Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Outer Chapters -> Heaven and Earth -> 1

天地雖大，	Notwithstanding the greatness of heaven and earth,
其化均也；	their transforming power proceeds from one lathe;
萬物雖多，	notwithstanding the number of the myriad things,
其治一也；	the government of them is one and the same;
人卒雖眾，	notwithstanding the multitude of mankind,
其主君也。	the lord of them is their (one) ruler.
君原於德而成於天，	The ruler's (course) should proceed from the qualities (of the Dao) and be perfected by Heaven,
故曰：玄古之君天下，無為也，	when it is so, it is called 'Mysterious and Sublime.' The ancients ruled the world by doing nothing
天德而已矣。	- simply by this attribute of Heaven.
以道觀言而天下之君正，	If we look at their words in the light of the Dao, (we see that) the appellation for the ruler of the world was correctly assigned;
以道觀分而君臣之義明，	if we look in the same light at the distinctions which they instituted, (we see that) the separation of ruler and ministers was right;
以道觀能而天下之官治，	if we look at the abilities which they called forth in the same light, (we see that the duties of) all the offices were well performed;
以道汎觀而萬物之應備。	and if we look generally in the same way at all things, (we see that) their response (to this rule) was complete.
故通於天地者，	Therefore that which pervades (the action of) Heaven and Earth
德也；	is (this one) attribute;
行於萬物者，	that which operates in all things
道也；	is (this one) course;
上治人者，	that by which their superiors govern the people
事也；	is the business (of the various departments);
能有所藝者，	and that by which aptitude is given to ability
技也。	is skill.
技兼於事，	The skill was manifested in all the (departments of) business;
事兼於義，	those departments were all administered in righteousness;
義兼於德，	the righteousness was (the outflow of) the natural virtue;
德兼於道，	the virtue was manifested according to the Dao;
道兼於天。	and the Dao was according to (the pattern of) Heaven.
故曰：	Hence it is said,
「古之畜天下者，	'The ancients who had the nourishment of the world
無欲而天下足，	wished for nothing and the world had enough;
無為而萬物化，	they did nothing and all things were transformed;
淵靜而百姓定。」	their stillness was abysmal, and the people were all composed.'
記曰：	The Record says,
「通於一而萬事畢，	'When the one (Dao) pervades it, all business is completed.
無心得而鬼神服。」	When the mind gets to be free from all aim, even the Spirits submit.'

Character	Composition	Variants	Reading	Meaning	Hanyu	Kangxi	Cihai
天	大+1	𠀡𠀘𦴞兲靝𠕹	tiān ㄊㄧㄢ	sky, heaven; god, celestial	v1,p0522#01	p.248#04	p.358r4c01
地	土+3	埊𨻐埅𠏂嶳	dì de ㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄜ·	earth; soil, ground; region	v1,p0420#12	p.224#06	p.312r6c01
雖	隹+9	𨾡虽	suī ㄙㄨㄟ	Type of insect. / Even, though, even if. / Only.	v6,p4103#05	p.1368#22	p.1440r6c01
大	大+0	𠘲	dà ㄉㄚˋ	Large, great. / Exceed, be greater than. / Venerate, treat as being great. / Many. / Thick, coarse. / Elder. / Respectful term of address. / Adverb expressing high level or broad range.	v1,p0520#01	p.248#01	p.342r3c03
			tài ㄊㄞˋ	Most (superlative). / Too much. / Peaceful, tranquil.
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.
化	匕+2	𠤎𠯒𠏁	huà huā ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄏㄨㄚ	change, convert, reform; -ize	v1,p0109#04	p.152#20	p.201r6c02
均	土+4	韻	jūn yùn ㄐㄩㄣㄩㄣˋ	equal, even, fair; all, also	v1,p0425#06	p.224#31	p.316r1c04
也	乙+2	𠃟匜	yě ㄧㄝˇ	Modal particle used at the end of a sentence, expressing assertion and affirmation. / Modal particle used at the end of a question for emphasis. / Modal particle used at the end of a cause-effect sentence to express explanation. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause.	v1,p0050#05	p.84#04	p.55r1c01
萬	禸+8	万卍㸘𤍚𢁭	wàn ㄨㄢˋ	ten thousand; innumerable	v5,p3247#08	p.1042#33	p.1149r4c02
物	牛+4		wù ㄨˋ	thing, substance, creature	v3,p1805#03	p.699#09	p.869r5c01
多	夕+3	夛𡖇𡖈	duō ㄉㄨㄛ	much, many; more than, over	v2,p0862#02	p.246#11	p.339r4c01
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
一	一+0	弌壹	yī ㄧ	one; a, an; alone	v1,p0001#01	p.75#01	p.1r1c01
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
卒	十+6	卆䘚	zú ㄗㄨˊ	Footsoldier. / Unit of one hundred soldiers. / A [military] unit. / Unit of 30 states. / Unit of 300 families. / Labourer. / End, finish. / Die. / Adverb: finally. / Same as 「崒(1)」 zú ㄗㄨˊ: High peaks.	v1,p0063#02	p.156#28	p.216r4c01
			cù ㄘㄨˋ	Same as 「猝(2)」 cù ㄘㄨˋ: Adverb: suddenly. / Same as 「倅(1.2)」 cuì ㄘㄨㄟˋ: Assistant.
眾	目+6	衆𠂝𥅫𠱧众	zhòng ㄓㄨㄥˋ	masses, people, multitude, crowd	v4,p2917#04	p.807#15	p.951r1c02
主	丶+4	丶宔	zhǔ ㄓㄨˇ	master, chief owner; host; lord	v1,p0044#03	p.80#20	p.45r2c01
君	口+4	𠱩𠱭	jūn ㄐㄩㄣ	The son of heaven. / The ruler of a state. / Dafu (title). / To be ruler. / To rule, to govern.	v1,p0595#06	p.177#07	p.256r6c08
原	厂+8	𠪥𨘡𠪰亰	yuán yuàn ㄩㄢˊ ㄩㄢˋ	source, origin, beginning	v1,p0074#09	p.162#03	p.229r4c03
於	方+4	烏𣱏𤕘于亏扵	yú ㄩˊ	Be (copula). / Be, exist. / Preposition: in. / Preposition: from or to. / Preposition: compared to. / Preposition: to, for, towards. / Preposition: by (indicating passive tense). / Preposition: with, using. / Preposition: due to, because of. / Preposition: by, according to. / Connective: just as. / Auxiliary word, no meaning.	v3,p2175#02	p.481#11	p.622r2c03
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
而	而+0		ér ㄦˊ	Whiskers. / Like, similar to. / Pronoun: you. / Pronoun: this, like this. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: and, then. / Connective: if, supposing. / Connective: yet, however. / Connective: therefore, hence. / Connective: expresses method or state. / Particle: of. / Expressive particle.	v4,p2810#01	p.961#18	p.1080r2c03
			néng ㄋㄥˊ	Same as 「能(3)」 néng ㄋㄥˊ: Able to, competent. / Same as 「能(2.1)」 néng ㄋㄥˊ: Ability, talent.
成	戈+2	𢦩	chéng ㄔㄥˊ	completed, finished, fixed	v2,p1399#01	p.411#11
故	攴+5		gù ㄍㄨˋ	(8) 連詞：所以，因此。 Hence, thus.	v2,p1453#05	p.469#25	p.601r5c01
曰	曰+0		yuē ㄩㄝ	Say, speak. / Call, name. / Particle.	v2,p1482#02	p.502#01	p.648r3c03
玄	玄+0	𤣥伭	xuán xuàn ㄒㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄢˋ	deep, profound, abstruse; KangXi radical 95	v1,p0280#03	p.725#01	p.883r1c01
古	口+2	𠖠𡇣	gǔ ㄍㄨˇ	old, classic, ancient	v1,p0568#03	p.171#08	p.240r1c02
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
天下	大+1 一+2	𠀡𠀘𦴞兲靝𠕹丅厥𠄟	tiān xià ㄊㄧㄢㄒㄧㄚˋ	世界。 "All under heaven", the world.	v1,p0522#01 v1,p0007#01	p.248#04 p.76#10	p.358r4c01 p.28r1c01
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
為	火+5	爲为	wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Create, make. / Build, construct. / Do. / Plant, grow. / Govern. / Research, study. / Serve as. / Change into, become. / As, in the role of. / Count as, be considered as. / Called, named. / Expresses judgement: is. / Make, cause (to). / Have. / Take part in. / Write, author. / Connective: if. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to move forward the object. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express a rhetorical question.	v3,p2198#11	p.669#10	p.844r4c03
			wèi ㄨㄟˋ	Help, assist. / Preposition: for, on behalf of. / Preposition: by (passive). / Preposition: because of, due to. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: because. / Say. / False, fake.
已	己+0		yǐ ㄧˇ	Stop, discontinue. / Complete / The past. / Recover, be cured. / Leave [a post], retire. / Value and carry out. / Adverb: shortly, before long. / Adverb: already. / Adverb: extremely. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence. / Interjection. / Same as 「以(1)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Use. / Same as 「以(9)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Particle: used together with some words expressing direction and time.	v2,p0984#01	p.326#11	p.467r3c01
矣	矢+2	𠤘	yǐ ㄧˇ	Modal particle used to express declaration. / Modal particle used to express exclamation. / Modal particle used to express an order or request.	v4,p2580#04	p.823#37	p.955r5c01
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
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.
觀	見+18	覌𥍊𥸑𥷯观	guān guàn ㄍㄨㄢㄍㄨㄢˋ	see, observe, view; appearance	v6,p3677#05	p.1138#14	p.1231r6c04
言	言+0	訁𢍗𢍬	yán ㄧㄢˊ	Speak, say. / Discuss, debate. / Tell. / Doctrine, theory, words. / One word. / Sentence. / Particle, no meaning.	v6,p3936#01	p.1146#01	p.1236r5c03
正	止+1	㱏𣥔𤴓𧾸	zhèng ㄓㄥˋ	Straight, not at an angle. / Appropriate. / Normal. / Decent, upstanding. / Fix, determine. / Govern, rule. / Set punishments. / Formal, primary. / Pure, unadulterated. / Son by one's official wife. / Luckily, fortuitously. / Expresses continuation of an action or state. / Officer. / Only. / Government, state affairs. / Prove, verify.	v2,p1436#01	p.574#02	p.732r5c02
			zhēng ㄓㄥ	First month in the Chinese calander. / Centre of a target. / Attack, punitive expedition.
分	刀+2	份	fēn ㄈㄣ	Separate, split. / Distribute, divide among. / Distinguish, tell apart. / Difference. / Clear, evident. / Share. / Half. / Gist, general point. / Equinox (in the Chinese unisolar calendar). / Measure word: unit of length equivalent to a tenth of one cun. / Measure word: unit of area equivalent to a tenth of one mu. / Measure word: unit of weight equivalent to a tenth of one qian.	v1,p0321#03	p.136#04	p.174r1c04
			fèn ㄈㄣˋ	Rank, position occupied. / Work, office. / Guess, speculate. / Happy, content.
臣	臣+0	𢘑	chén ㄔㄣˊ	minister, statesman, official	v4,p2801#01	p.999#13	p.1106r2c02
義	羊+7	义	yì ㄧˋ	right conduct, righteousness	v5,p3133#02	p.952#32	p.1071r3c01
明	日+4	朙	míng ㄇㄧㄥˊ	Bright, brilliant. / Daytime. / Clear, obvious. / Clarify, make clear. / Understand. / Straightforwardly, clearly. / Clear, clean. / Wise. / Make wise. / Spirit, god. / Respect. / Eyesight. / Good eyesight. / See clearly. / The following (day, month, year, etc.).	v2,p1491#08	p.491#12	p.631r3c01
能	肉+6		néng ㄋㄥˊ	A type of bear. / Ability, talent. / Man of ability, man of talent. / Able to, competent. / Comply with, be friendly towards. / Encompass, obtain. / To, arrive at. / Then, thus. / Same as 「而(4.3)」 ér ㄦˊ: Connective: if, supposing. / Only, merely. / Even if. / Thus, in this way. / Three-legged turtle.	v3,p2074#01	p.981#16	p.1095r5c02
			nài ㄋㄞˋ	Withstand, endure.
			tái ㄊㄞˊ	Same as 「台(1.1)」 tái ㄊㄞˊ: Name of a celestial body.
			tài ㄊㄞˋ	State, form.
官	宀+5	𠕍	guān ㄍㄨㄢ	official, public servant	v2,p0921#04	p.283#15	p.413r2c01
汎	水+3	泛	fàn fěng ㄈㄢˋ ㄈㄥˇ	float, drift; afloat; careless	v3,p1553#02	p.604#15	p.763r5c04
應	心+13	応硬应	yīng yìng ㄧㄥㄧㄥˋ	should, ought to, must	v4,p2359#03	p.405#21	p.546r1c02
備	人+10	𠈍俻备	bèi ㄅㄟˋ	prepare, ready, perfect	v1,p0200#08	p.113#21	p.121r3c02
故	攴+5		gù ㄍㄨˋ	Cause. / State of affairs. / Event, incident. / Plot. / Old. / Past, original. / Death. / On purpose. / Originally. / Hence, thus.	v2,p1453#05	p.469#25	p.601r5c01
通	辵+7	𢓶	tōng tòng ㄊㄨㄥㄊㄨㄥˋ	pass through, common, communicate	v6,p3845#08	p.1258#04	p.1317r2c02
者	老+4		zhě ㄓㄜˇ	Pronoun used after verbs, adjectives, etc. in place of a person or thing. / Pronoun used after numbers in place of a thing. / Pronoun used after time or negation to express "when" or "if". / Expressive particle used in a declarative sentence after the subject. / Expressive particle used in a sentence after the subject to express cause or explanation.	v4,p2780#05	p.961#01	p.1080r1c01
			zhuó ㄓㄨㄛˊ	In, located in.
行	行+0	行	xíng ㄒㄧㄥˊ	Walk, move (on foot). / Advance, move forward. / Leave, exit. / Patrol, go on inspection. / Inspection of the realm by the Son of Heaven. / Be married off. / Flow, circulate. / Channel, guide. / Revolution, circular motion. / Experience. / Luggage, belongings taken on a journey. / Do, carry out. / Actions. / Accomplishments. / Use, utilize. / Take over (an official duty). / Offer, present. / Moral conduct, behaviour. / A type of classical poem. / A piece of music. / Semi-cursive script. / Adverb: will, about to. / Adverb: again, once more. / Adverb: by chance, luckily. / Ambassador (official title). / Measure word for number of pourings of drinks.	v2,p0811#06	p.1108#31	p.1203r5c05
			háng ㄏㄤˊ	Road. / Track, pattern. / Row, line. / Row of soldiers in battle. / Unit of 25 soldiers. / Shaft of a feather (and by extension, wings). / Measure word for things which form rows. / Rank, position.
上	一+2	丄𠄞	shàng ㄕㄤˋ	top; superior, highest; go up, send up	v1,p0005#04	p.76#07	p.24r2c01
事	亅+7	亊叓𠭏	shì ㄕˋ	Office, duty. / Job, career. / Things, affairs. / Accident, incident. / Engage (in), pursue. / Serve.	v1,p0023#03	p.85#24	p.58r3c02
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.
所	戶+4	𢨷	suǒ ㄙㄨㄛˇ	Place. / Location. / A suitable place or location. / Measure word, used for counting buldings. / Used before a verb, creates a noun-like phrase. / If. Mainly used in oaths and curses. / Used together with 為 to indicate the passive tense. / Indicates an approximate number. / Number, number of times. / Meaning.	v3,p2259#01	p.415#16	p.556r1c01
藝	艸+15	兿秇埶蓺艺	yì ㄧˋ	art; talent, ability; craft	v5,p3317#12	p.1065#34	p.1175r1c01
技	手+4		jì ㄐㄧˋ	skill, ability, talent, ingenuity	v3,p1834#04	p.420#02	p.562r3c01
兼	八+8	𥡝	jiān ㄐㄧㄢ	unite, combine; connect; and	v1,p0249#08	p.128#11	p.162r6c02
曰	曰+0		yuē ㄩㄝ	(1) 說。 Say, speak.	v2,p1482#02	p.502#01	p.648r3c03
畜	田+5	嘼𠬀	chù ㄔㄨˋ	Domestic animals.	v4,p2538#04	p.761#12	p.913r3c03
			xù ㄒㄩˋ	Raise (livestock). / Raise, look after (a family). / Cultivate. / Contain, accommodate. / Love.
欲	欠+7	慾	yù ㄩˋ	desire, want, long for; intend	v3,p2140#07	p.567#36	p.729r4c02
足	足+0	疋𤴕	zú jù ㄗㄨˊ ㄐㄩˋ	foot; attain, satisfy, enough	v6,p3686#01	p.1221#17	p.1287r6c03
淵	水+8	𣶒囦𠝃渊	yuān ㄩㄢ	gulf, abyss, deep	v3,p1681#01	p.632#08	p.807r1c02
靜	靑+8	㣏静	jìng ㄐㄧㄥˋ	quiet, still, motionless; gentle	v6,p4049#01	p.1382#03	p.1463r3c02
百	白+1	佰𦣻	bǎi bó mò ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄛˊ ㄇㄛˋ	one hundred; numerous, many	v4,p2643#01	p.785#04	p.932r4c01
姓	女+5	𤯧𤯣	xìng ㄒㄧㄥˋ	one's family name; clan, people	v2,p1037#12	p.259#05	p.381r6c02
定	宀+5	㱏	dìng ㄉㄧㄥˋ	decide, settle, fix	v2,p0918#02	p.283#18	p.414r5c01
記	言+3	记	jì ㄐㄧˋ	record; keep in mind, remember	v6,p3943#03	p.1149#02	p.1238r3c01
畢	田+6	毕	bì ㄅㄧˋ	end, finish, conclude; completed	v4,p2535#09	p.761#21	p.913r5c01
心	心+0	㣺忄	xīn ㄒㄧㄣ	heart; mind, intelligence; soul	v4,p2267#01	p.375#01	p.521r1c01
得	彳+8	𢔶䙷𢔨	dé ㄉㄜˊ	Get, obtain. / Plunder. / Covet. / Success. / Fitting, appropriate. / Compatible. / Satisfied, pleased. / Possible, can. / Same as 「德(1)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Morals, morality. / Same as 「德(3)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Reward kindness, thank.	v2,p0828#03	p.367#31	p.513r6c02
鬼	鬼+0	𩲡𢇼𣆠	guǐ ㄍㄨㄟˇ	ghost; spirit of dead; devil	v7,p4427#01	p.1460#30	p.1521r5c03
神	示+5	神𥛠	shén shēn ㄕㄣˊ ㄕㄣ	spirit, god, supernatural being	v4,p2392#01	p.842#03
服	月+4	𣍞𦨈	fú fù bì ㄈㄨˊ ㄈㄨˋ ㄅㄧˋ	clothes; wear, dress	v3,p2053#07	p.505#02

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