FIVE KEY TERMS IN THE TEXT
OF THE DAODEJING
This table tallies all the appearances of Dao, “Therefore the Sage”, the freestanding Sage, De (“Virtue”) and wuwei in the 81-chapters of the Daoedjing. The text is divided into three blocks: the tradition Part I, the first 29 chapters of the traditional Part II, and the final 15 chapters of the traditional Part II, which I regard as being a coherent Huang-Lao group.
I follow Lau’s 1982 version of the Wang Bi text, but I do not accept his emendation of Chapter 10 to include “wuwei”, whereas in Chapter 47 I have read wuwei rather than buwei, following the Heshang Gong text.
THE DAODEJING
WHOLE AND BY BLOCK
In Block IIa (the De Jing) the terms De and wuwei are seen especially frequently. In Block IIb (defined as Huang-Lao) wuwei is not seen at all, the phrases “Therefore the Sage….” is seen more often than elsewhere, and the word Dao is seen somewhat less often.
| GROUP | DAO | SYSR | SAGE (ALONE) | DE (VIRTUE) | WUWEI |
| DDJ total | 36 | 19 | 7 | 14 | 10 |
| 44%. | 23%. | 9%. | 17%. | 12%. | |
| DDJ I (37) | 17 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 46%. | 19%. | 8%. | 11%. | 8%. | |
| DDJ IIa (29) | 14 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
| 48%. | 21%. | 7%. | 28%. | 24%. | |
| DDJ IIb (15) | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 33%. | 40%. | 13%. | 13%. | 0 | |
GUODIAN: 31 CHAPTERS, 8 OF THEM INCOMPLETE
The Guodian text does not include chapters 67-81, which might not have been written yet. Other than that, the only notable difference from the complete 81-chapter text is the enire absence of the free-standing Sage.
| DAO | SYSR | SAGE(ALONE) | SAGE ALTOGETHER | DE (VIRTUE) | WUWEI | |
| GD TOTAL | 13 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| PERCENT OF GUODIAN | 42%. | 16%. | 0%. | 16% | 13%. | 19%. |
| DDJ total | 36 | 19 | 7 | 26 | 14 | 10 |
| 44%. | 23%. | 9%. | 32% | 17%. | 12%. |
BLOCK I: 37 CHAPTERS
| CHAPTERS | DAO | SYSR | SAGE (ALONE) | DE (VIRTUE) | WUWEI | GUODIAN(* = partial) | |
| 1 | x | — | |||||
| 2 | x | x | A | ||||
| 3 | x | x | — | ||||
| 4 | x | — | |||||
| 5 | x | A* no sage | |||||
| 6 | — | ||||||
| 7 | x | — | |||||
| 8 | x | — | |||||
| 9 | x Tian Dao | A | |||||
| 10 | x | (x) Reject Lau’s emendation | — | Wuwei not tallied | |||
| 11 | — | ||||||
| 12 | x | — | |||||
| 13 | B | ||||||
| 14 | x | — | |||||
| 15 | x | A | |||||
| 16 | x | A* no Dao | |||||
| 17 | C with 18 | ||||||
| 18 | x Da Dao | C with 17 | |||||
| 19 | x | A no sage | |||||
| 20 | B* | ||||||
| 21 | x | x | — | ||||
| 22 | x | — | |||||
| 23 | x | x | — | ||||
| 24 | x | — | |||||
| 25 | x | A | |||||
| 26 | — | ||||||
| 27 | x | — | |||||
| 28 | x | x | — | ||||
| 29 | x | — | |||||
| 30 | x | A* | |||||
| 31 | C* | ||||||
| 32 | x | A | |||||
| 33 | — | ||||||
| 34 | x | — | MWT SYSJ | ||||
| 35 | x | C | |||||
| 36 | — | ||||||
| 37 | x | x | A | ||||
| Block I, 37 chapters | 17 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 16 of 37 | |
| % | 46%. | 19%. | 8%. | 11%. | 8%. |
BLOCK IIa: 29 CHAPTERS
| 29 CHAPTERS | DAO | SYSR | SAGE (ALONE) | DE (VIRTUE) | WW | GUODIAN(*=partial) | |
| 38 | x | x | x | — | |||
| 39 | — | ||||||
| 40 | x | A | |||||
| 41 | x | x | B | ||||
| 42 | x | — | |||||
| 43 | x | — | |||||
| 44 | A | ||||||
| 45 | B | ||||||
| 46 | x | A* no horses or Dao | |||||
| 47 | x Tian Dao | x | x | — | Wuwei from Heshang Gong | ||
| 48 | x | x | B | ||||
| 49 | x | — | |||||
| 50 | — | ||||||
| 51 | x | x | — | ||||
| 52 | B* | ||||||
| 53 | x Da Dao | — | |||||
| 54 | x | B | |||||
| 55 | x | x | A | ||||
| 56 | A | ||||||
| 57 | x | x | A | ||||
| 58 | x | — | |||||
| 59 | x | x | B | ||||
| 60 | x | x | x | — | |||
| 61 | — | ||||||
| 62 | x | — | |||||
| 63 | x | x | A* | ||||
| 64 | x | x | AC, see below | ||||
| 65 | x | x | — | ||||
| 66 | x | ? | A GD sage alone | ||||
| Block IIa, 29 chapters | 14 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 7 | ||
| % | 48%. | 21%. | 7%. | 28%. | 24%. |
BLOCK IIb: 15 CHAPTERS
(ALL HUANG-LAO; NONE IN GUODIAN)
| CHAPTERS | DAO | SYSR | SAGE (ALONE) | DE (VIRTUE) | WUWEI | |
| 67 | X My Dao | MWT no Dao | ||||
| 68 | x | |||||
| 69 | ||||||
| 70 | x | |||||
| 71 | ? | x | 71 might be SYSR; some texts have it | |||
| 72 | x | |||||
| 73 | X Tian Dao | x | ||||
| 74 | ||||||
| 75 | ||||||
| 76 | ||||||
| 77 | x Tian Dao | x | ||||
| 78 | x | |||||
| 79 | x Tian Dao | x | x | |||
| 80 | ||||||
| 81 | x Tian Dao | x | ||||
| Block IIb | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| % | 33%. | 40%. | 13%. | 13%. | 0%. |
