Tao Te Ching Chapter 54
第54章
善建者不拔，善抱者不脫，子孫以祭祀不輟。修之於身，其德乃真；修之於家，其德乃餘；修之於鄉，其德乃長；修之於國，其德乃豐；修之於天下，其德乃普。故以身觀身，以家觀家，以鄉觀鄉，以國觀國，以天下觀天下。吾何以知天下然哉？以此。
What (Tao's) skilful planter plants
Can never be uptorn;
What his skilful arms enfold,
From him can ne'er be borne.
Sons shall bring in lengthening line,
Sacrifices to his shrine.
Tao when nursed within one's self,
His vigour will make true;
And where the family it rules
What riches will accrue!
The neighbourhood where it prevails
In thriving will abound;
And when 'tis seen throughout the state,
Good fortune will be found.
Employ it the kingdom o'er,
And men thrive all around.
In this way the effect will be seen in the person, by the observation of different cases; in the family; in the neighbourhood; in the state; and in the kingdom.
How do I know that this effect is sure to hold thus all under the sky? By this (method of observation).
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
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 建jiànto build, to erect; to establish, to fou
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 拔báto uproot, to pull out; to select, to pr
- 抱bàoto embrace, to hold in one's arms; to en
- 脫tuōto take off, to shed; to escape from
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 祭jìto sacrifice to, to worship
- 祀sìto sacrifice, to worship
- 輟chuòto suspend, to stop, to halt
- 修xiūto study; to repair; to decorate; to cul
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 身shēnbody, torso; person; pregnancy
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 乃nǎithen; really, indeed, after all
- 真zhēnreal, actual, true, genuine
- 家jiāhouse, home, residence; family
- 餘yúsurplus, remainder, excess
- 鄉xiāngcountry, village; rural
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 豐fēngabundant, lush, bountiful, plenty
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 普pǔwidespread, universal, general
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 觀guānto observe, to spectate; appearance, vie
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 57
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi The Secret of Life
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
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.