Chapter 14

视之不见

Chapter Translation

视shì之zhī不bù见jiàn，

名míng曰yuē夷yí；

听tīng之zhī不bù闻wén，

名míng曰yuē希xī；

搏bó之zhī不bù得dé，

名míng曰yuē微wēi。

此cǐ三sān者zhě不bù可kě致zhì诘jié，

故gù混hùn而ér为wéi一yī。

其qí上shàng不bù皦jiǎo，

其qí下xià不bù昧mèi。

绳shéng绳shéng不bù可kě名míng，

复fù归guī于yú无wú物wù。

是shì谓wèi无wú状zhuàng之zhī状zhuàng，

无wú物wù之zhī象xiàng，

是shì谓wèi惚hū恍huǎng。

迎yíng之zhī不bù见jiàn其qí首shǒu，

随suí之zhī不bù见jiàn其qí后hòu。

执zhí古gǔ之zhī道dào，

以yǐ御yù今jīn之zhī有yǒu。

能néng知zhī古gǔ始shǐ，

是shì谓wèi道dào纪jì。

a> What you look at but cannot see is called ‘transparent’; what you listen to but cannot hear is called ‘rarified’; what you grab at but cannot grasp is called ‘minute’. These three cannot be probed through, thus they are conflated to one.

b> Its top is unshining, its bottom not darkened – endless, it cannot be named. Returned to a state without things, it is called the form of no form, the image of no things; it is called the indistinct.

c> Encountering it you do not see its head; pursuing it you do not see its back. Grasp the dao of the past to steer what there is today.

d> To be able to know the beginning of the past is called the guideline of the Dao.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.