Tao Te Ching Chapter 24
第24章
企者不立，跨者不行，自見者不明，自是者不彰，自伐者無功，自矜者不長。其在道也，曰餘食贅行。物或惡之，故有道者不處。
He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretches his legs does not walk (easily). (So), he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-conceited has no superiority allowed to him. Such conditions, viewed from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or a tumour on the body, which all dislike. Hence those who pursue (the course) of the Tao do not adopt and allow them.
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
- 企qǐto plan a project; to stand on tiptoe
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 跨kuàto straddle, to ride; to span, to stretc
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 彰zhāngclear, manifest, obvious
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 功gōngachievement, good work; merit; service
- 矜jīnto pity, to sympathize, to feel sorry fo
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 也yěalso, too
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 餘yúsurplus, remainder, excess
- 食shífood; to eat
- 贅zhuìunnecessary, superfluous
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 處chùto reside at, to live in; place, locale;
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 22
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 31
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
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.