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There is a supposed quote by Lao Zi about music circulating on many quote-sites, but they don’t give any references as to what chapter of the Dao De Jing it came from. Here it is:
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.
It seems to me that it is likely a liberal translation of something similar as I am not familiar with it from any of the translations that I have. Does anyone recognize it from any of the chapters of the Dao De Jing in versions that you might have?
These are the only ones I could find that contain the word music:
Chapter 2
When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises
When it knows good as good, evil arises
Thus being and non-being produce each other
Difficult and easy bring about each other
Long and short reveal each other
High and low support each other
Music and voice harmonize each other
Front and back follow each other
Therefore the sages:
Manage the work of detached actions
Conduct the teaching of no words
They work with myriad things but do not control
They create but do not possess
They act but do not presume
They succeed but do not dwell on success
It is because they do not dwell on success
That it never goes awayChapter 35
Hold the great image
All under heaven will come
They come without harm, in harmonious peaceMusic and food, passing travelers stop
The Tao that is spoken out of the mouth
Is bland and without flavorLook at it, it cannot be seen
Listen to it, it cannot be heard
Use it, it cannot be exhaustedChapter 41
Higher people hear of the Tao
They diligently practice it
Average people hear of the Tao
They sometimes keep it and sometimes lose it
Lower people hear of the Tao
They laugh loudly at it
If they do not laugh, it would not be the TaoTherefore a proverb has the following:
The clear Tao appears unclear
The advancing Tao appears to retreat
The smooth Tao appears uneven
High virtue appears like a valley
Great integrity appears like disgrace
Encompassing virtue appears insufficient
Building virtue appears inactive
True substance appears inconstant
The great square has no corners
The great vessel is late in completion
The great music is imperceptible in sound
The great image has no form
The Tao is hidden and nameless
Yet it is only the Tao
That excels in giving and completing everythingWorthwhile question.
J. Star gives a word by word verbatim translation, with index.
He says “music” (yin) is found in 3 passages:
v. 2, character 39
v. 12 character 8 (the 5 tones deafen the ear)
v. 41 character 78so you have two of them, but not v. 12.
I’m sure the quote you hear most often is from 41, something like, my construction from his multiple meanings offered:
“The greatest music/tone is so subtle it cannot be audibly heard”
This connects to my central practice, of listening to the sound current of the life force.
michael
Point taken from both responses – thanks.
I like the way verse 41 has such a rhythmic cadence 3-5-5-2 (at least in this random translation by Derek Lin I found on the net).
Also how the whole verse seems to describe the “unseen quality of virtue given substance”, or the “(physically) silent tone” as Michael mentioned that is also central to (some) neidan practice.
“The clear Way appears unclear
The advancing Way appears to retreat
The smooth Way appears unevenHigh virtue appears like a valley
Great integrity appears like disgrace
Encompassing virtue appears insufficient
Building virtue appears inactive
True substance appears inconstantThe great square has no corners
The great vessel is late in completion
The great music is imperceptible in sound
The great image has no form
The Tao is hidden and namelessYet it is only the Tao
That excels in giving and completing everything”Here is a quote by Karl Paulnack from a speech to parents, Head of the Boston Conservatory. He doesn’t mention ancient China that may have been more advanced than the Greeks at the time, but their accomplishments in ancient times and the focus it had are related on a deep level:
“One of the first cultures to articulate how music really works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you: the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the position of things inside us. Let me give you some examples of how this works.”
Even more interesting when you apply it on a deeper level, with the connection between emotion, spirituality, mathematical ratios and of course alchemy, with the “music of the spheres”.
It seems that the quote attributed to Lao Tzu may actually be closer to this excerpt from Lu Dong Bin’s Hundred Character Tablet:
“Sit and listen to the stringless music.
Clearly understand the Universal way.”
– Translation by Zhongxian Wu, posted by Craig on a different forum.This sounds also like what Michael is referring to as a central foundation of his alchemy practice.
Here is the original quote (mis)attributed to Lao Tzu (Lao Zi):
“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”
Lao Tzu
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