Chapter 38
"Reality does not represent itself as real: that is its reality.
Reality abandons itself into reality: that is its presence.
It cannot judge this to be high or that to be low: that is its exaltation.
It has no purpose: that is its fulfillment.
It is without compassion: that is its mercy.
The man of rectitude tries to make things turn out right,
and when that fails he rolls up his sleeves and redoubles his efforts.
If you lose the way, you lose reality.
If you lose reality, you lose compassion.
If you lose compassion, you lose rectitude.
If you lose rectitude, you lose your manners.
When people have no manners the world descends into anarchy, tumbles into a void.
But in the anarchy we act again;
we must learn how to behave;
we learn rectitude;
we learn sincerity:
not the appearance this time but the very heart.
Can you remain in the center and allow things to be?
Either way you always return."
- Translated by Crispin Starwell, Chapter 38
"To give without seeking reward
To help without thinking it is virtuous
Therein lies the great virtue
To keep account of your action
To help with the hope of gaining merit
Therein lies no virtue
The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self
The highest kindness is to give without condition
The highest justice is to see without preference
When Tao is lost one must learn the rules of virtue
When virtue is lost, the rules of kindness
When kindness is lost, the rules of justice
When justice is lost, the rules of conduct
And when the high-blown rules of conduct are not followed people are seized by the arm and it is forced on them
The rules of conduct are just an outer show of devotion and loyalty
Quite confusing to the heart
And when men rely on these rules for guidance
Oh, what ignorance abounds!
The great master follows his own nature and not the trappings of life
It is said, he stays with the fruit and not the fluff
Stays with the firm and not the flimsy
Stays with the true and not the false."
- Translated by Johathan Star, 2001, Chapter 38
"The man of highest “power” does not reveal himself as a possessor of “power”;
Therefore he keeps his “power”.
The man of inferior “power” cannot rid it of the appearance of “power”;
Therefore he is in truth without “power”.
The man of highest “power” neither acts nor is there any who so regards him;
The man of inferior “power” both acts and is so regarded.
The man of highest humanity, though he acts, is not regarded;
Whereas a man of even the highest morality both acts and is so regarded;
While even he who is best versed in ritual not merely acts,
But if people fail to respond
Then he will pull up his sleeves and advance upon them.
That is why it is said:
“After Tao was lost, then came the 'power';
After the 'power' was lost, then came human kindness.”
After human kindness was lost, then came morality,
After morality was lost, then came ritual.
Now ritual is the mere husk of loyalty and promise-keeping
And is indeed the first step towards brawling.”
Foreknowledge may be the “flower of doctrine”,
But it is the beginning of folly.
Therefore the full-grown man takes his stand upon the solid substance
And not upon the mere husk,
Upon the fruit and not upon the flower.
Truly, “he reject that and takes this”."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 38
上德不德, 是以有德.
下德不失德, 是以無德.
上德無為而無以為.
下德為之, 而有以為.
上仁為之, 而無以為.
上義為之, 而有以為.
上禮為之.
而莫之應.
則攘臂而扔之.
故失道而後德.
失德而後仁.
失仁而後義失義.
而後禮.
夫禮者, 忠信之薄, 而亂之首.
前識者, 道之華而愚之始.
是以大丈夫處其厚, 不居其薄.
處其實, 不居其華.
故去彼取此.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38
下德不失德, 是以無德.
上德無為而無以為.
下德為之, 而有以為.
上仁為之, 而無以為.
上義為之, 而有以為.
上禮為之.
而莫之應.
則攘臂而扔之.
故失道而後德.
失德而後仁.
失仁而後義失義.
而後禮.
夫禮者, 忠信之薄, 而亂之首.
前識者, 道之華而愚之始.
是以大丈夫處其厚, 不居其薄.
處其實, 不居其華.
故去彼取此.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38
shang tê pu tê, shih yi yu tê.
hsia tê pu shih tê, shih yi wu tê.
shang tê wu wei erh wu yi wei.
hsia tê wei chih, erh yu yi wei.
shang jên wei chih, erh wu yi wei.
shang yi wei chih, erh yu yi wei.
shang ki wei chih.
erh mo chih ying.
tsê jang pi erh jêng chih.
ku shih tao erh hou tê.
shih tê erh hou jên.
shih jên erh hou yi shih yi.
erh hou li.
fu li chê, chung hsin chih pao, erh luan chih shou.
ch'ien shih chê, tao chih hua erh yü chih shih.
shih yi ta chang fu ch'u ch'i hou, pu chü ch'i pao.
ch'u ch'i shih, pu chü ch'i hua.
ku ch'ü pi ch'ü tz'u.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38
hsia tê pu shih tê, shih yi wu tê.
shang tê wu wei erh wu yi wei.
hsia tê wei chih, erh yu yi wei.
shang jên wei chih, erh wu yi wei.
shang yi wei chih, erh yu yi wei.
shang ki wei chih.
erh mo chih ying.
tsê jang pi erh jêng chih.
ku shih tao erh hou tê.
shih tê erh hou jên.
shih jên erh hou yi shih yi.
erh hou li.
fu li chê, chung hsin chih pao, erh luan chih shou.
ch'ien shih chê, tao chih hua erh yü chih shih.
shih yi ta chang fu ch'u ch'i hou, pu chü ch'i pao.
ch'u ch'i shih, pu chü ch'i hua.
ku ch'ü pi ch'ü tz'u.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38
"The Tao–Master does not cling to power
and is therefore truly powerful.
The lesser man clings to power and thus has none.
The truly powerful man does nothing [i.e., he practices non–ado (wu–wei)]
and thus leaves nothing undone.
The lesser man is awhirl with activity
and thus gets nothing accomplished.
The virtuous man does what is good as an end in itself.
The moral man has a need to do what is good.
The man of propriety (li) makes doing good into a ritual,
and if people do not follow him willingly,
he forces them into line.
Thus, when the Tao is lost, virtue arises.
When virtue is lost, morality arises.
When morality is lost, justice arises.
When justice is lost, propriety arises.
Propriety is merely a shadow of justice, morality, and virtue;
it is the beginning of chaos . . . .
Therefore, the Tao–Master stays with the Tao.
He does not live on the surface of things.
He looks to the fruit, not to the flower.
He accepts this Tao and rejects that non–Tao."
- Translated by George Cronk, 1999, Chapter 38
"Un verdadero buen hombre no es conciente de su bondad;
por eso mismo es bueno.
Un hombre tonto trata de ser bueno;
por eso mismo no lo es.
Un verdadero buen hombre no hace nada;
sin embargo, no deja nada sin hacer.
Un hombre tonto está siempre haciendo;
sin embargo, mucho queda sin hacer.
Cuando un verdadero hombre amable hace algo,
no deja nada sin hacer.
Cuando un hombre justo hace algo,
deja mucho sin hacer.
Cuando un hombre disciplinado hace algo y no le responden,
enrolla sus mangas en un intento de forzarlos al orden.
Por lo tanto, cuando el Tao está perdido, queda la bondad.
Cuando la bondad se pierde, queda la amabilidad.
Cuando la amabilidad se pierde, queda la justicia.
Cuando la justicia se pierde, queda el ritual.
Ahora el rito es la cáscara de la fe y
la lealtad, el comienzo de la confusión.
El conocimiento del futuro es sólo la florida trampa del Tao.
Es el principio del desatino.
Por esto el verdadero gran hombre se atiene a lo real
y no a lo superficial.
Se detiene en el fruto, no en la flor.
Así se acepta lo uno y se rechaza el resto."
- Translated by Cristina Bosch, 2002, Capítulo #38
"To assume virtue without being really virtuous is to be virtuous from duty;
To be less virtuous, yet not to lose real virtue, is to be virtuous from Inner Life.
Supreme virtue comes through activity of Inner Life; then let us actively seek Inner Life.
TO be less virtuous and to practice it, let us be active in the performance of duty.
To assume benevolence and practice it let us actively seek Inner Life.
To assume right conduct and practice it let us be active in the performance of duty.
To assume expediency and practice it is to find that no one honours it; then it bares the arm, and asserts itself by force.
Therefore, when Tao is lost, follow Virtue; when virtue is lost, follow benevolence; when benevolence is lost, follow right conduct; when right conduct is lost, follow expediency.
Those who are Masters of expediency have in the heart only the shadow of faith; and in the mind only confusion.
Those who are Leaders of politeness have only the husk of Tao, which is the source of ignorance.
That is why the greatest of the Masters abide in the real,
They do not abide in the shadow.
They hold to the fruit, they do not hold to the husk.
Therefore they put away the latter and take hold of the former."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 38
"True or False? What happens when we lose the Tao
Those who are most worthy don’t make an issue of their worth;
this is why they are worthy.
Those who are least worthy never let go of their self-importance;
this is why they are not worthy.
Great character is natural and not contrived.
Lesser character may look natural, but it is an act.
When true kindness is performed,
it is done without thought of the result.
When true justice is applied,
it is done with deliberation.
If we are considerate in our actions, and yet no agreement is reached,
then preparations are made for conflict and confrontation.
So it is, that when the Tao is lost, righteousness remains.
After righteousness is lost, kindness remains.
After kindness is lost, justice remains.
After justice is lost, polite behavior remains.
Those who rely on polite behavior inspire superficial loyalties,
and this is the beginning of disorder.
Until we become familiar with it,
our knowledge of the Tao is superficial.
This is the beginning of ignorance.
At our best we focus on the substantial,
and are not taken in by what is flimsy.
At our best we deal with what is deep rather than superficial.
So we leave the one and take the other."
- Translated by Roderic and Amy Sorrell, 2003, Chapter 38
A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter. Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization. Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.
Chapter 38, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
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