第十四章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 14

The Way cannot be seen, heard or grasped; holding to it, one knows the ancient beginning.

视shì之zhī不bù见jiàn名míng曰yuē夷yí，

Look for it, it cannot be seen. It is called the distant.
听tīng之zhī不bù闻wén名míng曰yuē希xī，

Listen for it, it cannot be heard. It is called the rare.
搏bó之zhī不bù得dé名míng曰yuē微wēi。

Reach for it, it cannot be gotten. It is called the subtle.
此cǐ三sān者zhě不bù可kě致zhì诘jié，故gù混hùn而ér为wéi一yī。

These three ultimately cannot be fathomed. Therefore they join to become one.
其qí上shàng不bù皎jiǎo，其qí下xià不bù昧mèi。

Its top is not bright; its bottom is not dark.
绳shéng绳shéng不bù可kě名míng，复fù归guī于yú无wú物wù，

Existing continuously, it cannot be named and it returns to no-thingness.
是shì谓wèi无wú状zhuàng之zhī状zhuàng，无wú物wù之zhī象xiàng。

Thus, it is called the formless form, The image of no-thing.
是shì谓wèi惚hū恍huǎng。

This is called the indistinct.
迎yíng之zhī不bù见jiàn其qí首shǒu，随suí之zhī不bù见jiàn其qí后hòu。

Go to meet it, you cannot see its face. Follow it, you cannot see its back.
执zhí古gǔ之zhī道dào，以yǐ御yù今jīn之zhī有yǒu，

By holding to the ancient Way, you can protect yourself from present confusion.
能néng知zhī古gǔ始shǐ，是shì谓wèi道dào纪jì。

And know the primordial beginning. This is called the very beginning thread of the Way.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 14, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
视	shì	to look at
之	zhī	it, them (object)
不	bù	not
见	jiàn	to see
名	míng	to name
曰	yuē	is called, to say
夷	yí	the invisible, the even
听	tīng	to listen
闻	wén	to hear
希	xī	faint, rare; sparing
搏	bó	to grasp at
得	dé	to get, to obtain
微	wēi	subtle, minute
此	cǐ	this, these
三	sān	three
者	zhě	one who, that which
可	kě	can be
致	zhì	to reach, attain
诘	jié	to probe, to question
故	gù	therefore
混	hùn	to merge, blended
而	ér	and, and then
为	wéi	to be, to count as
一	yī	the One
其	qí	its, his, their
上	shàng	top, above
皎	jiǎo	bright
下	xià	low, below
昧	mèi	dark, dim
绳绳	shéng shéng	endless, unbroken
复归	fù guī	to return again
于	yú	to, at
无物	wú wù	no-thing
是	shì	this
谓	wèi	to call, to be called
无状	wú zhuàng	the formless
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
状	zhuàng	shape, form
象	xiàng	image, form
惚	hū	elusive, indistinct
恍	huǎng	vague, shadowy
迎	yíng	to meet, to face
首	shǒu	head, front
随	suí	to follow
后	hòu	back, after
执	zhí	to hold, to grasp
古	gǔ	antiquity, ancient
道	dào	the Way
以	yǐ	in order to
御	yù	to manage, to steer
今	jīn	now, the present
有	yǒu	presence, what is
能	néng	can, to be able
知	zhī	to know
始	shǐ	the beginning
纪	jì	the thread, the rule

Compare: James Legge (1891)

We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable.' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible.' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle.' With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One.

Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure. Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again returns and becomes nothing. This is called the Form of the Formless, and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable.

We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back. When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue of Tao.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 14

Chapter 14 describes the Way by what the senses cannot do with it. Looked at, it is not seen; listened for, it is not heard; reached for, it is not grasped. The three names this gives it, 夷, 希 and 微, the invisible, the faint and the subtle, cannot be examined one by one, so they merge into one.

The chapter piles up negative descriptions: above it is not bright, below it is not dark; it goes on without end, cannot be named, and returns to no-thing. It is the form without form, the image without a thing, the indistinct (惚恍). Met head-on, it shows no face; followed, it shows no back.

The close turns from description to use: hold to the Way of old to manage what exists now, and know the ancient beginning; this is called the thread of the Way (道纪). The silk manuscripts found at Mawangdui read 执今之道, the Way of today, where Wang Bi's text has 执古之道; this site keeps Wang Bi's. The indistinct returns in chapter 21, and the Way that cannot be seen or heard in chapter 35.

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Meaning of chapter 14