Chapter 29

Original Text

將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得已。天下神器，不可為也。為者敗之，執者失之。故物或行或隨，或噓或吸，或強或羸，或載或隳。是以聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。

Alternate editions read: 或挫 for 或載.

Translation

Whoever would seize all under Heaven and act upon it — I foresee he shall not succeed. All under Heaven is a sacred implement: it cannot be acted upon. Whoever acts upon it shall ruin it; whoever grasps it shall lose it. Thus among beings, some lead and some follow; some breathe warmth and some blow cold; some are strong and some are frail; some bear up and some collapse. Therefore the Sage removes the excessive, removes the extravagant, removes the extreme.

Word Notes

• 噓 — "to breathe warmth": to blow softly and warmly; gentle exhalation that warms.
• 吹 — "to blow cold": to blow sharply, producing cold.
• 羸 — "frail, weak": debilitated, emaciated.
• 隳 — "to collapse, to fall": to crumble, to topple.
• 奢 — "extravagant": wasteful luxury.
• 泰 — "extreme, excessive": going beyond what is fitting; overdoing.

Chapter Explanation

Whoever desires to seize all under Heaven and rule it by his own autocratic authority — I foresee that he shall not succeed. For all under Heaven is a most honored and weighty implement — a sacred implement. It cannot be ruled by one person's autocratic authority. Whoever tries to rule by autocratic authority will be defeated. Whoever clings to power and rules by despotism will lose it. For among the myriad beings, some go ahead and some follow behind; some exhale warmth and some blow cold; some are strong and some are weak; some can bear up and some collapse — none of this is fixed or uniform. How can one person's autocratic rule possibly work? Therefore the Sage does not force things but follows the natural course of all beings. He merely removes what is excessive, removes what is extravagant, and removes what is extreme.

Discourse

The supreme authority over all under Heaven is the most honored and precious implement belonging to all the people. How can it be privately possessed by a single person? To snatch even a trifling possession from one person — that person will not willingly yield it. To snatch the precious implement of all the people under Heaven — how can the people accept it? Therefore Laozi restrains human greed, saying that the sacred implement of all under Heaven cannot be privately possessed by one person. Whoever seizes it by force will certainly be defeated. For the sacred implement exists to preserve order and peace, to ensure the welfare of the people. If it is appropriated for one person's private use, evil is inevitably spread among the multitude, bringing disaster to all. Even without selfish or self-serving motives, one person's wisdom and deliberation are limited, while the affairs and principles under Heaven are inexhaustible. The geography of all under Heaven differs — some regions are cold, some warm, some rich, some lean. Human temperaments differ — some strong, some weak, some clever, some simple. Customs differ — some civilized, some undeveloped. How can one person's autocratic rule possibly work? Therefore the Sage who holds all under Heaven as a public trust selects the worthy and elevates the capable, instructing them to use this implement to govern. He himself need not toil personally. He merely ensures that they do not overexert their strength, leaving room for maneuver, keeping things easy to turn about — so that strength is not exhausted and things do not break down.