| Chinese Text Project |
《道德經二卷 - Dao De Jing: Volume 2 》 | English translation: AI and Chinese Text Project users [?] | Library Resources |
| 1 | 道德經二... : | 生而不有，為而不恃。元炁生萬物不有，道所施不求其報。 |
| Give birth to things but do not claim them as your own; act upon things but do not rely on them. The primal qi gives rise to all things without claiming possession, and the Dao acts without seeking reward. | ||
| 2 | 道德經二... : | 挫其銳，解其紛。銳，進也。人欲銳精，進取功名。當挫止之，法道不自見也。紛，結恨也。當念道无上。解，釋也。和其光，雖有獨見之明，當如暗昧不曜亂人也。同其塵。當與衆同垢塵，不自别殊。 |
| Dull its sharpness, untie its knots. Rui means advancement. People desire to sharpen their spirit, striving for achievement and fame. One should restrain and stop this, following the Dao which does not reveal itself. Fen means entanglement in hatred. One should always remember that the Dao is supreme. Jie means to release. Harmonize its brightness, although one may have the unique insight of clarity, one should act as if obscure and not dazzling to confuse others. Blend with the dust of the world. One should be stained by the filth and dust along with the crowd, not distinguishing oneself as special or different. | ||
| 3 | 道德經二... : | 多言數窮，口開舌舉，必有禍患。不如守中。不如守德於中，育養精神，愛氣希言也。 |
| Much speech leads to exhaustion; when one opens their mouth and raises their tongue, misfortune is sure to follow. It is better to hold to the center (the Dao). Better to uphold virtue within, nurturing spirit and energy while cherishing stillness and few words. | ||
| 4 | 道德經二... : | 聖人後其身而身先，先人後己，天下之先，以官長也。外其身而身存。薄己而厚人，人愛之如父母，神明祐之如赤子，故身長存也。 |
| The sage puts himself last, yet he becomes the foremost; by putting others before himself, he leads all under heaven as an official or leader. He places his body outside (i.e., disregards personal safety), and thus his life is preserved. By being humble toward himself and generous to others, people love him as a parent; divine beings protect him like an infant, hence his life is long-lasting. | ||
| 5 | 道德經二... : | 金玉滿堂，莫之能守。嗜欲傷神，財多累身。富貴而驕，自遺其咎。夫富當賑貧，貴當憐賤，反驕恣，必被禍患也。 |
| When gold and jade fill the hall, none can truly guard them. Excessive desires harm the spirit; wealth accumulates burdens on the body. Wealth and rank with arrogance bring self-inflicted misfortune. When rich, one should assist the poor; when noble, one should pity the lowly. To instead be arrogant and indulgent will surely bring calamity. | ||
| 6 | 道德經二... : | 絕仁棄義，民復孝慈。德化淳也。絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。上化公正，下無私邪。 |
| Abandon benevolence and righteousness, and the people will return to filial piety and parental kindness. This is the result of virtue transforming people purely. Abandon cunning and profit, and thieves and bandits will vanish. When those above cultivate fairness and righteousness, there will be no private or evil intentions below. | ||
| 7 | 道德經二... : | 曲則全，曲則從衆，不自專，則全也。枉則直，枉屈己而伸人，久久自得直。少則得，天道祐謙，自受少則得多。多則惑。財多者惑於守身，學多者惑於所聞。 |
| Bend and thus remain whole; by bending, one follows the crowd rather than acting alone, thereby preserving wholeness. Be bent (in humility) and thus become upright; by bending oneself to accommodate others, one will eventually achieve uprightness. Have little and thus gain much; the Dao of Heaven favors humility; by accepting less, one receives more. Too much leads to confusion. Those with great wealth are confused about how to preserve themselves; those with much learning are confused by what they have heard. | ||
| 8 | 道德經二... : | 善行無轍跡，善行道者，求之身，不下堂，不出門，故無轍跡。善言者無瑕謫。擇言而出之，故無瑕謫。 |
| Good conduct leaves no tracks; those who practice the Dao well seek it within themselves, without leaving their hall or stepping outside their door, hence they leave no tracks. Skillful words leave no blemishes or censure. By choosing one's words carefully, there are no flaws or reprimands. | ||
| 9 | 道德經二... : | 知足者富，知足則長保祿位，故富也。死而不亡者壽，目不妄視，耳不妄聽，口不妄言，則無怨於天下，故能長壽也。 |
| He who knows contentment is rich; one who knows contentment will always preserve rank and position, hence he is rich. He who dies but does not perish is long-lived; if one's eyes do not gaze aimlessly, ears do not listen recklessly, and mouth does not speak without cause, then there will be no resentment from the world, hence one can live long. | ||
| 10 | 道德經二... : | 將欲噏之，必固張之；先開張之，欲令極其奢淫。將欲弱之，必固強之；先强大之，欲使遇害。將欲廢之，必固興之；先興之，使驕危。將欲奪之，必固與之。先與之者，欲極其貪心也。是謂微明。此四事其道微，其效明也。 |
| If you wish to contract something, first make it expand; First open and expand it, wishing for it to reach the extreme of extravagance. If you wish to weaken something, first make it strong; First strengthen it, wishing for it to encounter harm. If you wish to abolish something, first make it flourish; First let it prosper, causing arrogance and danger. If you wish to take something away, first give it generously. Giving it first is done in order to push greed to its extreme. This is called subtle wisdom. These four matters are subtle in their Dao, yet clear in their effects. | ||
| 11 | 道德經二... : | 失道而後德，道衰德生。失德而後仁，德衰而仁愛見。失義而後禮。義衰即施禮聘，行玉帛也。夫禮者，忠信之薄，禮廢本治末，忠信日以消薄。而亂之首。禮賤質貴文，故正日以消，邪亂日以生。 |
| After losing the Dao comes virtue; when the Dao declines, virtue arises. After losing virtue comes benevolence; when virtue declines, acts of kindness and love appear. After losing righteousness comes ritual propriety. When righteousness declines, rituals and offerings are performed with jade and silk. Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and trust; ritual abandons the root for the branch, causing loyalty and trust to gradually fade. And it becomes the beginning of disorder. Ritual values form over substance, so righteousness gradually declines while evil and chaos increasingly arise. | ||
| 12 | 道德經二... : | 貴必以賤為本，言欲尊貴，當以賤薄為本。禹稷躬耕，舜陶河濱，周公下白屋是也。高必以下為基。言欲高立，先以下為基。如築牆造功，因卑成高，下不堅固，高必傾危也。 |
| To value something is to take its lowly as the foundation; to seek honor and rank, one must regard humility and simplicity as the root. Yǔ Jì tilled the fields with their own hands; Shun made pottery by the riverside; and Duke of Zhou descended to humble dwellings—these are examples. Height must take low ground as its foundation. To stand high, one must first establish a base from below. Like building walls and creating structures, one builds upward from the low; if the foundation is not solid, the height will surely collapse. | ||
| 13 | 道德經二... : | 上士聞道，勤而行之；中士聞道，若存若亡；下士聞道，大笑之。不笑不足以為道。不為下士笑，不足名曰道。明道若昧，明道之人，若暗昧無所見也。進道若退，進取道者，若退不及。夷道若類，夷，平也。大道之人，不自别殊，若多比類。上德若谷，若深谷不恥垢辱也。廣德若不足。德行廣大之人，若愚頑不足也。大方無隅，大方正之人，無委曲亷隅也。大器晚成，成器之人，如瑚璉不可卒成。大音希聲，如雷電待時而動，喻常愛氣希言也。大象無形。大法象道之人，質朴無形容也。 |
| The superior scholar who hears of the Dao works diligently to practice it; The mediocre scholar who hears of the Dao is uncertain, as if it exists or not; The inferior scholar who hears of the Dao laughs at it greatly. If it is not laughed at, it cannot be considered the Dao. If it does not provoke laughter from inferior scholars, it cannot truly be called the Dao. Clarity of the Dao appears as obscurity; those who understand the Dao seem obscure and see nothing. Advancing in the Dao seems like retreating; one who seeks to advance in the Dao appears as if falling behind. The level path of the Dao seems full of obstacles; Yi means flatness. Those who follow the great Dao do not distinguish themselves as special, appearing instead to be like many others. The highest virtue is like a valley; like a deep valley that does not resent filth or disgrace. Vast virtue appears as if insufficient. Those with broad virtue and conduct appear foolish and lacking. The great square has no corners; a truly upright person has no crookedness or sharp angles. Great vessels are late in becoming complete; those who become great like precious jade cannot be finished suddenly. らい The greatest sound is rarely heard; like thunder and lightning that wait for the right moment to act, it symbolizes always cherishing breath and speaking little. The great form has no shape. Those who embody the great law of the Dao are simple and unadorned, without outward appearance or form. | ||
| 14 | 道德經二... : | 物或損之而益，取之不得，推讓必遠。益之而損。曾高者崩，貪祿致患也。 |
| Things may be harmed yet gain benefit; trying to take them will not succeed, but yielding and giving way ensures distance from harm. Benefiting them may actually cause loss. Those who rise too high will collapse; greed for rank brings misfortune. | ||
| 15 | 道德經二... : | 名與身孰親？名遂則身退也。身與貨孰多？財多則害身也。得與亡孰病？好得貨利，則病於行。甚愛必大費，甚愛色，費精神；甚愛財，遇患害；所愛者少，所費者多，故言必大費。多藏必厚亡。生多藏於府庫，死多藏於丘墓；生有攻劫之憂，死有掘塚探柩之患。 |
| Which is more precious, reputation or life? When fame is achieved, the body must retreat. Which is more valuable, life or wealth? Wealth in excess harms the body. Which is more harmful, gain or loss? Loving to gain wealth and profit causes illness in conduct. Excessive love necessarily leads to great expense; excessive love of beauty exhausts spirit and energy; Excessive love for wealth brings misfortune; the less one loves, the more one spends; thus it is said to lead to great expense. Much hoarding necessarily leads to heavy loss. When alive, much is stored in treasuries; when dead, much is buried in tombs; when living there are worries of attack and plunder, and after death the danger of grave robbing and disturbing coffins. | ||
| 16 | 道德經二... : | 大成若缺，缺者滅名藏譽，如不備。大巧若拙，不見其然。大辯若訥。知無疑，口無辯。 |
| The great completion appears as a deficiency; a deficiency means extinguishing fame and concealing praise, appearing incomplete. Great skill appears clumsy; its effects are not obvious. The greatest eloquence appears hesitant and slow in speech. When one knows without doubt, the mouth needs no argument. | ||
| 17 | 道德經二... : | 不出戶以知天下，以己身知人身，以己家知人家。不窺牖以見天道。天道與人道同。其出彌遠，其知彌少。謂去其家，觀人家；去其身，觀人身。其視雖遠，而所見至少也。 |
| One can know all under heaven without leaving home; by understanding oneself and one's family, one understands others and their families. Without looking through the window, one can see the Dao of Heaven. The Dao of Heaven is the same as the Dao of humanity. The farther one goes out, the less knowledge one gains. This means leaving one's own home to observe others' homes; leaving one's own body to examine the bodies of others. Even though their gaze extends far, what they see is minimal. | ||
| 18 | 道德經二... : | 為學日益，謂政教禮樂之學，情欲文飾日以多。為道日損。謂自然之道，情欲文飾日以消。損之又損之，以至于無為。無為而無不為。情欲斷絕，德與道合，則無所不施，無所不為。 |
| To pursue learning increases day by day; this refers to the study of politics, education, rites, and music, where emotions, desires, and ornamental culture grow increasingly complex. To cultivate the Dao reduces things day by day. This refers to the natural Dao, where emotions, desires, and ornamentation gradually fade away. Reduce it again and again until one reaches non-action (wuwei). Non-action, yet nothing remains unaccomplished. When emotions and desires are severed, virtue merges with the Dao, so there is nothing that cannot be applied or accomplished. | ||
| 19 | 道德經二... : | 善者，吾善之；不善者，吾亦善之。不善則教道使就善，信者，吾信之；不信者，吾亦信之。亦以教道。 |
| Those who are good, I treat as good; those who are not good, I also treat with goodness. treating the unvirtuous by guiding them toward virtue through teaching and Dao, those who are trustworthy, I trust; those who are not trustworthy, I also treat with trust. Also through teaching and the Dao. | ||
| 20 | 道德經二... : | 善攝生者，陸行不遇兕虎，自然合遠避。入軍不被甲兵。不好戰殺。 |
| Those who skillfully preserve life, when traveling on land will not encounter rhinoceroses or tigers; this is because they naturally align with the Dao and avoid danger. entering an army, one does not need armor or weapons. Because they do not delight in war and killing. | ||
| 21 | 道德經二... : | 塞其兌，兌，目也，不妄視。閉其門，門，口也，不妄言。終身不勤。終身不勤苦也。開其兌，視情欲。濟其事，濟益情欲之事。終身不救。禍亂成也。 |
| Seal the openings; the "openings" refer to the eyes, meaning one does not gaze carelessly. close its gates; the "gates" refer to the mouth, meaning one does not speak recklessly. Thus, they remain free from toil for life. They will not suffer hardship throughout their lives. Open the openings; to gaze upon emotions and desires. further one's affairs, meaning to pursue matters that increase emotional desires. and thus remain unredeemed for life. Disaster and chaos will arise. | ||
| 22 | 道德經二... : | 大道甚夷，而民好俓。俓，邪不平正也。 |
| The great Dao is very level, yet the people prefer narrow paths. "Xie" means crookedness, not leveling or uprightness. | ||
| 23 | 道德經二... : | 善建者不拔。善以道建身、建國者，不可得引而拔之。 |
| Those who skillfully establish themselves are not shaken. Those who skillfully build their character and nation through the Dao cannot be pulled or uprooted. | ||
| 24 | 道德經二... : | 知者不言，貴其行也。言者不知。駟不及舌，多言多患也。 |
| The wise do not speak; they value action instead. Those who speak are not truly wise. Even four horses cannot catch up with the tongue; speaking too much brings many troubles. | ||
| 25 | 道德經二... : | 其政悶悶，音門。政教寛大。悶悶，昧昧似不明。其民淳淳；淳淳，親厚。其政察察，政急疾，言決于口，聽決于身。其民缺缺。民不聊生。缺缺，日以疎薄也。直而不肆，肆，申也。聖人雖直，曲己從人，不自申。光而不耀。雖有獨見之明，如暗昧不炫耀。 |
| Its governance is ménmén (dull and quiet); the pronunciation of "mén" is like "men." / The political instruction is broad and lenient. Ménmén, dim and seemingly unclear. Its people are sincere; "Chunchun" means affectionate and thick. Its governance is sharp and meticulous; the administration is urgent, words are decided by the mouth, and judgments are made hastily. its people are lacking in virtue. The people cannot even sustain their lives. "Queque," day by day becoming more distant and shallow. Upright but not unrestrained; "Si" means to extend or stretch. / Even though the sage is upright, they bend themselves to follow others and do not assert themselves. Radiant but not dazzling. Even though one has the clarity of unique insight, it is as if in darkness and does not display brilliance. | ||
| 26 | 道德經二... : | 深根固蔕，長生久視之道。人以氣作根，以精作蔕。如樹根不深則拔，蔕不堅則落。言能深藏氣，固守精，無所泄漏，乃長生久視之道。 |
| Deep roots and a firm core are the Dao for long life and enduring vision. A person's vital energy forms their root, and their essence forms their core. / If a tree's roots are not deep, it will be uprooted; if its core is not firm, it will fall. / Speaking of the ability to deeply conceal vital energy and firmly guard essence without any leakage is the Dao for long life and lasting vision. | ||
| 27 | 道德經二... : | 以道莅天下者，其鬼不神。鬼不敢干犯其精神。非其鬼不神，其神不傷人。聖人在位不傷害人，故鬼不干人。夫兩不相傷，故德交歸焉。人能治於陽，全其性命；鬼得治於陰，保其精神。故德交歸也。 |
| He who governs all under heaven through the Dao, his spirits do not act as deities. Spirits dare not disturb or violate their spirit and energy. It is not that the spirits are powerless, but they do not harm people. When a sage holds office and does not harm others, hence spirits do not interfere with people. Since neither harms the other, thus virtue converges and returns to them both. When a person governs their yang aspect well, they preserve their life and nature; spirits governing their yin aspect properly protect their spirit and energy. Therefore, virtue converges and returns. | ||
| 28 | 道德經二... : | 人之不善，何棄之有？當以道伏之。蓋三皇之前無棄民，德化厚也。故立天子，置三公。欲化不善人也。 |
| For those who are not virtuous, how can they be abandoned? They should be subdued through the Dao. / For before the Three Sovereigns there were no abandoned people, as virtue and moral influence were profound. Therefore, emperors are established, and the three high officials are appointed. To transform those who lack virtue. | ||
| 29 | 道德經二... : | 報怨以德，修道行善，絕禍于未生也。圖難于易。圖難事先於其時求成也。夫輕諾必寡信，多易必多難。不慎患也。 |
| Repay resentment with virtue; cultivate the Dao and perform good deeds, cutting off calamity before it arises. Plan for difficulties when they are still easy. This means to seek success in difficult matters before the time arrives. He who makes light promises will surely lack credibility; he who finds things easy will inevitably face many difficulties. This is due to carelessness in considering potential troubles. | ||
| 30 | 道德經二... : | 其安易持，治國、治身、安靜者易守持也。其未兆易謀。為之于未有，治之于未亂。 |
| When peace prevails, it is easy to maintain; when governing a nation or oneself and maintaining tranquility, it is easily preserved. Before signs appear, plans are easy to make. Act before things arise; govern before chaos occurs. | ||
| 31 | 道德經二... : | 以智治國，國之賊；使智慧之人治國，必背道德，妄作威福，乃是國之賊。不以智治國，國之福。民守正直，不作邪飾，上下相親，君臣同力。 |
| To govern a nation with wisdom is to become the nation's thief; If those who are wise and knowledgeable govern the country, they will surely violate the Dao and de, recklessly wielding power and blessings; this is what makes them thieves of the nation. Not governing a nation with wisdom brings blessing to the nation. The people uphold uprightness and do not engage in crookedness or ornamentation; superiors and inferiors are affectionate, and ruler and subjects work together with unity. | ||
| 32 | 道德經二... : | 善為士者不武，貴道德不好武力也。善戰者不怒。善以道戰者，禁邪于心胸，絕禍于未萌，無所怨怒。 |
| The truly virtuous person does not rely on military might; they value the Dao and virtue rather than martial power. Those skilled in warfare do not become angry. Those who skillfully wage war through the Dao suppress evil within their hearts and eliminate calamity before it sprouts, harboring no resentment or anger. | ||
| 33 | 道德經二... : | 代大匠斵者，希有不傷其手矣！人君行刑罰，猶拙人代大匠斵，則方圓不得其理，還自傷；代天殺者，失紀綱，不得其紀綱，還受其殃也。 |
| He who dares to take over from a great craftsman in carving rarely avoids injuring his hands! When a ruler enforces punishments, it is like an unskilled person taking over from a great craftsman; the results will be out of proportion and disorderly, ultimately harming oneself; to act on behalf of Heaven in killing is to lose the principles and guidelines. Without proper adherence, one will suffer misfortune as a result. | ||
| 34 | 道德經二... : | 天之道，損有餘而補不足。天道益謙，常以中和是尚。人之道則不然，損不足以奉有餘。世俗之人，損貧以奉富，奪弱以益強也。 |
| The Dao of Heaven reduces what is excessive and supplements what is insufficient. Heaven's Dao favors humility, always valuing balance and harmony. Human ways are not like this; they take from what is insufficient to serve the excessive. People of the world take from the poor to enrich the rich, and seize from the weak to strengthen the strong. | ||
| 35 | 道德經二... : | 鄰國相望，雞犬之聲相聞，民至老死不相往來。無情欲也。 |
| Neighboring states can see each other; the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard across borders, yet people live to old age without ever visiting one another. Because they lack emotional desires. | ||
| 36 | 道德經二... : | 知者不博，博者不知。知道守一，則不必博；多見聞，失要真，故不知。 |
| The truly wise do not seek breadth; those who pursue breadth are not truly wise. Understanding the Dao and holding to unity means one need not be broad in knowledge; / excessive observation and hearing lead to losing the essential truth, hence they are not truly wise. |
URN: ctp:n566654