Tao Te Ching Chapter 34
第34章
大道氾兮，其可左右。萬物恃之而生而不辭，功成不名有。衣養萬物而不為主，常無欲，可名於小；萬物歸焉而不為主，可名為大。以其終不自為大，故能成其大。
All-pervading is the Great Tao! It may be found on the left hand and on the right.
All things depend on it for their production, which it gives to them, not one refusing obedience to it. When its work is accomplished, it does not claim the name of having done it. It clothes all things as with a garment, and makes no assumption of being their lord;--it may be named in the smallest things. All things return (to their root and disappear), and do not know that it is it which presides over their doing so;--it may be named in the greatest things.
Hence the sage is able (in the same way) to accomplish his great achievements. It is through his not making himself great that he can accomplish 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
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 氾fànto flood, to inundate, to overflow
- 兮xīexclamatory particle
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 左zuǒleft; unorthodox, improper
- 右yòuright; right-wing
- 萬wànten thousand; innumerable
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 恃shìto trust, to rely on; to presume
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 辭cíwords, speech; to resign, to take leave
- 功gōngachievement, good work; merit; service
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 名míngname; position, rank, title
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 衣yīcloth; clothes, apparel; dress, coat
- 養yǎngto raise, to rear, to bring up; to suppo
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 主zhǔto own; to host; master; host; lord
- 常chángcommon, general, normal; always, frequen
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
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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.