Taking the single step ... - Printable Version +- RunningCommentary.net Forums (http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum) +-- Forum: Training Diaries (Individuals) (http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=5) +--- Forum: OutAlongTheRiver (http://www.runningcommentary.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=45) +--- Thread: Taking the single step ... (/showthread.php?tid=2546)

Taking the single step ... - OutAlongTheRiver - 05-10-2017 Tao Te Ching Translation, Interpretation and Notes by Derek Lin Chapter 64 When it is peaceful, it is easy to maintain When it shows no signs, it is easy to plan   When it is fragile, it is easy to break When it is small, it is easy to scatter Act on it when it has not yet begun  Treat it when it is not yet chaotic A tree thick enough to embrace Grows from the tiny sapling A tower of nine levels Starts from the dirt heap A journey of a thousand miles* Begins beneath the feet The one who meddles will fail The one who grasps will lose Therefore, sages do not meddle and thus do not fail They do not grasp and thus do not lose People, in handling affairs Often come close to completion and fail If they are as careful in the end as the beginning Then they would have no failure Therefore, sages desire not to desire They do not value goods that are hard to acquire They learn to unlearn To redeem the fault of the people To assist the nature of all things Without daring to meddle Interpretation It is relatively easy to maintain the situation when everything is peaceful and quiet. When the possibility for chaos is small or nearly non-existent, it is a simple task to keep it in check. Generally speaking, it is always easier to act on something effectively when it is small. Take care of an issue as early as possible, before it really becomes an issue. Nip a potential problem in the bud so it doesn't get the chance to grow into something serious. This same principle extends to many aspects of life. The mightiest trees started as a small and delicate shoot, barely noticeable in the ground. The tallest building we have had to be built from the ground up. There was a time when it was nothing more than a pile of dirt brought to the site in preparation for construction to begin. The greatest, most epic journey one can undertake still must begin where you stand. Similarly, great deeds can have a small, indeed humble, beginning. A vast accumulation of knowledge starts somewhere, with the turning of one page in a particular book. When we keep this great wisdom in mind, it becomes easier for us to overcome inertia and take that first step. Notes The ancient Chinese measurement of distance, li, is loosely translated as "mile." One li is about half a kilometer, and roughly a third of a mile. Many people know the expression, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." However, most of them probably have no idea that it originally came from this chapter of the Tao Te Ching. Some are aware that it's Chinese in origin, but mistaken it attribute it to Confucius. So now you know something they do not. Another interesting thing to note is that the popular expression is in fact a mistranslation. The original contains no character for "one" or "step." Nor does it imply the taking of that first step. What it says is that the little piece of ground beneath your feet is the starting point of even the longest journeys. That's all it says. The taking of that first step is certainly a legitimate interpretation and amplification of this passage, but it definitely does not qualify as a translation. *In my case - thirteen and a half ....