Tao Te Ching Chapter 51
第51章
道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命而常自然。故道生之，德畜之。長之育之，亭之毒之，蓋之覆之。生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰。是謂玄德。
All things are produced by the Tao, and nourished by its outflowing operation. They receive their forms according to the nature of each, and are completed according to the circumstances of their condition. Therefore all things without exception honour the Tao, and exalt its outflowing operation.
This honouring of the Tao and exalting of its operation is not the result of any ordination, but always a spontaneous tribute.
Thus it is that the Tao produces (all things), nourishes them, brings them to their full growth, nurses them, completes them, matures them, maintains them, and overspreads them.
It produces them and makes no claim to the possession of them; it carries them through their processes and does not vaunt its ability in doing so; it brings them to maturity and exercises no control over them;--this is called its mysterious operation.
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
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 畜chùlivestock, domestic animals
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 形xíngform, shape; to appear; to describe; to
- 勢shìpower, force; tendency, attitude
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 萬wànten thousand; innumerable
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 尊zūnto honor, to respect, to venerate
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 常chángcommon, general, normal; always, frequen
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 育yùto produce, to give birth to; to educate
- 亭tíngpavilion; erect
- 毒dúpoison, venom; drug, narcotic
- 蓋gàito cover, to hide, to protect
- 覆fùto cover; to overturn; to repeat; to rep
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 恃shìto trust, to rely on; to presume
- 宰zǎito slaughter, to butcher; to govern, to
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 玄xuándeep, profound, abstruse
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 10
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- Zhuangzi Exercise of Faculties
- Zhuangzi The Universe
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.
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