第二十三章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 23

Speak little, as nature does; whatever one unites with, the Way, virtue or loss, receives one in turn.

希xī言yán自zì然rán。

To speak little is natural.
故gù飘piāo风fēng不bù终zhōng朝zhāo，

Similarly the wind does not blow the whole morning,
骤zhòu雨yǔ不bù终zhōng日rì。

Nor does a downpour last the whole day.
孰shú为wéi此cǐ者zhě？天tiān地dì。

What acts accordingly? Nature.
天tiān地dì尚shàng不bù能néng久jiǔ，

Nature values what cannot last forever,
而ér况kuàng于yú人rén乎hū？

How could people function otherwise?
故gù从cóng事shì于yú道dào者zhě，

Thus, by engaging with the Way,
道dào者zhě同tóng于yú道dào，

The daoist bonds with the Way,
德dé者zhě同tóng于yú德dé，

The virtuous bonds with virtue,
失shī者zhě同tóng于yú失shī。

The vanquished bonds with defeat.
同tóng于yú道dào者zhě，道dào亦yì乐lè得dé之zhī；

The daoist who bonds, is also gladly received by the Way.
同tóng于yú德dé者zhě，德dé亦yì乐lè得dé之zhī；

The virtuous who bonds, is also gladly received by virtue.
同tóng于yú失shī者zhě，失shī亦yì乐lè得dé之zhī。

The vanquished who bonds, is also gladly received by defeat.
信xìn不bù足zú焉yān，有yǒu不bù信xìn焉yān。

Lacking trust in it, engenders lack of trust in it.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 23, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
希	xī	faint, rare; sparing
言	yán	words, to speak
自然	zì rán	what is so of itself
故	gù	therefore
飘风	piāo fēng	a whirlwind
不	bù	not
终	zhōng	throughout, a whole
朝	zhāo	morning
骤雨	zhòu yǔ	a sudden downpour
终日	zhōng rì	all day long
孰	shú	who, which
为	wéi	to act, to do, to make
此	cǐ	this, these
者	zhě	one who, that which
天地	tiān dì	heaven and earth
尚	shàng	even, still
能	néng	can, to be able
久	jiǔ	lasting, long
而	ér	and, and then
况	kuàng	how much more
于	yú	to, at
人	rén	people, others
乎	hū	question particle
从事	cóng shì	to engage in
道	dào	the Way
同	tóng	to merge with
德	dé	virtue
失	shī	to lose; loss
亦	yì	also
乐	lè	glad; to delight in
得	dé	to get, to obtain
之	zhī	it, them (object)
信	xìn	trust, good faith
足	zú	enough, sufficient
焉	yān	in it, from it
有	yǒu	to have, to possess

Compare: James Legge (1891)

Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day. To whom is it that these (two) things are owing? To Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth cannot make such (spasmodic) actings last long, how much less can man!

Therefore when one is making the Tao his business, those who are also pursuing it, agree with him in it, and those who are making the manifestation of its course their object agree with him in that; while even those who are failing in both these things agree with him where they fail.

Hence, those with whom he agrees as to the Tao have the happiness of attaining to it; those with whom he agrees as to its manifestation have the happiness of attaining to it; and those with whom he agrees in their failure have also the happiness of attaining (to the Tao). (But) when there is not faith sufficient (on his part), a want of faith (in him) ensues (on the part of the others).

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 23

Chapter 23 begins with 希言自然: to speak little is what is so of itself. Nature gives the example. A whirlwind does not last the whole morning, a sudden downpour does not last the whole day. Heaven and earth cause them, and if even heaven and earth cannot make such outbursts last, how much less can people.

The chapter then turns to affinity. One who devotes himself to the Way becomes one with the Way; one who devotes himself to virtue, one with virtue; one who devotes himself to loss, one with loss. And each is gladly received in turn: the Way is glad to have the one who joins it, virtue too, and so is loss. What one sides with takes one in.

The grammar of lines 7 to 13 is compressed and varies between editions; this site follows Wang Bi's text and reads 失 as loss, the opposite of the Way and virtue. The closing line, on trust lacking and distrust following, also appears in chapter 17. 自然 returns at the end of chapter 25, and speaking little recalls the teaching without words of chapter 2.

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Meaning of chapter 23