Tao Te Ching

Chapter 39
The next part of Te Ching
[Original text]

The above [1] is not virtuous, because there is virtue; the bottom [2] does not lose virtue, because there is no virtue.

The upper virtue is inaction, but there is no thought [3]; the lower virtue is to do it, but there is thought.

The highest benevolence is for it, but there is no thinking; the highest righteousness is for it, but there is thinking.

If you do it with courtesy, but if you don't respond, you will throw [4] your arms and still [5] it.

Therefore, if you lose your morals, you will be virtuous, you will be benevolent if you are not benevolent, and you will be courteous if you lose your righteousness. The husband and the ceremonial man, the loyalty is thin, and the chaos is the head.

For those who know before [6], the flower of Tao is the beginning of ignorance.Therefore, a man should treat his thick [7] instead of his thin;So go and take this.

【Note】

[1] Shang: Admired, take it as the top.

[2] Next: Belittle, take it as the next.

[3] Wuwei: no intention to act, no intention.

[4] Rash: Stretch out.

[5] Still: lead, pull.

[6] Foresight: A person with foresight.

[7] Be thick: stand upright.

【Analysis】

People who advocate benevolence do not deliberately improve their virtues, but they have noble morals; those who belittle benevolence do not seem to have lost their virtues, but they have actually lost their morals.

Those who advocate benevolence follow nature without doing anything, while those who depreciate benevolence have intentions to do something.

People who advocate benevolence have intentions to act but do nothing; those who advocate morality have intentions to act but do something.

People who advocate etiquette want to do something and no one responds, so they pull others hard with their hands to force them to obey.

Therefore, after the loss of "Tao" there is benevolence, after the loss of benevolence there is benevolence, after the loss of benevolence there is morality, and after the loss of morality there is etiquette.Manners, the product of lack of fidelity and honesty, are the beginning of trouble.

People with foresight are just the vanity of "Tao", the beginning of ignorance.Therefore, a man should be honest, not superficial; he should be simple, not flashy.It is necessary to remove superficial vanities and retain honesty and simplicity.

"Virtue" has the distinction of superior and inferior, and "superior virtue" conforms to the idea of ​​"Tao".In other words, "Tao" is a law that cannot be explained, while "De" means that people act according to the laws of "Tao", and it is the embodiment of "Tao" in the world.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
Supreme Virtue refers to the unnamed emperor of ancient times, whose virtue is supreme, so it is said that he is superior in virtue.Those who are not virtuous say that they do not teach people with virtue, follow nature and nourish people's lives, but their virtue is not seen, so they say they are not virtuous.It is said that its virtue is in harmony with the heaven and the earth, the harmony prevails, and the people's morality is complete.Lower virtue is called a posthumous monarch, and his virtue is not as good as his superior virtue, so it is said that he is inferior to his virtue.Those who do not lose their virtue can see their virtue and their achievements can be called.In order to have a name and a body, there is no virtue.

It is said that the Dharma is quiet and does nothing.There is no name for it.Words are teaching orders, and administration is also a matter of administration.It is said that he takes a name for himself.

Supreme benevolence is called the king of benevolence, and his benevolence is supreme, so it is said that there is superior benevolence.Those who do it are kind to others.There is nothing to do if you succeed.For righteousness to cut off.Actions are regarded as one's own, killing is regarded as prestige, and thieves are regarded as self-serving.

It is said that the ruler of Shangli has the highest etiquette, so he said Shangli.For those who do it, words are the etiquette system, and the preface is also prestige.Words and etiquette are flourishing but are declining, and there are too many pretense and falsehoods. If you move, you will deviate from the way, and you should not respond.Words and etiquette are too much to respond to, and the upper and lower are arguing, so they are still cited.

Words and morals decline, but morality grows.Words of moral decline and benevolence see also.It is also clear to say that benevolence declines and righteousness is clear.If the words and righteousness decline, you will be rewarded with courtesy and good deeds.Words and etiquette are abolished at the end of the day, and loyalty and trust are weakening day by day.Rituals are low in quality and expensive in writing, so honesty is less and less, and evil and chaos are more and more.

Knowing without knowing is pre-knowledge. This person loses the truth of the Tao and gains the glory of the Tao.People who speak beforehand are also the initiators of ignorance and darkness.A real man is called the king who attains the Tao.Those who are thick are said to be honest and simple.Don't be in violation of the Tao, and be troubled by the world.Be loyal and trustworthy, and don't talk about Huayan.Go to the thinness of the other, and take the thickness.

(End of this chapter)