第二十四章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 24
Straining, showing off and boasting defeat themselves; one who has the Way avoids them.
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企者不立，跨者不行，
Standers do not remain upright, striders do not advance.
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自见者不明，自是者不彰，
They show themselves, but are invisible. Affirm themselves, but aren't acknowledged.
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自伐者无功，自矜者不长。
Boast about, but have not merit. Glorify themselves, and do not improve.
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其在道也，曰余食赘行。
Him who abides by the Way, calls these "leftover foods" and "wasted actions",
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物或恶之，
All things may loathe them.
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故有道者不处。
Thus, the daoist does not act like this.
Words in this chapter
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 企 | qǐ | to stand on tiptoe |
| 者 | zhě | one who, that which |
| 不 | bù | not |
| 立 | lì | to stand |
| 跨 | kuà | to stride |
| 行 | xíng | to walk, to move |
| 自 | zì | oneself, by oneself |
| 见 | xiàn | to display, show |
| 明 | míng | clarity, insight; clear |
| 是 | shì | to deem right |
| 彰 | zhāng | conspicuous, manifest |
| 伐 | fá | to boast |
| 无 | wú | not have, without, no |
| 功 | gōng | achievement, work done |
| 矜 | jīn | to pride oneself |
| 长 | zhǎng | to rear, to lead |
| 其 | qí | it, he, they (subject) |
| 在 | zài | to be in, as for |
| 道 | dào | the Way |
| 也 | yě | final particle (assertion) |
| 曰 | yuē | is called, to say |
| 余 | yú | leftover, surplus |
| 食 | shí | food, to feed on |
| 赘 | zhuì | superfluous, useless |
| 行 | xíng | conduct, actions |
| 物 | wù | thing, beings |
| 或 | huò | perhaps, ever |
| 恶 | wù | to loathe |
| 之 | zhī | it, them (object) |
| 故 | gù | therefore |
| 有 | yǒu | to have, to possess |
| 处 | chǔ | to dwell in, abide by |
Compare: James Legge (1891)
He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretches his legs does not walk (easily). (So), he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-conceited has no superiority allowed to him. Such conditions, viewed from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or a tumour on the body, which all dislike. Hence those who pursue (the course) of the Tao do not adopt and allow them.
Public domain. Source: Wikisource.
Meaning of chapter 24
Chapter 24 is about straining. One who stands on tiptoe does not stand firm; one who takes overlong strides does not get far. The image is physical and plain: forcing a posture makes it fail.
The same holds for self-assertion. One who displays himself is not seen clearly; one who insists he is right is not recognized; one who boasts has no merit; one who glorifies himself does not last. These four are the reverse of chapter 22, where the sage does none of these things and gains each in turn. Measured by the Way, such behavior is called leftover food and superfluous action, things that all creatures may loathe, so one who has the Way does not dwell in it.
余食赘行 is a hard phrase. 赘 is a useless growth on the body, and some editions write 形, form, for 行, so that the phrase means a useless outgrowth; this site keeps the plain reading of 行 as action. The warning against excess recalls chapter 9, and in chapter 29 the sage avoids the extreme, the extravagant and the excessive.