第四十二章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 42

How the Way gives birth to all things, and why gain and loss turn into each other.

道dào生shēng一yī，

The Way gives birth to one,
一yī生shēng二èr，二èr生shēng三sān，

one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three,
三sān生shēng万wàn物wù。

three gives birth to the myriad things.
万wàn物wù负fù阴yīn而ér抱bào阳yáng，

The myriad things carry yin on their backs and embrace yang,
冲chōng气qì以yǐ为wéi和hé。

and the rising breath makes them one in harmony.
人rén之zhī所suǒ恶wù，唯wéi孤gū、寡guǎ、不bù谷gǔ，

What people loathe is to be "orphaned", "widowed" and "unworthy",
而ér王wáng公gōng以yǐ为wéi称chēng。

yet kings and lords use these as their titles.
故gù物wù或huò损sǔn之zhī而ér益yì，

So things may gain by being diminished,
或huò益yì之zhī而ér损sǔn。

or lose by being increased.
人rén之zhī所suǒ教jiào，我wǒ亦yì教jiào之zhī。

What others teach, I also teach:
强qiáng梁liáng者zhě不bù得dé其qí死sǐ，

the violent do not die a natural death.
吾wú将jiāng以yǐ为wéi教jiào父fù。

I will make this the father of my teaching.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 42, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
道	dào	the Way
生	shēng	to produce, give life, arise
一	yī	the One
二	èr	two
三	sān	three
万物	wàn wù	the myriad things
负	fù	to carry on the back
阴	yīn	yin, the shaded side
而	ér	and, and then
抱	bào	to embrace
阳	yáng	yang, the bright side
冲	chōng	surging, blending
气	qì	breath, vital energy
以	yǐ	by means of, with
为	wéi	to be, to count as
和	hé	in harmony
人	rén	people, others
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
所	suǒ	that which, what
恶	wù	to loathe
唯	wéi	only, just
孤	gū	orphaned, alone
寡	guǎ	widowed, lacking
不谷	bù gǔ	the unworthy
而	ér	and yet, but
王公	wáng gōng	kings and lords
以	yǐ	to take (as)
称	chēng	title, form of address
故	gù	therefore
物	wù	thing, beings
或	huò	perhaps, ever
损	sǔn	to diminish, to lose
之	zhī	it, them (object)
益	yì	to increase, to gain
教	jiào	teaching, to teach
我	wǒ	I, me
亦	yì	also
强梁	qiáng liáng	the violent
者	zhě	one who, that which
不	bù	not
得	dé	to get, to obtain
其	qí	its, his, their
死	sǐ	to die
吾	wú	I
将	jiāng	about to; to intend
父	fù	father, origin

Compare: James Legge (1891)

The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things. All things leave behind them the Obscurity (out of which they have come), and go forward to embrace the Brightness (into which they have emerged), while they are harmonised by the Breath of Vacancy.

What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as carriages without naves; and yet these are the designations which kings and princes use for themselves. So it is that some things are increased by being diminished, and others are diminished by being increased.

What other men (thus) teach, I also teach. The violent and strong do not die their natural death. I will make this the basis of my teaching.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 42

Chapter 42 begins with how the Way gives birth to all things, then turns to why things gain by losing and lose by gaining.

The opening sequence is one of the most quoted passages in the book: the Way gives birth to one, one to two, two to three, and three to the myriad things. The text does not say what one, two and three are. Many readers take two as yin and yang, which the next line names, and three as the breath that blends them (冲气). Wang Bi explains the sequence through naming instead: to call something "one" already adds a word to it, which makes two, and the two with the one make three. The site's translation keeps the bare numbers.

The second half returns to the humble titles of chapter 39: what people loathe, to be orphaned, widowed and unworthy, kings take as their titles. So things may gain by being diminished and lose by being increased (损, 益). The chapter ends with a saying that others also teach, that the violent do not die a natural death, and the speaker makes it the father, the starting point, of his teaching.

Text

Meaning of chapter 42