Dao De Jing by Laozi
Chapter 38
"The Master doesn't try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.
The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.
The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls up his sleeves and uses force.
When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.
Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusions go."
- Translated by Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 38
"People with integrity
don't even think about it.
That's how you can tell
they have integrity.
Other people talk about
how much integrity they have,
when they really don't have much,
If any.
Truly powerful people
don't do anything,
but they get the job done.
Other people are always busy
doing something,
but nothing ever gets done.
When kind people act,
they do so without thinking about it.
When the just act,
they're always sure
they're doing the right thing.
But when the righteous act,
and nobody reacts,
they try to force everyone
to do things their way.
If you're not in touch with Tao,
at least you can still have integrity.
If you don't have integrity,
there's always kindness.
If you don't have kindness,
there's always justice.
If you don't have justice,
all you have left is righteousness.
Righteousness is an pale imitation
of true faith and loyalty,
and always leads to trouble.
If you've already made up your mind,
you don't know the first thing about Tao,
and you never will.
The Masters pay attention
to what's beneath the surface.
They'll look at a tree's leaves,
but eat the fruit.
They turn all that down,
so they can accept this.
- Translated by Ron Hogan, Chapter 38
"Those who possessed in highest degree the attributes of the Tao did not seek to show them, and therefore they possessed them in fullest measure.
Those who possessed in a lower degree those attributes sought how not to lose them, and therefore they did not possess them in fullest measure.
Those who possessed in the highest degree those attributes did nothing with a purpose, and had no need to do anything.
Those who possessed them in a lower degree were always doing, and had need to be so doing.
Those who possessed the highest benevolence were always seeking to carry it out, and had no need to be doing so.
Those who possessed the highest righteousness were always seeking to carry it out, and had need to be so doing.
Those who possessed the highest sense of propriety were always seeking to show it, and when men did not respond to it, they bared the arm and marched up to them.
Thus it was that when the Tao was lost, its attributes appeared;
When its attributes were lost, benevolence appeared;
When benevolence was lost, righteousness appeared;
When righteousness was lost, the proprieties appeared.
Now propriety is the attenuated form of leal-heartedness and good faith, and is also the commencement of disorder.
Swift apprehension is only a flower of the Tao, and is the beginning of stupidity.
Thus it is that the Great man abides by what is solid, and eschews what is flimsy; dwells with the fruit and not with the flower.
It is thus that he puts away the one and makes choice of the other."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 38
"A man of the highest virtue does not keep to virtue and that is why he has virtue.
A man of the lowest virtue never strays from virtue and that is why he is without virtue.
The former never acts yet leaves nothing undone.
The latter acts but there are things left undone.
A man of the highest benevolence acts, but from no ulterior motive.
A man of the highest rectitude acts, but from ulterior motive.
A man most conversant in the rites acts, but when no one responds rolls up his sleeves and resorts to persuasion by force.
Hence when the way was lost there was virtue;
When virtue was lost there was benevolence;
When benevolence was lost there was rectitude;
When rectitude was lost there were the rites.
The rites are the wearing thin of loyalty and good faith
And the beginning of disorder;
Foreknowledge is the flowery embellishment of the way
And the beginning of folly.
Hence the man of large mind abides in the thick not in the thin, in the fruit not in the flower.
Therefore he discards the one and takes the other."
- Translated by D. C. Lau, 1891, Chapter 38
A man of the lowest virtue never strays from virtue and that is why he is without virtue.
The former never acts yet leaves nothing undone.
The latter acts but there are things left undone.
A man of the highest benevolence acts, but from no ulterior motive.
A man of the highest rectitude acts, but from ulterior motive.
A man most conversant in the rites acts, but when no one responds rolls up his sleeves and resorts to persuasion by force.
Hence when the way was lost there was virtue;
When virtue was lost there was benevolence;
When benevolence was lost there was rectitude;
When rectitude was lost there were the rites.
The rites are the wearing thin of loyalty and good faith
And the beginning of disorder;
Foreknowledge is the flowery embellishment of the way
And the beginning of folly.
Hence the man of large mind abides in the thick not in the thin, in the fruit not in the flower.
Therefore he discards the one and takes the other."
- Translated by D. C. Lau, 1891, Chapter 38
"La alta naturaleza no intenta mantener la naturaleza,
por lo tanto la tiene.
La baja naturaleza intenta no perder la naturaleza,
por lo tanto la pierde.
La alta naturaleza no actúa
porque no tiene razón para hacerlo;
la baja naturaleza actúa,
porque encuentra razón para hacerlo.
El alto humanitarismo actúa
aunque no tenga razón para hacerlo;
La alta equidad actúa
porque encuentra razón para hacerlo.
El ritual más elevado actúa
aunque no halle respuesta,
desnuda las armas y lanza una soga.
Por lo tanto cuando se pierde el Tao, hay naturaleza.
Cuando se pierde la naturaleza, hay humanitarismo.
Cuando se pierde el humanitarismo, hay equidad.
Cuando se pierde la equidad, hay ritual.
En cuanto al ritual, es el delgado filo de la lealtad y la fidelidad y el comienzo del desorden;
En cuanto a la predicción, es el florecimiento del Tao
y el comienzo de la estupidez.
Por lo tanto, una gran persona
guiándose por lo grueso
no mora en lo fino,
guiándose por la semilla
no mora en la flor.
Por lo tanto una persona así deja esto y toma aquéllo."
- Translated by Álex Ferrara, 2003, Capítulo 38
Lun Teh
Superior virtue is not virtue-conscious,
Therefore it has virtue.
Inferior virtue never forgets virtue,
Therefore it has no virtue.
Superior virtue does not interfere,
And has no motive to interfere.
Inferior virtue interferes,
And has a motive to interfere.
Superior benevolence interferes without motive;
Superior righteousness interferes from motive;
Superior propriety interferes,
And failing to evoke any response,
Lifts its arm and resorts to violence.
Therefore,
After the loss of Tao, virtue appears;
After the loss of virtue, benevolence appears;
After the loss of benevolence, righteousness appears;
After the loss of righteousness, propriety appears.
Propriety is a mere veneer of loyalty and sincerity,
And constitutes the prime cause of confusion.
Traditional knowledge is the flower (outward show) of Tao,
And has become the origin of folly.
Therefore, men of the heroic type abide by depth,
And stay away from shallowness;
Abide by the fruit and stay away from the flower.
Forsooth, they reject this and adopt that."
- Translated by Henry Wei, 1982, 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 includes a Google Translate option menu for reading the entire webpage in many other languages. Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching [246 CE Wang Bi version] includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms (concordance) 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, links, research leads, translator sources, and other resources for that Chapter.
A Top Tier online free resource for English and Spanish readers, researchers, Daoist devotees, scholars, students, fans and fellow travelers on the Way.
Chapter 38, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey
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