Tao Te Ching

Chapter 3
[Original text]

Everyone in the world knows that the beautiful is beautiful, and this [1] is evil [2]; everyone knows that the good is good, and this is not good.

Therefore, existence and non-existence [3] arise, difficulty and easy complement each other;

It is the sage[6] who does nothing[7] and teaches without saying anything.All things are done [8] without giving up, born without being, doing without relying on, accomplishing but not living.Husband only lives in space, so I don't want to go.

【Note】

[1] Si: Indicates a turning point, meaning then, then, and so.

[2] Evil: ugly, in contrast to the preface "beauty".

[3] Phase: each other, each other.

[4] Xing: Xing Xing means to show up, here it means to see through comparison.

[5] Sound: The ancients interpreted "sound" and "sound" separately. The musical sound played is called "sound", and the single sound is called "sound".

[6] Saints: People who advocate quietness, do not fight, obey nature, and publicize people's inner life are called "sages" by Taoism.This is different from the "sage" in Confucianism.

[7] Inaction: Do nothing and let everything take its course.

[8] Work: Rise, here means growth.

【Analysis】

When everyone in the world knows what is called beautiful, they also know the existence of ugliness; when they all know what is called good, they also understand the definition of unkindness.

Therefore, reality and nothingness come together, difficulty and ease complement each other, long and short are revealed by comparing each other, high and low depend on each other to exist, monophonic and polyphonic harmonize to form a melody, front and back follow each other, It has been like this since ancient times.

It is precisely because of this that the sages have adopted the approach of "governing by doing nothing" in dealing with things, implementing the policy of wordless enlightenment, and letting everything grow naturally.Give life to all things and not take it as your own because of this, raise all things without relying on your ability because of this, and not take credit for helping all things to achieve yourself.Only by having merit and virtue without relying on merit and virtue can the merit and virtue not be dissipated and can help oneself achieve immortal merit.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
To promote one's own beauty, to make it manifest.There is danger and death, there is fame and fame, and people fight for it.

See what is there and see nothing, see what is difficult and see what is easy, see what is short and see what is long, see what is high and see what is below, up and down must be in harmony, up and down must follow.

Govern by Tao, guide by example, act independently, stop without saying goodbye.Vitality produces all things without existence.Do not rely on the hope of retribution for what the Tao does.If you succeed, you won't be able to avoid it.Husband only has merit and success, but does not occupy his position, and his blessings are always there, and he does not leave his body.If you don't do it, you can't follow it, and if you don't say it, you can't know it.The first six sentences have high and low lengths, the king opens up one source, and the next gives birth to all kinds of things, and the changes of all kinds of things are all disturbing.

(End of this chapter)