第三十二章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 32

The Way is nameless and simple; once names arise, one must know when to stop.

道dào常cháng无wú名míng，朴pǔ虽suī小xiǎo，

The Way is constantly nameless. Though the uncarved block is small,
天tiān下xià莫mò能néng臣chén也yě。

no one in the world can make it a subject.
侯hóu王wáng若ruò能néng守shǒu之zhī，

If lords and kings could hold to it,
万wàn物wù将jiāng自zì宾bīn。

the myriad things would come to them as guests of their own accord.
天tiān地dì相xiāng合hé以yǐ降jiàng甘gān露lù，

Heaven and earth would join and let sweet dew fall,
民mín莫mò之zhī令lìng而ér自zì均jūn。

and the people, with no one ordering them, would share it evenly.
始shǐ制zhì有yǒu名míng，名míng亦yì既jì有yǒu，

When the block is first cut, there are names. Once there are names,
夫fú亦yì将jiāng知zhī止zhǐ。

one should also know when to stop.
知zhī止zhǐ可kě以yǐ不bù殆dài。

Knowing when to stop, one can avoid danger.
譬pì道dào之zhī在zài天tiān下xià，

The Way in the world
犹yóu川chuān谷gǔ之zhī于yú江jiāng海hǎi。

is like streams and valleys flowing to rivers and seas.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 32, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
道	dào	the Way
常	cháng	always, ever
无名	wú míng	the nameless
朴	pǔ	the uncarved block
虽	suī	although, even if
小	xiǎo	small
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
莫	mò	no one, nothing
能	néng	can, to be able
臣	chén	to make a subject
也	yě	final particle (assertion)
侯王	hóu wáng	lords and kings
若	ruò	if
守	shǒu	to keep, to guard
之	zhī	it, them (object)
万物	wàn wù	the myriad things
将	jiāng	about to; to intend
自	zì	oneself, by oneself
宾	bīn	to come as guests
天地	tiān dì	heaven and earth
相	xiāng	each other
合	hé	to join
以	yǐ	in order to
降	jiàng	to fall, to send down
甘	gān	sweet
露	lù	dew
民	mín	the people
令	lìng	to make, to cause
而	ér	and yet, but
均	jūn	even, evenly shared
始	shǐ	the beginning
制	zhì	cutting; governing
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
名	míng	name
亦	yì	also
既	jì	once, already
夫	fú	now, indeed (opening particle)
知	zhī	to know
止	zhǐ	to stop, to rest
可	kě	can be
以	yǐ	by means of, with
不	bù	not
殆	dài	danger, peril
譬	pì	to compare, as with
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
在	zài	to be in, as for
犹	yóu	just like
川	chuān	river, stream
谷	gǔ	valley
于	yú	to, at
江	jiāng	river
海	hǎi	the sea

Compare: James Legge (1891)

The Tao, considered as unchanging, has no name.

Though in its primordial simplicity it may be small, the whole world dares not deal with (one embodying) it as a minister. If a feudal prince or the king could guard and hold it, all would spontaneously submit themselves to him.

Heaven and Earth (under its guidance) unite together and send down the sweet dew, which, without the directions of men, reaches equally everywhere as of its own accord.

As soon as it proceeds to action, it has a name. When it once has that name, (men) can know to rest in it. When they know to rest in it, they can be free from all risk of failure and error.

The relation of the Tao to all the world is like that of the great rivers and seas to the streams from the valleys.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 32

Chapter 32 says that the Way has no name, like a block of wood not yet carved, and that once names appear one must know where to stop.

The opening joins two images. The Way is constantly nameless (无名), and 朴, the uncarved block, though small, cannot be made anyone's subject. If lords and kings held to it, the myriad things would come to them like guests, heaven and earth would let sweet dew fall, and the people would share it evenly with no one giving orders. The words 道常无名，朴虽小 can be punctuated in more than one way; the site follows Wang Bi, who reads 无名 and 朴 as two descriptions of the Way.

The middle lines take up the image of chapter 28: when the block is first cut, names appear. Names are not condemned, but they call for 知止, knowing when to stop, a phrase that returns in chapter 44. The chapter ends with water: the Way in the world is like streams and valleys running down to rivers and seas, an image that chapter 66 develops.

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Meaning of chapter 32