Tao Te Ching Chapter 23
第23章
希言自然。故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。孰為此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而況於人乎？故從事於道者，道者同於道，德者同於德，失者同於失。同於道者，道亦樂得之；同於德者，德亦樂得之；同於失者，失亦樂得之。信不足焉，有不信焉。
Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day. To whom is it that these (two) things are owing? To Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth cannot make such (spasmodic) actings last long, how much less can man!
Therefore when one is making the Tao his business, those who are also pursuing it, agree with him in it, and those who are making the manifestation of its course their object agree with him in that; while even those who are failing in both these things agree with him where they fail.
Hence, those with whom he agrees as to the Tao have the happiness of attaining to it; those with whom he agrees as to its manifestation have the happiness of attaining to it; and those with whom he agrees in their failure have also the happiness of attaining (to the Tao). (But) when there is not faith sufficient (on his part), a want of faith (in him) ensues (on the part of the others).
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
- 希xīrare; to hope for, to strive for; to exp
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 飄piāoto drift, to float, to flutter
- 風fēngwind; air; customs, manners; news
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 朝cháoto face; direct, facing; dynasty; mornin
- 驟zhòuprocedure; sudden, abrupt; to gallop
- 雨yǔrain
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 地deearth, ground, soil; land, region; struc
- 尚shàngstill, yet; even; fairly, rather
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 況kuàngcondition, situation; furthermore
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 人rénman, person; people
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 同tóngsame, similar; together with, alike
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 17
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
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.