Tao Te Ching Chapter 29
第29章
將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得已。天下神器，不可為也，為者敗之，執者失之。故物或行或隨，或歔或吹。或強或羸，或挫或隳。是以聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。
If any one should wish to get the kingdom for himself, and to effect this by what he does, I see that he will not succeed. The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing. He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it.
The course and nature of things is such that
What was in front is now behind;
What warmed anon we freezing find.
Strength is of weakness oft the spoil;
The store in ruins mocks our toil.
Hence the sage puts away excessive effort, extravagance, and easy indulgence.
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
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 神shéngod, spirit; divine, mysterious, superna
- 器qìdevice, instrument, tool; receptacle, ve
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 也yěalso, too
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 敗bàifailure; to decline, to fail, to suffer
- 執zhíto execute; to grasp, to hold; to keep;
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 隨suíto follow, to listen to, to submit to
- 歔xūto snort, to blow through the nose
- 吹chuīto blow, to puff; to brag, to boast
- 強qiángstrong, powerful, energetic
- 羸léiexhausted, weak; emaciated, lean
- 挫cuòto check, to obstruct, to push down
- 隳huīto destroy; to overthrow
- 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
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 甚shénconsiderably; very, extremely; a great e
- 奢shēexaggerated; extravagant, wasteful
- 泰tàigreat, exalted, superior; calm; big
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 64
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 42
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 36
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 1A.7
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.