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穀神不死，是謂玄牝。玄牝之門，是為天地根。綿綿若存，用之不勤。 Translation The Valley Spirit never dies — this is called the Mysterious Female. The gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth. Continuous and subtle, as though barely there, drawn upon, it is never spent. Wo...

天長地久。天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，故能長生。是以聖人後其身而身先，外其身而身存。非以其無私耶，故能成其私。 Translation Heaven endures, Earth abides. The reason Heaven and Earth can endure and abide is that they do not live for themselves — therefore they can live forever. Thus the Sage places himself last, y...

上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭。處眾人之所惡，故幾於道。居善地，心善淵，與善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，動善時。夫唯不爭，故無尤。 Translation The highest good is like water. Water excels at benefiting the myriad beings yet does not contend. It settles where others disdain to dwell — thus it draws near to the Dao. In dwelling...

持而盈之，不如其已。揣而銳之，不可常保。金玉滿堂，莫之能守。富貴而驕，自遺其咎。功成名遂身退，天之道。 Alternate editions read: 功遂身退. Translation Hold it and fill it to the brim — better to have stopped in time. Temper and sharpen it to a keen edge — it cannot long be preserved. Gold and jade may fill the hall...

載營魄抱一，能無離乎？ 專氣至柔，能嬰兒乎？ 滌除玄覽，能無疵乎？ 愛民治國，能無為乎？ 天門開闔，能無雌乎？ 明白四達，能無知乎？ 生之畜之，生而不有， 為而不恃，長而不宰， 是謂之玄德。 Translation Carry the soul, embrace the One — can you keep them from parting? Concentrate the breath to utmost softness — can you be as an infant? Cleanse the myste...

三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。 埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。 鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。 故有之以為利，無之以為用。 Translation Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub — in the hollow center, the wheel finds its turning. Shape clay to form a vessel — in the emptiness within, the vessel finds its holding. Cut d...

五色令人目盲，五音令人耳聾， 五味令人口爽，馳騁畋獵令人心發狂， 難得之貨令人行妨。 是以聖人為腹不為目， 故去彼取此。 Translation The five colors blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavors dull the palate. Racing and hunting madden the heart. Rare goods lead one astray. Therefore the Sage nourish...

寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。 何為寵辱若驚？ 寵為下，得之若驚，失之若驚， 是為寵辱若驚。 何為貴大患若身？ 吾所以有大患者，吾有身； 及吾無身，吾有何患？ 故貴以身為天下者，可以寄天下； 愛以身為天下者，可以託天下。 Translation Favor and disgrace alike arrive as shocks. Hold great calamity as dearly as you hold your very self. What is meant by "favor and disgrace ali...

視之不見名曰夷，聽之不聞名曰希， 搏之不得名曰微。 此三者不可致詰，故混而為一。 其上不皦，其下不昧。 繩繩兮不可名，復歸於無物。 是為無狀之狀，無象之象， 是謂恍惚。 迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。 執古之道，以御今之有。 能知古始，是謂道紀。 Translation Look for it and it cannot be seen — call it the invisible. Listen for it and it cannot be heard — call it the inaudible. Reac...

古之善為士者，微妙玄通，深不可識。 夫唯不可識，故強為之容： 豫若冬涉川，猶若畏四鄰， 儼若客，渙若冰將釋， 敦兮其若樸，曠兮其若谷， 渾兮其若濁。 孰能濁以靜之徐清？ 孰能安以久動之徐生？ 保此道者不欲盈。 夫唯不盈，故能敝，不新成。 Alternate editions read: 豫焉若冬涉川. Translation The skilled practitioners of old — subtle and wondrous, mysteriously penetrating, deep beyond al...

致虛極，守靜篤。萬物並作，吾以觀其復。夫物芸芸，各歸其根。歸根曰靜，靜曰覆命。覆命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作兇。知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，歿身不殆。 Translation Attain the utmost emptiness; hold fast to perfect stillness. The myriad beings arise together — I observe their return. All things flourish in profusion, yet eac...

太上，不知有之；其次，親之譽之；其次，畏之；其次，侮之。信不足，有不信。猶兮其貴言。功成事遂，百姓皆謂我自然。 Alternate editions read: 太上，下知有之. Translation The highest ruler — the people barely know he exists. The next, they draw near to and praise. The next, they fear. The next, they scorn. When trust is insuffi...

大道廢，有仁義。智慧出，有大偽。六親不和，有孝慈。國家昏亂，有忠臣。 Translation When the great Dao falls into disuse, humaneness and righteousness appear. When cunning and cleverness emerge, great hypocrisy arises. When the six relations lose their harmony, filial piety and parental devotion ...

絕聖棄智，民利百倍。絕仁棄義，民復孝慈。絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。此三者以為文不足，固令有所屬。見素抱樸，少私無慾。 Translation Sever ability, discard cunning — the people benefit a hundredfold. Sever humaneness, discard righteousness — the people return to filial devotion and loving care. Sever cleverness, discard pro...

絕學無憂。唯之與阿。相去幾何。善之與惡。相去何若。人之所畏。不可不畏。荒兮其未央哉。眾人熙熙如享大牢。如登春臺。我獨泊兮其未兆。如嬰兒之未孩。乘乘兮若無所歸。眾人皆有餘。而我獨若遺。我愚人之心也哉。沌沌兮俗人昭昭。我獨若昏。俗人察察。我獨悶悶。忽兮若晦。寂兮似無所止。眾人皆有以。我獨頑似鄙。我獨異於人。而貴食母。 Translation Abandon learning — be free of worry. Between assent and rebuke, how great is the distance?...

孔德之容。唯道是從。道之為物。唯恍唯惚。惚兮恍兮。其中有象。恍兮惚兮。其中有物。竊兮冥兮。其中有精。其精甚真。其中有信。自古及今。其名不去。以閱眾甫。吾何以知眾甫之然哉。以此。 Translation The bearing of abundant De follows only Dao. Dao as a thing — elusive and obscure. Obscure and elusive: within it there is image. Elusive and obscure: within i...

曲則全。枉則直。窪則盈。敝則新。少則得。多則惑。是以聖人抱一為天下式。不自見故明。不自是故彰。不自伐故有功。不自矜故長。夫唯不爭。故天下莫能與之爭。古之所謂曲則全者。豈虛言哉。誠全而歸之。 Translation The crooked shall be made whole; the bent shall be made straight. The hollow shall be filled; the worn shall be made new. With little, one gains; with mu...

希言自然。飄風不終朝。驟雨不終日。孰為此者天地。天地尚不能久。而況於人乎。故從事於道者。道者同於道。德者同於德。失者同於失。同於道者。道亦樂得之。同於德者。德亦樂得之。同於失者。失亦樂得之。信不足有不信。 Translation Spare words — accord with the natural. A whirlwind does not last the morning; a sudden downpour does not last the day. Who brings these about? He...