Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 78

Daodejing by Laozi
Chapter 78

"Heaven below (the sacred body) is not as soft and yielding as water, yet can take on the rigid and violent.
Without its (the sacred body's) ability to overcome the rigid and the violent, it is nothing.
It replaces violence with gentleness.
It overcomes violence.
Tenderly it overcomes the unyielding.
Without knowing this, no one in Heaven below can progress.
The sages speak of guarding the community:
Dishonor comes from making sacrifices to the gods.
Preserve the community, not its omens.
It is correct to speak of Heaven below as what connects Heaven,
Humanity and Earth.
The words of the person who sacrifices backfire."
-  Translated by Barbara Tovey and Alan Sheets, 2002, Chapter 78 
  

"Nothing is softer, more flexible, or more giving than
water
nothing can resist it
nothing can take it away
nothing can endure it
there is no way to hurt it.
The flexible overcomes what resists it,
the giving overcomes what takes it,
the soft overcomes the hard,
but who uses this knowledge?
Only the person who knows the earth
as intimately as the trees and grasses
can rule the earth,
only the person who accepts
the guilt and evil of humanity
can rule the universe.
Straight tongues seem forked.
Straight talk seems crooked."
-  Translated by Tom Kunesh, Chapter 78 


"Nothing in the world is more supple than water,
Yet nothing is more powerful than water in attacking the hard and strong.
Why?
Because nothing can take its place.
Everyone in the world knows
That the weak is more powerful than the strong,
That the supple is more rigid than the hard,
Yet no one so far can put the knowledge into practice.
That is why the sage says,
Only he who can bear the humiliation on behalf of the state
Can be called the great priest of the state;
Only he who dare shoulder the responsibility for the calamity of the state
Can be called the king of the state.
Factual words seem ironical."
-  Translated by Gu Zhengkun, Chapter 78  


"There is nothing more yielding than water,
yet when acting on the solid and strong,
its gentleness and fluidity
have no equal in any thing.
The weak can overcome the strong,
and the supple overcome the hard.
Although this is known far and wide,
few put it into practice in their lives.
Although seemingly paradoxical,
the person who takes upon himself,
the people's humiliation,
is fit to rule;
and he is fit to lead,
who takes the country's disasters upon himself."
-  Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 78   

"Bajo el cielo no hay nada tan blando y maleable como el agua;
Pero no hay nada como el agua
para erosionar lo duro y rígido.
El agua no es sustituible.
Lo débil puede sobreponerse a lo fuerte;
lo blando puede sobreponerse a lo rígido;
Nadie desconoce esta verdad
pero nadie se atreve a ponerla en práctica.
Por eso el sabio dice:
Aquel que asume la responsabilidad
por todas las corrupciones de un reino,
merece ser su soberano.
Aquel que soporta todos los males de un reino,
puede ser soberano del imperio.
Las palabras de la Verdad parecen paradójicas."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 78

 

"There is nothing weaker than water,

Or easier to efface,

But for attacking the hard and the strong

Nothing can take its place.

 

That the tender conquers the rigid,

That the weak overcomes the strong,

The whole world knows, but in practice who

Can carry the work along?

 

Who bears the sins of his country,

We know from the sage's word,

Shall be called the master of sacrifice,

And hailed as its altar's lord.

 

Who carries his country's woes,

The curse of the land who bears,

Shall be called the king of the world; tis true,

Though a paradox it appears."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 78 

Index of English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching

Chapter 78 of the Daodejing

Taoism: A Selected Reading List