tsze.
PART III.
THE TAO-TIH-KING
OR
THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE AND
MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD
THE TAO-TIH-KING,
OR
THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE AND
MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD.
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
God (the great everlasting infinite First Cause from
whom all things in heaven and earth proceed) can
neither be defined nor named.
For the God which can be defined or named is but
the Creator, the Great Mother of all those things of
which our senses have cognisance.
Now he who would gain a knowledge of the nature
and attributes of the nameless and undefinable God,
must first set himself free from all earthly desires,
for unless he can do this, he will be unable to pene-
trate the material veil which interposes between him
and those spiritual conditions into which he would
obtain an insight.
Yet the spiritual and the material, though known
56 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
to us under different names, are similar in origin,
and issue from the same source, and the same
obscurity belongs to both, for deep indeed is the
darkness which enshrouds the portals through which
we have to pass, in order to gain a knowledge of
these mysteries.
CHAPTER II.
When we have gained a knowledge of that which
constitutes beauty, we shall also have gained a know-
ledge of that which constitutes its reverse.
When we have gained a knowledge of that which
constitutes goodness, we shall also have gained a
knowledge of that which constitutes evil ; for all
things stand in a mutual relation to each other, and
so it has been said —
" Nothing and something
Are relative terms,
Easy and hard
Are the same ;
The long to the short
A proportion affirms.
Which the high to the low
Also claim.
The tones and the notes
Are but modifications,
And before and behind
Only changed situations."
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 57
Hence it is that the Sage works when apparently-
doing nothing, and instructs without uttering a word,
ever remembering how all things in nature work
silently together ; coming into being and possessing
nothing ; fulfilling the purpose for which they were
created without relying on the help of others ; ad-
vancing to maturity and yet unable to remain in a
state of completeness ; and yet it is because of this
very incapacity for continuance that they are able
to continue.
CHAPTER HI.
When men of high character are not promoted, the
people will not strive to follow their example; just
as when those things which are difficult to attain are
not valued, thieves will not care to steal them.
In like manner, when objects which would be
likely to excite evil desires are kept out of sight, men's
minds will not be disturbed by them.
Therefore it is that the wise Ruler, acting on these
principles, seeks to keep the minds of his subjects
free from evil thoughts, whilst at the same time he
fills their bellies with wholesome food ; and just in
proportion as he seeks to strengthen their bodies,
so does he endeavour to weaken their vicious in-
clinations. His unceasing aim is to prevent their
s8 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
gaining a knowledge of depravity and vice, but
should some, however, despite all his efforts, succeed
in doing so, he takes care that they shall not have
opportunities for making use of it, so that in the
end, all, without exception, are rendered amenable
to good government.
CHAPTER IV.
God is immaterial, and it is out of the immaterial
that He has created all things. Though we know
Him not in all His fullness, yet how deep and pro-
found He seems, as He stands before us as the Great
Universal Progenitor, who
" Blunts the sharp points.
Sets in order the tangles,
Attempers the light,
Brings the atoms together."
Oh, how pure and perfect He is, as He stands
before us as the Great Everlasting Preserver.
I know not His origin, but He would appear to
have existed before the Lord of Heaven was.
CHAPTER V.
Heaven and Earth do not act from motives of
benevolence, but all things in nature are dealt with
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 59
much in the same way as the artificial dogs stuffed
with straw, used in the sacrificial rites, are dealt with.
The Sages were not actuated by mere motives of
benevolence, hence they dealt with mankind much in
the same manner — that is to say, as instruments.
Heaven and Earth may be likened to the black-
smith's bellows, which seems to be empty when it is
at rest, but when it is set in motion a continuous
stream of air issues from it.
But not so with words, for much talking leads to
exhaustion ; therefore he who is wise knows when
to stop.
CHAPTER VI.
It was written of old —
" The Spirit of the Valley never dies ;
The mystic Mother, out whose pregnant womb
All things have issue. Hence, too, she is called
The Root of Nature. Only hold to this,
And there will need no labour for its use."
CHAPTER VII.
The fact of Heaven and Earth enduring, is a proof
of their having an innate capacity for endurance
which does not proceed from their own action or
initiative.
6o lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
So it is that the Sage becomes a leader of others,
though he keeps himself in the background ; pre-
serves his position, though he places himself on one
side ; and gains all he seeks for, though he has
neither private nor personal aims.
CHAPTER VIII.
Transcendent Goodness is like water.
Water is peaceful and extends its beneficent action
throughout Nature, not even disdaining those gloomy-
depths which the vulgar look upon with horror, for
water works much as God does.
Now, the term " Goodness " has a variety of appli-
cations. It may refer to the quality of the ground
upon which a house stands; or to profundity in a
thinker ; or to sincerity in a speaker ; or to well-
ordered government ; or to a capacity for doing ; or
to punctuality ; but it is only when goodness is used
in reference to freedom from contention that it can
be considered faultless.
CHAPTER IX.
It is easier to carry an empty vessel than a full
one.
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 6i
The point which ' is often felt after it has been
sharpened will soon become blunt.
The hall which is filled with silver and gold will
not long retain its contents.
He who bears wealth and honours arrogantly will
work out his own destruction.
When meritorious services have led to fame, it
is time to follow the heavenly rule and retire into
obscurity.
CHAPTER X.
He who makes the investigation of his spiritual
nature his chief object will be able to bring all
his studies to a focus, and this concentration of his
energies will render him capable of arriving at a
condition of sensibility to impressions similar to that
which belongs to a young child.
He who is able to wash himself clean from all
obscure and gloomy thoughts, will become sound in
mind, and — should he be a ruler — if he govern his
people on principles founded on love, he will be
able to remain in perfect repose and peace as he
watches the processes of Nature proceed around him.
He will be as the brood hen who carries on her work
when in a state of perfect rest ; and who, whilst the
light of intelligence may overspread the world, is
62 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
able, without knowledge, to procreate and nourish ;
to bring forth, and not retain possession ; to increase
and multiply, and not to hold in subjection ; to act,
and not to depend upon others for assistance.
Well indeed may this be called a deep and im-
penetrable mystery.
CHAPTER XI.
The thirty spokes of a chariot wheel and the nave
to which they are attached, would be useless, but for
the hollow space in which the axle turns.
The vase moulded out of clay, would be useless,
but for the empty space left for its contents.
The door and window frames of a house would be
useless, but for the empty spaces they enclose, which
permit of ingress and egress, and the admission of
light and air.
This teaches us that, however beneficial the
material may be to us, v/ithout the immaterial it
would be useless.
CHAPTER Xn.
The eye is dazzled by a variety of colours.
The ear is deafened by a diversity of sounds,
The taste is vitiated by a mixture of flavours.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 63
The mind is excited by excessive exercise,
And the character is ruined by seeking to be rich.
Hence it is that the wise man prefers to be
emotional rather than to be sensuous, and it is
through this that his perceptive faculties become
cultivated, so that he is able to arrive at just con-
clusions.
CHAPTER Xni.
There are two sayings which require explanation —
"Promotion and degradation alike give rise to
fear," and " Suffering and honour are alike corporeal."
The meaning of the first is, that he who has been
promoted lives in fear that he may be degraded,
whilst he who has been degraded is haunted by the
dread that his degradation may be continued.
With respect to the second saying, it means that
the sense of suffering is a consequence of corporeal
existence ; without a body there could be no bodily
pain, and for the same reason there would be no
personality on whom honour could be bestowed.
This is why he who does honour to his own person,
or he who bestows the same love upon others as he
does upon himself, may be entrusted with the govern-
ment of an Empire.
64 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
CHAPTER XIV.
That which you look at and cannot see, is called
" invisible."
That which you listen to and cannot hear, is called
" inaudible."
That which you seize upon and cannot grasp, is
called " intangible."
These three definitions are difficult of realisation
when taken singly, let us therefore try what can be
done by bringing them together and uniting them in
One.
The three negations now form a single combina-
tion, but if we scrutinise it closely, no matter in what
aspect we may regard it, we shall find nothing either
hidden or revealed ; and let us be careful not to
define it or give it a name, or it will escape from us
and become even more subtle than it was before.
This is what is meant by "seeking to define the
indefinable," and " to establish a resemblance between
things which have no real existence."
God is indeed a deep mystery. We cannot recog-
nise His presence ; if we advance towards Him we
cannot see what is behind Him ; if we follow Him
we cannot see what is before Him. Yet, if we would
gain a knowledge of our present lives, we must hold
on to the God of the Past, and the only clue which
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 65
will lead us up to Him is a knowledge of the pro-
cesses which formed the beginning of that Past.
CHAPTER XV.
The virtues of the olden time, as practised by the
Sages, come down to us in such an exiguous, indefinite,
and obscure form that it is very difficult for us to
understand them. I will however do my best to
make them clear.
That which the Sages took a pleasure in doing may
be likened to the wading across a swollen torrent in
mid-winter.
Their caution resembled that which is produced by
a fear of our associates and of those who live in our
neighbourhood.
Their carriage was as the bearing of a guest
towards his host.
Their self-effacement was as the melting away of
an icicle.
In their indignation they were rough as a piece of
unplaned wood.
Their influence was as far-reaching as the flow of a
mountain torrent, and like the torrent it became
turbid through its own movement.
Now who is there capable of cleansing the impuri-
ties of his nature by tranquillity and rest ? And who
66 lAO-TSZE, the great THINKER.
is there capable of producing a state of perfect repose
by the long-continued calm of a peaceful life ?
In conclusion : Those who affect to cherish these
principles, and yet have no desire to carry them out
in their entirety, will become capable of committing
vile actions, and so remain to the end of their lives
in an unreformed and imperfect condition.
CHAPTER XVI.
He who would reach the goal of perfect peace,
Must be devoid of self, and carnal thoughts.
For all in Nature stand before our eyes,
And we but watch the changes as they pass,
Returning to the state from whence they came —
That is to say, regaining perfect Peace
By working out the everlasting fate
Which each and all is bound to from the first.
He is enlightened who has well learned this ;
But he who knows it not will sink in sin.
He who knows of it will be tolerant.
And being tolerant is therefore just ;
But Justice is the function of a King,
And Royalty an attribute of Heaven,
And what is Heaven-like comes most near to God :
He who is God-like has eternal life.
And so his body passes without harm.
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 67
CHAPTER XVII.
In the days of the Great Sovereigns, the time-
honoured ones of antiquity, even the lower orders had
a knowledge of God, and acted upon that knowledge.
Their successors confined themselves to expressing
their admiration and love for Him.
Those who followed, only feared Him.
Then came those who were dissatisfied with Him.
Insufficient faith leads to no faith, and so there
came a time when there was such a falling-ofif, both
in their words and actions, that even the people were
led to say — " We are self-created."
CHAPTER XVIII.
It was when God had. been set aside, that virtue
and benevolence, wisdom and prudence were made
to take his place. As a consequence, there arose a
widespread spirit of deception, so that, at a time
when there was no harmony in the social relations,
filial piety and fraternal affection appeared to flourish,
and ministers claimed to be upright when the whole
fabric of the State was thoroughly depraved and
corrupt.
68 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
CHAPTER XIX.
If the world could but get rid of its wisdom and its
knowledge, the people would be a hundred times
better off; If it could but discard and get rid of its
virtue and benevolence, the people would at once
return to the practice of filial piety and fraternal
affection : If it could but get rid of its cleverness and
covetousness, there would be no thieves or robbers.
It may be considered that these three conditions
have not been set forth with sufficient clearness. I
will therefore give a summary of the practical effects
they would produce : Honesty and simplicity would
be encouraged, selfishness diminished, and covetous-
ness all but done away with.
CHAPTER XX.
There would be nothing very grievous in re-
nouncing study, for it matters very little, after all,
whether we use the character " wei " or the character
" ah " for yes ; and such knowledge cannot be com-
pared with that which enables us to discriminate
between good and evil, and to know that there is
a sense of fear in the human heart which cannot
be got rid of. Alas ! the world is overgrown with
THE tAO'TIH-KING. 69
weeds, and it is almost impossible to keep them
within due bounds. The mass of the people thrive
and enjoy themselves like cattle in a rich pasture,
and are as happy as he who stands on an elevated
terrace in spring. But I, alas ! am as a solitary
ship at anchor on an unknown shore, — like an infant
before it has advanced to the immaturity of childhood.
I stand alone amidst an innumerable host living
as if there were no return to the state from which
they came.
Yes ! It must be that the mass of mankind have
been granted a superfluity of gifts, whilst I, alone,
have been neglected and passed by, for my judge-
ment is weak and my mind is full of doubt.
The vulgar are enlightened and quick witted,
whilst I, cannot penetrate the darkness which
surrounds me.
The vulgar have knowledge and the spirit of
enquiry, whilst I, alas ! am full of despair and am
like the ocean which knows no rest.
The mass of mankind can find a reason for
everything, but my thoughts are foolish and of no
account.
Why do I thus differ from others and stand alone .'
It is because I honour and revere God — the great
Mother — to whom we owe our being and all that
supports life.
70 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
CHAPTER XXI.
The Supreme Good as manifested to us, is an
emanation from God — the creative principle of
God.
In the beginning there was nought but chaos. Oh,
how wild ! Oh, how obscure it was 1
Then out of its midst came forth forms ! Oh, how
wild ! Oh, how obscure it was !
Out of its midst came material objects. Oh ! the
stillness — Oh ! the darkness — Oh ! the stillness.
Out of its midst came forth the forms of life, —
perfect in subtlety.
Out of its midst came consciousness, so that from
then till now the knowledge of all this remains, and
we are enabled to see all that has happened in
the world pass in review before us.
Should I be asked, how it is that I have this
knowledge of the" beginning of all things, I give
all that I have now written as my answer.
CHAPTER XXII.
" To amend the depraved.
To straighten the crooked.
To fill up the hollows,
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 71
To renew the worn out, —
Is what few attain to
Though many attempt it."
It is because the Sage unites these powers in his
own person that he is rendered capable of becoming
a model for the whole world. He casts a bright
light around him, because he has no wish to shine ;
he stands out prominently from others, because he
is filled with humility ; and it is because he is
free from self-assertion, that his merit is ac-
knowledged. It is because of his self-abnegation
that his work endures, and it is because he is non-
contentious, that there is no power upon earth
capable of opposing him.
How then, may I ask, can the old saying I have
quoted be regarded as a mere repetition of empty
words .'' Verily, it is so comprehensive that it would
be difficult to find anything which is not included
in it.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Yet a few words which naturally suggest them-
selves.
What is it — I would ask — which causes the strong
breeze to blow itself out in the course of the morning,
and the heavy rain to cease before the close of
day .'
72 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
The answer is, the action of Heaven and Earth.
But Heaven and Earth, powerful as they may-
be, are incapable of enduring for ever ; and if this
be the case with them, how much more must it be
so with Man.
Remember however that the man who regulates
all his actions by a belief in God, will become like
unto God ; just as he who walks in the path of
virtue will become virtuous ; and he who pursues
a course of vice will become vicious.
But he who has become like unto God will be
a servant of God, whilst he who has become virtuous
will obey the dictates of virtue, and he who has
become vicious. will continue to be a slave to vice.
To have a weak faith is to have no Faith.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Just as he who raises himself on his toes is unable
to stand firmly, or he who straddles out his legs to
walk easily, so will he who sees nothing outside
himself be incapable of becoming intelligent. So,
too, it is, that he who thinks he is always right, will
never emerge from obscurity ; nor he who boasts of
his own merits, stand high in the opinion of his
fellows ; nor he who has no pity but for himself, live
long in the remembrance of others.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 73
Such modes of proceeding, when compared with
the divine principles of action emanating from God,
present themselves to us much as the off-scourings of
food and other loathsome matters held in universal
detestation might do.
Hence it is that the Godly man is careful to eschew
all such conduct.
CHAPTER XXV.
Before Heaven and earth were,
Naught but deep silence
Reigned o'er a void
Of endless immensity, —
Dead, for no breath
Of life had yet breathed there :
Oh, how silent, how void it was !
Then He the Infinite,
Perfect, Immutable,
Moved through this nothingness ;
He, the Creator,
The " Mother " of all things.
I, in my ignorance.
Knowing no name for Him,
Speak of Him only
As " God," the Eternal,
Thus in one word
74 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
Including His attributes :
He, the All-Knowing,
The All-Pervading,
Ever-existent ;
Near — yet so far off.
Man's laws are earthly,
Nature's are Heaven-born,
Yet one and both come
From God, the great Source
And Centre of all Law.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Gravity is the source of lightness, and rest the
controlling power of motion.
Therefore it is that the wise man does not — even
when making but a day's journey — separate from his
baggage-waggons, so that should a beautiful view
spread itself out before him, he rests a while, and then
continues his journey.
Hence, too, the Ruler who acts with levity, will lose
the subjects who form the very root of his power,
whilst should he act with undue haste, he will lose his
Kingdom.
CHAPTER XXVII.
A good walker moves lightly over the ground, and
his footsteps leave no trace.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 75
A good speaker is accurate and keeps his temper.
A good reckoner needs no tablets.
A good smith needs no wooden bars, yet the doors
he fastens cannot be opened.
A skilful joiner needs no cords to keep his work
together.
In the same manner, it is through the skill and
ability of the Sage, that his fellow-men are aided
without one of them being discarded or lost, and it is
the same when he deals with the brute creation or
material objects.
This is what is called being " doubly enlightened,"
and hence it is that the skilful man becomes the
unskilful man's master, and the unskilful man becomes
the skilful man's slave.
When the slave does not honour his master, and
the master does not love his slave, although they may
both have a knowledge of what is suitable, they will
be guilty of gross stupidity.
This may be considered an abstract of the leading
principles belonging to a very difficult and subtle
subject.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
" He who puts forth his strength
And keeps back his weakness,
Is like a deep river
Into which all the streams flow.
76 LAO-TSZE, THE CHEAT THINKER.
His virtue shall wane not
Until he is, once more,
As pure as in childhood."
" He who shows forth his light
And hides all his darkness,
Shall serve as a model
To all in the Empire.
Hence it is that his virtue
Shall be lasting and fail not
Till merged in the infinite."
" He who makes known his glory
And sets shame behind him.
Shall be like a valley
In which all take refuge.
Abounding in virtue
His gifts shall suffice him
Till restored to his elements."
It is out of the simple elements into which every
thing in nature resolves itself that all material objects
are formed : and in like manner the Sage, by making
use of the constituents he finds at hand, is able to
build up a stable government and establish laws,
which shall not be unduly severe on a substantial
basis.
CHAPTER XXIX.
He who seizes upon an Empire from ambitious
motives, will not succeed, for an Empire is a divine
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 77
institution, and he who thinks he has the power of
making it, will mar it; and he who thinks he has
the power of ruling it by mere force of will, will lose
it. For truly, as the old saw has it —
" While some advance
The rest retire,
While some inhale
The rest respire,
While some are weak
The rest are strong,
While some stand still.
The rest move on."
Therefore the Wise-man endeavours to keep within
due bounds, and avoid all exaggeration, luxury, and
extravagance.
CHAPTER XXX.
He who would assist a Ruler by the application
of principles proceeding from a knowledge of God,
is far more likely to succeed, than he who would
coerce an Empire by the adoption of stringent
military measures, for where large armies are es-
tablished, thorns and thistles grow apace, and where
they march, pestilence and famine follow in their
footsteps.
The wise ruler rests satisfied when he has gained
his point, and does not presume, because he has
succeeded, to adopt arbitrary measures ; neither does
So LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
that the people would no longer require to receive
orders from their superiors, but would be rendered
capable of controlling their own actions.
But when a name was given to the Great First
Cause, which has been continued to this day, the
knowledge I speak of became arrested, and we soon
cease to be familiar with that which is withheld
from us.
Ah ! if the right knowledge of God, were but
spread through the Empire, it would become like
the Ocean and great rivers into which the rivulets
and streams continuously flow.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
He who has a knowledge of other men, is in-
telligent, but he who has a knowledge of himself,
is enlightened.
He who gains a victory over other men, is strong,
but he who gains a victory over himself, is all
powerful.
He who is temperate is rich, but he who is energetic
has strength of purpose.
He who does not waste his vital powers, may live
long, but he who dies and is not forgotten, will be
immortal.
THE tAO-THH-KING. 8i
CHAPTER XXXIV.
How Infinite and all-pervading God is ! All nature
turns towards Him for support and sustenance, and
He withholds nothing. It is impossible to find a
name for His perfections. He bestows His love and
care on all that He has created, yet demands nothing
in return. Passionless and Eternal, His glory is
exhibited in the smallest of His works. All nature
reverts to Him, and though He seeks not to exalt
Himself He is revealed to us by His greatness.
Hence it is that the Sage, during the course of his
whole life, never seeks to be great, and this is why
he is able to reach the very pinnacle of greatness.
CHAPTER XXXV.
AH the people in the Empire will rally round the
Ruler, who is able to realise the grand conception
which belongs to God.
They will not only rally round him, but they will
cease from evil-doing and become calm, peaceful, and
contented.
He who entertains a guest with music and feasting,
will give him pleasure, and make him unwilling to
depart ; but shoald he open his mouth and speak to
8o lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
that the people would no longer require to receive
orders from their superiors, but would be rendered
capable of controlling their own actions.
But when a name was given to the Great First
Cause, which has been continued to this day, the
knowledge I speak of became arrested, and we soon
cease to be familiar with that which is withheld
from us.
Ah ! if the right knowledge of God, were but
spread through the Empire, it would become like
the Ocean and great rivers into which the rivulets
and streams continuously flow.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
He who has a knowledge of other men, is in-
telligent, but he who has a knowledge of himself,
is enlightened.
He who gains a victory over other men, is strong,
but he who gains a victory over himself, is all
powerful.
He who is temperate is rich, but he who is energetic
has strength of purpose.
He who does not waste his vital powers, may live
long, but he who dies and is not forgotten, will be
immortal.
THE TAO-TIH-K/NG. 8i
CHAPTER XXXIV.
How Infinite and all-pervading God is ! All nature
turns towards Him for support and sustenance, and
He withholds nothing. It is impossible to find a
name for His perfections. He bestows His love and
care on all that He has created, yet demands nothing
in return. Passionless and Eternal, His glory is
exhibited in the smallest of His works. All nature
reverts to Him, and though He seeks not to exalt
Himself He is revealed to us by His greatness.
Hence it is that the Sage, during the course of his
whole life, never seeks to be great, and this is why
he is able to reach the very pinnacle of greatness.
CHAPTER XXXV.
All the people in the Empire will rally round the
Ruler, who is able to realise the grand conception
which belongs to God.
They will not only rally round him, but they will
cease from evil-doing and become calm, peaceful, and
contented.
He who entertains a guest with music and feasting,
will give him pleasure, and make him unwilling to
depart ; but should he open his mouth and speak to
82 lAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
him of God, ah ! how tasteless and unattractive his
words would seem. But although what we see and
hear of God is so dim and indistinct, yet His power,
to those who seek to use it, is inexhaustible.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
That which is about to contract, must be in a state
of expansion.
That which is about to become weak, must be
strong.
That which is about to fall down, must stand up.
That which is about to be stolen, must be in its
place.
All this is but a vague way of saying : — Austerity
is overcome by gentleness, and strength is vanquished
by weakness. Hence it would be as idle to attempt
the reformation of a state by severe measures, as it
would be to try and catch fish in the depths of an
abyss.
CHAPTER XXXVn.
God is eterruUy at rest, yet there is nothing that
he does not do.
If kings and princes would but hold fast to this,
all under their rule would work out their own refor-
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 83
mation. But if after they had done this it might be
found necessary to act, I would control them by
adopting, as far as possible, those pure and simple
principles which belong to the Great Nameless One.
The simple nature of the Nameless One
Will free us from desire, and so give Peace,
And peaceful states, will govern best themselves.
PART II.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Virtue, is not the highest of all the influences which
emanate from God, and therefore it is that it exists.
It is not because of their having fallen away from
virtue, that the minor influences are secondary, but
because they are without it.
The higher influences are passive, and aimless.
The lower influences are active, and work with a
motive.
Transcendent benevolence is active, and works
without a motive.
Transcendent integrity is active, and works with a
motive.
Transcendent propriety is active, but when it is not
exercised it has to be enforced.
84 lAO-TSZE, the great THINKER.
Hence it came to pass that, when the knowledge
of God was lost, it was replaced by virtue ; that when
the knowledge of virtue was lost, it was replaced by-
benevolence ; that when the knowledge of benevo-
lence was lost, it was replaced by integrity ; and that
when the knowledge of integrity was lost, it was re-
placed by propriety. But propriety in itself is little
more than the counterfeit of sincerity and truth,
and becomes in consequence the frequent cause of
confusion and disorder.
From this it will be seen, that when we study the
past it presents itself to us under two distinct aspects
— that of a flower from God's own hand, and that of
the commencement of human folly, and so it is that
the Superior man seeks to establish himself on a firm
and substantial basis, and to avoid all that is weak
and frivolous. He endeavours to gather the fruit and
not the flower, and is consequently enabled to dis-
criminate between the good and the evil, the complete
and the immature.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
In the early days of the world, God was in close
union with —
The heavens, through their purity,
The earth, through its repose,
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 85
The gods, through their spirituality,
The vallies, through their fruitfulness,
Living creatures, through their fecundity,
Kings and Princes, that the world might be well
governed.
These were the causes which led to this union, for
— Without purity, the heavens would have been in
danger of being rent ; without repose, the earth would
have been in danger of becoming unstable ; without
spirituality, the Gods would have been in danger of
becoming extinct ; without fruitfulness, the vallies
would have been in danger of becoming deserts ;
without fecundity, living things would have been in
danger of dying out ; and without humility. Kings
and Princes would have been incapable of good
government, and would have been in danger of being
overthrown.
From this last we learn, that to honour the needy
and to exalt the lowly, is the very root and founda-
tion of all power, and it is for this reason that Kings
and Princes, when speaking of themselves, use de-
preciatory terms, such as " the fatherless one," or " the
lone one," or "the solitary one," and does not this of
itself show us, that they regarded humility as the
true foundation upon which all action should be
based. They knew that to lay down many
foundations, is to have no foundation, and so it was
86 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
that they had no wish to have either the dazzling
splendour of a precious gem, or the hardness and
incompressibility of a piece of stone.
CHAPTER XL.
Retrogression, is one of God's methods ;
Weakness, is one of God's agents.
All things in nature are born material, but the
material is evolved from the immaterial.
CHAPTER XLI.
When scholars of the highest grade, hear of the
doctrines based upon a belief in God, they do their
best to learn and practise them.
When scholars of average ability, hear of them,
they seek to preserve them for a time, whilst at other
times they give them no heed.
When the lowest class of scholars, hear of them,
they are turned into ridicule by the majority of them,
whilst to the remainder they are incomprehensible.
Hence of these it has been said —
" Their greatest brightness is but a dark shade,
Their feeble movements ever retrograde ;
They seek to rise, and grovel on the ground ;
Their highest virtue, in low depths is found ;
THE TAO-TIH-KING. S;
They would be pure, whilst wallowing in shame ;
They dare bestow, that which they cannot claim ;
Virtue the base, on which they fain would stand ;
Whilst rapine reigns, supreme throughout the land."
As a vast enclosure, the boundaries of which cannot
be seen ; as a great unfinished vessel, moving onwards
towards completion ; as a mighty voice, the tones of
which are rarely heard; as a great figure, without
form and void ; so God presents Himself to us in all
His namelessness and obscurity. But it is by God
alone, that all goodness is bestowed and perfected.
CHAPTER XLH.
One, was created by God. From One, came Two ;
Two, produced Three ; and from Three, all things
proceeded in a continuous succession, emerging from
darkness into light, and brought into harmony by
the divine afflatus.
As I have already said. Kings and Princes, when
speaking of themselves, do so in terms of disparage-
ment, such as " the fatherless one " or " the solitary
one," or " the worthless one," for : " He who humbleth
himself shall be exalted," and "He who exalteth
himself shall be humbled."
This is a principle which other men have taught,
and it is what I also teach. No opposition or
88 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
obstruction can destroy it, and this is why I have
made it the groundwork of my teaching.
CHAPTER XLIII.
The most yielding element in nature — water — can
dash against, and wear away, the most solid sub-
stances ; and it does not require a crevice, to enable
the immaterial to penetrate the material.
It was a knowledge of this, which first led me to
recognise the advantage of what may be called the
action of inaction, and the instruction to be conveyed
by silence. But there are very few people in the
world, who are capable of accepting the usefulness of
inaction.
CHAPTER XLIV.
Which is the best — the love of self, or Fame }
A life of pleasure, or an honoured name .'
Which is the evil most to be deplored,
The loss of riches or a plenteous hoard 1
Know this — that he, who gives way to desire.
Will burn his life out, in fierce passions' fire ;
And he whose mind is set on gems and gold
Will find them easier far to gain, than hold.
But with contentment, there is no disgrace,
And moderation, gives a long-lived race.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 89
CHAPTER XLV.
The wise man regards his greatest gifts as mere
broken vessels, which, though imperfect, are still
capable of being used.
However complete his knowledge, he looks upon
himself as so ignorant, that he lives in fear of being
reduced to extremities.
No matter how upright he may be, he is only-
conscious of his own depravity.
The honour he receives from others, has no other
effect than that of making him feel like a hypocrite.
And however eloquent he may be, he is painfully
impressed with the feeling that he is slow of speech.
Just as rapid exercise will warm us when we are
cold ; so will perfect stillness cool us when we are
hot.
Purity and peace, form the standard according to
which the whole world is regulated.
CHAPTER XLVI.
Were the Empire to be governed in accordance
with the divine principles emanating from God, swift
horses would only be used for work in the fields ; but
if it be not governed on those principles, war horses
will be bred on the frontiers.
90 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
There is no greater crime than inordinate desire ;
no greater misfortune than discontent ; nor anything
more blameable than covetousness. Hence the saying
that—
" He who is contented will always have enough."
CHAPTER XLVH.
Without going outside my own door, I can gain a
knowledge of the world ; and without looking out of
my own window, I can see the roads which lead up to
heaven, though the farther they recede from me, the
smaller they appear, and the less I know about them.
This it is which enables the Sage to reach the goal
without exertion, to find a name for that which he
does not see, and to bring his task to completion
when he is, apparently, doing nothing.
CHAPTER XLVni.
Study, will produce a daily increase of knowledge,
but a seeking after God, will lead to a daily diminu-
tion of the passions, and this diminution will steadily
continue till they cease to exist. Then it is that he
who has reached this point will find there is nothing
he is not capable of doing.
He who knows how to let things alone maybe-
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 91
come the Master of an Empire ; but he who is
always endeavouring to do something will fail
through want of strength.
CHAPTER XLIX.
The Superior Man has no rigid rules of conduct,
but acts in conformity with the views of those over
whom he is placed.
In my case, I act with equal kindness to all
whether good or evil, and thus all become good.
In like manner I equally accept truth and false-
hood, and hence all become truthful.
The Superior Man is in constant fear lest his
intercourse with the world should make him worldly :
The eyes of all the people are turned towards him,
and he in his turn looks upon them as his children.
CHAPTER L.
We issue into life, only that we may enter into
death.
Should thirteen represent the number of those
who come forth into life, then thirteen will represent
the number of those who go forth into death, and
thirteen of those who were born into the world will
92 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
have moved steadily onward, from the cradle to the
grave.
Why does life thus end in death ? It is, that life
can only be sustained by the expenditure of vitality.
Now, it was said of old that he who knew how to
maintain his vital powers, would be able to pass
without danger through a path infested by the
rhinoceros and tiger; and that he might go into
battle without having provided himself with either
armour or weapons, for the rhinoceros would not be
able to find a vulnerable spot in which to thrust his
horn, or the tiger a place into which he could dig his,
claws, or the soldier a weak point into which he
could drive his sword !
And why was this ?
Simply because he who was thus invulnerable, had
become so, through having destroyed the power of
death.
CHAPTER LI.
God gives us life ; and life is supported by the
gifts which emanate from Him. We are formed out
of the materials created by His hand, and perfected
by his power.
Therefore it is that all in the world bow down
THE TA0-T!H-KING. 93
before God and reverently meditate upon His nature
and attributes.
But the honour and reverence paid to God, is no
mere act of obedience to some command or decree,
but a spontaneous feeling which has existed through
all eternity.
For God creates and nourishes. He gives us
offspring and length of days, and it is through Him
that all things are sustained and protected, and
arrive at maturity and completeness.
God creates, and does not retain ; He acts, and has
no selfish motive ; He gives a continuous increase,
and does not assert His supremacy ; how truly
mysterious and inscrutable must, then, His nature
ever be to us.
CHAPTER LH.
In the beginning all things proceejded from God —
the Universal Mother — and we gain a knowledge of
Him through His works, just as we gain an insight
into the character of a mother, by studying that of
her children. Let a man but preserve and act upon
this knowledge of God, and then, although his body
may pass away, he will receive no harm.
He who is reticent, and guards himself against
outward impressions, will reach the end of life
94 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
without effort, but he who is careless in these par-
ticulars, will find that his whole life has been thrown
away.
Intelligence, is formed by minute observation, and
strength, by the conservation of the germs of vital
energy.
He who uses aright the light which has been
bestowed upon him, will enter into that state of
intelligence which is one of the chief attributes of
God, and his body shall be set free from all calamity
and suffering : — this is what is meant by " being
clothed with immortality."
CHAPTER LHI.
If, perchance, I should have sufficient knowledge
to permit of my walking in the Right Way, my
great fear would be as to my being able to induce
others to follow my example, for though the Great
Way is very easy, the people love to follow the
by-paths. Hence it is that whilst the palaces have
many steps, the fields are overgrown with weeds,
and the granaries hold no corn ; and that, too,
whilst the Princes wear gorgeous robes and sharp
swords, gorge themselves with food and drink, and
have a superfluity of wealth. This indeed may
be called the glorification of plunder, but it is very
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 9S
far from the practice of the principles emanating
from God.
CHAPTER LIV.
Those who build on a sure foundation — that is
to say, on the principles emanating from God — shall
be firmly established \ and for those who cling to
them, there shall be no falling away.
Their progeny shall be continued through suc-
cessive generations, and the sacrificial rights shall
never fail them.
They who cultivate these principles in their own
persons will become sincere ; extending them to
their families, they will flourish; spreading them
abroad amongst the villagers, they will multiply ;
making them the rule of government, the State
will become powerful ; and sowing them broadcast
over the Empire, they will spring up on every side
and produce a plentiful harvest of happiness and
prosperity.
Thus it is that —
" He who would know
His fellow-men,
Must learn to know
Himself, and then
In his own home
He e'er will find
96 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
All that he needs
To know, mankind.
He need not rove
His native State,
The outer world
Will illustrate.
And it is in
The Flowery land
He best will see
How empires stand."
If I should be asked how I know this ; all that
1 have now written would be my answer.
CHAPTER LV.
He who is largely endowed with the virtue which
emanates from God, may be liked unto a newly-
born babe, which fears neither the claws of a wild
beast, nor the stings of venomous insects, nor the
swoop of a bird of prey ; and which, although the
bones and muscles are still weak, has a firm grasp ;
whilst its state of perfect innocence is combined with
evidences of those future conditions which belong to
its virile nature. It may cry all day long without
its voice being injured, because those very cries form
a part of that harmony which governs its existence.
Who knows of this
Is the Unchanging One :
Who knows of Him
Sees clearly all the rest.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 97
If life have length,
It is no cause for joy,
For with each breath —
Tho' it may give us strength —
We ripen daily.
Moving on to death.
And this is why it is said we do not resemble
God, for there is nothing in the nature of God which
is transient.
CHAPTER LVI. '
He who knows God, does not talk about Him.
He who is always talking about God, does not
know Him.
He who knows God sets a watch over himself,
and acts in such a way as to bring himself into
a mysterious conformity with Him.
Hence he becomes invulnerable to either familiar-
ity or coldness ; to benefits or injuries ; to honour or
contempt ; and thus it is that the whole world pays
him homage.
CHAPTER LVn.
It is by justice, that a Kingdom is governed; by
stratagems, that soldiers are best made use of;
and by non-interference, that an Empire is gained
over. If you ask me how I know this, I answer : —
98 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
If in an Empire the people are hampered by-
restrictions and regulations, they will gradually be-
come poorer and poorer ; if they are only made the
means for producing wealth, there will be endless
confusion ; if they are made unduly intelligent and
skilful, society will become too artificial and luxuri-
ous ; and if the laws are too clearly defined, so that
they can be easily evaded, there will be an increased
number of thieves and robbers.
Hence it was the Sage said : — " I will let the people
alone, and they will reform themselves ; by loving
peace and justice myself, I shall teach the people to
follow my example ; through my non-interference
they will become rich, and from having no ambitions
of my own, I shall be able to teach them the advan-
tages which belong to a simple and contented life."
CHAPTER LVHI.
" The rule which to the world most grievous seems,
Is oft the one that with most blessings teems ;
That rule which is in all things most exact,
Not seldom fails through being void of tact."
How is it that misery so often proceeds from
happiness, and that happiness is so often found con-
cealed in the lap of misery ? Alas ! alas ! who can
tell what may be the end of either ?
To the unjust, justice appears in a strange garb,
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 99
and goodness, as the monstrous creation of a popular
delusion which takes a long time to die out. Hence
the Sage —
Would set all square and free from harm,
Be moderate and seek to calm,
Takes a firm stand nor wastes his might.
And shines, but with a softened light.
CHAPTER LIX.
In the management of men, and in the service of
Heaven, there is no quality of greater value than
moderation.
But this moderation is only one of a rich endow-
ment of virtues, which may be obtained by careful
training in youth ; there are no difficulties which
may not be overcome by a man who has been so
prepared, and it is impossible to say what he may
not attain to. He may even become the Ruler of his
state, and should he at the same time be possessed
by the Spirit of God, his reign will be a long one, for
the principle of longevity is shown by the experience
of all ages to be that — the root which strikes down
deepest will last longest.
CHAPTER LX.
There is, comparatively, as much care required in
cooking a small fish, as there is in the government of
a large State.
100 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
When the Empire is ruled in accordance with
divine principles, the malign influences are reduced
to inaction ; it is not that they have lost their power,
but that they are rendered incapable of using it in a
way that may be injurious to mankind.
They still possess the power of injuring mankind,
but since it is neither exercised by them nor by the
just Ruler, this mutual forbearance necessarily leads
to the establishment, and general acceptance, of those
perfect principles which emanate from God.
CHAPTER LXI.
A large State should be like a river running
through a plain, into which all the smaller streams
discharge themselves.
It should, in fact, imitate the conditions which have
been imposed by nature on the weaker sex ; for it is
by quiescence that the female attracts and receives
the homage of the male. Thus it is that if a large
State humbles itself before the smaller States, it will
gain their fealty, and if the small States humble
themselves before a large one, they will gain its
protection. The end being attained in both cases
by the same means.
The object sought for by the large State would be
aggrandisement, that of the smaller one protection.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. ioi
and both would have obtained that of which it had
the greatest need.
From this we plainly see that for the great, equally
with the small, humility has its advantages.
CHAPTER LXII.
God, is the universal refuge, the good man's
treasure, and the bad man's sustainer.
Now, eloquence may be profitable to the man who
possesses it ; and honourable conduct may conduce to
prosperity ; but by what means is it possible to get
rid of the efifects of a man's vileness .'
The Emperor may be seated on the throne, and
the power of the great feudatory States may be estab-
lished, yet neither he who grasps the sceptre with
both hands, nor he who takes precedence in a chariot
drawn by four horses, is equal to him who, without
moving from his seat, advances steadily God-wards.
How, let me ask, did the ancients seek to do
honour to God ?
Was it not by beseeching Him daily to pardon
their offences ? Yes, truly ! and that was the cause
of his being held in such universal veneration.
CHAPTER LXni.
When God is held in high honour throughout the
Empire, then its Ruler will do most, when appearing
102 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
to do least; work hardest, when apparently taking
his ease ; enjoy all things, without seeming to make
use of his senses ; turn the small into the great, and
the few into the many ; and requite evil with good*
He will make that which is difficult, easy, break up
the whole into its component parts, and dealing
with all the intricate questions connected with the
government of the Empire, in the same spirit, he will
find that they have been made comparatively simple.
Hence it is that a Wise Ruler, though he may not
seek to do great things, will be able to achieve them
by a minute attention to details.
Just as promises which are lightly made are lightly
broken, so are things which appear most easy to
accomplish often those which lead us most easily into
difficulties.
Therefore he who is wise looks at all things in the
light of their difficulties, and by so doing, he is sure, in
the end, to find that they can be overcome.
CHAPTER LXIV.
That which is at rest, is easily maintained in its
position.
That which has not been foreseen, is easily deliber-
ated upon.
* There is no emphasis on this sentence in the original.
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 103
That which is brittle, is easily broken.
That which is minutely divided, is easily scattered.
It is easier to prevent, than to suppress ; to estab-
lish a good government, than to restore it.
Remember that the tree which you can barely clasp
with both arms, has grown up from a filament almost
as fine as a hair ; that a tower of nine stories, rests
upon a small mound of earth ; and that a journey of
a thousand li, commences with a single step.
He who is in a state of unrest, will defeat his own
purpose, just as he who never relaxes his grasp, will
in the end lose his hold.
This is why the Sage prefers a state of inactivity,
for then he is neither unsuccessful or defeated.
When people take an active part in anything, they
are often unsuccessful through failing to remember,
that the conclusion of an affair, requires as much care-
ful consideration as it did at its commencement.
Hence the great aim of the Sage is to have no
desires ; to set no value on objects difficult to obtain ;
to learn and not merely to study ; and to avoid the
very popular error of endeavouring to assist the pro-
cesses of nature, which is what he never ventures upon
doing.
CHAPTER XLV.
Those in the olden time, who acted in accordance
with the principles emanating from God, did not
104 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
employ them as a means for enlightening the people,
but as a means for restoring them to a state of guile-
lessness and simplicity.
The greatest difficulty in governing proceeds from
the people knowing too much. Therefore it is, that
he who seeks to govern a Kingdom by increasing the
knowledge of the people, is an enemy to his country,
whilst he who seeks to govern a Kingdom without
endeavouring to make everybody wise, is its bene-
factor.
A knowledge of these two methods will give us a
standard for the regulation of our actions ; but the
eternal knowledge of which these regulating prin-
ciples are the outcome, belongs to the mysteries of the
Divine nature, which we are unable to penetrate ; yet
how deep and far-reaching they are, and how antago-
nistic to material ideas ! It is through them alone
that we arrive at harmony.
CHAPTER LXVI.
Why do the Oceans and great rivers exercise a
supremacy over the water channels and streams .'
It is because the Oceans and great rivers stand at
a lower level, and hence the rivulets and streams, are
compelled to become their tributaries.
In like manner the Sage, when he wishes to domi-
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 105
nate over a people, is careful to speak humbly to
them. When he wishes to lead, he keeps himself in
the background, and by so doing he gains his end
without having created a feeling amongst the people,
that they have been either injured or oppressed ; thus
the spirit of disobedience has no place, and the Empire
is filled with joy. He himself avoiding all strife, how
is it possible for others to contend with him ?
CHAPTER LXVn.
In the Empire all call me great ; but if this be true,
degeneracy must be greatness, and degeneracy and
improvement must have the same meaning. A puzz-
ling idea which it would take a long time to analyse.
Now I possess three treasures which I hold fast to
and cherish.
The first is love (such as felt by parents for their
children, by a householder for his home, or by a
patriot for his country) ; the second is thrift ; and the
third is humility, such as keeps me from striving for
the first place in the Empire.
It is this love which gives me courage ; it is
through this thrift that I am enabled to be liberal ;
and it is because I dare not aspire to become the
first man in the Empire, that it is rendered possible
for me to develop my character to its highest point.
io6 lAo-tsze, the great thinkef.
In the present day men seek to be courageous
without love; to be liberal without thrift; and to
occupy high places without huroilft;/. This is not
life, but death !
It is this love, which gives its pois-ssKyr the victory
in battle, and enables him to preserve that over
which he keeps guard.
For Heaven bestows the power of loving on those
it would succour and protect.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
The best leader, is not he who is most pugnacious.
The best fighter, is he who can control his temper.
The greatest victories, are those gained without
strife.
He who knows how to make himself subservient to
others, will be best able to make the best use of them.
This is what is meant when men speak of " acting
in a peaceful spirit " ; of " making the best use of
men's energies " ; and of " seeking to work in har-
mony with Heaven." Which last, the ancients re-
garded as the highest aim of all human effort
CHAPTER LXIX.
It was once said by a military leader, " When I
find I cannot act the host " — that is attack — " I play
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 107
the guest" — that is, act on the defensive — "and
when I find I cannot advance an inch, I retire an
ell."
So it is that we speak of " making progress " when
we do not advance ; of " holding our own " when we
have no hands to grasp with ; of " out-manoeuvring
the enemy " when there is no one to oppose ; and of
" defending our position " when we have no weapons.
It is a great misfortune to hold an enemy in con-
tempt, for it may lead to the loss of all that we
most value ; and hence it is that when soldiers en-
gage in close combat, the victory will belong to hirh
who is actuated by the highest motive — that is,
love for his family and country.
CHAPTER LXX.
Although my words are extremely simple and
easy to put into practice, yet, throughout the empire
they are neither understood nor acted upon.
Now all words proceed from some original source,
and all affairs are regulated by some controlling
power, and it is those who are ignorant of this who
ignore me.
Those who comprehend me are indeed few, but so
it is, I have the more honour.
io8 lAO-TSZE, the great THINKER.
It was because of this that the holy ones of old
clad themselves in hair-cloth, and hid their most
precious gifts in their bosoms.
CHAPTER LXXI.
A knowledge of our own ignorance, is a proof of
superiority, but ignorance of our own knowledge, is
nothing less than a mental malady, which, like all
other maladies, will be best escaped by those who
have a dread of the sufferings it will give rise to.
It was because the holy ones of old dreaded its
effects, that they never suffered from this malady.
CHAPTER LXXII.
Some great calamity will befall those who have no
abiding fear of that which ought to inspire awe.
Do not despise the place in which you dwell, or
be dissatisfied with your lot in life, for happiness
belongs only to the contented.
Hence the Sage studies himself, and does not
become selfish ; and cultivates self-respect without
becoming vain. It is this which renders him capable
of discriminating between right and wrong.
THE TAO-TIH-KING. 109
CHAPTER LXXIII.
He whose courage amounts to rashness, will lose
his life, but he in whom it is tempered with discretion,
will save it.
The one quality is prejudicial to its possessor, the
other is beneficial.
Who can tell why it is that Heaven holds anything
in abhorrence ? Even to the Sages this is a question
which presents the greatest difficulties.
These are the principles upon which Heaven is
said to act : —
"Without a fight
To gain the day,
Without a word
To enforce its sway,
Without a call
To draw all near.
Without a plan
To make things clear.
Heaven's net is vast.
Its meshes gape,
And yet, alas !
None can escape."
CHAPTER LXXIV.
If the people do not fear death, how can they be
restrained from crime by the dread of capital punish-
ment .'
iio lAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
But if the people are brought up in fear of it, then,
should a criminal be seized at once and executed,
none would dare to follow his example.
It is usual for the sentence of death to be carried
out by an officer appointed for that purpose. To act
otherwise is much as if a man set to work to chop
up wood instead of employing a woodcutter. The
chances are that if he did so he would cut his own
fingers.
CHAPTER LXXV.
When a Prince impoverishes his country by the
multiplication of taxes, the people will starve, and
there is nothing makes the government of a State
more difficult, than when the people know that the
cause of their suffering is to be found in the action of
their Rulers.
When the whole energies of a people are expended
on endeavouring to support life, they will make light
of death. But he who takes no heed of life, is wiser
than he who sets an undue value on it.
CHAPTER LXXVI.
Man, when first born, is weak and flexible, but in
death he becomes rigid and unbending.
THE tAO-TIH-KING. hi
Trees and plants, when they begin to grow, are soft
and easily broken, but when they die, they become
dry and rotten.
Therefore, hardness and rigidity, belong to death,
whilst softness and pliability belong to life.
Hence it is that the army which is wanting in
flexibility, will be defeated, and the tree which has
arrived at the solidity of maturity, will be cut down.
From this we see that tenderness and flexibility,
stand on higher ground tlian rigidity and strength.
CHAPTER LXXVn.
Heaven acts in much the same way as the archer
does. The archer, when about to use his bow, raises
the end which was undermost, and lowers the end
which was uppermost ; and - corrects his aim by
reducing the elevation should it be too great, or by
increasing it should it be too small. In hke manner,
heaven diminishes the superfluous, and adds to that
which is incomplete.
But man's mode of action is very different, for he
takes from those who are in need in order to increase
the superfluities of the ricli ; and it is he, alone, who
is influenced by a knowledge of God, who is rendered
capable of applying that which he doth not lack to
the wants of others.
112 LAO-TSZE, THE GREAT THINKER.
Hence the Superior man does not rely on his own
action, or stand upon his own merits, or blazon forth
his own goodness.
CHAPTER LXXVHI.
Of all that there is soft and yielding in nature,
there is nothing softer or more yielding than water ;
yet for the reduction of hard substances there is
nothing can surpass it.
This proves that the strong can be mastered by the
weak, and the hard and inflexible by the soft and
yielding.
Yet though this is universally known, how rare
it is to find anyone capable of giving it a practical
application.
Hence it was once said by a Sage : —
"The fields are spread over with filth, and the
fructifying power it produces is spoken of as 'the
Spirit of the harvest.'
"The land is full of misery, and the regulating
force it necessitates is called ' the Sovereignty of the
State.' "
These are apparent contradictions, but they are
none the less true.
THE tAO-TIH-KING. 1 13
CHAPTER LXXIX.
When a great quarrel has been made up, a certain
degree of soreness will remain, and the question is,
how this soreness can best be put an end to.
It was a consideration of this kind, which made the
Sage retain the left hand corner of a bond, after he
had relinquished his claim upon it ; for though to the
virtuous man, a bond is sacred, the vicious man, often
uses it as an instrument of extortion.
Though Heaven is ever impartial, it is always found
on the side of the good.
CHAPTER LXXX.
Were I the ruler over a small and sparsely-peopled
country, though I should provide arms for some tens
or hundreds of my subjects, I would take care that
they were not required to be used.
I should bring up my people in the fear of death,
and endeavour to deprive them of any wish to
emigrate; and though they might possess boats
and carriages, I would not allow them to be used
for travelling ; neither would I permit them to make
any public display of their armour or weapons.
I would try and make my people return to a state
of primitive simplicity, like that of the time in which
knotted cords were used instead of writing, so that
H
114 lAo-tsze, the great thinker.
their food would seem sweeter, their clothing better,
their houses more comfortable, and their lives brighter
to them.
Should the frontiers of another state lie so close
to mine, that the crowing of the cocks and the barking
of the dogs in the one, could be heard in the other,
I would so arrange it, that the two peoples should
arrive at old age, and die, without any intercourse
having ever taken place between them.
CHAPTER LXXXI.
The language of Truth is not always elegant, whilst
well-turned phrases often lack truth.
A Good man may not use choice words, but he
who does so may not be good.
A Wise man may not be erudite, whilst he who is
erudite may not be wise.
The Superior man does not garner up his know-
ledge, hence he is able to help others, and the more
he gives out of his own store, the more there will
remain.
The principle upon which Heaven acts, is to benefit
all, and to injure none.
The principle upon which the Superior man acts,
is to avoid being contentious.
THE END.
APPENDIX.
ON THE MEANING OF THE TITLE OF LAO-TSZE'S
BOOK— THE TAO-TIH-KING.
Having, for reasons which have been sufficiently stated in the
preface, arrived at the conclusion, that the only satisfactory
rendering of the character " Tdo " as used by Lio-tsze is that of
the word " God" the difficulties which have caused so much
vexation of spirit and divergence of oi)inion amongst previous
translators at once disappear ; and the second character " tih "
readily lends itself to the rendering " virtue of" i.e., " nature
of" which I have adopted. But inasmuch as Lio-tsze has not
confined himself entirely to considerations connected with that
one subject, but has mingled with them many reflections on the
moral consequences which a knowledge of God must inevitably
produce, I have thought it better to enlarge the somewhat
meagre simplicity of the text, by the addition of a word "mani-
festations," so as to give the reader a clearer and more compre-
hensive idea of the subject matter which the old Chinese
philosopher was endeavouring to enforce. Of course it is
needless to make any reference to the third character, " King"
which is only a term applied to all classical works. Neither do
I think it necessary to enter into a criticism of the various
translations of the title, which have hitherto been adopted by
my predecessors.
ii6 APPENDIX.
CHAPTER I.
When the initial difficulty connected with the word " Tdo "
has been disposed of, the text naturally lends itself to some
such form of words as I have adopted.
In making an independent translation of the " Tdo-tlh-King"
my first object has been to seize upon the idea sought to be
conveyed by Lao-tsze, and then to find a form of words which
would render it intelligible ; and this latter is no easy matter,
for the style of the original is so meagre and abrupt, that the
passages, with respect to words, are often little more than
skeleton forms, which have to be elaborated and filled up in
order to give them such an amount of coherence as will make
them intelligible. I have endeavoured, however, whilst doing
this, to preserve as far as possible the peculiar characteristics
of the Chinese writer's style and diction.
CHAPTER II.
The portion I have treated metrically is also so rendered by
V, Strauss.
CHAPTER III.
I have translated "/«JA tsdng" by '■'■•will not strive" in the
sense of " will not emulate " — approaching nearer to Dr Legge
in this, than to either Stanislas Julien or v. Strauss.
CHAPTER IV.
The chief difficulty in this chapter proceeds from the opening
sentence, " Tdo cKung urh yitng che.'' In chapter forty-five
" ck'u7zg" is said to mean "empty," though that is only one of
many meanings, and Dr Legge translates the passage : — " The
Tdo is {like) the emptiness of a vessel and in our employment of
it. . . ." and Stanislas Julien by : — " 2Le Tdo est vide, si Ton
en fait usage . . ." and v. Strauss by : — Tdo ist leer, und
APPENDIX. 117
gebrauch er dess . . ." But as I read the passage in connection
with the context and the general scope and intention of the
chapter, it becomes, literally : — " God being unsubstantial made
use of it," — referring evidently to the act of creation — " and
though we only have an imperfect knowledge of Him, . . ." and
so on to the end. The only change I have made has been to
substitute '' immaterial " for " void," " empty " or '' unsubstan-
tial," in order to bring the subject matter into harmony with
that of preceding and following chapters.
It is worthy of remark that this is the only instance in which
any allusion is made to the " Lord of Heaven ; " and from the
way it is introduced, there can be but little doubt that it was
directed against the teaching of Confucius, for in the estima-
tion of Lao-tsze, that great Teacher, amongst other short-
comings, had been guilty of falling away from a belief in the
T4o— that is to say, in God — as professed in the earliest ages
of mankind, and of accepting, as a substitution, the inferior
conception of a corrupt age — " the Lord of Heaven."
CHAPTER VI.
This chapter is given by the philosopher Lieh-Tsze (400 B.C.)
as a quotation from Hwang-tih, and Dr Legge, in his indro-
duction to the " Texts of Tioism," when referring to this,
observes that the Chinese commentator Tu TAo-kien (about a.d.
1300) remarks, in connection with this chapter, " that Lslo-tsze
was accustomed to quote in his treatise passages from earlier
records."
" The Spirit of the Valley " is evidently the creative energy
of God, the productive exercise of which is referred to here, as
well as in Chapter I., as an act of " Motherhood ; " consequently
God the Creator, as formulated by L^o-tsze, became not the
"Father" of all things, as with us, but the "Mother,"
though the application of this term was confined within certain
limits, for the masculine energies of his nature seem to have
been equally recognised ; indeed it would have been impossible
"8 APPENDIX.
for Lio-tsze to have set aside the conviction that the action of
the male and female principles of nature — the " Yang" and
the " Yin " — was universal, and even extended in some myste-
rious way to the Great First Cause — the incomprehensible
" TAo:'
CHAPTER X.
The obscurities which confessedly belong to this chapter, have
certainly not been diminished by the changes made in the text
by the Tioist commentators, as will be seen by a reference to
the translations of Dr Legge, Stanislas Julien, and Victor v.
Strauss — all of whom have adopted them.
I have preferred to adhere to the original, and though my
rendering of the opening sentences might be modified, I believe
any change would be more in the direction of the arrangement
of the words, than in the meaning.
"The opening and shutting of the portals of heaven" is
evidently a figure of speech, which I have rendered by " the
processes of nature ; " and the remarkable simile of the " brood
hen" would lose all point and meaning were she not made
the subject of the succeeding sentences. Indeed, without this
treatment, the object Lio-tsze had in view, which was to enforce
the doctrine of " inaction," or more strictly speaking of " non-
interference," is entirely lost, and we should be without the key
to much that would be otherwise incomprehensible in other
portions of his work.
It is evident that Lio-tsze was always endeavouring — strug-
gling would be the better word — to be as explanatory and clear
as possible, whilst his commentators were never weary of finding
some occult meaning in his most simple words.
CHAPTER XIV.
The three characters which I have translated by " invisible^'
" inaudible" and " intangible" are the ones which v. Strauss-
following Remusat— considers to be a Chinese rendering of
APPENDIX. 119
three of the letters comprised in the Hebrew word Jehovah.
Neither Dr Legge nor Stanislas Julien accept this view, and I
think their arguments against it are conclusive.
CHAPTER XV.
This is evidently a continuation of the preceding chapter. In
translating "hwan" by "self-effacement," I have followed
Stanislas Julien. In other cases where I have differed from my
predecessors, I have been governed in the choice of words by
the necessities of the context. The dictionaries often give a
large number of very diverse meanings, and the great difficulty
a translator has to deal with is to know which one is most
applicable— that is to say, best fulfils the conditions of the
subject he has in hand. The meaning of the original has not
only to be carefully preseved, but it has to be transmuted into
the best idiomatic English the translator is capable of presenting
it in.
CHAPTER XVI.
See p. 96 of " Confucius, the Great Teacher." I have re-
tained this metrical version as best conveying the meaning
and character of the original.
CHAPTER XVII.
The key to the opening sentences of this chapter, is to be
found in the closing paragraph of the preceeding one, of which
it is evidently a continuation. In the second sentence — " hea chi
yA che " — Dr Legge has substituted the negative "piiA " for
" Aea," observing that " it does not affect the meaning of the
passage," but as I read it, it does so very materially, by not
only altering its whole tenour, but by preventing the chapter
itself from being brought into harmony with the three following
ones, to which it may be considered as the introduction.
APPENDIX.
CHAPTER XX.
I have adhered as closely to the text as possible, though I
have not always succeeded in bringing my version into absolute
agreement, with the work of my predecessors ; but the differ-
ence is only in detail.
CHAPTER XXL
I have given this chapter as it appeared in " Confucius, the
Great Teacher," as I found after many trials that I was unable
to better it.
CHAPTER XXII.
I have followed v. Strauss in treating the opening sen-
tences of this chapter as a quotation. Dr Legge does not,
though he refers to them, in accordance with the original, as
quoted, in his closing paragraph.
The chief difficulty is connected with the two last lines of the
quotation —
" Shadtsih tih
To tsih kwd."
Dr Legge, in agreement with Stanislas Julien, interpolates
" desires " and translates — " He whose (desires) are few gets
them ; he whose (desires) are many goes astray." Stanislas
Julien — " Avec peu (de desirs) on acquiert le Tio ; avec
beaucoup (de desirs) on s'dgare." Victor v. Strauss — " wenn
wenig, so werd'erreicht ; wenn viel, so werde verfehlt." But
none of these renderings appear to me to fulfil the necessary
conditions, which are demanded by the application of the
quotation in question, to the action of the Sage. I have en-
deavoured to do this without departing from verbal accuracy.
CHAPTER XXIIL
Dr Legge translates the opening sentence — " He-pn tsze-jen "
— by " abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the
APPENDIX. 121
spontaneity of his nature.'' Stanislas Julien by — " celui qui ne
parle pas (arrive au) non agir. V. Strauss by — " wenig reden
ist naturgemass." In each case the rendering of Chinese
commentators having been followed. But the reading I have
adopted for this passage is so natural, and so close to the
original, that I can find no good reason for discarding it ; indeed
I have been impressed most strongly with the feeling, that in
every case L4o-tsze — however he may have failed — endeavoured
to be as clear and lucid as possible, and that in no instance is
the difficulty of translation attributable to his having either
sought to convey, or to conceal, by the use of mystic terms,
occult ideas only capable of being comprehended by the
initiated.
CHAPTER XXV.
I have adhered very closely to the version of this chapter
which appeared in " Confucius, the Great Teacher." My
rendering of the opening sentences is based upon the translation
given of them both in Medhurst's and Morrison's dictionaries
under the character ^^ hwan," "things were confusedly mixed
before Heaven and Earth were." I must confess to my version
approaching nearer to a paraphrase than a literal translation,
but I have, not the less, endeavoured to convey the meaning as
accurately as possible, whilst preserving so far as was in my
power the peculiar style belonging to the text.
Of all the chapters in this work, this is one of the most in-
teresting and remarkable.
CHAPTER XXVII.
I have followed S. Julien in translating " skik-ming" as
" doubly enlightened," which seems to agree best with the
dictionary meaning given to " shW^ In translating " cht" by
" a knowledge of what is suitable," I have again followed the
dictionary. The last passage, which Dr Legge renders, "This
is called ' The utmost degree of mystery,' " has assumed the form
122 APPENDIX.
which I have given it, from the meaning which is attached to
" Yaou " — " an abstract of the most important " — in Morrison's
dictionary.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
I have followed the example of both Dr Legge and v. Strauss
in rendering this chapter metrically.
CHAPTER XXXI.
The pacific tone of this chapter is very remarkable ; but it is
in accordance vnth the teaching, which in the course of ages,
made the Chinese the least warlike, and the most peace-loving
people in the world.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The passage which I have rendered "he who dies and is
not forgotten will be immortal " Df Legge translates — " he who
dies and does not perish will have longevity," in agreement
with S. Julien. But — " is not forgotten " is as literal as " does
not perish," and under the conditions in which " Show " is used
it seems to me that " immortality " best conveys its meaning.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The dictionary meaning of " heih," which I have translated
" to contract," is given as " to snuff up the nose," " to draw in
the breath,'' but as "chang" lends itself most readily to the
sense I have given it, I have thought it better to bring the two
words into agreement by sacrificing a small amount of literal
accuracy. " Wei ming^' " the lustre of the moon," is evidently
used metaphorically for "obscurely," "faintly," &c., and it is
thus I have used it.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
In the opening sentence I have translated "■woo-wei" by
" rest," but am not satisfied with it, and yet " inaction," which
APPENDIX. 123
would be more accurate, hardly gives a better meaning. Dr
Legge adopts " does nothing (for the sake of doing it)," which
is open to criticism. In many cases it evidently means " non-
interference," in others " influence " as opposed to active effort.
Perhaps in the present instance " quiescent " might be the best
word. Again, "simplicity" might be taken exception to as the
equivalent of " Po" but it is extremely difficult to find anything
better.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
This, the first chapter of the second book, has to be read in
connection with the eighteenth chapter, but even then it is very
difficult to get a clear idea of Lio-tsze's meaning. Dr Legge
and Stanislas Julien give a personal application to what he says,
but V. Strauss does not, and I have followed his example. It is
very puzzling to know when " tlh " is to be treated as a Divine
attribute, and when it is to be taken as a moral virtue. Lao-tsze
himself does not always seem to have made up his mind about
it, and it is at times almost impossible to find out the exact
meaning he attached to "e-it/et," "yu-e-wei" and woo-e-ivei,"
for it would produce the wildest confusion were they always to
be translated by the same terms.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
I have translated the character "yu " in the last paragraph
by "a foundation," which is one of the meanings given in
Medhurst's dictionary.
CHAPTER XL.
Perhaps the most correct translation of the opposites "yew "
and "wod" would be existent and non-" existent," but as used
in this chapter, it is difficult to avoid rendering them as I have
124 APPENDIX.
done, which also brings them in harmony with the mode of
treatment adopted in the first chapter.
CHAPTER XLI.
Victor V. Strauss extends the metrical quotation to the end of
this chapter, but Dr Legge excludes the last two sentences ; he,
too, renders the rest metrically. I had at first followed his
example, but the oftener I read this chapter over, the more I
became convinced that the verses cited as written by the
"phrase" or "sentence makers," were confined to the limits
I have given them, for although the following lines have the
same metrical construction, the ideas conveyed in them are so
entirely those of Lao-tsze, that to have accepted them as having
been put forward by another, would go a long way towards
placing him in a secondary position, and almost reduce him to
the condition of a plagiarist ; and I selected prose for this
latter portion as conveying far more closely and clearly the
meaning of the original. In order to prove how much it would
have lost in force, I give my metrical version for comparison : —
As a vast space
Whose bounds evade the sight.
As a crude vase
Which ever grows in height.
As a deep voice
From which rare words escape,
As a huge figure
Void, and free from shape,
So stands before us
He who has no name.
The mystic cause
From whence all goodness came.
CHAPTER XLII.
This is the chapter which led some of its first translators to
the conclusion that L4o-tsze had a knowledge of a triune God.
APPENDIX. 125
But even amongst those who did not share this opinion, there
exists a wide difference as to the exact meaning belonging to
the opening sentences. I do not pretend to be able to present
a solution of the difficulties by which the subject is surrounded,
or to adjudicate between the different commentators who have
dealt with it, preferring to set forth the text as I find it. Though
I must confess to seeing no reason why the opening paragraph
should mean more than a reference to the evolution of the first
created unit, through the employment of the natural energy of
the Great First Cause, into an infinite variety of forms.
The passages which I have translated by " He who humbleth
shall be exalted " and " He who exalteth shall be humbled,"
could, of course, if taken by themselves, have been rendered,
word for word, by — " Things may either, through making them-
selves small, become great, or by making themselves great,
become small," but they have to be brought into agreement
with what precedes, the keynote of which is to be found in the
latter portion of chapter xxxix.
I have translated " IChedng leang chay puh tih ke see " by
" no opposition or obstruction can destroy it," which is suffici-
ently near, for literally it would be, " Violent obstruction would
be unable to obtain its death," whilst it completes the meaning
of a chapter which has, in my opinion, been made unnecessarily
obscure.
CHAPTER XLV.
Both Dr Legge and v. Strauss translate this chapter met-
rically. I endeavoured to follow suit, but found I could not
keep sufficiently close to the text to give a clear idea of its
meaning, so I gave it up.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
In my translation of the second sentence I have followed
S. Julien.
126 APPENDIX.
CHAPTER XLIX.
In the second paragraph Dr Legge substitutes " tHh," to
" obtain," for " Hh," " virtue," and I have adopted his reading,
though I am not quite sure that the latter might not be used as
a verb in the sense of " to make a virtue of." My translation of
the closing paragraph is most in agreement with that of Victor
V. Strauss.
CHAPTER L.
The commentators have done their best to make this chapter
hopelessly obscure. My version comes nearest to that of
V. Strauss.
CHAPTER LI I.
Had I been more literal, my version would have commenced
in some such way as this : — " In the beginning of the world
God manifests Himself as its Mother, and it was not until the
world had obtained a Mother that it became possible to gain a
knowledge of that Mother's offspring. But it is only through
the knowledge of the offspring that we are enabled to restore
and preserve a knowledge of the Mother, and he who is . . ."
and so on.
I have taken the phrase, " Sih kh'e t'huy pS kh'e mun"
figuratively, for I believe it to have been used in that sense,
and I have translated "join" which has the meaning of " plants
and trees just budding forth," as well as that of "flexible,"
" pliant," " still," and " quiet," by — " the germs of vital energy,"
which, though it may not quite give the idea sought to be con-
veyed, is something very like it.
Dr Legge has translated the last paragraph metrically, but
v. Strauss has not. The latter renders the closing sentence,
" Shi wet sMh ck'hang," much as I do.
CHAPTER LIIL
As used in the beginning of this chapter, the character " T&o "
is evidently used for the " Path " or " Way," meaning, of course,
APPENDIX. 127
" God's path," " God's way," but in the last sentence it seems to
me best rendered by the form of words I have adopted.
CHAPTER LIV.
Neither Dr Legge or v. Strauss treat the same portions
metrically ; some portions lend themselves more readily to
metrical treatment than others, and by this the translator's
choice is often guided. I cannot, however, conceal the fact,
that under the exigences of rhyme, it is all but impossible to
keep close to the original.
CHAPTER LV.
This is a very peculiar chapter, and it would be impossible to
translate some of the passages in the same terse, outspoken
language which belongs to the original ; though I have equally
preserved the idea contained in them. Without the introduc-
tory " which fears neither " the comparison with the new-born
babe appears meaningless, and in this I have followed S. Julien.
In the opening sentences Dr Legge and v. Strauss are at
variance.
CHAPTER LVI.
As in chapter Ivii. I have treated the passage " Sih kk'e t'huy
pe kh'e mun " as figurative ; when translated literally it becomes
very unmanageable.
CHAPTER LVII.
I have translated "Ching" by "justice," but "straight-
forwardness'' would be more exact, and probably the better
word.
CHAPTER LIX.
By substituting "/z2A,» to "return," for "/^/%," to "use," to
"employ," to "cause to be done," &c., Dr Legge has com-
128 APPENDIX.
pletely altered the meaning of the second paragraph. I have
not attempted a hne by line translation, but after much care-
ful examination, I could not find my way to a more accurate
rendering of the text, as a whole, than the form of words I have
adopted.
CHAPTER LXII.
I think this chapter shows more conclusively than any other,
the necessity of translating the word " 7iS(7," as generally used
by Lao-tsze, by God.
CHAPTER LXin.
This chapter is obviously a continuation of the preceding one,
hence my treatment of it.
CHAPTER LXIV.
My rendering of the last three sentences differs from that of
Dr Legge ; but then I read it literally " To repeat the fault
which is committed by the mass of mankind of assisting the
natural processes (or self-development) of nature, (is that) which
he dares not do ; " and this accords with what has previously
been said on the same subject.
CHAPTER LXV.
I have treated the concluding paragraph as impersonal : it
being, as I read it, a record of the impressions which were pro-
duced on Lio-tsze's mind by a sense of failure, for it will have
been observed that he often endeavours to veil his own want of
clearness by bringing it into contrast with the impenetrable
obscurity which surrounds his great central idea — the mystery
of God.
APPENDIX. 129
CHAPTER LXVII.
Dr Legge, in accordance with the views of several Chinese
commentators, translates the fifth character in the first sentence
— the ordinary meaning of which is the personal pronoun " I "
— by '' my Tao," but I have preferred to follow S. Julien and v.
Strauss.
I have interpolated the definition of " love," according to the
sense in which the word was employed by L4o-tsze in this
chapter. Perhaps " affection " would have been a better word :
Dr Legge translates — " tenderness.''
CHAPTER LXVIII.
Dr Legge translates this chapter metrically, but v. Strauss
does not, and I have followed his example.
CHAPTER LXIX.
The literal translation of the sentence " Ho muh ta yii king
theih " is " there is no greater misfortune than to esteem an ad-
versary lightly," and this is the sense in which I have rendered
the passage. I have rendered " Gae" in the last sentence by
"love," in the same sense. as that in which it was used in
chapter Ixvii, ; for the other meanings, such as " pity " or
" compassion," are scarcely applicable to the conditions of the
text.
CHAPTER LXXIL
A great diversity of opinion exists as to the terms in which
this chapter should be translated. I have been satisfied with
giving the general idea which L4o-tsze was seeking to convey,
but cannot pretend to literal accuracy.
I
130 APPENDIX.
CHAPTER LXXIII.
In my translation of this chapter I have adhered as closely
as possible to the text, treating the several passages as detached
thoughts jotted down as they occurred to the writer, though
they always stand in a certain relation to each other. I have
followed V. Strauss in rendering the last paragraph metrically,
and as a quotation, though the last point is rather doubtful.
CHAPTER LXXIV.
Dr Legge translates " Chang yii tze ska chay sha " by " there
is always One who presides over the infliction of death ; " v.
Strauss by — " Immerdar giebts einen Blutrichter, der da
todtet ; '' and S. Julien by — " Il-y-a constamment un magistrat
supreme qui inflige la mort."
CHAPTER LXXVI.
Although in the closing sentences the same word " K'heang "
is applied to both an army and a tree, it is evident that they
cannot be translated by identical terms in both cases.
CHAPTER LXXVI II.
Here I again find myself at variance with my predecessors.
Dr Legge translates the quotation at the end of the chapter
metrically, and his''rendering is very different from mine. The
first sentence in it — " show kwo che kow " — means literally " to
receive the kingdom's filth, and " sMj/-iseik" has the meaning
of the " spirits of the fields and grain." In like manner I read
" show kwo eke piih tseang" " the misery of the State,'' so that
word for word the quotation would be —
" The receiver of the nation's filth is called the spirit of the land and
corn ;
The receiver of the nation's misery is called its king."
APPENDIX. 131
But such an enlargement of the text as I have given it is clearly-
needed to make it comprehensible.
CHAPTER LXXX.
The reading I have adopted seems the most natural construc-
tion to put on the passage " She yii shih ;pih che Khe urh puh
yung" : it is most in agreement with S. Julien.
CHAPTER LXXXI.
It is very difficult to do justice to the natural simplicity of
style which belongs to this chapter. I have endeavoured to
adhere as closely to the text as possible, but in this chapter, as
in many others, I fear I have not always been successful in
finding the most suitable form of words, but in the words of Lio-
tsze, " well-turned phrases often lack truth.''
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