Question about the Dao De Jing

[Shiva418]

In his book Right Where You are Sitting Now: Further Tales of the Illuminati, Robert Anton Wilson provides us with a “quote” from Lao Tsu: “When the proper man does nothing
(wu-wei), his thought is felt ten thousand miles,” (p. vii). It seems to me that this is a paraphrase of chapter XXIII of the Dao Do Jing. Does anyone know about the origin of this quote? It is just something Wilson made up, or is it from an actual translation?

[Larry_Mudd]

Chinese texts are often unrecognizable from translation to translation.

It certainly sounds like it comes fro the Tao Te Ching. Neither of my translations have a chapter 23 with a similar sentiment, but even the chapter order (and number of “chapters” is variable.)

The quote you mention sounds a lot like a bit in the first chapter of Legge’s translation:

So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.

Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and
conveys his instructions without the use of speech.

All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show
itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership;
they go through their processes, and there is no expectation of a
reward for the results. The work is accomplished, and there is no
resting in it.

The work is done, but how no one can see;
'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.

This same verse appears in the second “chapter” in John Wu’s translation:

Indeed, the hidden and manifest give birth to each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short exhibit each other.
High and low set measure to each other.
Voice and sound harmonize each other.
Back and front follow each other.

Therefore, the Sage manages his affairs without ado,
And spreads his teaching without talking.
He denies nothing to the teeming millions.
He rears them, but lays no claim to them.
He does his work, but sets no store by it.
He does his task, but does not dwell upon it.

And yet it is just because he does not dwell on it
That nobody can ever take it away from him.

Of course, RAW may have been referring another section altogether-- without knowing which translation he’s referring to, it’s hard to say, especially with a single line out of context-- there are so many references to the passively enlightened in the Tao Te Ching, and they all come out differently depending on the translation. The translator may choose to substitute more familiar idiom for something that would be plain to a chinese-speaking person, but which communicates nothing when transliterated – or they may have a quite different interpretation of something subtle, or they may want to fit the words to their own design or alter it to make it more pleasing to the audience they are preparing it for.

Of course, Robert Anton Wilson being the mercurial spirit that he is, it may also be Thomas Jefferson paraphrased in his best Charlie Chan voice.