Tao Te Ching Chapter 10
第10章
載營魄抱一，能無離乎？專氣致柔，能嬰兒乎？滌除玄覽，能無疵乎？愛國治民，能無知乎？天門開闔，能為雌乎？明白四達，能無為乎？生之，畜之。生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰，是謂玄德。
When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating. When one gives undivided attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of pliancy, he can become as a (tender) babe. When he has cleansed away the most mysterious sights (of his imagination), he can become without a flaw.
In loving the people and ruling the state, cannot he proceed without any (purpose of) action? In the opening and shutting of his gates of heaven, cannot he do so as a female bird? While his intelligence reaches in every direction, cannot he (appear to) be without knowledge?
(The Tao) produces (all things) and nourishes them; it produces them and does not claim them as its own; it does all, and yet does not boast of it; it presides over all, and yet does not control them. This is what is called 'The mysterious Quality' (of the Tao).
English: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 39 (1891) — public domain. Chinese: Wang Bi recension (王弼本), commentary removed.
Character glossary
- 載zàiload; to carry, to convey, to transport
- 營yíngcamp, barracks, army; to run, to manage
- 魄pòvigor, soul, body; the dark side of the
- 抱bàoto embrace, to hold in one's arms; to en
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 離lírare beast; strange; elegant
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 專zhuānconcentrated, specialized; to monopolize
- 氣qìair, gas; steam, vapor; anger
- 致zhìto send; to present, to deliver; to caus
- 柔róusoft, supple; gentle; flexible
- 嬰yīngbaby, infant; to bother
- 兒érson, child
- 滌díto wash, to sweep; to purify, to cleanse
- 除chúto eliminate, to remove, to wipe out
- 玄xuándeep, profound, abstruse
- 覽lǎnto look over, to inspect, to view, to pe
- 疵cīflaw, fault, defect; disease
- 愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, a
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 門méngate, door, entrance, opening
- 開kāito open; to start, to initiate, to begin
- 闔héto close; whole, entire, all
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 雌cífemale; feminine; gentle, soft
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 白báiwhite; clear, pure, unblemished; bright
- 四sìfour
- 達dáto reach, to arrive at; intelligent
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 畜chùlivestock, domestic animals
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 恃shìto trust, to rely on; to presume
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 51
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.