The Ma-wang-tui texts differ from all later editions of the Lao-tzu in having a ch’ieh (“and yet,” “and moreover”) between “constantly” and “fear” in lines 1, 3, and 4. That is to say, in most later texts the phrase is “constantly did not fear” in line 1 and “constantly feared” in line 3 (the first part of line 4 does not occur in later editions). Most scholars working on the Ma-wang-tui texts of the Lao-tzu seem to ignore this ch’ieh and treat these lines as if it were not there (e.g., D. C. Lau translates the relevant lines, “If the common people are constantly unafraid of death,” “If the people were constantly afraid of death,” and “If the people are constantly afraid of death”). I prefer to read the ch’ieh in its normal grammatical way, and I think that “constant behavior” is meant to contrast with the “behaving in abnormal ways” (wei-ch’i) brought up in line 3. Note that Lao-tzu feels that people should (or naturally do) fear death; at present they do not because their lives are being made so miserable by their rulers (on this point see the next chapter).
The “If (jo) at the head of line 1 does not occur in later editions; hence the first line of the chapter is often translated as a firm statement (e.g., Chan has “The people are not afraid of death”). Also in line 2, the standard text has “death” (ssu) in place of “execution” (or “killing”—sha).
Line 4 in the standard text simply reads, “We constantly have the one in charge of executions to do the killing.” (Note that the phrase “to do the killing” is not tacked on to this line in the Ma-wang-tui texts.) The “one in charge of executions” here is normally understood to be Heaven or “Nature”; that is, the good ruler will let death occur naturally to his people and not execute them at will.
In line 5 the standard text says, “this is called cutting wood …” (shih-wei) instead of “this [is like] cutting wood …” (shih).
Finally, in the last line the standard text says something like “in a very few cases will there be those who do not hurt their hands” (hsi-yu) versus the Ma-wang-tui reading of “very few do not hurt their hands” (hsi).
[CHAPTER 75]
1 The reason why people starve,
2 Is because they take so much in tax-grain.
3 Therefore they starve.
4 The reason why the common people cannot be ruled,
5 Is because their superiors have their reasons for acting.
6 Therefore they cannot be ruled.
7 The reason why people take death lightly,
8 Is because they so avidly seek after life.
9 Therefore they take death lightly.
10 Only those who do not act for the purpose of living—
11 Only these are superior to those who value life.
COMMENTS AND NOTES
Texts A and B are essentially the same. There is a “period” at the start of line 1 in Text A and also at the start of line 7.
In the standard text lines 2 and 8 agree with line 5 in saying “their superiors” (ch’i-shang) instead of just “they” (ch’i); this is no doubt implied in the Ma-wang-tui texts, but the meaning could be confusing—it is not readily apparent who the “they” are in lines 2 and 8.
The word “take” (ch’ü) is omitted in line 2 in the standard text and simply implied.
In lines 4 and 6 the standard text has “The reason why the people are difficult to rule (or order)” (nan-chih) instead of “cannot be ruled (or brought into order)” (pu-chih).
In line 5 in the standard text the word “reasons” is omitted in the phrase “have their reasons for acting” (yu i-wei) and the phrase would be better translated as “have actions” or “take action.”
Finally, the last two lines are somewhat awkward grammatically in Chinese with a change in subject (in the Ma-wang-tui texts as well as later texts). Literally they say, “Only those who do not act with living in mind, Only this is worth more than valuing life.”
[CHAPTER 76, TEXT A]
1 When people are born, they’re supple and soft;
2 When they die, they end up stretched out firm and rigid;
3 When the ten thousand things and grasses and trees are alive, they’re supple and pliant;
4 When they’re dead, they’re withered and dried out.
5 Therefore we say that the firm and rigid are companions of death,
6 While the supple, the soft, the weak, and the delicate are companions of life.
7 If a soldier is rigid, he won’t win;
8 If a tree is rigid, it will come to its end.
9 Rigidity and power occupy the inferior position;
10 Suppleness, softness, weakness, and delicateness occupy the superior position.
COMMENTS AND NOTES
There is a “period” at the start of line 1 in Text A.
Text B is like the standard text in omitting the words “weak and delicate” (wei-hsi) in lines 6 and 10. Text B agrees with the standard text in having “Therefore” (shih-i) at the head of line 7. Text B also has a “Therefore” (ku) at the start of line 9.
At the end of line 8, Text B has ching (normally “compete”) where Text A has “end up” or “come to its end” (as in line 2, reading heng as keng), while the Wang Pi text has “it will be used as a weapon” (ping) and most texts say, curiously, “it will work together” (kung). The variant that makes the most sense here is one that occurs in just a few texts, che (“broken”); i.e., “If a tree is rigid it will be broken” (as in a storm). Chou Tz’u-chi makes the plausible suggestion of reading the ching in Text B to mean “strong” but also “lying down stiffly” (as in death).
In line 2 in the standard text, the words “end up stretched out” do not occur. And at the head of line 5, the standard text simply says “Therefore” (ku) instead of “Therefore we say” (ku-yüeh).
[CHAPTER 77]
1 The Way of Heaven is like the flexing of a bow.
2 The high it presses down; the low it raises up.
3 From those with a surplus it takes away; to those without enough it adds on.
4 Therefore the Way of Heaven—
5 Is to reduce the excessive and increase the insufficient;
6 The Way of Man—
7 Is to reduce the insufficient and offer more to the excessive.
8 Now, who is able to have a surplus and use it to offer to Heaven?
9 Clearly, it’s only the one who possesses the Way.
10 Therefore the Sage—
11 Takes actions but does not possess them;
12 Accomplishes his tasks but does not dwell on them.
13 Like this, is his desire not to make a display of his worthiness.
COMMENTS AND NOTES
Line 1 in Text A has “the world” (t’ien-hsia) where Text B has “Heaven” (t’ien), but I think this is a mistake. Text A is like the standard text in line 6 in adding the words “then is not so” (or “is not like this”—tse pu-jan). Only about one-half of Text A now remains; missing are portions of lines 1, 5, 6, 7, and 13, and all of lines 10, 11, and 12.
The “Therefore” at the start of line 4 does not occur in the standard text. Instead of “increase” (i) in line 5, the standard text has “add on to” or “supplement” (pu, as at the end of line 3), and in place of the “and” (erh) in line 7 the standard text has “in order to” (i).
At the end of line 8 all other known editions of the Lao-tzu have “offer it to the world” (feng t’ien-hsia where the Ma-wang-tui texts have “offer to Heaven.” The variant “world” on the surface seems better, though the Ma-wang-tui line also makes sense. The Ma-wang-tui copyists may have mistakenly omitted the hsia after the t’ien. It also seems possible that the correct word was wu (“not have,” “those without”—the two characters look much alike) in which case the line would read, “Now, who is able to have a surplus and take it to offer to those who have nothing?”
Line 11 in the standard text is “Takes actions but does not rely [on them]” (pu-shih instead of fu-yu). Line 12 begins, “His tasks are accomplished” (kung-ch’
eng instead of ch’eng-kung—on which see chapter 17, below). And the words “Like this” are omitted from the head of line 13.
[CHAPTER 78]
1 In the whole world, nothing is softer and weaker than water.
2 And yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing can beat it,
3 Because there is nothing you can use to replace it.
4 That water can defeat the unyielding—
5 That the weak can defeat the strong—
6 There is no one in the whole world who doesn’t know it,
7 And yet there is no one who can put it into practice.
8 For this reason, the words of the Sage say:
9 To take on yourself the disgrace of the state—this is called being the lord of [the altars of] earth and grain;
10 To assume responsibility for all ill-omened events in the state—this is called being the king of the world.
11 Correct words seem to say the reverse [of what you expect them to say].
COMMENTS AND NOTES
Each state in early China had its “altars of earth and grain” where sacrifices to agricultural deities took place; hence any state ruler was a “lord of the altars of earth and grain.”
What remains of Text A seems to indicate that Texts A and B were exactly the same in the case of this chapter, with the exception of some insignificant grammatical changes. Parts of lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are now missing from Text A.
Lines 4 and 5 are reversed in the standard text, and for “water” in line 4 the standard text has “the soft.”
The “And yet” (erh) at the head of line 7 is not found in the standard text, but it is an attested variant.
For line 8, the standard text has “Therefore the Sage says” (rather than “the words of the Sage” sheng-jen chih yen—also a known variant). The Ma-wang-tui reading is superior since the “correctness” of these “words” is noted in the last line.
Finally, in line 10 the standard text has “this is to be” (shih wei) instead of “this is called” (shih wei), but “this is called” is a common variant in this line.
[CHAPTER 79, TEXT A]
1 To make peace where there has been great resentment, there is bound to be resentment left over.
2 How could this be regarded as good?
3 Therefore the Sage [holds] the right tally yet makes no demands of others.
4 For this reason, those who have virtue are in charge of the tally;
5 Those without virtue are in charge of the taxes.
6 The Way of Heaven has no favorites,
7 It’s always with the good man.
[7a Virtue—3,041 (characters)]
COMMENTS AND NOTES
Line 7a is found only at the end of Text B. Text B is like the standard text in having the word “holds” (chih) in line 3; the word is simply implied in Text A. Also, Text B is like the standard text in saying “the left tally” where Text A has “the right,” the right and left tallies being two halves of a contract that has been split in two, one half being kept by the buyer, and one half by the seller.
The Text A reading of “right tally” in line 3 is significant since the general practice in ancient China was for the superior partner in a contractual arrangement to hold on to the right-portion of the contract while the inferior partner held on to the left. That the Sage according to Lao-tzu kept the “left” portion (the reading in the standard text and in Text B) has been understood in two different and contrasting ways, one being that Lao-tzu says in chapter 31 that in auspicious affairs the “left” is superior while in affairs of mourning the superior is the “right” (so the Sage here would be in the superior role), the other being that Lao-tzu here as elsewhere naturally puts the Sage in the inferior position. (The argument is also made that for people of Ch’u, in contrast to people in other parts of China, the left was the superior position as opposed to the right.)
My own feeling is that the point being made is that even though the Sage is in the superior role and all others owe a lot to him, he makes no demands on others, never asking them to live up to their part of the bargain, and in this way causes no resentment. Therefore I feel that “right” here in Text A is the right word.
The “Therefore” at the head of line 4 does not occur in the standard text, but it is a common variant.
The “taxes” in line 5 (ch’e) refer to taxes in tithe. Those without virtue, in contrast to the Sage, will indeed insist that the people pay up.
Text B indicates a total of 3,041 characters in this part of the text and 2,426 characters in the Tao part that will follow. Thus we assume that when the text was fully preserved, Ma-wang-tui Text B had a total of 5,467 characters. The present Wang Pi text of Lao-tzu has only 5,268 characters and the present Ho-shang Kung, 5,281. But Hsieh Shou-hao’s Hun-yüan sheng-chi (completed in 1191) preserves the words of Fu I (A.D. 554-639), where he claims he had available to him versions of the text with 5,722, 5,635, 5,683, and 5,555 characters. (For more on this point, see Henricks, 1985, p. 31.)
TAO
(THE WAY)
[CHAPTER 1, TEXT A]
1 As for the Way, the Way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way;
2 As for names, the name that can be named is not the constant name.
3 The nameless is the beginning of the ten thousand things;
4 The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.
5 Therefore, those constantly without desires, by this means will perceive its subtlety.
6 Those constantly with desires, by this means will see only that which they yearn for and seek.
7 These two together emerge;
8 They have different names yet they’re called the same;
9 That which is even more profound than the profound—
10 The gateway of all subtleties.
COMMENTS AND NOTES
There is a “period” at the start of line 1 in Text A.
Though there is a lacuna at the beginning of line 5 in Text A, the “therefore” occurs here in Text B, and there seems no reason to doubt that it originally occurred here in Text A as well. The same is true for “gateway” (men) in the last line. The second part of line 1 and the first part of line 2 are missing from Text B; so, too, is the second part of line 5. For the rest, Text B is exactly the same as Text A with the exception of a few variant characters, homophones that do not affect the meaning.
The grammatical form of lines 1 and 2 in the Ma-wang-tui texts differs from that of the standard text, that difference resulting in the additional phrase at the start of each line—“As for the Way” and “As for names.”
Note that in the Ma-wang-tui texts in line 3, the nameless is the beginning of the “ten thousand things,” not “Heaven and Earth,” as most texts have it.
Line 6 in the standard text has “Those constantly with desires, by this means see ch’i-chiao,” its “boundaries” (or “outcomes”). The Ma-wang-tui texts add the particle so (“that which”) to this phrase—that is, they have ch’i so-chiao, and the chiao used is a different character, one that means “to cry” or “to wail.” The particle so requires a verb to follow it, and the character that means “border” as a noun means “to seek” or “desire” as a verb, and this is the reading I use. Also on this line, the word “only” is not found here in the Chinese, and some read lines 5 and 6 as both positive things the Taoist should do (i.e., he sees things completely only by both having and not having desires). I find that position untenable given all that Lao-tzu says about desires and the need to lessen them or eliminate them in the rest of the book.
The possibility of punctuating the text in such a way that “nonbeing” (wu) and “being” (yu) would be the focus of lines 5 and 6 instead of “without desires” (wu-yü) and “having desires” (yu-yü)—Wing-tsit Chan, for example, has “Therefore let there always be nonbeing, so we may see their subtlety, And let there always be being, so we may see their outcome”—seems precluded in the Ma-wang-tui texts by the fact that wu-yü and yu-yü
are grammatically set off for emphasis.
The end of the chapter is worded somewhat differently in the Ma-wang-tui texts than it is elsewhere—here we clearly seem to have four four-character lines.
[CHAPTER 2]
1 When everyone in the world knows the beautiful as beautiful, ugliness comes into being;
2 When everyone knows the good, then the not good comes to be.
3 The mutual production of being and nonbeing,
4 The mutual completion of difficult and easy,
5 The mutual formation of long and short,
6 The mutual filling of high and low,
7 The mutual harmony of tone and voice,
8 The mutual following of front and back—
9 These are all constants.
10 Therefore the Sage dwells in nonactive affairs and practices the wordless teaching.
11 The ten thousand things arise, but he doesn’t begin them;
12 He acts on their behalf, but he doesn’t make them dependent;
13 He accomplishes his tasks, but he doesn’t dwell on them;
14 It is only because he doesn’t dwell on them, that they therefore do not leave him.
COMMENTS AND NOTES
Line 1 in Text A is not exactly the same: the difference might be translated as “When everyone in the world knows the beautiful is beautiful …”—in any event, the difference is slight (mei wei mei instead of mei chih wei mei). Missing from Text A are the words from “practices” in line 10 to the end of the next line. Text A omits the negative in the last line, giving “Just because he dwells on them, therefore …” That must be scribal error, since the line makes little sense in this way.
Lao-Tzu- Te-Tao Ching Page 12