第二十五章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 25

Something formless existed before heaven and earth; called the Way, it follows what is so of itself.

有yǒu物wù混hùn成chéng，先xiān天tiān地dì生shēng。

As part of the chaotic formation of matter, the primal universe was born.
寂jì兮xī寥liáo兮xī，独dú立lì不bù改gǎi。

So silent and desolate! Self-standing and invariable.
周zhōu行xíng而ér不bù殆dài，可kě以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià母mǔ。

Once it revolved safely, could the earth be created.
吾wú不bù知zhī其qí名míng，字zì之zhī曰yuē道dào，

I don't know its name. As a word, I label it the "Way".
强qiǎng为wéi之zhī名míng曰yuē大dà。

Imposing on it a name, I call it "great."
大dà曰yuē逝shì，逝shì曰yuē远yuǎn，

Greatness encompasses the passing of time, the passing of time encompasses the distant,
远yuǎn曰yuē反fǎn。

The distant entails return.
故gù道dào大dà，天tiān大dà，

Hence, the Way is great, the universe is great,
地dì大dà，王wáng亦yì大dà。

The earth is great, and the human is also great.
域yù中zhōng有yǒu四sì大dà，而ér王wáng居jū其qí一yī焉yān。

Within our realm there are four greatnesses and the human being is one of them.
人rén法fǎ地dì，地dì法fǎ天tiān，

Human beings are ruled by the earth, earth is ruled by the cosmos.
天tiān法fǎ道dào，道dào法fǎ自zì然rán。

The cosmos is ruled by the Way, the Way is ruled by nature.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 25, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
物	wù	thing, beings
混	hùn	to merge, blended
成	chéng	to complete, accomplish
先	xiān	before, ahead
天地	tiān dì	heaven and earth
生	shēng	to produce, give life, arise
寂	jì	silent, soundless
兮	xī	ah (particle)
寥	liáo	empty, formless
独立	dú lì	standing alone
不	bù	not
改	gǎi	to change
周	zhōu	all around, cycling
行	xíng	to walk, to move
而	ér	and yet, but
殆	dài	danger, peril
可	kě	can be
以	yǐ	to take (as)
为	wéi	to be, to count as
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
母	mǔ	mother
吾	wú	I
知	zhī	to know
其	qí	its, his, their
名	míng	name
字	zì	to style, to name
之	zhī	it, them (object)
曰	yuē	is called, to say
道	dào	the Way
强	qiǎng	forcibly, by effort
为	wéi	to act, to do, to make
大	dà	great, big
逝	shì	to pass on, flow away
远	yuǎn	far, distant
反	fǎn	return, reversal
故	gù	therefore
天	tiān	heaven
地	dì	earth, ground
王	wáng	king, kingly
亦	yì	also
域	yù	the realm, the universe
中	zhōng	the middle
四	sì	four, every direction
而	ér	and, and then
居	jū	to dwell (in), claim
一	yī	one, a single
焉	yān	in it, from it
人	rén	people, others
法	fǎ	to take as model
自然	zì rán	what is so of itself

Compare: James Legge (1891)

There was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth. How still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere and in no danger (of being exhausted)! It may be regarded as the Mother of all things.

I do not know its name, and I give it the designation of the Tao (the Way or Course). Making an effort (further) to give it a name I call it The Great.

Great, it passes on (in constant flow). Passing on, it becomes remote. Having become remote, it returns. Therefore the Tao is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; and the (sage) king is also great. In the universe there are four that are great, and the (sage) king is one of them.

Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 25

Chapter 25 tells of something formed in the undivided, born before heaven and earth: silent and empty, standing alone and unchanging, going round everywhere without tiring. It can be thought of as the mother of the world. The speaker does not know its name, gives it the style name 道 (the Way), and, forced to name it, calls it great.

From "great" the text moves outward and back: great means going on, going on means going far, going far means returning. Then come four greats, the Way, heaven, earth and the king, and a chain of models: people follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows 自然 (what is so of itself).

The last phrase is famous and much discussed: 自然 is not a fifth thing above the Way. Wang Bi explains that the Way does not go against what is so of itself: in the square it follows the square, in the round it follows the round. In line 9 Wang Bi's text reads 王, the king, while some editions read 人, the human; the house English leans toward the latter. The nameless thing recalls chapter 1, and the return chapter 40.

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Meaning of chapter 25