Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Daoism -> Dao De Jing -> 59

	(Guarding the Dao)
治人事天莫若嗇。	For regulating the human (in our constitution) and rendering the (proper) service to the heavenly, there is nothing like moderation.
夫唯嗇，	It is only by this moderation
是謂早服；	that there is effected an early return (to man's normal state).
早服謂之重積德；	That early return is what I call the repeated accumulation of the attributes (of the Dao).
重積德則無不克；	With that repeated accumulation of those attributes, there comes the subjugation (of every obstacle to such return).
無不克則莫知其極；	Of this subjugation we know not what shall be the limit;
莫知其極，	and when one knows not what the limit shall be,
可以有國；	he may be the ruler of a state.
有國之母，	He who possesses the mother of the state
可以長久；	may continue long.
是謂深根固柢，	His case is like that (of the plant) of which we say that its roots are deep and its flower stalks firm:
長生久視之道。	- this is the way to secure that its enduring life shall long be seen.

Character	Composition	Variants	Reading	Meaning	Hanyu	Kangxi	Cihai
治	水+5	乿	zhì ㄓˋ	Rule, administer. / Well ruled, peaceful and orderly. / Punish, execute. / Cure, treat (an illness). / Prepare. / Construct. / Research, study.	v3,p1599#06	p.614#07	p.776r5c02
人	人+0	𠔽亻	rén ㄖㄣˊ	Man, person. / Others, other people. / The people, ordinary men. / Talent, material. / [A man's] character. / Affairs of men, world of man. / Benevolence.	v1,p0101#10	p.91#01	p.80r2c01
事	亅+7	亊叓𠭏	shì ㄕˋ	(5) 服侍，侍奉。 Serve.	v1,p0023#03	p.85#24	p.58r3c02
天	大+1	𠀡𠀘𦴞兲靝𠕹	tiān ㄊㄧㄢ	sky, heaven; god, celestial	v1,p0522#01	p.248#04	p.358r4c01
莫	艸+7	𦮅䒬𦱴	mò mù ㄇㄛˋ ㄇㄨˋ	do not, is not, can not; negative	v5,p3217#15	p.1035#13	p.1141r3c03
若	艸+5	若𦱡𦱶𧁇	ruò ㄖㄨㄛˋ	Iris. / Same as 「北海若」 běi hǎi ruò ㄅㄟˇ ㄏㄞˇ ㄖㄨㄛˋ: Ruo, a god of the Northern Sea. / Go by, accord with. / Choose. / Like, similar to. / Identical, the same. / As good as, comparable to. / To, arrive at. / You, your. / This way, like this. / Regarding, as regards. / If, should it be the case. / Or, alternatively. / But, yet. / Adjectival suffix.	v5,p3187#07	p.1023#12	p.1130r1c03
嗇	口+10	𠻮𤲝𤳋𤲷啬	sè ㄙㄜˋ	miserly, thrifty, stingy; stopped up, constipated	v1,p0665#11	p.202#05	p.287r2c06
夫	大+1		fū ㄈㄨ	General term for adult men. / Adult labourers in particular. / Soldier. / Respectful term for a man. / Husband. / Unit of area equal to one hundred mu.	v1,p0521#01	p.248#11	p.367r2c01
			fú ㄈㄨˊ	Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Modal particle used at the start of a sentence for emphasis or to indicate an assertion. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to soften the tone. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express exclamation.
唯	口+8		wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Only, exclusively. / Connective: although, even though. / Connective: because. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence to express hope or desire. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence to express confirmation. / Particle, no meaning.	v1,p0642#05	p.193#17	p.277r1c02
			wěi ㄨㄟˇ	Sound of affirmation. / Affirm.
是	日+5	昰𣆞	shì ㄕˋ	Straight. / Right, correct. / Believe accurate, affirm. / Demonstrative pronoun: this. / Be (copula). / Auxiliary word, used after moving forward the object.	v2,p1497#05	p.493#26	p.639r1c01
謂	言+9	谓	wèi ㄨㄟˋ	To (when speaking to someone). / Say, speak. / Call, name. / Meaning, what is meant. / Discuss, comment on (a person). / How? / Same as 「為(21.3)」 wèi ㄨㄟˋ: Preposition: because of, due to.	v6,p3997#06	p.1173#12	p.1251r6c01
			wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Same as 「為(10)」 wéi ㄨㄟˊ: Count as, be considered as.
早	日+2		zǎo ㄗㄠˇ	early; soon; morning	v2,p1483#06	p.489#12	p.629r1c01
服	月+4	𣍞𦨈	fú fù bì ㄈㄨˊ ㄈㄨˋ ㄅㄧˋ	clothes; wear, dress	v3,p2053#07	p.505#02
之	丿+3	㞢	zhī ㄓ	Towards; go to. / Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Auxiliary word: of. / Auxiliary word: used between subject and predicate, cancels independence of a clause. / Auxiliary word: used in a sentence for aesthetic purpose only, no meaning.	v1,p0043#01	p.82#04	p.47r2c02
重	里+2	𡍴	zhòng ㄓㄨㄥˋ	Heavy. / Important, significant. / Valuable, noble. / Solemn, dignified. / Respect, attach importance to. / Difficult. / Addition, also. / Supplies for an army. / Extreme.	v6,p3680#02	p.1291#03	p.1357r6c01
			chóng ㄔㄨㄥˊ	Repeat, duplicate. / Layer, level. / Start afresh, do again.
積	禾+11	积	jī ㄐㄧ	accumulate, store up, amass	v4,p2626#16	p.859#24	p.996r2c02
德	彳+12	惪悳	dé ㄉㄜˊ	Morals, morality. / Good deeds. / Good fortune. / Reward kindness, thank. / Heart, feelings. / Same as 「得(1.1)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Get, obtain.	v2,p0841#17	p.371#08	p.518r3c01
則	刀+7	𠟻𠟭𠞋𠟔则	zé ㄗㄜˊ	Method, rule. / Mimic, emulate. / Level, grade. / Adverb used to emphasize an assertion. / Adverb used to express scope: only. / Connective expressing continuation: then, and then. / Connective emphasizing comparison. / Connective expressing contrast. / Connective expressing allowance: yet, even so. / Connective expressing unexpected turn of events. / Connective expressing suppostion: if.	v1,p0340#06	p.139#31	p.183r5c05
無	火+8	𣟒𣚨𠘩无橆	wú ㄨˊ	Not have. / Philosophical category referring to absence, non-existence, or vacuity. / Adverb expressing negation: not. / Adverb expressing questioning: or not. / Connective: regardless of. / Connective: even if. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence, no meaning. / Do not. / Barren, uncultivated.	v3,p2211#15	p.673#26	p.848r2c04
不	一+3	不𠀚𠙐	bù ㄅㄨˋ	Not have. / To not be. / Negational adverb, used before verbs, adjectives, etc. to indicate negation. / Negational adverb expressing prohibition: do not. / Negational adverb expressing rhetorical question: is not...?	v1,p0011#06	p.76#15	p.30r1c01
			fǒu ㄈㄡˇ	Same as 「否(1.2)」 fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used together with an affirmative word, expressing its negative or opposite. / Same as 「否(1.3)」 fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used at the end of a question to form a yes-no question.
			fū ㄈㄨ	Sepal of a flower.
			pī ㄆㄧ	Same as 「丕(1)」 pī ㄆㄧ: Large.
			bǐ ㄅㄧˇ	Show disdain for.
克	儿+5	𠧳𡱀𠅔𠅡𠧻剋	kè ㄎㄜˋ	gram; overcome; transliteration	v1,p0269#04	p.124#15	p.137r4c01
知	矢+3	𢇻𥎿	zhī ㄓ	Know, understand. / Perception. / Recognize. / Knowledge. / Know about, make sense of. / Be friendly with. / Control, get on top of.	v4,p2581#02	p.824#01	p.955r5c02
			zhì ㄓˋ	Wisdom.
其	八+6	丌亓	qí ㄑㄧˊ	Third-person possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their. / Demonstrative pronoun: that, those. / Adverb expressing estimation or guess. / Adverb expressing imperative. / Adverb expressing rhetorical question. / Adverb expressing future tense. / Connective expressing hypothesis: if, supposing. / Connective expressing choice: or. / Connective expressing concession: even if. / Particle used after an adjective. / Particle: of. / Particle used for emphasis after single-character adjectives or onomatopoeia. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to alter the tempo.	v1,p0245#01	p.127#18	p.162r5c01
			jì ㄐㄧˋ	Particle used after bi and he.
			jī ㄐㄧ	Modal particle expressing interrogative tone. / A year.
極	木+9	极	jí ㄐㄧˊ	extreme, utmost, furthest, final	v2,p1240#10	p.542#02	p.710r4c03
可	口+2	歌厥	kě kè ㄎㄜˇ ㄎㄜˋ	may, can, -able; possibly	v1,p0567#07	p.172#12	p.244r1c02
以	人+3	㠯	yǐ ㄧˇ	Use. / Believe. / Command. / Lead. / Connect, implicate. / Have. / Cause, reason. / Preposition: because. / Preposition: from, in. / Preposition: at [some time]. / Preposition: using. / Preposition: in accordance with. / Preposition: relying upon. / Preposition: in the capacity of. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: indicates the following action is the objective of the preceding one. / Connective: used between adverbial clause and verb to express modification. / Connective: and. / Connective: but. / Connective: and so, thus. / Particle: used together with some words expressing direction and time. / Modal particle. / Same as 「已(1)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Stop, discontinue. / Same as 「已(7.2)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: already. / Same as 「已(7.3)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: extremely.	v1,p0105#07	p.94#01	p.87r6c01
有	月+2		yǒu ㄧㄡˇ	Have, possess. / Store, collect. / Occupy. / Hold on to, retain. / Have in abundance. / Good harvest. / Obtain. / Only. / Be, exist. / Occur, happen. / Make. / Particle used before a noun with no meaning. / Particle used before a monosyllabic adjective with no meaning. / Particle used before a verb with no meaning. / Still, yet. / Some people. / Region.	v3,p2041#05	p.504#20	p.656r5c01
			yòu ㄧㄡˋ	Help, assist. / Same as 「又(3)」 yòu ㄧㄡˋ: Moreover.
國	囗+8	圀國囗囶𢧌䆐囯国	guó ㄍㄨㄛˊ	nation, country, nation-state	v1,p0720#09	p.219#16	p.303r4c02
母	毋+1		mǔ mú wǔ wú ㄇㄨˇ ㄇㄨˊ ㄨˇ ㄨˊ	mother; female elders; female	v4,p2380#03	p.588#25	p.745r1c03
長	長+0	镸𨱗𠤐𠑷𠔊𠑻𠑿𡕣长	cháng zhǎng zhàng ㄔㄤˊ ㄓㄤˇ ㄓㄤˋ	long; length; excel in; leader	v6,p4050#01	p.1328#07	p.1399r3c04
久	丿+2	乆	jiǔ ㄐㄧㄡˇ	long time (ago); time passage, grow late	v1,p0033#03	p.81#19	p.47r1c02
深	水+8	𣸧	shēn ㄕㄣ	deep; depth; far; very, extreme	v3,p1662#10	p.632#01	p.806r2c03
根	木+6		gēn ㄍㄣ	root, base(d on); foundation	v2,p1208#02	p.524#07	p.691r3c02
固	囗+5	怘	gù ㄍㄨˋ	to become solid, solidify; strength	v1,p0716#09	p.218#03	p.302r5c04
柢	木+5		dǐ ㄉㄧˇ	root, base; bottom of object	v2,p1186#08	p.520#04	p.687r3c05
生	生+0	𤯓	shēng ㄕㄥ	life, living, lifetime; birth	v4,p2575#01	p.754#26	p.906r5c03
視	示+7	眎𥄙眡𥄚𥅭𥉙𤋇视	shì ㄕˋ	look at, inspect, observe, see	v6,p3665#19	p.1134#21
道	辵+9	𨕥衟𡬹	dào ㄉㄠˋ	Road, path. / Journey. / Method. / Law, reason. / Doctrine, claim. / Skill, technique. / Principle, right way. / The Dao, the origin of all things in Daoism. / Speak, talk. / Take a course of action. / Take a course of action. / Rites paid to the spirit of roads. / Ancient administrative unit. / Daoism.	v6,p3864#01	p.1262#06	p.1326r3c02
			dǎo ㄉㄠˇ	Lead. / Flow smoothly.

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