Tao Te Ching Chapter 78
第78章
天下莫柔弱於水，而攻堅強者，莫之能勝，其無以易之。弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，天下莫不知莫能行。是以聖人云﹕「受國之垢，是謂社稷主；受國不祥，是為天下王。」正言若反。
There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it;--for there is nothing (so effectual) for which it can be changed.
Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice.
Therefore a sage has said,
'He who accepts his state's reproach,
Is hailed therefore its altars' lord;
To him who bears men's direful woes
They all the name of King accord.'
Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.
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
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 柔róusoft, supple; gentle; flexible
- 弱ruòweak, fragile, delicate
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 水shuǐwater, liquid, lotion, juice
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 攻gōngto accuse; to assault; to criticize
- 堅jiānhard, strong; firm, resolute
- 強qiángstrong, powerful, energetic
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 剛gānghard, strong, tough; just, barely
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 云yúncloud; to say, to speak
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 垢gòudirt, filth, stains; dirty; disgraceful
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 社shègroup, organization, society; a god of t
- 稷jìgod of cereals; minister of agriculture
- 主zhǔto own; to host; master; host; lord
- 祥xiánghappiness, good fortune; auspicious
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 36
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 76
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 70
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
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.