Generally, the first reading of the Tao Te Ching is a "whole" study, so the choice of version is particularly important. A good interpretation can put those who come after it on the right path, and a wrong interpretation can also have a profound impact on people.
We have systematically read Chapter 25, Chapter 4, and Chapter 1, and we should pay attention to the order, why it is arranged this way, and whether it is helpful to interpret it correctly.
The traditional "Tao Te Ching" begins with the first chapter, so the first sentence of the opening chapter, "Tao Ke Tao is very Tao name, Tao name is very famous", has a special meaning of direction marking. Maybe for some special reasons, you can't see the words that interpret this sentence, and this one will find you particularly cautious.
If you don't interpret the second word "Dao" as meaning "to speak", there will be basically no problem.
Because once there is the meaning of "speaking", it will bring more misunderstandings, especially the misunderstanding of the cognition of "Tao" and the misunderstanding of the views of the whole book of "Lao Tzu". For example, "nothing" and "being" appear as special substitute "titles" for "Tao"; the interpretation of "there is something for profit, but there is no use for it"; "Dao" can not be said, can it be said ......and so on are not whitely labeled, belonging to the snake painting!
In fact, there is a very simple problem of common sense, that is, the word "Dao" has not been seen before the Tang Dynasty with the meaning of "speaking". An imposing "meaning" will of course distort the original meaning. There are so many "Tao" words throughout "Lao Tzu", why is it so out of place?
In principle, it is a transitional sentence that connects the previous and the next, which plays the role of "buffer" and "lubrication", and the speech itself does not have much unique significance. The greatest benefit of this statement in this chapter is to remind the reader that another "Tao" and "name" will appear in the future. In this way, "nothing" and "have" still have to wait until Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty to "correct their names" - it is said that "nothing, the beginning of the world and the world; Yes, the name of the mother of all things" is Wang Anshi's sentence. Even so, there are still people today who want to "be nameless, the beginning of heaven and earth; famous, the mother of all things". I just want to ask: Is there a nameless matter in the universe?
Names are inherently man-made, so what's the matter!
To be continued).