Tao Te Ching Chapter 2
第2章
天下皆知美之為美,斯惡已。皆知善之為善,斯不善已。故有無相生,難易相成,長短相較,高下相傾,音聲相和,前後相隨。是以聖人處無為之事,行不言之教;萬物作焉而不辭,生而不有,為而不恃,功成而弗居。夫唯弗居,是以不去。
All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.
So it is that existence and non-existence give birth the one to (the idea of) the other; that difficulty and ease produce the one (the idea of) the other; that length and shortness fashion out the one the figure of the other; that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other; that the musical notes and tones become harmonious through the relation of one with another; and that being before and behind give the idea of one following another.
Therefore the sage manages affairs without doing anything, and conveys his instructions without the use of speech.
All things spring up, and there is not one which declines to show itself; they grow, and there is no claim made for their ownership; they go through their processes, and there is no expectation (of a reward for the results). The work is accomplished, and there is no resting in it (as an achievement).
The work is done, but how no one can see;
'Tis this that makes the power not cease to be.
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
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 難nánhard, difficult, arduous; unable
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 短duǎnbrief, short; deficient, lacking
- 較jiàoto compare; relatively; more
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 傾qīngto upset, to pour out, to overflow
- 音yīnsound, tone, pitch, pronunciation
- 聲shēngsound, noise; voice, tone, music
- 和héharmony, peace; calm, peaceful
- 前qiánin front, forward; former, preceding
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 隨suíto follow, to listen to, to submit to
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 處chùto reside at, to live in; place, locale;
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 教jiàoschool, education
- 萬wànten thousand; innumerable
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 作zuòto make; to write, to compose; to act, t
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 辭cíwords, speech; to resign, to take leave
- 恃shìto trust, to rely on; to presume
- 功gōngachievement, good work; merit; service
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 77
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
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.