Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 13

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 13


"Favor and disgrace are both causes of shock.
When one is favored, one is shocked.
When one is disgraced, one is also shocked.
That is because people forget the unadorned plainness of universal life.
If they knew this clearly, then what is meant by saying that favor and disgrace are both causes of shock?
Favor is no higher than disgrace.
What is meant by saying that the greatest trouble is the strong sense of individual self that people carry in all circumstances?
People are beset with great trouble because they define their lives so narrowly.
If they forsake their narrow sense of self and live wholly, then what can they call trouble?
Therefore, only one who dedicates himself to the wholeness of the world is fit to tend the world.
Only one who relinquishes the self can be entrusted with responsibility for the life of the world."
-  Translated by Ni Hua-Ching, 1995, Chapter 13


"Favor, like disgrace
Brings trouble with it;
High rank, like self,
Involves acute distress."
What does that mean, to say
That "favor, like disgrace
Brings trouble with it"?
When favor is bestowed
On one of low degree,
Trouble will come with it.
The loss of favor too
Means trouble for that man.
This, then, is what is meant
By "favor, like disgrace
Brings trouble with it."
What does it mean, to say
That "rank, like self,
Involves acute distress"?
I suffer most because
Of me and selfishness.
If I were selfless, then
What suffering would I bear?
In governing the world,
Let rule entrusted be
To him who treats his rank
As if it were his soul;
World sovereignty can be
Committed to that man
Who loves all people
As he loves himself."
-  Translated by Raymond Blakney, 1955, Chapter 13   


"Dread glory as you dread shame.
Prize great calamity as you prize your body.
What does this mean:
"Dread glory as you dread shame"?
Glory comes from below.
Obtain it, you are afraid of shame;
Lose it, you are still afraid of shame.
That is why it is said;
"Dread glory as you dread shame."
What does this mean:
"Prize great calamity as you prize your own body"?
We who meet with great calamities, meet them because we have a body.
If we had not a body what calamity could reach us?
Therefore he who honours the kingdom as his body can govern the kingdom.
He who loves the kingdom as his own body can be trusted with the kingdom."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 13 


"Fame and shame are equally laden with grief
Good luck and bad luck resemble man's ego.
What does this mean?
Acquire fame and you dread its loss
Lose fame and you are scared of shame.
Both are accompanied by fear both are sources of grief.
Likewise:
Good luck and bad luck arise from man's ego hit man's ego accompany man's ego.
That is why freedom from ego means freedom from fame as well as shame from good luck as well as bad luck freedom from grief.
For I-ness means limitation means to be chained to grief and bound to the world
All-ness is oneness with the limitless is superiority over grief and overcoming of the world."
-  Translated by K. O. Schmidt, 1975, Chapter 13 


寵辱若驚.
貴大患若身.
何謂寵辱若驚.
寵為下.
得之若驚.
失之若驚是謂寵辱若驚.
何謂貴大患若.
身吾所以有大患者為吾有身.
及吾無身.
吾有何患.
故貴以身為天下若可寄天下.
愛以身為天下, 若可託天下.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 13

chong ru ruo jing.
gui da huan ruo shen.
he wei chong ru ruo jing.
chong wei xia.
de zhi ruo jing.
shi zhi ruo jing shi wei chong ru ruo jing.
he wei gui da huan ruo.
shen wu suo yi you da huan zhe wei wu you shen.
ji wu wu shen.
wu you he huan.
gu gui yi shen wei tian xia ruo ke ji tian xia.
ai yi shen wei tian xia, ruo ke tuo tian xia.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 13

"Favor and disgrace are likely to cause fear.
Highly respect great trouble as one respects his own body.
What is meant by "favor and disgrace are likely to cause fear"?
Favor is for the inferior:
Obtaining it, one will fear it.
Losing it, one will fear it.
This means that "favor and disgrace are likely to cause fear."
What is meant by "highly respecting great trouble as one respects his own body"?
"I have great trouble because I have a body;
When I no longer have a body, how can I have trouble?"
Therefore, one who respects himself for the world can be lodged with it;
One who loves himself for the world can be entrusted with it."
-  Translated by Paul J. Lin, Chapter 13 

"Equally fear favour and disgrace.
Regard a great calamity as you do your own body.
What is meant by equally fear favour and grace?
Favour should be disparaged.
Gained or lost it arouses apprehension.
Hence it is said, equally fear favour and disgrace.
What is meant by regard a great calamity as you do your own body?
Why have I any sense of misfortune?
Because I am conscious of myself.
Were I not conscious of my body, what distresses would I have?
Therefore, it is only they who value their persons because of their obligation, who may be entrusted with the empire.
It is only they who love themselves on account of their responsibilities, who may be charged with the care of the state."
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 13  


"El favor y la desgracia inquietan por igual".
 "La fortuna es un gran dolor como nuestro cuerpo".
 ¿Qué quiere decir: favor y desgracia inquietan
 por igual ?
 El favor eleva y la desgracia abate.
 Conseguir el favor es la inquietud.
 Perderlo es la inquietud.
 Este es el sentido de
 «favor y desgracia inquietan por igual»
 ¿Qué quiere decir: la fortuna es un gran dolor como
 nuestro cuerpo?
 La causa por la que padezco dolor es mi propio cuerpo.
 Si no lo tuviese,
 ¿qué dolor podría sentir?
 Por esto, quien estime al mundo igual a la fortuna de
 su propio cuerpo,
 puede gobernar el mundo.
 Quien ame al mundo como a su propio cuerpo,
 se le puede confiar el mundo."
 -  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 13


"Favor and disgrace seem like a surprise.
Value great suffering as you would keeping your own body.
What is the meaning of “Favor and disgrace seem like a surprise”?
Favor eventually declines.
Getting it is like a surprise.
Losing it is like a surprise.
This is the meaning of “Favor and disgrace seem like a surprise.”
What is the meaning of
“Value great suffering as you would keeping you own body”?
Our place, according to those who have great suffering,
Is our having a body.
When we lack bodies
What suffering do we have?
Therefore, value the “self” that’s considered as being the world,
As though you are able to be entrusted with the world.
Love the “self” that’s considered as being the world,
As though you are able to rely on the world."
-  Translated by Aalar Fex, 2006, Chapter 13 

"Le sage redoute la gloire comme l'ignominie; son corps lui pèse comme une grande calamité.
Qu'entend-on par ces mots : il redoute la gloire comme l'ignominie ?
La gloire est quelque chose de bas. Lorsqu'on l'a obtenue, on est comme rempli de crainte; 
lorsqu'on l'a perdue, on est comme rempli de crainte.
C'est pourquoi l'on dit : il redoute la gloire comme l'ignominie.
Qu'entend-on par ces mots : son corps lui pèse comme une grande calamité ?
Si nous éprouvons de grandes calamités, c'est parce que nous avons un corps.
Quand nous n'avons plus de corps (quand nous nous sommes dégagés de notre corps), quelles calamités pourrions-nous éprouver ?
C'est pourquoi, lorsqu'un homme redoute de gouverner lui-même l'empire, on peut lui confier l'empire; 
lorsqu'il a regret de gouverner l'empire, on peut lui remettre le soin de l'empire."
-  Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 33

 

"Both favor and disgrace bring fear.
Great trouble comes from having a body.
What is meant by:
"Both favor and disgrace bring fear"?
Favor leads to a fear of losing it and
disgrace leads to a fear of greater trouble.
What is meant by:
"Great trouble comes from having a body"?
The reason you have trouble is that
you are self-conscious.
No trouble can befall a self-free person.
Therefore, surrender your self-interest.
Love others as much as you love yourself.
Then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven."
-  Translated by Tolbert McCarroll, 1982, Chapter 13   

Chapter 13 of the Tao Te Ching

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translators' Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations of each Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for each Chapter, the Chinese characters for each Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for each Chapter; extensive indexing by key words and terms for each Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization is provided; recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for each Chapter are included.