Chapter 71

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

知病

“To know and yet think we do not know is the highest attainment;
Not to know and yet think we do know is a disease.
It is simply by being pained at the thought of having this disease that we are preserved from it.
The sage has not the disease.
He knows the pain that would be inseparable from it, and therefore he does not have it.”
– Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 71

Bildiğin halde bilmediğini kabul ulaşılabilen en yüce yerdir.

Bilmeden bildiğini düşünmek hastalıktır.

Basitçe bu hastalığa emin olan sağlığa doğru yol alır.

Kutlu kişi bu acıya sahip değil
Ondan ayrılmaz olan acıyı biliyor ve bu yüzden ona sahip değil.

“To know the unknowable, that is elevating.
Not to know the knowable, that is sickness.
Only by becoming sick of sickness can we be without sickness.
The holy man is not sick.
Because he is sick of sickness, therefore he is not sick.”
– Translated by D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 71

“One who knows, but does not know, is best.
One who does not know, but knows, is sick.
Only one who recognizes this sickness as sickness
Will not have the sickness.
The sage does not have this sickness
Because he recognizes this sickness as sickness.
Therefore, he has no sickness.”
– Translated by Yi Wu, Chapter 71

“If you have knowledge, but you feel like you do not have knowledge, this is super.
If you do not have knowledge, but you feel like you have knowledge, this is sick.
The great men were not sick because they knew what the sickness is.
Only when you know what the sickness is, will you not be sick.”
– Translated by Xiaolin Yang, Chapter 71

“Knowing what is not known is good.
Not knowing but pretending to know is bad.
Sages rarely ail, because they hate ills.
Thus, hating ills, one can be free of ills.”
– Translated by Thomas Z. Zhang, Chapter 71

“Knowing one’s ignorance of certain knowledge is the best attitude;
Not knowing certain knowledge yet pretending to know is a bad attitude.
The sage is of no shortcoming,
Because he considers shortcoming as shortcoming.
He considers shortcoming as shortcoming,
Thus he has no shortcoming.”
– Translated by Gu Zhengkun, Chapter 71

“Know not knowing.
Those above do not know knowing.
For this reason they are sick.
Sickness, use your sickness as the means to get well.
The sage is not sick, because they use the one.
Sickness, use your sickness as the means to get well.”
– Translated by Barbara Tovey and Alan Sheets, 2002, Chapter 71