第四十一章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 41

How people react when they hear of the Way, and why its greatest qualities look like their opposites.

上shàng士shì闻wén道dào，

When the superior scholar hears of the Way,
勤qín而ér行xíng之zhī；

he practices it diligently;
中zhōng士shì闻wén道dào，

when the average scholar hears of the Way,
若ruò存cún若ruò亡wáng；

he half keeps it, half loses it;
下xià士shì闻wén道dào，大dà笑xiào之zhī。

when the lesser scholar hears of the Way, he laughs out loud at it.
不bù笑xiào不bù足zú以yǐ为wéi道dào。

If he did not laugh, it would not be the Way.
故gù建jiàn言yán有yǒu之zhī：

So the established sayings have it:
明míng道dào若ruò昧mèi，进jìn道dào若ruò退tuì，

The bright Way seems dark, the Way forward seems to go back,
夷yí道dào若ruò颣lèi，上shàng德dé若ruò谷gǔ，

the smooth Way seems rough, the highest virtue seems like a valley,
大dà白bái若ruò辱rǔ，广guǎng德dé若ruò不bù足zú，

the purest white seems soiled, broad virtue seems not enough,
建jiàn德dé若ruò偷tōu，

firm virtue seems idle,
质zhì真zhēn若ruò渝yú，

true substance seems to change,
大dà方fāng无wú隅yú，大dà器qì晚wǎn成chéng，

the great square has no corners, the great vessel is finished late,
大dà音yīn希xī声shēng，大dà象xiàng无wú形xíng，

the great sound is barely heard, the great image has no shape,
道dào隐yǐn无wú名míng。

the Way is hidden and nameless.
夫fú唯wéi道dào，善shàn贷dài且qiě成chéng。

Only the Way is good at giving and at completing.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 41, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
上	shàng	highest, supreme
士	shì	scholar
闻	wén	to hear
道	dào	the Way
勤	qín	diligently
而	ér	and, and then
行	xíng	to carry out, put into practice
之	zhī	it, them (object)
中	zhōng	the middle
若	ruò	like, as if
存	cún	to exist, endure
亡	wáng	loss, to lose
下	xià	low, below
大	dà	great, big
笑	xiào	to laugh at
不	bù	not
足	zú	enough, sufficient
以	yǐ	in order to
为	wéi	to be, to count as
故	gù	therefore
建言	jiàn yán	established sayings
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
明	míng	clarity, insight; clear
昧	mèi	dark, dim
进	jìn	to advance
退	tuì	to withdraw
夷	yí	smooth, level
颣	lèi	rough, knotted
德	dé	virtue
谷	gǔ	valley
白	bái	white, the bright
辱	rǔ	soiled, sullied
广	guǎng	broad, ample
建	jiàn	firm, established
偷	tōu	idle, remiss
质	zhì	substance, nature
真	zhēn	true, genuine
渝	yú	to change, to waver
方	fāng	square
无	wú	not have, without, no
隅	yú	corner
器	qì	vessel, tool, instrument
晚	wǎn	late
成	chéng	to complete, accomplish
音	yīn	musical tone
希	xī	faint, rare; sparing
声	shēng	sound, voice
象	xiàng	image, form
形	xíng	shape
隐	yǐn	hidden
无名	wú míng	the nameless
夫唯	fú wéi	precisely because
善	shàn	to be good at
贷	dài	to lend, to give
且	qiě	and also

Compare: James Legge (1891)

Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Tao, earnestly carry it into practice. Scholars of the middle class, when they have heard about it, seem now to keep it and now to lose it. Scholars of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh greatly at it. If it were not (thus) laughed at, it would not be fit to be the Tao.

Therefore the sentence-makers have thus expressed themselves:--

'The Tao, when brightest seen, seems light to lack;
Who progress in it makes, seems drawing back;
Its even way is like a rugged track.
Its highest virtue from the vale doth rise;
Its greatest beauty seems to offend the eyes;
And he has most whose lot the least supplies.
Its firmest virtue seems but poor and low;
Its solid truth seems change to undergo;
Its largest square doth yet no corner show
A vessel great, it is the slowest made;
Loud is its sound, but never word it said;
A semblance great, the shadow of a shade.'

The Tao is hidden, and has no name; but it is the Tao which is skilful at imparting (to all things what they need) and making them complete.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 41

Chapter 41 describes how people react when they hear of the Way, then gives a list of sayings in which its greatest qualities look like their opposites.

It begins with three kinds of scholar (士). The superior one hears of the Way and practices it; the average one half keeps it and half loses it; the lesser one laughs out loud, and the chapter adds that if he did not laugh, it would not be the Way. The laughter is taken as a sign: the Way does not look like what people expect.

The established sayings that follow make the same point line by line: the bright Way seems dark, the highest virtue seems like a valley, the purest white seems soiled, the great square has no corners, the great sound is barely heard, the great image has no shape. In 大器晚成, a silk manuscript from Mawangdui writes 免 for 晚, and some read the line as the great vessel is never finished; the site follows Wang Bi's 晚, finished late. Chapter 45 continues the list, and the closing line, that only the Way is good at giving and completing, recalls the Way that gives life in chapter 51.

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Meaning of chapter 41