The Original Dao De Jing:
The Classic of the Way and Virtue Power.
Or perhaps it could be called the Yuan Zhi Jing:
The Classic of the Original/Primordial Mind.
As found in the Guodian Excavation
This is the oldest known copy of this material, and was found in the grave of an unknown scholar.
Over the centuries its chapters were rearanged and added to, with many characters deliberately changed, to create the text we received in modern times. It appears to follow a subtle code, which could have easily have mislead those who sought to unlock its true meaning, thus leading to the modifications we see today.
When fit together in the Guodian sequence, remaining as true to the original characters as possible, the chapters form a cohesive theme with a clear message.
This is a work in progress, published and edited as I go. Everything here is subject to change.
Guodian A1 (19)
绝智弃便，民利百倍。
Pushing beyond thought abandons clever solutions,
and people benefit a hundred times over.
绝巧弃利，盗贼亡又。
Pusing beyond skilled work abandons taking advantages,
and thieving outlawry is undone again.
绝伪弃虑，民复季子。
Pushing beyond falsification and embelishment abandons contemplation of what may be,
and people return to the seasonal harvest.
三言以为史元足，或命之，或有所属。
Three phrases considering the provenance of primordial sufficiency,
a case is made for returning to destiny,
a case is made for what to put down.
视索保朴，少厶颁欲。
Watching out for expectations conserves simplicity,
limiting by some amount the spread of desire.
Guodian A2 (66)
(needs editing)
江海所以为百浴王，以其能为百浴下，是以能为百浴王。
A Long river to the sea thereby is ruler of the hundred valley streams,
because of its power to be lower than the hundred valley streams,
thereby power for being ruler of the hundred valley streams.
圣人之才民前也，以身后之；
A wise person's power to be ahead of people,
is because their being is kept behind them;
其才民上也，以言下之。
Their power to be above the average person,
is by means of words lower than them.
其才民上也，民弗厚也。
Their power to be above the people,
is because the people are not whole.
其才民前也，民弗害也。
Their power is ahead of others,
on account of others not being threatened by them.
天下乐进而弗厌。
Under heaven aimlessly advancing and then not filling up to fullness.
以其不争也，古天下莫能与之静争。
Due to their not contending,
of old under heaven no one has power bring contention to them.
Guodian A3 (46)
罪莫厚乎甚欲，咎莫惨乎谷得，化莫大乎元智足。
Wrongful conduct presuming to be genuine relates to excessive desire,
misfortune presumed to be miserable relates to what the valley is obtaining,
the utmost transformation relates to sufficient primordial thought.
智足之为足，此恒足矣。
Sufficient thought has sufficient doing,
this extends sufficiently and then it is done.
Here in A3's first sentence, the first part writes the full character for "desire" as 欲, but in the second part simply uses 谷, "valley." It may be easily rendered as Misfortune presumed to be miserable relates to desire for gain., by replacing valley with desire, so it is easy to understand why this short-hand idea is easy to run with.
In the third part of the first sentence we have 不智足, or not thinking sufficiently / insufficient thought. However, at the end of A5, we have 不谷堂里, where 不谷 are together, followed by what is clearly "central/main hall/chamber of the residential compound." We could render this as "not desiring" by substituting valley for desire again, but then the central hall of the residence does not make much sense.
However, there is a funny way that the scribe writes Bu 不 (opens in a new tab) "not" that can easily be mistaken for Yuan 元 (opens in a new tab) "original / primordial / principal." The scribe seems to draw them intentionally differently, with an extra line at the top for yuan, and without for bu. When we use 元谷堂里 instead of 不欲堂里, we get "the primordial valley [is] the central hall of the residence compound", which makes contextual sense.
When carefully rendering 不 as 元 in other lines, when it has the extra line one top, the code becomes clear. This first sentence becomes as rendered above. The concept of the valley relates to the capacity within us to become filled, and thus naturally extends to become related to the having of desires and cravings and striving. Here this is explained to us by showcasing how the valley fills with unpleasant emotions after experiencing misfortune, which is why we feel miserable. And then we are shown they way of transforming this - and everything - by utilizing sufficient primordial "thought".
The next chapters utilize this concept of the primordial valley more heavily and work to define what it means and how it may be used and cultivated.
Guodian A4 (30)
以道佐人主者，元谷以兵保於天下。
Utilizing the way supports one who rules people,
the primordial valley is the basis for armament to guard and nourish with regard to the heavenly falling.
善者果而已，元以取保。
One who is excellent and good brings an action to completion and then is finished,
the primordial is the basis for taking up guardianship.
果而弗发，果而弗乔，果而弗矜，是胃果而元保，其事好。
Bringing an action to completion and then not announcing or revealing it,
bringing an action to completion and then not being proud of it,
bringing an action to completion and then not flaunting it,
this means bringing an action to completion and then guarding the primordial,
one's occupation is the hole in a jade bi.
Guodian A5 (15)
长古之善为士者，必非溺玄达深，不可志。
Growing old's skill is in carrying out gentlepersonliness,
Inevitably indulgences are denied and the subtle light penetrates through all the way into the depths,
not permitting the goals and aspirations of the heart-mind's will.
是以为之颂：
Therefore in paying proper triute to this:
宵乎奴，冬涉川。
In relation to the enslavement of nighttime,
winter fording of a river.
猷乎其奴，畏四邻。
In relation to one's enslavement by plans and schemes,
shying away from nearby neighbors.
敢其奴，客。
One's enslavement by bold presumption of capability,
deferring as to a guest or submitting to another's authority.
涣乎其奴，怿。
In relation to one's enslavement by dissolution,
contentment.
屯乎其奴，朴。
In relation to one's enslavement by difficult beginnings,
natural simplicity.
沌乎其奴，浊。
In relation to one's enslavement by amorphous unknowning,
gathering of capacity - the murky unclarity that differentiates yin-ness from yang-ness.
竺能浊，以朿者，将肯清。
Dedicated to capable gathering of capacity,
one is the utilizer of a sharp point,
able to take hold of clarity - the clear and unclouded that differentiates yang-ness from yin-ness.
竺能度，以往者，将肯生。
Dedicated to capably spending time,
one is the utilizer of time's unfolding forward,
able to take hold of the cause of existance.
保此道者，元谷堂里。
When guarding and nourishing this way,
the primordial valley is the central hall of the residential compound.
Guodian A6 (64b)
取之者败之，执之者失之
One who seizes this overthrows this,
one who attaches to this loses this.
昰以圣人亡取古，亡败；亡执古，亡失。
Truly utilizing it the peerless person undoes prior seizing,
undoing the overthrowing;
Undoes prior attaching to,
undoing the loss.
臨事之紀，慎亨女始，此亡败事矣圣人谷元。
The main point of overseeing this undertaking,
is cautiously gathering the feminine into maturity at the start,
this undoes overthrowing undertaking and now has the sage person primordial valley.
谷元贵难得之货；孝元孝复众之所过。
The primordial valley is precious and it is difficult to obtain its resource;
obediently following the primordial is obediently following the returning multidude's place of passing through.
是古圣人能軋万物之自然，而假能为。
All ancient sagely people capably crush together the ten thousand things' spontaneous naturalness,
and then temporarily borrow the capacity for being and doing.
Guodian A7 (37)
道恒亡为也，侯王能守之，而万物将自为，而欲作。
Due to the way constantly undoing doing,
administrators and rulers are capable of safeguarding this,
but the ten thousand things take hold of spontaneous doing and being,
and then desire arises.
将貞之以亡，名之朴。
Taking hold of alignment toward completion's usefulness in undoing,
call this natural simplicity.
夫亦将智足，以朿，万物将自定。
In any case of our taking hold of sufficient thought,
utilizing a sharp point,
and the ten thousand things take hold of self regulation.
Now, the meaning of the last sentence changes:
In any case of our taking hold of sufficient use of the mind,
utilizing a sharp point,
and the ten thousand things take hold of self regulation.
Guodian A8 (63)
为亡为，事亡事，未亡未大少之多，惕必多难。
Doing undoes doing,
work undoes work,
not having to undo is not having large and small's multiplication,
being on guard against the inevitable multiplication of troubles and difficulties.
是以圣人猷难之，古终亡难。
Therefore the sagely person plans for troubles and difficulties,
ending what is past to undo troubles and difficulties.
Guodian A9 (2)
天下皆智美之为美也，亚已；
Heavenly fallen all understand the excellence of things for the sake of their excellence,
and so the next step down is established;
皆智善，此其不善已。
All understand goodness,
here is one's not-goodness established.
又亡之相生也，难惕之相成也，长短之相型也，高下之相盈也，音圣之相和也，先后之相堕也。
Becoming and unbecoming they exist because of each other,
troubles and worries they fulfill each other,
long and short they are cast from each other,
High and low they complete each other,
reputation and peerlessness they balance each other,
before and after they fall into each other.
是以圣人居亡为之事，行不言之教。
Because of this the peerless (sagacious) person rests in unbecoming and carrying out the serving of that interest,
modeling not speaking this teaching.
万勿作而弗始也，为而弗志也，成而弗居。
The 10,000 do not stand up and then not commence or,
do and then not attend to or,
accomplish and then not rest.
夫唯弗居也，是以弗去也。
So indeed in all cases of not resting it,
this is the means of not storing it up.
The peerless one, recognizing that dichotomies ever maintain themselves and fall into each other, sees that by rooting in unbecoming, undoing, in reducing and returning to formlessness, to become nothing, is the only way of brining things home to rest and end their dichotomy, by storing it up. Letting it be done, by not giving it reason to continue to stand up and commence.
Here, reading 万勿 as written, "The 10,000 do not" rather than substituting in 万物 "The 10,000 things," is what suits the meaning. Perhaps a clue to one who studies the text carefully, that there may be hidden meanings to work out.
Guodian A10 (32)
道恒亡名，仆唯妻。
The way is constantly undoing notable acclaim,
a low level servant stammering a self-deprecating response to the wife.
天地弗敢臣，侯王女能守之，万物将自宾。
Heaven and earth do not dare to treat it as a servant,
administrators and rulers feminine capability safeguards this,
and the 10,000 things take hold of naturalness as a guest.
天地相會也，以逾甘露民莫之命，而自均安。
Due to heaven and earth mutually assembling together,
utilizing surplus sweet dew people determine their destiny,
and then naturally equalize and settle into place.
始制又名，名亦既，又夫亦将智止，智止所以元始。
Initiating regulation and next noting parts,
making note only just now,
next however one looks at it only taking hold of stopping thought,
stopping thought is that which is used in primordial initiation.
卑道之才天下也，猷少浴之與江海。
Due to a lowly way this innate capacity falls from heaven,
planning little and bathing in this allows the river to join the ocean.
For the second sentence, in the second part the later texts both have 侯王若能守之, and here 若 replaces 女 "feminine" with its conditional "if." So we have "If administrators and rulers could" vs "administrators and rulers feminine capacity". The feminine/woman that is 女 is thought to be short hand for the character 如, which combines female with a 口, which is a mouth that eats and makes sounds, but more deeply it is the space from which something exits and enters. When combined with 女 to make 如, we have a meaning of the feminine way of entering and exiting - the feminine approach to affairs. Thus 如 has a quality of deferring and adapting and complying with affairs.
Making use of this feminine quality of adaptability is what enables administrators and rulers the capacity and capability of safeguarding the way.
Along with the rest of the chapter, the author here is attempting to showcase how important the yin humility is in deferring and adapting and harmonizing - for this is the quality of the way. And the feminine has a natural connection with this.
So whether or not the character should be 如, the author may be attempting to remind us that it is the 女 feminine that is important to work with here.
In the third sentence the first and last character are clearly the same, 始's initiating/commencing/beginning. But the coded 元 is taken as 不 despite being drawn with an extra stroke on the top. Thus "stopping thought is that which is used in not initiating" fails to make sense and the character at the end is changed to 殆's danger, thus "stopping thought is that which is used for no danger". However this character does not match the written character and does not make sense the way the coded 元 does.
In several places the comma placement has been adjusted. There is little punctuation in some of the chapters, leading to shifts in phrasing in the subsequent versions. With the meaning coming through clearly, utilizing the original characters, a clear phrasing is easily arrived at. Given the ordering of the chapters, the meaning of this chapter settles nicely into place and is consistent with its message.
Guodian B2 (48)
为学日益为道者日损。
Doing is modeled on increasing daily
those who do Dao reduce daily.
损之或损以至亡为也。
Reducing this is sometimes reduction
to the extent where undoing is done.
亡为而亡不为。
Undoing is done and then undoing is not done.
Reducing 损 and increasing 益 are hexagrams 41 (opens in a new tab) and 42 (opens in a new tab), respectively. Increasing is augmentation, taking from above and using it to create more. Reducing is frugal efficiency, taking from below, and adding to what is above. This is how one pays one's bills off, by saving money and working efficiently so that whatever is necessary can be accomplished. When we stop when enough is enough, we always have enough.
This in turn lends itself to an understanding of reducing that gets to the stage of 'unbecoming'/'undoing' when all of the tasks that one was navigating with the hexagram 41 dynamic of frugality and constraint have been completed and need no more attention, and we subsequently "empty out", with nothing left to "reduce".