The Tao te Ching is an ancient book of wisdom, the well spring of a great religion, Taoism. It has been translated many times, by such literary luminaries as Ursula K. LeGuin, Stephen Mitchell and Alan Watts. I do no possess even a modicum of their literary talent, poetic ability or knowledge of Eastern religions. I do have one advantage that they do not. Lao Tzu, the reputed author of the work, was a librarian. This is the first attempt by a fellow librarian to translate the Tao te Ching.
Not all section of the Tao te Ching are included in this translation. In many cases, Lao Tzu did not speak specifically to librarians. Those more general sections are addressed in the many other translations. This translation focuses on the sections that clearly relate to libraries. The One Librarian recommends two general translations of the Tao te Ching, those by Stephen Mitchell and Ursula LeGuin, which are exquisitely done and available in inexpensive paperbacks. The Daoism Depot has many translations of the text on-line.
My other work can be seen elsewhere on this website or in my recently published book.
One
The library that can be digitized is not the eternal Library
Services that can be made virtual are not central to it.
That which is non-digital is the beginning of heaven and earth.
Data is the mother of ten thousand things.
With virtue, one can see the mystery.
With virtuality, one can see the manifestations.
These two spring from the same profession, but differ in name:
This appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.
Eight
The highest good is like water. Water gives life to all things and does not
strive.
It flows in places that men reject and so is like the Library.
In constructing, be close to the land.
In developing a collection, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with patrons, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In making rules, be just.
In budgeting, be competent.
In action, take care to be timely.
No fight: No blame.
Fifteen
The ancient librarians were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive.
The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable.
Because it is unfathomable,
all we can do is describe their appearance.
Watchful, like a director at a finance committee meeting.
Alert, like an employee during a performance review.
Courteous, like staff dealing with the mayor's spouse.
Yielding, like a maintenance worker pursuing a bat inside the library.
Simple, like a well planned building.
Hollow, like a business office.
Opaque, like Board policy.
Who can wait quietly while the mud settles?
Who can remain still until the moment of action?
Followers of the Library do not seek fulfillment.
Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change.
Eighteen
When the Library is forgotten,
kiosks and portals arise.
When telecom laws are passed and dot.coms are born,
the great pretense begins.
When there is no community,
the global village and virtual community arise.
When the country is confused and in chaos,
information scientists appear.
Twenty-one
The greatest virtue is contained within the Library and the Library alone.
The Library is elusive and intangible.
Yes, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is wisdom.
Yes, it is intangible and elusive, yet within is the model of civilization.
Yes, it is dim and dark, and yet within is the essence of culture.
This essence is very real, and therein lies belief.
From the very beginning of knowledge its name has never been forgotten.
Thus do I perceive the world.
How do I know the ways of the world?
Because of this.
Twenty-two
Yield and overcome:
Bend and be straight;
Empty and be full:
Wear out and be new;
Have little and gain;
Have much and be confused.
Therefore wise people embrace the Library
and set an example to all.
Not making a fuss,
they shine forth.
Not seeking to justify themselves,
they are distinguished.
Not boasting,
they receive recognition.
Not bragging, they never falter.
They do not quarrel,
so no one quarrels with them.
Therefore, the ancient Librarians say, "Yield and overcome."
Is that an empty saying?
Be really whole,
and all things will come to you.
Twenty-four
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who rushes ahead cannot maintain the pace.
He who makes a show is not enlightened.
He who is self-righteous is not respected.
He who boasts provides no services.
He who brags will not endure.
According to Librarians,
"These are extra food and unnecessary baggage."
They do not bring happiness.
Therefore Librarians avoid them
Twenty-nine
Do you believe you can "re-envision" the library and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.
The Library is transcendent.
You can not improve it.
If you try to change its core, you will ruin it.
If you try to grab hold of it, you will lose it.
So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind;
sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
sometimes one is up and sometimes down.
Therefore the Librarian avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.
Thirty-four
The Library is everywhere, both to the left and to the right.
The community depends upon it; it holds nothing back.
It fulfills its purpose silently and makes no claim.
It nourishes the community,
and yet does not rule it.
It has no point of view; it is very small.
The community depends upon it,
yet it does not rule the community.
It is very great.
It does not show greatness,
and is therefore truly great.
Thirty-five
All people who remains focused on essentials will come to the Library,
for there reside rest and happiness and peace.
Some may be attracted by noise and flash,
while a description of the Library
can seem without substance or flavor.
It does not attract the eye or ear
and yet it is inexhaustible.
Thirty-eight
A truly good librarian is not aware of her goodness,
and is therefore good.
A foolish librarian tries to be good,
and is therefore not good.
A truly good librarian does nothing
yet leaves nothing undone.
A foolish librarian is always doing,
yet the mission remain unaddressed.
When a true librarian does something, they leave nothing undone.
When a just librarian does something, they leave a great deal undone.
When a rule-following librarian does something and no one responds,
they roll up their sleeves in an attempt to enforce order.
When the Library's mission is abandoned, it still provides wisdom.
When wisdom is no longer valued, it still provides knowledge.
When knowledge is too difficult to obtain, it provides data.
When data is unorganized, the Library has become the Internet.
Now the Internet is the husk of wisdom and community, the beginning of confusion.
Data and information are only a flowery trapping of the Library.
They are the beginning of folly.
Therefore, the truly great librarian dwells on what is real
and not what is on the surface,
On the fruit and not the flower.
Therefore, accept the one and reject the other.
Forty-one
The wise student hears of librarianship and practices it diligently.
The average student hears of librarianship and gives it thought now and then.
The foolish student hears of librarianship and laughs aloud.
If there were no laughter, the library would not be what it is.
Hence it is said:
The bright path seems dim;
Going forward seems like retreat;
The easy way seems hard;
The highest librarianship seems empty;
Great dedication to the community seems sullied;
A wealth of librarianship seems inadequate;
The strength of librarianship seems frail;
Real librarianship seems unreal;
The perfect square has no corners;
Great talents ripen late;
The highest notes are hardest to hear;
The greatest form has no shape.
The Library is hidden and without renown.
The Library nourishes its community and brings everything to fulfillment.
Forty-six
When the Library is strong in a community,
children read in the park.
When the Library is absent in a community,
books are burned in the city square.
There is no greater sin than technolust,
No greater curse than discontent,
No greater misfortune than wanting things because they are new.
Therefore, the librarian who understands appropriate technology will always have enough.
Forty-nine
The sage Librarian has no concern for her own needs.
She is focused on the needs of others.
I provide good service to people I like.
I also provide good service to people I dislike,
Because the Library is goodness.
I provide library cards to people who are trustworthy.
I also provide library cards to people who may not be trustworthy,
Because the Library is trustworthy.
The sage Librarian is shy and humble - to the world she seems confusing.
Patrons look to her and listen.
She is as guileless as a little child.
Fifty-one
All things arise from the Library.
They are nourished by the profession.
They are formed from data.
They are shaped by the end user.
Thus the ten thousand things all respect the Library and honor the profession.
Respect for the Library and honor of the profession are not demanded,
but they are in the nature of things.
Therefore all things arise from the Library.
By the profession they are nourished,
Developed, cared for,
Sheltered, comforted.
Grown and protected.
Creating with claiming,
Doing without taking credit,
Guiding without interfering,
This is how one knows a Librarian.
Fifty-three
If I have even a little sense,
I will walk on the main road and my only fear will be of straying from it.
Keeping to the main course is easy,
but people love to be sidetracked.
When city hall is on-line,
the streets have potholes,
and the library shelves are empty.
Some wear pagers,
and carry cell phones and notebooks,
and indulge themselves with hardware and software;
They have more data than they can comprehend.
They are technovandals.
This is certainly not the way of the Library.
Fifty-four
That which is firmly established can not be uprooted.
That which is firmly grasped can not slip away.
It will be honored from generation to generation.
Cultivate reading in your life
and Virtue will be real.
Cultivate reading in your family,
and Virtue will abound.
Cultivate reading in the village
and Virtue will grow.
Cultivate reading in the nation,
and Virtue will be abundant.
Cultivate reading in the world
and Virtue will be everywhere.
Therefore look at yourself as a person;
Look at the family as a unit;
Look at the village as a community;
Look at the nation as a whole.
Look at the world as a living entity.
How do I know the world is like this?
By reading about it!
Fifty-six
Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know.
Keep your mouth closed.
Watch your body language.
Temper your sharpness.
Cut to the heart of the problem.
Mask your brightness.
Be at one with your patron.
This is the Reference Interview.
She who has achieved this state
is unconcerned with friends and enemies,
with a patron's age or political connections,
with what they wear or how they talk.
This therefore is the highest state of the profession.
Fifty-seven
Govern the library with justice.
Surprise your patrons with quality.
Become a community leader without seeking honors.
How do I know that this is so?
Because of this!
The more laws and restrictions there are,
the fewer people use the library.
The sharper the tongues of the staff,
the more trouble in the library.
The more ingenious and clever administrators are,
the more strange things happen.
The more rules and regulations,
the more overdues and fines.
Therefore, the sage Librarian says:
I take no action and people are reformed.
I enjoy peace and people become honest.
I follow my profession and the community is enriched.
I put others first and they in turn support the library.
Fifty-nine
In caring for others and serving the community,
there is nothing like using restraint.
Restraint begins with giving up one's own ideas.
This depends on confidence in yourself and your staff.
If there is a good store of professionalism, then nothing is impossible.
If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.
If a librarian knows no limits, then she is fit to be as director.
The mother principle of running a library holds good for a long time.
This is called having deep roots and a firm foundation,
The Way of a long tenure and eternal vision.
Sixty
Running a library is like cooking a small fish.
Approach the task with care and professionalism
and vandals will have no power.
Not that the library's enemies are not powerful,
but their power will not be able to harm the community.
Not only will they be unable to harm the library's patrons,
but the sage Librarian herself will also be protected.
The Librarian and the community do not harm each other,
and the Virtue in each other empowers both.
Sixty-two
The Library is the source of innumerable things.
It is the treasure of the good patron and the refuge of the bad.
Overdue items can be restored;
Volunteering can gain respect.
If a patron has overdues, do not mistreat them.
Therefore, on the day when the mayor is inaugurated
or the city council is sworn in,
do not send flowers or a cheese tray,
but remain at work and offer the Library.
Why does everyone like the Library so much at first?
Isn't it because you find what you seek and are forgiven when you transgress?
Therefore, this is the greatest treasure of the community.
Sixty-three
Practice your profession.
Work without seeking profit.
Savor the small things.
Spend time with your patrons, increase your Friends.
Reward complaints with your attention.
See simplicity in the complicated.
Achieve greatness in little things.
In the world, the difficult things are done if there is commitment.
In the world, great acts are made up of small deeds.
The sage Librarian does not attempt anything very large
and thus achieves greatness.
Easy promises make for little trust.
Taking things lightly results in great difficulties.
Because the sage Librarian confronts difficulties,
She never experiences them.
Sixty-four
Peace is easier to maintain than achieve;
trouble is easily overcome before it starts.
The brittle organization is easily shattered;
small minded people are easily scattered.
Deal with things before they happen.
Set your library in order before there is confusion.
A tree as wide as a man's arms springs from a small sapling;
A four story library begins as a shovel full of dirt;
A collection starts with a single purchase.
Activists defeat their own purpose;
Those who grab for things lose all.
The sage Librarian does not compete and so receives funding.
She does not grab for power and therefore grows strong.
Programs usually fail when they are on the verge of success.
So give as much care to Phase Three as to Phase One;
Then there will be no failure.
Therefore the sage Librarian seeks freedom from contention.
She does not collect rare books.
She does not hold onto old ideas or technology.
She brings the community back to what they have lost.
A reader for every book and a book for every reader.
She recommends but refrains from stronger action.
Sixty-five
In the beginning, those who knew Library Science did not try to enlighten others,
but kept them in the dark.
Why is so hard to run a quality library?
Because people are so clever.
Administrators who try to use cleverness,
shortchange their community.
Those who operate without cleverness
are a blessing to their patrons.
These are the two alternatives.
Understanding these is true Professionalism.
Professionalism is deep and wide.
It leads all things back
to the great Library.
Sixty-six
Why is the ocean the ruler of a thousand rivers?
Because it lies below them.
Therefore, it is the ruler of a thousand rivers.
If the sage Librarian would guide the people, she must serve them with humility.
If she would lead them, she must follow behind.
In this way, when the Librarian builds a collection, the patrons will satisfied.
When she stands before the city council, she will not be harmed.
The whole community will support her and not tire of her.
Because she does not compete,
She does not meet competition.
Sixty-seven
Everyone in the world says that my Library is great and beyond compare.
Because it is great, it is unlike anything else in the world.
If it were not unique, it would have vanished long ago.
I have three treasures which I keep and hold.
The first is mercy; the second is economy;
the third is daring to serve others.
From mercy comes courage; from economy comes generosity;
From service comes leadership.
These days, companies shun mercy, but try to be strong;
They abandon economy, but give executives large bonuses;
They do not believe in service, but compete for market share.
This is death for the community.
Mercy brings quality service and stability in funding.
It is the means by which administrators safeguard their organizations.
Sixty-eight
A good soldier is not violent.
A good fighter is not angry.
A good librarian is not proud or haughty.
A good administrator listens to everyone.
This is known as Professionalism.
This is known as the ability to serve people.
Since ancient times, this has been known
as the ultimate in Librarianship.
Seventy-three
A brave and passionate librarian will win or lose.
A brave and calm librarian will always preserve the organization.
Of these two, which is good and which is harmful?
Some programs are unsuccessful. Who knows why?
Even the sage librarian is unsure of this.
The Library does not strive, and yet it overcomes.
It does not shout, and yet is reaches all the community.
It listens to its patrons, and yet informs them.
It seems spontaneous, and yet it follows a plan.
The Library's nets are cast wide.
Though the mesh is coarse, nothing slips through.
Seventy-six
People are born gentle and weak.
At their death, they are hard and stiff.
Green plants and tender and supple.
At their death, the are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is a disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus a librarian without flexibility can not provide quality service.
A library that is unbending serves no one.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.
Seventy-seven
The Way of the Library is like the bending of the bow.
The high is lowered and the low is raised.
If the string is too long, it is shortened;
If there is not enough, it is made longer.
The Way of the Library is to take from those who have enough
for the benefit of the entire community.
Human ways are different.
People take from those who do not have enough
to give to those who already have too much.
Who has more than enough and gives it to the world?
Only the Library donor.
Therefore the sage Librarian works without recognition.
She achieves what has to be done without dwelling on it.
She does not try to show her knowledge.
Eighty-one
Truthful words are not beautiful.
Beautiful words contain no truth.
Good people do not argue.
Those who argue are not good.
Those who know are not learned.
The learned do not know.
The sage Librarian never tries to store up favors.
The more she does for others, the more she has.
The more she gives to others, the greater her abundance.
The Way of the Library is pointed, but does no harm.
The way of the Librarian is work without effort.
Meet the One Librarian or Return to One Librarian's Opinion
Last revised 03/04/03