Chapter 50 · Life, Death, and the Rhinoceros

Tao Te Ching (Legge, 1891) · chapter title added by Learn the Dao

Learn the Dao: a quiet practice for learning the thing that can’t be known.

The chapter’s first line

Men come forth and live;

Free. No account needed to start.

This chapter in plain modern English — David Kooi’s rendering ↓

Men come forth and live; they enter (again) and die. Of every ten three are ministers of life (to themselves); and three are ministers of death. There are also three in every ten whose aim is to live, but whose movements tend to the land (or place) of death. And for what reason? Because of their excessive endeavours to perpetuate life. But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life entrusted to him for a time travels on the land without having to shun rhinoceros or tiger, and enters a host without having to avoid buff coat or sharp weapon. The rhinoceros finds no place in him into which to thrust its horn, nor the tiger a place in which to fix its claws, nor the weapon a place to admit its point. And for what reason? Because there is in him no place of death.

Learn this chapter by heart, one line at a time.

Read a chapter. Recite the next line from memory. The app shows you, gently, what you missed — then has each line ready again around when it would start to slip.

Your recall of a later line — for example

Because of their excessive endeavours — missed to perpetuate life

The dotted words are the ones you missed.

Try this chapter’s first line ↑

Free. No account needed to start.

Chapter 50, in a second rendering

No Opening for Death to Get a Foot In

Dao De Kooi — an original rendering by David Kooi

We come out into life and we head back into death. Say some people are all-in on living, some are halfway to dead already, and some were clutching life so hard they hustled themselves into the grave - the clutching is what did it. The rare ones who hold life lightly - it's like the rhino can't find a place to gore them, the tiger can't find a place to claw, the blade can't find a place to land. Why? Because they've left no opening for death to get a foot in.

Next · Chapter 51All things are produced by the Tao…Read chapter 51 →

Read the whole chapter end to end →How the practice works →