Tao Te Ching Chapter 62
第62章
道者萬物之奧。善人之寶，不善人之所保。美言可以市，尊行可以加人。人之不善，何棄之有？故立天子，置三公，雖有拱璧以先駟馬，不如坐進此道。古之所以貴此道者何？不曰以求得，有罪以免邪？故為天下貴。
Tao has of all things the most honoured place.
No treasures give good men so rich a grace;
Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface.
(Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are not abandoned by it.
Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a prince) were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in the court-yard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of) this Tao, which one might present on his knees.
Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape (from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.
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
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 萬wànten thousand; innumerable
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 奧àomysterious, obscure, profound; used in t
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 人rénman, person; people
- 寶bǎotreasure, jewel; rare, precious
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 保bǎoto safeguard, to protect, to defend, to
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 市shìcity, town; market, fair; to trade
- 尊zūnto honor, to respect, to venerate
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 加jiāto add to, to increase, to augment
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 棄qìto abandon, to discard, to reject; to de
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 置zhìto lay out, to place, to set aside
- 三sānthree
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 拱gǒngto salute, to bow; arched; arch
- 璧bìa jade annulus
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 駟sìa team of four horses
- 馬mǎhorse; surname
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 坐zuòseat; to sit; to ride, to travel by
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 罪zuìsin, vice; fault, guilt; crime
- 免miǎnto spare, to excuse from; to evade
- 邪xiéwrong, evil, demonic; perverse, depraved
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
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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.