Tao Te Ching Chapter 73
第73章
勇於敢則殺，勇於不敢則活。此兩者，或利或害。天之所惡，孰知其故？是以聖人猶難之。天之道，不爭而善勝，不言而善應，不召而自來，繟然而善謀。天網恢恢，疏而不失。
He whose boldness appears in his daring (to do wrong, in defiance of the laws) is put to death; he whose boldness appears in his not daring (to do so) lives on. Of these two cases the one appears to be advantageous, and the other to be injurious. But
When Heaven's anger smites a man,
Who the cause shall truly scan?
On this account the sage feels a difficulty (as to what to do in the former case).
It is the way of Heaven not to strive, and yet it skilfully overcomes; not to speak, and yet it is skilful in (obtaining a reply; does not call, and yet men come to it of themselves. Its demonstrations are quiet, and yet its plans are skilful and effective. The meshes of the net of Heaven are large; far apart, but letting nothing escape.
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
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 殺shāto kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hur
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 活huóto exist, to live, to survive; living, w
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 兩liǎngtwo, both, pair, couple; ounce
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 害hàito injure, to harm; to destroy, to kill
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 難nánhard, difficult, arduous; unable
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 爭zhēngto dispute, to fight, to contend, to str
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 應yīngshould, must; to respond, to handle; to
- 召zhàoimperial decree; to summon, to call, to
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 繟chǎn
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 謀móuto plan, to scheme; strategem
- 網wǎngnet; network
- 恢huīto restore, to recover; great, immense,
- 疏shūto neglect; to dredge, to clear away; la
- 失shīto lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 63
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
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.