Tao Te Ching Chapter 43
第43章
天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。無有入無間，吾是以知無為之有益。不言之教，無為之益，天下希及之。
The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest; that which has no (substantial) existence enters where there is no crevice. I know hereby what advantage belongs to doing nothing (with a purpose).
There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.
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
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 柔róusoft, supple; gentle; flexible
- 馳chíspeed, haste; to run, to gallop
- 騁chěngto gallop, to hasten, to hurry
- 堅jiānhard, strong; firm, resolute
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 間jiānbetween, among; midpoint; space, place,
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 益yìto profit, to benefit; advantage
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 教jiàoschool, education
- 希xīrare; to hope for, to strive for; to exp
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
Similar passages
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.