Tao Te Ching Chapter 36
第36章
將欲歙之，必固張之；將欲弱之，必固強之；將欲廢之，必固興之；將欲奪之，必固與之。是謂微明。柔弱勝剛強。魚不可脫於淵，國之利器不可以示人。
When one is about to take an inspiration, he is sure to make a (previous) expiration; when he is going to weaken another, he will first strengthen him; when he is going to overthrow another, he will first have raised him up; when he is going to despoil another, he will first have made gifts to him:--this is called 'Hiding the light (of his procedure).'
The soft overcomes the hard; and the weak the strong.
Fishes should not be taken from the deep; instruments for the profit of a state should not be shown to the people.
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
- 歙shèto suck; the name of a district in Anhui
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 固gùto solidify; strength
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 弱ruòweak, fragile, delicate
- 強qiángstrong, powerful, energetic
- 廢fèito terminate; to discard; to abgrogate
- 興xìngto thrive, to prosper, to flourish
- 奪duóto rob, to snatch, to take by force
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 微wēismall, tiny, trifling; micro-
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 柔róusoft, supple; gentle; flexible
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 剛gānghard, strong, tough; just, barely
- 魚yúfish
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 脫tuōto take off, to shed; to escape from
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 淵yuānabyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 器qìdevice, instrument, tool; receptacle, ve
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 示shìaltar; ceremony; to show, to demonstrate
- 人rénman, person; people
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi Opening Trunks
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 78
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 29
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
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.