Daoist Cultivation, Book 8: Dao De Jing by Lao Zi : The Daoist Classic - Tao Te Ching

The second edition was released on January 10, 2025.
If you bought this book before 2025, contact us for a free e-book.

If you're looking for more than just a translation — and want a profound commentary from the perspective of Neidan (Internal Alchemy) — then take a look at Book 15 in this series: Dao De Jing: The Dao of Inner Alchemy – A Neidan Guide to the Classic of the Way and Virtue: https://a.co/d/jegC33G

Dao De Jing is the most famous Daoist text, written by Lao Zi 2500-2300 years ago. Many translations exist, so you might wonder: Why do I need another?

I’d like to explain my reason for creating this translation. After sharing a section about breathing techniques from my Book 1 on Facebook, someone commented that Dao De Jing, chapter 55, expressly warns against interfering with the breath. I replied that this was incorrect and that breathing techniques are part of Daoist teachings. The commenter then referenced the Gia-fu Feng translation. Upon checking the translation, I found the line, Controlling the breath causes strain. However, when I looked at the original Dao De Jing, I noticed the word breath wasn’t present; instead, the character Qi (氣) was inaccurately translated as breath. Moreover, this line contradicts the other statements in Chapter 55, which highlight benefits for a person, making the translation misleading.

The original line 心使氣曰強 means Using the mind-heart to control Qi is strong and powerful. This has a different meaning. Despite over a hundred English translations, many can be misleading. I couldn't check them all, so I decided to translate it myself.
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For those who know Chinese, here is a detailed analysis:

In chapter 55 we have the next 4 lines:
知和曰常
知常曰明
益生曰祥
心使氣曰強
These lines follow a structure: if X, then Y. They likely convey a similar meaning, whether positive or negative. Given the preceding sentences in Chapter 55 outlining benefits, their meaning should align.

知 和 曰 常 - Knowing harmony is called constancy
知 常 曰 明 - Knowing constancy is called enlightenment
Translation is clear; no analysis needed. Next two:

益生日祥
益 - benefit; increase; prosperous. It relates to hexagram 42 (increase) with a positive meaning. Also means “gradually.”
生 - life. In ancient times, health and longevity methods were called 養生 (yang sheng), meaning nourishing life.” The combination of 生 and 益 (increase, benefit) suggests that this phrase refers to life-nourishing methods, connecting to the next line featuring the character 氣 (Qi - energy)
日 - call; name
祥 - main meaning: “good luck, happiness.” Rarely, it relates to funerals: 'Xiaoxiang' (小祥) is the first anniversary of a parent's passing, while 'Daxiang' (大祥) is the second. This meaning contrasts with 益, so we focus on its primary meaning: “good luck, happiness.”

I want to highlight Chapter 78, which includes the phrase 受國[之]不祥, translating to Whoever takes upon himself the misfortunes of the world. The character 祥 typically has a positive connotation, but with 不 (not), it shifts to misfortunes, emphasizing its primary meaning. This supports my translation of 益生曰祥 - Benefiting life is called luck/happiness - and its link to the next line 心使氣日強

心使氣日強
心 - heart-mind
使 - to make, to cause, to enable, to use, to employ
氣 - Qi. This character reinforces the assumption that the line refers to yang sheng methods, where Qi-energy is actively used
日 - call; name
強 - strong, powerful, better, vigorous, violent
“Using the mind-heart to control Qi is called being strong and powerful.”

Thus, we have established connection between these two lines and their positive meaning: “Benefiting life is called luck/happiness. Using the mind-heart to control Qi is called being strong and powerful.”