老子道德經(核心三十三篇)

Laozi’s Dao De Jing (core 33 chapters)

Translated by LI Siming, 2011

 

 

34. The smallness and bigness of the Dao

 

大道汎兮，其可左右。

萬物恃之而生而不辭，功成不名有。

The great Dao is everywhere, it can be here and there.

All things rely on It to manifest, but It does not interfere and does not claim credit.

 

衣養萬物而不為主，常無欲，可名於小；

萬物歸焉，而不為主，可名為大。

It is small, as It nurture all things, but It does not control, and has no desire;

It is big, as all things belong to It, even though It does not control.

 

以其終不自為大，故能成其大。

The never proclamation of bigness, therefore constitute to Its bigness.

 

 

35. Dao and the world, harmony, taste, unlimited

 

執大象，天下往。

往而不害，安平大。

Abide in the Dao, the whole world follows.

(The whole world) follows it without conflict, in perfect harmony.

 

樂與餌，過客止。道之出口，淡乎其無味，

視之不足見，聽之不足聞，用之不足既。

Music and fine food stop people. Dao when being spoken, is however tasteless.

(It) can’t be seen, can’t be heard, however is used without limit.

 

 

38. High virtue does not appear virtuous

 

上德不德，是以有德；下德不失德，是以無德。

上德無為而無以為；下德為之而有以為。

上仁為之而無以為；上義為之而有以為。

上禮為之而莫之應，則攘臂而扔之。

High virtue does not appear virtuous, therefore is virtuous;

Low virtue attached to virtue, therefore is not virtuous.

High virtue acts but does not perceive himself acting;

Low virtue acts and perceives himself acting.

High benevolence acts but does not perceive himself acting;

High courteous acts and perceive himself acting.

High manner acts and if not responded, force others to follow.

 

故失道而後德，失德而後仁，失仁而後義，失義而後禮。

夫禮者，忠信之薄，而亂之首。

前識者，道之華，而愚之始。

Therefore when one departs from the Dao he become virtuous,

when he departs from virtue he become benevolence,

when he departs from benevolence he become righteous,

when he departs from righteousness he become courteous.

Courtesy therefore, represents lack of real trustworthy qualities within, and is the beginning of chaos.

Those who claim to know, departs from the inside and stays with the surface, is the beginning of stupidity.

 

是以大丈夫處其厚，不居其薄；

處其實，不居其華。

故去彼取此。

Therefore real man stays with the thick (virtue), and stays away from the thin (virtue);

he stays with the essence, and stays away from the form.

He therefore lets go of the form and stays with the essence (of the Dao).

 

 

40. Dao moves in cycles, usefulness in softness

 

反者道之動；弱者道之用。

The Dao moves in cycles; its usefulness is reflected in its softness.

 

天下萬物生於有，有生於無。

Things born out of manifest, manifest born out of unmanifest.

 

 

41. Different man hear Dao, descriptions of the Dao

 

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。

Upper men hear the Dao, act on it diligently;

middle men hear the Dao, half believe in it;

lower men hear the Dao, laugh at it.

If not being laughed at it doesn’t worth to be the Dao.

 

故建言有之：

明道若昧；進道若退；

夷道若纇；上德若谷；

太白若辱；廣德若不足；

建德若偷；質真若渝；

大方無隅；大器晚成；

大音希聲；大象無形；道隱無名。

夫唯道，善貸且成。

Therefore there are sayings:

obvious path looks obscure; proceeding path looks like retreating;

flat path looks unflat; high virtue is like low valley;

cleanest appears dirty; great virtue appears not sufficient;

vigorous virtue appears lazy; quality material appears hollow;

the most upright does not have corners; great vehicle appears in their late years;

great sound is difficult to hear; great phenomenon is beyond form; Dao is hidden with no name.

Dao gives, and allow for manifestation.

 

 

43. Soft conquer strong, benefits of non-form and non-doing

 

天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。

無有入無間，吾是以知無為之有益。

不言之教，無為之益，天下希及之。

The softest of the world, conquer the world’s strongest.

Non-form penetrates into every space, therefore is the benefit of non-doing.

Teachings of non-word, benefit of non-doing, few in the world arrive at it.

 

 

48. Study gains vs. cultivate surrenders

 

為學日益，為道日損。

損之又損，以至於無為。

無為而無不為。

取天下常以無事，及其有事，不足以取天下。

Study and one accumulates, cultivate (Dao) and one surrenders.

Keep surrendering and one will arrive at non-doing.

Non-doing with everything done.

Rule the world in non-doingness, if one perceive something to do, he is not sufficient to rule the world.

 

 

51. Dao as source of manifestation, reason for its great virtue

 

道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。

是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。

Dao gives birth, De (virtue) nurtures, materials materialize, environment shapes.

Therefore things pay reverence to Dao and value De.

 

道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命常自然。

故道生之，德畜之；長之育之；亭之毒之；養之覆之。

生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰，是謂玄德。

The reason why Dao is reverenced, and Virtue is valued, is because they allow things to manifest and grow according to their own essence.

Therefore Dao gives birth, Virtue nurtures; grows it and raises it; matures it and ripens it; nurtures it and protects it.

(Dao) gives birth but does not own, acts but does not claim credit, grows but does not kill, this is the great virtue.

 

 

52. Outer son die, inner mother live

 

天下有始，以為天下母。

既知其母，復知其子，既知其子，復守其母，沒身不殆。

There is a beginning to the world, it is the mother of the world.

As one knows the mother, one knows the son; as one knows the son and abides with its mother, one lasts even when one lost (the body).

 

塞其兌，閉其門，終身不勤。

開其兌，濟其事，終身不救。

Fill the hole, shut the door, and you will have no trouble.

Open the hole, entertain its desire, and you will be troubled beyond saving.

 

見小曰明，守柔曰強。

用其光，復歸其明，無遺身殃；

是為習常。

To be able to see the detail is wise, to be able to abide in softness is strong.

Utilize one’s outer brightness, and return to one’s inner light, and there will be no hazard to oneself;

this is called abiding in the everlasting.