Chapter on Explaining Words
洞同天地，渾沌為樸，未造而成物，謂之太一。同出於一，所為各異，有鳥、有魚、有獸，謂之分物。方以類別，物以群分，性命不同，皆形於有。隔而不通，分而為萬物，莫能及宗，故動而謂之生，死而謂之窮。皆為物矣，非不物而物物者也，物物者亡乎萬物之中。稽古太初，人生於無，形於有，有形而制於物。能反其所生，故未有形，謂之真人。真人者，未始分於太一者也。聖人不為名屍，不為謀府，不為事任，不為智主。藏無形，行無跡，遊無朕，不為福先，不為禍始，保於虛無，動於不得已。欲福者或為禍，欲利者或離害。故無為而寧者，失其所以甯則危；無事而治者，失其所以治則亂。星列於天而明，故人指之；義列於德而見，故人視之。人之所指，動則有章；人之所視，行則有跡。動有章則詞，行有跡則議。故聖人掩明於不形，藏跡於無為。王子慶忌死於劍，羿死於桃棓，子路菹於衛，蘇秦死於口。人莫不貴其所有，而賤其所短，然而皆溺其所貴，而極其所賤。所貴者有形，所賤者無朕也。故虎豹之強來射，蝯狖之捷來措。人能貴其所賤，賤其所貴，可與言至論矣。
Vast and open, one with heaven and earth, chaos made into uncarved wood, not yet created yet bringing things to completion, called the Great One. All come out of the One together yet what each does differs; there are birds, fish, and beasts, called the division of things. Squares are separated by kind and things divided by group, natures and destinies differ, all taking form on being. Divided and not communicating, divided into the myriad things, none can return to the source; so movement is called life and death is called exhaustion. All have become things; it is not that which is not a thing yet makes things become things; that which makes things become things is lost among the myriad things. Examining the ancient Great Beginning, a person is born from nothing and takes form on being, and once having form is restrained by things. Those who can return to what they were born from, while not yet having form, are called true persons. The true person has not yet separated from the Great One. The sage does not be the corpse-impersonator of fame, does not be the storehouse of schemes, does not take on tasks, and does not be the master of wisdom. He hides in the formless, walks without traces, roams without signs, does not be first in fortune or the beginning of disaster, keeps himself in emptiness and moves only when he cannot do otherwise. One who wants fortune sometimes meets disaster, and one who wants profit sometimes leaves harm. So one who is at peace through non-action, if he loses what gives him peace, is in danger; one who governs through non-doing, if he loses what lets him govern, falls into disorder. Stars are lined up in the sky and bright, so people point at them; righteousness is lined up on virtue and manifest, so people look at it. What people point at has a mark with the slightest move; what people look at leaves traces with the slightest act. When movement has a mark, one is criticized; when acts leave traces, one is discussed. So the sage covers brightness in the unformed and hides traces in non-action. Prince Qingji died by a sword, Yi died by a peach-wood club, Zilu was made into mince in Wei, and Su Qin died by his mouth. People all value what they have and make light of what they lack, yet all sink into what they value and go to the extreme of what they make light of. What they value has form, and what they make light of has no sign. So the tiger and leopard's strength invites arrows and the monkey's speed invites spears. One who can value what he makes light of and make light of what he values can be talked to of the supreme discourse.
自信者，不可以誹譽遷也；知足者，不可以勢利誘也。故通性情者，不務性之所無以為；通命之情者，不憂命之所無奈何；通於道者，物莫不足滑其調。詹何曰：「未嘗聞身治而國亂者也，未嘗聞身亂而國治者也。」矩不正，不可以為方；規不正，不可以為員；身者，事之規矩也。未聞枉己而能正人者也。原天命，治心術，理好憎，適情性，則治道通矣。原天命，則不惑禍福；治心術，則不妄喜怒；理好憎，則不貪無用；適情性，則欲不過節。不惑禍福，則動靜循理；不妄喜怒，則賞罰不阿；不貪無用，則不以欲用害性；欲不過節，則養性知足。凡此四者，弗求於外，弗假於人，反己而得矣。
One who is self-assured cannot be moved by slander and praise; one who knows sufficiency cannot be tempted by power and profit. So one who penetrates the nature of things does not engage in what nature cannot do; one who penetrates the state of destiny does not worry about what destiny cannot help; one who penetrates the Way cannot be disturbed in his tune by anything. Zhan He said: "I have never heard of a case where the self was in order and the state in disorder, nor of one where the self was in disorder and the state in order." If the set square is not true, one cannot make a square; if the compass is not true, one cannot make a circle; the self is the compass and square of affairs. I have never heard of one who is himself crooked being able to straighten others. Trace back to the mandate of heaven, order the art of the mind, set in order likes and dislikes, and fit nature and feeling, and the way of governing is open. Tracing back to the mandate of heaven, one is not confused by fortune and misfortune; ordering the art of the mind, one does not recklessly feel joy or anger; setting likes and dislikes in order, one does not covet the useless; fitting nature and feeling, one's desires do not exceed measure. Not confused by fortune and misfortune, movement and stillness follow principle; not recklessly joyful or angry, rewards and punishments are not partial; not coveting the useless, one is not harmed in nature by desire; desires not exceeding measure, one nourishes nature and knows sufficiency. These four things are not sought outside and not borrowed from others; return to oneself and one has them.
天下不可以智為也，不可以慧識也，不可以事治也，不可以仁附也，不可以強勝也。五者皆人才也，德不盛，不能成一焉。德立則五無殆，五見則德無位矣。故得道則愚者有餘，失道則智者不足。渡水而無遊數，雖強必沉；有遊數，雖羸必遂。又況托於舟航之上乎！為政之本，務在於安民；安民之本，在於足用；足用之本，在於勿奪時；勿奪時之本，在於省事；省事之本，在於節欲；節欲之本，在於反性；反性之本，在於去載。去載則虛，虛則平。平者，道之素也；虛者，道之舍也。能有天下者，必不失其國；能有其國者，必不喪其家；能治其家者，必不遺其身；能修其身者，必不忘其心；能原其心者，必不虧其性；能全其性者，必不惑於道。故廣成子曰：「慎守而內，周閉而外，多知為敗。毋視毋聽，抱神以靜，形將自正。不得之己而能知彼者，未之有也。」故《易》曰：「括囊，無咎無譽。」能成霸王者，必得勝者也；能勝敵者，必強者也；能強者，必用人力者也；能用人力者，必得人心也；能得人心者，必自得者也；能自得者，必柔弱也。強勝不若己者，至於與同則格，柔勝出於己者，其力不可度。故能以眾不勝成大勝者，唯聖人能之。
The world cannot be handled with cleverness, cannot be recognized with intelligence, cannot be governed with deeds, cannot be made to submit with humaneness, and cannot be conquered with strength. These five are all human talents, and if virtue is not abundant, not one of them can succeed. Once virtue is established, the five are without danger; once the five are displayed, virtue has no place. So when one has the Way, even a fool has more than enough; when one loses the Way, even the wise are not enough. To cross water without the art of swimming, even the strong will surely sink; with the art of swimming, even the thin and weak will surely arrive. How much more when one entrusts oneself to a boat! The root of governing is to work for the people's security; the root of the people's security is sufficient expenditure; the root of sufficient expenditure is not encroaching on the farming seasons; the root of not encroaching on the farming seasons is reducing affairs; the root of reducing affairs is restraining desires; the root of restraining desires is returning to nature; the root of returning to nature is removing the burdens imposed from outside. Remove the burden and there is emptiness; with emptiness there is evenness. Evenness is the substance of the Way, and emptiness is its dwelling. One who can possess the world will surely not lose his state; one who can possess his state will surely not lose his family; one who can govern his family will surely not neglect his person; one who can cultivate his person will surely not forget his heart; one who can trace back to the source of his heart will surely not diminish his nature; one who can keep his nature whole will surely not be confused by the Way. So Guang Chengzi said: "Guard the inside carefully and seal the outside tightly; much knowledge is ruin. Do not look and do not listen; embrace the spirit to be still, and the body will straighten itself. No one has ever known that other thing without getting it from within himself." So the Book of Changes says: "Tie up the mouth of the bag; no blame and no praise." One who can achieve hegemony or kingship must be a winner; one who can defeat the enemy must be strong; one who can be strong must be one who uses the strength of people; one who can use the strength of people must have won the hearts of people; one who can win people's hearts must have gained it from himself; one who can gain it from himself must be soft and weak. The strong overcome those weaker than themselves, but when they meet their equals they fight; the soft overcome those who surpass them, and their strength cannot be measured. So being able to use what the multitude cannot overcome to achieve great victory is something only the sage can do.
善遊者，不學刺舟而便用之，勁者，不學騎馬而便居之。輕天下者，身不累於物，故能處之。泰王亶父之居邠，狄人攻之，事之以皮幣珠玉而不聽，乃謝耆老而徙岐周。百姓攜幼扶老而從之，遂成國焉。推此意，四世而有天下，不亦宜乎！無以天下為者，必能活天下者。霜雪雨露，生殺萬物，天無為焉，猶之貴天也。厭文搔法，治官理民者，有司也，君無事焉，猶尊君也。闢地墾草者，后稷也；決河濬江者，禹也；聽獄制中者，皋陶也；有聖名者，堯也。故得道以禦者，身雖無能，必使能者為己用。不得其道，伎藝雖多，未有益也。方船濟乎江，有虛船從一方來，觸而覆之，雖有忮心，必無怨色。有一人在其中，一謂張之，一謂歙之，再三呼而不應，必以醜聲隨其後。向不怒而今怒，向虛而今實也。人能虛己以遊於世，孰能訾之！
One who is good at swimming does not need to learn rowing to use a boat conveniently; one who is strong does not need to learn horse riding to be at ease in the saddle. One who treats the world lightly is not burdened by things, and so can dwell there. The Great King Danfu lived in Bin, and when the Di people attacked him, he served them with furs, silks, pearls and jade but they would not listen, so he took leave of the elders and moved to Qizhou. The people carried their children and supported their elders and followed him, and thus a state was formed. Following this idea, within four generations they possessed the world, which was only fitting! One who does not take the world as a matter of importance must be one who can nourish the world. Frost, snow, rain and dew let the myriad things live and die; Heaven does nothing, yet Heaven is still valued. Those who are satisfied with regulations, fiddle with the laws, govern officials and manage the people are the responsible officials, and the ruler has nothing to do, yet the ruler is still honored. The one who opened land and cleared wasteland was Houji; the one who broke open rivers and cleared the Yangtze was Yu; the one who heard cases and decided them fairly was Gao Yao; the one with the name of sage was Yao. So one who drives with the Way, even if he himself is incapable, will surely have the capable work for him. Without that Way, however many skills he has, they are of no use. When boats are crossing the river side by side and an empty boat comes from one side and bumps into one and capsizes it, even if one has a heart of resentment, one will surely show no anger. If there is a person in it, one shouts to him to open the boat out, then shouts to him to draw it in, and if after calling again and again he does not answer, one will surely follow with ugly words. Before there was no anger and now there is, because before it was empty and now it is occupied. If a person can empty himself and roam through the world, who can slander him!
釋道而任智者必危，棄數而用才者必困。有以欲多而亡者，未有以無欲而危者也；有以欲治而亂者，未有以守常而失者也。故智不足免患，愚不足以至於失寧。守其分，循其理，失之不憂，得之不喜，故成者非所為也，得者非所求也。入者有受而無取，出者有授而無予，因春而生，因秋而殺，所生者弗德，所殺者非怨，則幾於道也。聖人不為可非之行，不憎人之非己也；修足譽之德，不求人之譽己也；不能使禍不至，信己之不迎也；不能使福必來，信己之不攘也。禍之至也，非其求所生，故窮而不憂；福之至也，非其求所成，故通而弗矜。知禍福之制不在於己也，故閒居而樂，無為而治。聖人守其所以有，不求其所未得。求其所無，則所有者亡矣；修其所有，則所欲者至。故用兵者，先為不可勝，以待敵之可勝也；治國者，先為不可奪，待敵之可奪也。舜修之曆山，而海內從化；文王修之岐周，而天下移風。使舜趨天下之利，而忘修己之道，身猶弗能保，何尺地之有！
One who sets aside the Way and relies on cleverness will surely be in danger, and one who discards method and uses talent will surely be in hardship. There are those who perish from having many desires, but none who are endangered from having no desires; there are those who fall into disorder from wanting to govern, but none who lose it by keeping to the constant. So cleverness is not enough to avoid trouble, and foolishness is not enough to lose one's peace. Keep to one's own share and follow that principle; losing does not grieve and gaining does not delight, so what is accomplished is not what one did, and what is gained is not what one sought. What comes in is received but not demanded, what goes out is handed over but not given, born by spring and killed by autumn, and those born are not grateful and those killed do not resent; this comes close to the Way. The sage does not do deeds that can be criticized, but does not hate others criticizing him; he cultivates virtue worthy of praise, but does not seek praise from others; he cannot make calamity not arrive, but trusts himself not to go out to meet it; he cannot make fortune certainly come, but trusts himself not to push it away. Calamity's arrival is not born from something sought, so in hardship he does not grieve; fortune's arrival is not accomplished by something sought, so in success he does not boast. Knowing that the regulation of calamity and fortune does not lie in himself, he lives at leisure in joy and governs by non-action. The sage guards what he has and does not seek what he has not yet gained. Seeking what one does not have destroys what one has; cultivating what one has brings what one wants. So one who uses the military first makes himself unconquerable and then awaits the enemy to be conquerable; one who governs a state first makes himself unseizable and then awaits the enemy to be seizable. Shun cultivated at Mount Li and all within the seas followed and were transformed; King Wen cultivated at Qizhou and the world changed its customs. Suppose Shun had chased the profit of the world and forgotten to cultivate his own Way: he could not have protected even himself, how could he have had a foot of land!
故治未固於不亂，而事為治者，必危；行未固於無非，而急求名者，必挫也。福莫大無禍，利莫美不喪。動之為物，不損則益，不成則毀，不利則病，皆險，道之者危。故秦勝乎戎，而敗乎殽；楚勝乎諸夏，而敗乎栢莒。故道不可以勸而就利者，而可以寧避害者。故常無禍，不常有福；常無罪，不常有功。聖人無思慮，無設儲，來者弗迎，去者弗將。人雖東西南北，獨立中央，故處眾枉之中，不失其直，天下皆流，獨不離其壇域。故不為善，不避醜，遵天之道；不為始，不專己，循天之理；不豫謀，不棄時，與天為期；不求得，不辭福，從天之則。不求所無，不失所得，內無旁禍，外無旁福。禍福不生，安有人賊！
So one whose governance is not yet firm enough to be free of disorder but who busies himself with governing will surely be in danger; one whose conduct is not yet firm enough to be free of faults but who is urgent to seek a name will surely be defeated. No fortune is greater than having no calamity, and no profit is better than not losing. Action toward things either diminishes or increases, either succeeds or breaks, either benefits or harms; all are dangerous, and those who walk this road are in peril. So Qin overcame the Rong yet was defeated at Xiao; Chu overcame the central states yet was defeated at Baiju. So the Way cannot be used to urge people to pursue profit, but can give peace to those who avoid harm. So one constantly has no calamity but not constantly has fortune; one constantly has no guilt but not constantly has merit. The sage has no deliberation and sets up no stores; he does not welcome what comes and does not see off what goes. Though people go east, west, south and north, he stands alone in the center, so being in the midst of all bends he does not lose straightness, and while the whole world flows he alone does not leave his altar ground. So he does not do good, does not avoid ugliness, following the Way of Heaven; he does not initiate, does not monopolize for himself, following the principle of Heaven; he does not plan ahead, does not abandon the time, keeping an appointment with Heaven; he does not seek to gain, does not decline fortune, following the pattern of Heaven. He does not seek what he does not have and does not lose what he has gained; within there is no calamity from the side, without there is no fortune from the side. When calamity and fortune are not born, how could people harm him!
為善則觀，為不善則議；觀則生貴，議則生患。故道術不可以進而求名，而可以退而修身；不可以得利，而可以離害。故聖人不以行求名，不以智見譽。法修自然，己無所與。慮不勝數，行不勝德，事不勝道。為者有不成，求者有不得。人有窮而道無不通，與道爭則兇。故《詩》曰：「弗識弗知，順帝之則。」有智而無為，與無智者同道；有能而無事，與無能者同德。其智也，告之者至，然後覺其動也；使之者至，然後覺其為也。有智若無智，有能若無能，道理為正也。故功蓋天下，不施其美；澤及後世，不有其名。道理通而人偽滅也。
To do good is to be watched, and to do what is not good is to be criticized; being watched creates honor, and being criticized creates trouble. So the arts of the Way cannot be used to advance and seek a name but can be used to retreat and cultivate oneself; they cannot be used to gain profit but can be used to avoid harm. So the sage does not use conduct to seek a name and does not use intelligence to seek praise. His method cultivates what is natural, and he himself does not take part. Deliberation cannot surpass method, conduct cannot surpass virtue, and affairs cannot surpass the Way. Among those who act there are those who do not succeed, and among those who seek there are those who do not obtain. A person has limits, but the Way has nothing it does not reach; to contend with the Way is ominous. So the Classic of Poetry says: "Without knowing and without recognizing, following the pattern of the Lord." One who has intelligence but does not act is of one Way with one who has no intelligence; one who has ability but has no affairs is of one virtue with one who has no ability. His intelligence is such that after the one who informs him has arrived, only then is it felt to move; after the one who commands him has arrived, only then is it felt to act. Having intelligence like having none and having ability like having none, the principle is right. So his merit covers the world but he does not boast of its beauty; his favor reaches later generations but he does not claim a name. When principle is penetrated, human deceit is extinguished.
名與道不兩明，人受名則道不用，道勝人則名息矣。道與人競長。章人者，息道者也；人章道息，則危不遠矣。故世有盛名，則衰之日至矣。欲屍名者必為善，欲為善者必生事，事生則釋公而就私，貨數而任己。欲見譽於為善，而立名於為質，則治不修故，而事不須時。治不修故，則多責；事不須時，則無功。責多功鮮，無以塞之，則妄發而邀當，妄為而要中。功之成也，不足以更責；事之敗也，不足以敝身。故重為善若重為非，而幾於道矣。
Name and the Way cannot both be made manifest; if people receive the name, the Way is not used; if the Way surpasses people, the name comes to rest. The Way competes with people over who is longer. What makes people manifest puts the Way to rest; when people are manifest and the Way is at rest, danger is not far off. So when there is great fame in the world, the day of decline arrives. One who wants to be the master of fame must do good, and one who wants to do good must generate affairs; once affairs are generated, he sets aside the public and goes toward the private, uses techniques and numbers on goods and relies on himself. Wanting to be praised for doing good and to establish a name for doing substance, his governing does not cultivate the old constants and his affairs do not wait for the time. When governing does not cultivate the old constants, demands are many; when affairs do not wait for the time, there is no merit. With many demands and little merit, there is no way to block it, so he acts recklessly hoping to get it right, and acts recklessly hoping to hit the target. The achievement of merit is not enough to make up for the demands, and the failure of affairs is not enough to shelter oneself. So valuing doing good as one values doing wrong comes close to the Way.
天下非無信士也，臨貨分財，必控籌而定分，以為有心者之於平，不若無心者也。天下非無廉士也，然而守重寶者必關戶而全封，以為有欲者之於廉，不若無欲者也。人舉其疵則怨人，鑒見其醜則善鑒，人能接物而不與己焉，則免於累矣。公孫龍粲於辭而貿名，鄧析巧辯而亂法，蘇秦善說而亡國。由其道，則善無章；修其理，則巧無名。故以巧鬥力者，始於陽，常卒於陰；以慧治國者，始於治，常卒於亂。使水流下，孰弗能治；激而上之，非巧不能。故文勝則質掩，邪巧則正塞之也。德可以自修，而不可以使人暴；道可以自治，而不可以使人亂；雖有聖賢之寶，不遇暴亂之世，可以全身，而未可以霸王也。湯、武之王也，遇桀、紂之暴也；桀、紂非以湯、武之賢暴也，湯、武遭桀、紂之暴而王也。故雖賢王，必待遇。遇者，能遭於時而得之也，非智能所求而成也。君子修行而使善無名，佈施而使仁無章，故士行善而不知善之所由來，民澹利而不知利之所由出。故無為而自治。善有章則士爭名，利有本則民爭功，二爭者生，雖有賢者，弗能治。
It is not that the world has no trustworthy people, but when dividing goods and wealth, one must use counting rods to settle the shares, thinking that people with a heart for fairness are not as good as those without a heart. It is not that the world has no honest people, but one guarding a great treasure must shut the door and seal it completely, thinking that people with desires are not as good for honesty as those without desires. When others point out his flaws he resents them, but when a mirror shows him his ugliness he thinks the mirror is good; if a person can receive things without adding himself, he is free from entanglement. Gongsun Long had clear speech but threw names into confusion, Deng Xi was a skilled debater but disturbed the law, and Su Qin was good at persuasion and ruined states. Follow their way and good has no brightness; cultivate their principles and skill has no name. So those who use skill to compete in strength begin in yang and always end in yin; those who use cleverness to govern a state begin in order and always end in disorder. Let water flow downward, and who cannot manage it; force it upward, and without skill it cannot be done. So when ornament prevails, substance is covered; when crooked skill prevails, uprightness is blocked. Virtue can be cultivated by oneself but cannot be made to withstand violence from others; the Way can be governed by oneself but cannot be kept from disorder by others; even with the treasure of a sage or worthy, if one does not meet a violent and chaotic age, one can preserve oneself but cannot become a hegemon or king. Tang and Wu became kings because they met the violence of Jie and Zhou; Jie and Zhou were not violent because Tang and Wu were worthy, but Tang and Wu met their violence and became kings. So even a worthy king must wait for his opportunity. Opportunity is being able to meet the time and obtain it, not something accomplished by seeking with intelligence and ability. The gentleman cultivates conduct and lets goodness have no name, distributes and lets humaneness have no brightness, so scholars do good without knowing where the good comes from, and the people are content with profit without knowing where the profit comes from. So with non-action it governs itself. If good has brightness, scholars compete for names; if profit has a root, the people compete for merit; when the two kinds of competition arise, even if there are worthy men, they cannot govern.
故聖人掩跡於為善，而息名於為仁也。外交而為援，事大而為安，不若內治而待時。凡事人者，非以寶幣，必以卑辭。事以玉帛，則貨殫而欲厭；卑禮婉辭，則論說而交不結；約束誓盟，則約定而反無日。雖割國之錙錘以事人，而無自恃之道，不足以為全。若誠外釋交之策，而慎修其境內之事。盡其地力，以多其積；厲其民死，以牢其城；上下一心，君臣同志；與之守社稷，斅死而民弗離，則為名者不伐無罪，而為利者不攻難勝，此必全之道也。民有道所同道，有法所同守，為義之不能相固，威之不能相必也，故立君以一民。君執一則治，無常則亂。君道者，非所以為也，所以無為也。何謂無為？智者不以位為事，勇者不以位為暴，仁者不以位為患，可謂無為矣。夫無為，則得於一也。一也者，萬物之本也，無敵之道也。
So the sage in doing good conceals the traces, and in being humane puts the name to rest. To form external alliances for support, or to serve the great to seek safety, is not as good as governing within and waiting for the time. All who serve others use either precious gifts or humble words. If one serves with jade and silk, the goods are used up while desire is still unsatisfied; with humble courtesy and gentle speech, one may discuss friendship but not conclude it; with pacts and oaths, the agreement lasts only a few days. Even if one cuts off a bit of the state to serve others, without the Way that one can rely on oneself, it is not enough to preserve oneself. If one truly puts aside the policy of external alliance and carefully governs affairs within the borders, exhausts the strength of the land to increase stores, urges the people to die to defend the walls, with high and low of one heart and ruler and ministers of one will, guarding the altars of soil and grain with them, teaching them to die so that the people do not leave, then those who act for fame will not attack the innocent, and those who act for profit will not attack what is hard to defeat; this is the way that surely preserves. The people have a Way they walk in common and laws they keep in common; because rightness cannot make them firm toward one another and authority cannot make them certain toward one another, a ruler is established to unify the people. If the ruler holds to the One, there is order; if he has no constancy, there is disorder. The Way of the ruler is not for acting but for non-action. What is non-action? The wise do not use rank to do business, the brave do not use rank to be violent, and the humane do not use rank to make trouble: that can be called non-action. With non-action, one obtains the One. The One is the root of the myriad things, a Way with no opponent.
凡人之性，少則倡狂，壯則暴強，老則好利，一人之身，既數變矣，又況君數易法，國數易君！人以其位通其好憎，下之徑衢，不可勝理，故君失一則亂，甚於無君之時。故《詩》曰：「不愆不忘，率由舊章。」此之謂也。君好智則倍時而任己，棄數而用慮，天下之物博而智淺，以淺澹博，未有能者也。獨任其智，失必多矣。故好智，窮術也；好勇，則輕敵而簡備，自負而辭助。一人之力以禦強敵，不杖眾多而專用身才，必不堪也。故好勇，危術也。好與，則無定分。上之分不定，則下之望無止。若多賦斂，實府庫，則與民為仇。少取多與，數未之有也。故好與，來怨之道也。仁智勇力，人之美才也，而莫足以治天下。由此觀之，賢能之不足任也，而道術之可修明矣。
In general, a person's nature is wild when young, violent and strong when in prime, and fond of profit when old; one person's body has already changed many times, how much more so a ruler changing the laws many times and a state changing the ruler many times! A person relies on position to carry out his likes and dislikes, and the paths below are open in all directions and cannot all be managed, so when the ruler loses the One there is disorder, worse than when there was no ruler. So the Classic of Poetry says: "Without fault, without forgetting, follow the old statutes." This is what is meant. If a ruler loves cleverness, he turns his back on the time and relies on himself, discards method and uses deliberation; the things of the world are broad and cleverness is shallow, and to satisfy the broad with the shallow is impossible. Relying alone on one's own cleverness, errors will surely be many. So loving cleverness is a method that leads to exhaustion. If one loves bravery, one makes light of the enemy and slights defenses, relies on oneself and declines help. To resist a strong enemy with the strength of one person, not relying on the multitude but using only one's own talent, one will surely not be able to bear it. So loving bravery is a dangerous method. If one loves giving, there is no fixed share. When the share above is not fixed, the expectations below have no end. If one collects more taxes and fills the treasury, one makes enemies of the people. To take little and give much has never existed in calculation. So loving giving is the way that invites resentment. Humaneness, cleverness, bravery and strength are fine human talents, but none of them is enough to govern the world. Looking at it this way, worthy ability is not enough to be entrusted, while the arts of the Way can be cultivated and made clear; this is also understood.
聖人勝心，眾人勝欲。君子行正氣，小人行邪氣。內便於性，外合於義，循理而動，不繫於物者，正氣也。重於滋味，淫於聲色，發於喜怒，不顧後患者，邪氣也。邪與正相傷，欲與性相害，不可兩立。一置一廢。故聖人損欲而從事於性。目好色，耳好聲，口好味，接而說之，不知利害，嗜慾也。食之不甯於體，聽之不合於道，視之不便於性。三官交爭，以義為制者，心也。割痤疽，非不痛也；飲毒藥，非不苦也；然而為之者，便於身也。渴而飲水，非不快也；饑而大飧，非不澹也；然而弗為者，害於性也。此四者，耳目鼻口不知所取去，必為之制，各得其所。由是觀之，欲之不可勝，明矣。
The sage overcomes the heart; ordinary people are overcome by desires. The gentleman practices upright qi and the petty man practices crooked qi. One who is within beneficial to nature, without in accord with rightness, moving along principle and not tied to things, practices upright qi. One who values flavors, indulges in sound and sensuality, acts out of joy and anger and pays no attention to later trouble practices crooked qi. Crookedness and uprightness harm each other, and desires and nature hinder each other; they cannot both stand, and one is set in place while the other is cast aside. So the sage reduces desires and devotes himself to nature. The eyes love color, the ears love sound, the mouth loves flavor, and when they touch things they are delighted, not knowing benefit and harm: this is craving and desire. Eating it makes the body uneasy, hearing it does not accord with the Way, seeing it does not benefit nature. The three senses contend with each other, and what regulates them with rightness is the heart. Cutting out a carbuncle is not painless; drinking bitter medicine is not not bitter; yet one does it because it benefits the body. Drinking water when thirsty is not not pleasant; eating heartily when hungry is not not satisfying; yet one does not do it because it harms nature. For these four, the ears, eyes, nose and mouth do not know what to take and what to leave, and must be regulated for them so that each gets its place. Looking at it this way, it is clear that desires cannot be allowed to prevail.
凡治身養性，節寢處，適飲食，和喜怒，便動靜，使在己者得，而邪氣因而不生，豈若憂瘕疵之與痤疽之發，而豫備之哉！夫函牛之鼎沸，而蠅蚋弗敢入；崑山之玉瑱，而塵垢弗能汙也。聖人無去之心，而心無醜；無取之美，而美不失。故祭祀思親不求福，饗賓脩敬不思德，唯弗求者能有之。處尊位者，以有公道而無私說，故稱尊焉，不稱賢也;有大地者，以有常術而無鈐謀，故稱平焉，不稱智也。內無暴事以離怨於百姓，外無賢行以見忌於諸侯，上下之禮，襲而不離，而為論者莫然不見所觀焉，此所謂藏無形者。非藏無形，孰能形！三代之所道者，因也。故禹決江河，因水也；后稷播種樹穀，因地也；湯、武平暴亂，因時也。故天下可得而不可取也，霸王可受而不可求也。
In general, in governing the body and nourishing nature, regulate sleeping and dwelling, suit food and drink, harmonize joy and anger, make movement and stillness beneficial, and keep it in what one has gained; then crooked qi will not arise because of this, and how could one be like one who worries about growths and carbuncles breaking out and guards against them in advance! In a cauldron able to hold an ox, when it boils, flies and gnats dare not enter; on the jade ornament of Kunshan, dust and dirt cannot stain it. The sage has no heart that needs to be removed, so there is no ugliness in the heart; he has no beauty he seeks, so beauty is not lost. So in sacrifice he thinks of his kin and does not seek blessing, in feasting guests he cultivates reverence and does not think of virtue; only one who does not seek can have it. One in an honored position, because he has the public Way and no private doctrine, is called honored and not called worthy; one who has the great earth, because he has constant methods and no scheming, is called even-handed and not called clever. Within, he has no violent affairs to create enmity with the people; without, he has no worthy conduct to arouse the jealousy of the feudal lords; the rites of high and low follow tradition and do not depart; those who discuss him blankly see nothing to look at; this is called hiding in formlessness. If not hiding in formlessness, who could have form! The Way followed by the Three Dynasties was to follow what is. So Yu opened up the rivers by following the water; Houji sowed trees and grains by following the land; Tang and Wu put down violence and disorder by following the time. So the world can be obtained but cannot be seized by force, and hegemony and kingship can be received but cannot be sought by force.
在智則人與之訟，在力則人與之爭。未有使人無智者，有使人不能用其智於己者也；未有使人無力者，有使人不能施其力於己者也。此兩者，常在久見。故君賢不見，諸侯不備；不肖不見，則百姓不怨；百姓不怨，則民用可得；諸侯弗備，則天下之時可承。事所與眾同也，功所與時成也，聖人無焉。故老子曰：「虎無所措其爪，兕無所措其角。」蓋謂此也。鼓不滅於聲，故能有聲；鏡不沒於形，故能有形；金石有聲，弗叩弗鳴；管簫有音，弗吹無聲。聖人內藏，不為物先倡，事來而制，物至而應。飾其外者傷其內，扶其情者害其神，見其文者蔽其質，無須臾忘為質者，必困於性。百步之中，不忘其容者，必累其形。
If one stays on cleverness, people will dispute with him; if one stays on strength, people will contend with him. No one can make others have no cleverness, but one can make others unable to use their cleverness on oneself; no one can make others have no strength, but one can make others unable to apply their strength to oneself. These two things are constantly manifest for a long time. So if the ruler's worth is not displayed, the feudal lords do not guard against him; if his unworthiness is not displayed, the people do not resent him; if the people do not resent, the people's service can be obtained; if the feudal lords do not guard, the times of the world can be received. Affairs are shared with the multitude, merit is accomplished with the time, and the sage does not take part. So Laozi said: "The tiger has nowhere to place its claws, and the rhinoceros has nowhere to place its horn." This probably is what he meant. The drum is not exhausted in its sound, so it can have sound; the mirror does not sink into form, so it can have form; metal and stone have sound but do not ring unless struck; pipes and flutes have tones but have no sound unless blown. The sage stores within and does not rush ahead of things to lead; when affairs come he regulates them, when things arrive he responds. Ornament outside harms the inside, propping up feelings hinders the spirit, and displaying culture covers substance. One who does not forget for a moment to be substantial will surely be trapped by nature. One who does not forget his own appearance in a hundred paces will surely burden his form.
故羽翼美者傷骨骸，枝葉美者害根莖，能兩美者，天下無之也。天有明，不憂民之晦也，百姓穿戶鑿牖，自取照焉；地有財，不憂民之貧也，百姓伐木芟草，自取富焉。至德道者若丘山，嵬然不動，行者以為期也。直己而足物，不為人贛，用之者亦不受其德，故寧而能久。天地無予也，故無奪也；日月無德也，故無怨也。喜德者必多怨，喜予者必善奪。唯滅跡於無為，而隨天地自然者，唯能勝理，而為受名。名興則道行，道行則人無位矣。故譽生則毀隨之，善見則怨從之。利則為害始，福則為禍先。唯不求利者為無害，唯不求福者為無禍。侯而求霸者，必失其侯；霸而求王者，必喪其霸。故國以全為常，霸王其寄也；身以生為常，富貴其寄也。能不以天下傷其國，而不以國害其身者，為可以托天下也。
So when feathers and wings are beautiful, they harm the bones; when branches and leaves are beautiful, they harm the roots and stems; one who can make both beautiful, there is none in the world. Heaven has light and does not worry about the people's darkness, and the people open doors and cut windows and take light for themselves; earth has wealth and does not worry about the people's poverty, and the people cut trees and reap grass and make themselves rich. One of supreme virtue who accords with the Way is like a hill or mountain, towering and unmoving, which travelers take as their marker. If he sets himself right and things are sufficient, he gives people no rewards, and those who benefit do not feel his virtue, so he is at peace and lasts long. Heaven and earth do not give, so they do not take away; the sun and moon have no virtue, so they have no resentment. One who likes virtue must have much resentment, and one who likes giving must be good at taking. Only one who extinguishes traces in non-action and follows heaven and earth's naturalness can overcome principle and receive the name. When fame arises, the Way is carried out; when the Way is carried out, people have no place. So when praise is born, blame follows; when goodness is manifest, resentment follows. Profit is the beginning of harm, and blessing is the prelude to misfortune. Only one who does not seek profit has no harm, and only one who does not seek blessing has no misfortune. One who is a marquis and seeks to be hegemon will surely lose being marquis; one who is a hegemon and seeks to be king will surely lose being hegemon. So for a state the constant is preservation, and being hegemon or king is a lodging; for the body the constant is life, and wealth and rank are a lodging. One who can neither harm his state for the sake of the world nor hinder his body for the sake of the state can be entrusted with the world.
不知道者，釋其所已有，而求其所未得也。苦心愁慮以行曲，故福至則喜，禍至則怖，神勞於謀，智遽於事，禍福萌生，終身不悔，己之所生，乃反愁人。不喜則憂，中未嘗平。持無所監，謂之狂生。人主好仁，則無功者賞，有罪者釋；好刑，則有功者廢，無罪者誅。及無好者，誅而無怨，施而不德，放準循繩，身無與事，若天若地，何不覆載！故合而舍之者，君也；制而誅之者，法也。民已受誅，怨無所滅，謂之道。道勝，則人無事矣。聖人無屈奇之服，無瑰異之行，服不視，行不觀，言不議，通而不華，窮而不懾，榮而不顯，隱而不窮，異而不見怪，容而與眾同；無以名之，此之謂大通。升降揖讓，趨翔周遊，不得已而為也，非性所有於身，情無符檢，行所不得已之事，而不解構耳，豈加故為哉！
One who does not know the Way sets aside what he already has and seeks what he has not yet got. Toiling in mind and worrying in thought, he goes in crooked paths, so he is glad when fortune comes and afraid when misfortune comes; his spirit toils in planning, his intelligence is pressed in affairs, fortune and misfortune sprout, he never regrets in his whole life, and what he himself brought forth he then grieves about in others. If not happy, he is worried, and his inner state has never been level. One who holds on with nothing to examine is called a wild man. If a ruler likes benevolence, those without merit are rewarded and those with guilt are released; if he likes punishment, those with merit are discarded and those without guilt are executed. As for one who has no preferences, he executes without resentment, gives without taking himself as virtuous, sets the level and follows the ink line, and does not himself take part in affairs; like heaven and like earth, what does he not cover and carry! So what joins and releases is the ruler, and what cuts and executes is the law. When the people have already been executed, resentment has nowhere to be extinguished; this is called the Way. When the Way prevails, people have nothing to do. The sage has no strange clothing and no marvelous conduct; his clothes are not noticed, his conduct is not observed, his words are not discussed; he is accomplished without flashiness, in hardship not frightened, in glory not conspicuous, hidden yet not exhausted, different yet not regarded as odd, with the same bearing as the multitude; there is no way to give him a name, and this is called great penetration. Ascending and descending, bowing and yielding, hurrying and gliding, going round, are done only because there is no choice, not because they belong to nature's being in the body; the feelings have no proof, and he does what he cannot avoid doing without untying the construction, so how could he be deliberately adding something!
故不得已而歌者，不事為悲；不得已而舞者，不矜為麗。歌舞而不事為悲麗者，皆無有根心者。善博者不欲牟，不恐不勝，平心定意，捉得其齊，行由其理，雖不必勝，得籌必多。何則？勝在於數，不在於欲。駎者不貪最先，不恐獨後，緩急調乎手，禦心調乎馬，雖不能必先載，馬力必盡矣。何則？先在於數，而不在於欲也。是故滅欲則數勝，棄智則道立矣。賈多端則貧，工多技則窮，心不一也。故木之大者害其條，水之大者害其深。有智而無術，雖鑽之不通；有百技而無一道，雖得之弗能守。故《詩》曰：「淑人君子，其儀一也。其儀一也，心如結也。」君子其結於一乎！舜彈五絃之琴，而歌《南風》之詩，以治天下。周公殽臑不收於前，鐘鼓不解於縣，以輔成王而海內平。匹夫百畮一守，不遑啟處，無所移之也。以一人兼聽天下，日有餘而治不足，使人為之也。處尊位者如屍，守官者如祝宰。屍雖能剝狗燒彘，弗為也，弗能無虧；俎豆之列次，黍稷之先後，雖知弗教也，弗能害也。不能祝者，不可以為祝，無害於為屍；不能禦者，不可以為僕，無害於為佐。故位愈尊而身愈佚；身愈大而事愈少。譬如張琴，小弦雖急，大弦必緩。
So one who sings because he cannot help singing does not make a task of sadness; one who dances because he cannot help dancing does not boast of beauty. Those who sing and dance without making a task of sadness or beauty are people without roots in their heart. One who is good at gambling games does not want to grab and is not afraid of not winning, keeps his mind level and his intention steady, throws his dice evenly and moves his pieces by principle, and though he need not win, the counters he gains will surely be many. Why? Winning lies in the number, not in desire. One who races horses does not covet being first or fear being alone behind; slow and fast are coordinated in his hands, the driver's heart is coordinated with the horse, and though he cannot be sure to arrive first, the horse's strength will surely be used up. Why? Being first lies in the number, not in desire. So when desire is extinguished the number wins, and when cleverness is discarded the Way is established. A merchant with many dealings is poor, and an artisan with many skills is destitute, because the heart is not single. So when a tree is large it harms its twigs, and when water is great it harms its depth. One who has cleverness but no art, even drilling will not get through; one who has a hundred skills but no one Way, even if he gains them cannot keep them. So the Book of Odes says: "The fine man, the gentleman, his demeanor is single. His demeanor is single, and his heart is as if tied." The gentleman is probably tied to the One! Shun played the five-stringed zither and sang the poem of the South Wind to govern the world. The Duke of Zhou, with the leg-bone meat of sacrifice before him, had no time to put it away, and bells and drums were not untied from their hangings, and so he assisted King Cheng and within the seas there was peace. A common man with a hundred mu keeps to one spot, with no leisure to rest and no way to move. If one man tried to listen to the whole world at once, his days would be more than enough but the matters to govern would not be, so he has others do it. One in the honored position is like the corpse-impersonator, and one who keeps office is like the invocator and steward. The corpse-impersonator, though he could skin dogs and roast pigs, does not do it, and does not suffer for being unable to; the order of the stands and vessels and the precedence of millet and grain, though he knows them, he does not teach, and not being able to do them does no harm. One who cannot invoke cannot serve as invocator but it does not hinder him from serving as corpse-impersonator; one who cannot drive cannot serve as driver but it does not hinder him from serving as assistant. So the higher the position, the more at ease the body; the greater the body, the fewer the tasks. It is like stringing a zither: the small strings, though tight, mean the large strings must be loose.
無為者，道之體也；執後者，道之容也。無為制有為，術也；執後之制先，數也。放於術則強，審於數則寧。今與人卞氏之璧，未受者，先也；求而致之，雖怨不逆者，後也。三人同舍，二人相爭，爭者各自以為直，不能相聽，一人雖愚，必從旁而決之，非以智，不爭也。兩人相鬥，一羸在側，助一人則勝，救一人則免，鬥者雖強，必制一羸，非以勇也，以不鬥也。由此觀之，後之制先，靜之勝躁，數也。倍道棄數，以求苟遇，變常易故，以知要遮，過則自非，中則以為候，暗行繆改，終身不寤，此之謂狂。有禍則詘，有福則嬴，有過則悔，有功則矜，遂不知反，此謂狂人。員之中規，方之中矩，行成獸，止成文，可以將少，而不可以將眾。蓼菜成行，瓶甌有堤，量粟而舂，數米而炊，可以治家，而不可以治國。滌杯而食，洗爵而飲，浣而後饋，可以養家老，而不可以饗三軍。
Non-action is the substance of the Way; holding to the rear is the appearance of the Way. Using non-action to restrain action is art; using the rear to restrain the front is number. Put in art one is strong; examine the numbers and one is at peace. Now if someone gives a person Bian's jade disk, the one who has not yet received it is first; the one who seeks it and has it delivered, even if resentful he does not oppose, is last. If three people lodge in one house and two argue, each of the arguers considers himself right and they cannot listen to each other; the one man, though foolish, will surely settle it from the side, not by wisdom but by not contending. If two people fight and one thin weak person is beside them, helping one means winning and rescuing one means saving him; though the fighters are strong, they are surely restrained by one weak person, not by courage but by not fighting. From this we see that the rear restrains the front and stillness overcomes restlessness; this is number. To turn away from the Way and discard number so as to seek carelessly for chance encounters, changing the constant and altering the old, using cleverness to block, blaming oneself when one misses and taking hits as omens, acting in the dark and altering mistakenly, never waking in one's life, is called wildness. When there is misfortune one bows, when there is fortune one overflows, when there is a fault one regrets, when there is merit one boasts, and so one does not know to return; this is called a wild man. Round to fit the compass and square to fit the set square, walking in the form of beasts and stopping in ornamented pattern, one can lead the few but cannot lead the many. Knotweed arranged in rows, bottles and jars with embankments, measuring grain to pound and counting rice to cook, can govern a household but cannot govern a state. Washing the cup to eat and washing the goblet to drink, washing and then serving food, can nourish the elders of the household but cannot feast the three armies.
非易不可以治大，非簡不可以合眾。大樂必易，大禮必簡。易故能天，簡故能地。大樂無怨，大禮不責，四海之內，莫不繫統，故能帝也。心有憂者，筐床衽席，弗能安也；菰飯犓牛，弗能甘也；琴瑟鳴竽，弗能樂也。患解憂除，然後食甘寢甯，居安遊樂。由是觀之，生有以樂也，死有以哀也。今務益性之所不能樂，而以害性之所以樂，故雖富有天下，貴為天子，而不免為哀之人。凡人之性，樂恬而憎憫，樂佚而憎勞。心常無欲，可謂恬矣；形常無事，可謂佚矣。遊心於恬，舍形於佚，以俟天命。自樂於內，無急於外，雖天下之大，不足以易其一概。日月廋而無溉於志，故雖賤如貴，雖貧如富。大道無形，大仁無親，大辯無聲，大廉不嗛，大勇不矜。五者無棄，而幾向方矣。軍多令則亂，酒多約則辯；亂則降北，辯則相賊。故始於都者，常大於鄙；始於樂者，常大於悲；其作始簡者，其終本必調。今有美酒嘉餚以相饗，卑體婉辭以接之，欲以合歡；爭盈爵之間反生鬥，鬥而相傷，三族結怨，反其所憎，此酒之敗也。
Without ease, one cannot govern the great; without simplicity, one cannot unite the multitude. Great music is surely easy, and great ritual is surely simple. Because it is easy it can resemble heaven, and because it is simple it can resemble earth. Great music has no resentment, great ritual has no demands, and within the four seas none is not bound, so one can be called emperor. One who has worry in his heart cannot be at ease even on a basket bed and a mat; cannot find sweetness even in wild rice and fattened oxen; cannot be happy even with zither, lute, and reed organ. When trouble is resolved and worry is removed, then one eats with relish and sleeps in peace, finds dwelling comfortable and goes about happily. From this we see that life has things to enjoy and death has things to mourn. Now people strive to increase what nature cannot enjoy and hinder what nature does enjoy, so even if they hold the world as wealth and are honored as Son of Heaven, they cannot avoid becoming sorrowful. A person's nature enjoys calm and hates distress, enjoys ease and hates toil. When the heart is constantly without desire, it can be said to be calm; when the body is constantly without tasks, it can be said to be at ease. Let the mind roam in calm and let the body rest in ease to await the decree of Heaven. One who is happy within and not hurried without could not be swayed by an entire world for one of his own scruples. Sun and moon hide yet do not irrigate the will, so even if lowly one is like the noble, even if poor one is like the rich. The great Way has no form, great benevolence has no close or distant, great eloquence has no sound, great integrity is not deficient, and great courage does not boast. If these five are not discarded, one is nearly directed toward uprightness. When military orders are many there is disorder; when drinking rules are many there is wrangling; disorder leads to surrender and defeat, and wrangling leads to mutual harm. So what begins in fine abundance is often greater than the crude; what begins in joy is often greater than sorrow; what begins simple will surely end in harmony. Now when people have fine wine and good dishes and feast each other, with humble bodies and gentle words in their dealings, wanting to join in delight, in the end they fight over a full cup and come to blows, and in fighting injure each other and three clans bear grudges, and what was liked becomes what is hated; this is the ruin of wine.
《詩》之失僻，樂之失刺，禮之失責。徵音非無羽聲也，羽音非無徵聲也，五音莫不有聲，而以徵羽定名者，以勝者也。故仁義智勇，聖人之所備有也，然而皆立一名者，言其大者也。陽氣起於東北，盡於西南，；陰氣起於西南，盡於東北。陰陽之始，皆調適相似，日長其類，以侵相遠，或熱焦沙，或寒凝水，故聖人謹慎其所積。水出於山，而入於海；稼生於野，而藏於廩。見所始則知終矣。席之先雚蕈，樽之上玄酒，俎之先生魚，豆之先泰羹，此皆不快於耳目，不適於口腹，而先王貴之，先本而後末。聖人之接物，千變萬軫，必有不化而應化者。夫寒之與暖相反，大寒地坼水凝，火弗為衰其暑；大熱爍石流金，火弗為益其烈。寒暑之變，無損益於己，質有之也。聖人常後而不先，常應而不唱；不進而求，不退而讓；隨時三年，時去我先；去時三年，時在我後；無去無就，中立其所。
The fault of the Odes is being off-center, the fault of music is mockery, and the fault of ritual is demanding. The zhi note is not without the yu sound, and the yu note is not without the zhi sound; there is no note of the five without sound, yet zhi and yu are used to fix the name because of which prevails. So benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, and courage are all possessed by the sage, yet each is named by one, speaking of what is greatest. Yang qi rises in the northeast and ends in the southwest; (the received text may have a redundant passage here) yin qi rises in the southwest and ends in the northeast. At the beginning of yin and yang, they are all balanced and alike, but day by day they grow their own kind and gradually drift apart, some becoming hot enough to scorch sand and some becoming cold enough to freeze water, so the sage is careful about what accumulates. Water comes out of mountains and enters the sea; crops grow in the wilds and are stored in granaries. Seeing what begins, one knows what ends. On mats first reeds are used, on goblets first plain water, on stands first raw fish, on bowls first plain broth; these are not to please the ears and eyes or suit the mouth and belly, yet the former kings valued them, putting the root before the branch. The sage, in meeting things, through a thousand changes and ten thousand turns, always has something unchanging with which to answer change. Cold and warm are opposites; in great cold the earth cracks and water freezes, and fire does not diminish its heat because of it; in great heat stones melt and metal flows, and fire does not add to its fierceness because of it. The changes of cold and heat neither add to nor take from itself, for it has this by its substance. The sage is always behind and does not race ahead, always responds and does not lead; does not advance to seek, does not retreat to yield; follows the time for three years and time leaves me ahead; leaves the time for three years and time is behind me; he neither goes nor approaches, standing in the middle where he is.
天道無親，唯德是與。有道者，不失時與人；無道者，失於時而取人。直己而待命，時之至不可迎而反也；要遮而求合，時之去不可追而援也。故不曰我無以為而天下遠，不曰我不欲而天下不至。古之存己者，樂德而忘賤，故名不動志；樂道而忘貧。故利不動心。名利充天下，不足以概志，故廉而能樂，靜而能澹。故其身治者，可與言道矣。自身以上，至於荒芒爾遠矣，自死而天下無窮爾滔矣，以數雜之壽，憂天下之亂，猶憂河水之少，泣而益之也。龜三千歲，浮游不過三日，以浮游而為龜憂養生之具，人必笑之矣。故不憂天下之亂，而樂其身之治者，可與言道矣。君子為善，不能使福必來；不為非，而不能使禍無至。福之至也，非其所求，故不伐其功；禍之來也，非其所生，故不悔其行。內修極而橫禍至者，皆天也，非人也。故中心常恬漠，累積其德，狗吠而不驚，自信其情。故知道者不惑，知命者不憂。萬乘之主卒，葬其骸於廣野之中，祀其鬼神於明堂之上，神貴於形也。故神制則形從，形勝則神窮。聰明雖用，必反諸神，謂之太沖。
The Way of Heaven has no close or distant and is only with virtue. One who has the Way does not lose the time and gives to others; one who lacks the Way errs in the time and takes from others. Set yourself right and wait for fate; when the time comes you cannot welcome it and make it return; if you block it to seek union, when the time has gone you cannot pursue it and pull it back. So do not say that I have no way to act and the world is far, or that I do not want it and the world does not come. In ancient times those who preserved themselves delighted in virtue and forgot lowliness, so fame did not move their will; delighted in the Way and forgot poverty, so profit did not move their heart. Though fame and profit filled the world, they were not enough to stir their will, so they were incorrupt and happy, still and satisfied. So only one who governs himself can be talked to of the Way. From oneself upward to the vast wilderness is that far, and from death the world is endless and rolling; with a short, mixed life to worry about the disorder of the world is like worrying about too little water in the river and adding to it by weeping. A tortoise lives three thousand years, a mayfly floats and flits no more than three days; if one used the mayfly to worry about the tortoise's tools for nourishing life, people would laugh at him. So only one who does not worry about the disorder of the world but delights in the order of himself can be talked to of the Way. When the gentleman does good, he cannot make fortune surely come; when he does not do wrong, he cannot make misfortune not arrive. When fortune comes, it is not what he sought, so he does not boast of his merit; when misfortune comes, it is not what he produced, so he does not regret his conduct. When one has cultivated oneself to the utmost within and unexpected calamity arrives, it is all Heaven, not man. So his heart is constantly calm and still, accumulating his virtue, not startled even by a barking dog, and trusting his own feelings. So one who knows the Way is not confused and one who knows fate is not worried. A ruler of ten thousand chariots dies, his bones are buried in the wilds, and his spirit is sacrificed to in the bright hall, because the spirit is more valued than the form. So when spirit restrains, form follows; when form prevails, spirit is exhausted. Cleverness may be used, but it must return to spirit; this is called the Great Void.