Dao De Jing - Chapter 4


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Translation and Commentary by Nina


	Dao De Jing Chapter 4 Dao is constantly emptying itself, and those who find it useful are without a need to be filled up. It's as bottomless as an abyss! It began before any living cell. It smoothes down sharp edges. It unties what's tangled. It softens the harsh glare. It settles the dust. It's unfathomable! Perhaps it began before anything was created. We don't have any idea whose child it could be. It seems to have preceded the first concept of existence. Commentary: 4 - When Did Dao Begin? This chapter seems a little out of place. Since it’s saying more about Dao, it might have been better placed after Chapter 1 - “What Is Dao.” However, The Laozi inserts chapters like these throughout the book - maybe they’re little reminders to us that Dao can’t be defined, and to look at everything we’re reading here as a process. Scientists try to determine when life on this earth began, and even to set a date for the creation of the universe. Religion tries to explain the creation of the universe based on the existence of a God. We each look at our own existence in terms of when we were born. If we remember that Dao is a process, and not a thing, how could it have a beginning? -Dao is constantly emptying itself, and those who find it useful are without a need to be filled up. Since Dao is a process, it doesn’t retain anything. If the process of motion and evolution tried to hold on to anything, change wouldn’t occur. Most people do try to hold on to things - like situations they feel comfortable with and beliefs they’ve come to cherish. Those people probably wouldn’t cuddle up to the idea of Dao. They don’t want to let go - of anything. Those who can find the most use for the ways of Dao are people who realize there’s much more enjoyment in not trying to be filled up all the time. When we empty ourselves of stuff we no longer need, that makes room for more fresh stuff to come in and delight us. -It's as bottomless as an abyss! -It began before any living cell. -It smoothes down sharp edges. -It unties what's tangled. -It softens the harsh glare. -It settles the dust. Seeing Dao as a process rather than as an object, it’s easier to understand how it works, and how that process can work in our own lives. - The process smoothes down sharp edges - what might have once seemed to be harsh and abrasive to us can suddenly become soft and smooth. A traffic jam suddenly clears and we're sailing down the highway. - The process unties what's tangled - confusion and bewilderment can turn into understanding. We often experience those "Aha!" moments. - The process softens the harsh glare - what appears to be an insurmountable problem eventually dissipates. Moments when we just want to get into bed and pull the covers over our heads don't last forever. - The process settles the dust - it makes all the pieces of daily life in this world fit together. Even though we don't understand how this world can continue due to the disasters people create, life does go on. How does this relate to our own lives? Maybe The Laozi is telling us that we shouldn't be so disrupted by every little thing that happens to us throughout the day. We're connected to a process that will eventually cause everything to work itself out. -It's unfathomable! -Perhaps it began before anything was created. -We don't have any idea whose child it could be. -It seems to have preceded the first concept of existence. The ancient Chinese had different theories and beliefs about how the world came into existence, just like we do today. They also had many debates and arguments trying to prove which theory was the correct one. The Laozi stated that Dao existed before the universe came into existence, before any concept of a Creator entered people's minds. People created the concept of a Supreme Being for a variety of reasons - mostly to give them some sense of purpose and feel that there was some “thing” that ruled and controlled everything that happens. It was some “thing” they could trust in when bad stuff happened, or to pray to for better times. It’s hard for most people to disconnect from that image and see Dao as a process - not as a God. Alternate translation: Dao doesn’t hold onto anything, and people who appreciate it don’t want to keep holding on to old opinions either. It can’t hold on to anything because it’s bottomless. Stuff would fall out of it really fast. It’s been around forever. It’s a process that: Allows what can cut you to become harmless; Allows what can confuse you to work itself out; Allows what can shock you to drift into the mist. It makes everything fit into place. How could anyone understand something that could do all those things? Maybe that’s because it was around before we got here with our endless questions. Was it created by something - like God? Nah. It was around before people felt the need to create the idea of God. Dao Is Open Site Map \| BY: Nina \| Guodian Laozi \| DDJ Concordance \| Comparisons \| Who was Laozi \| \| Return Home \| Laozi's Dao De Jing \| Your Dao De Jing \| Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) \| Links \| Meditation \| Dao (Tao) is Open Forum \| Book List \| Other Stuff \|