第五十章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 50

Most people move toward death by clinging to life; one who nurtures life well has no place for death.

出chū生shēng入rù死sǐ。

Coming out into life, going into death.
生shēng之zhī徒tú，十shí有yǒu三sān；

Those who follow life are three in ten;
死sǐ之zhī徒tú，十shí有yǒu三sān；

those who follow death are three in ten;
人rén之zhī生shēng，

and people who live
动dòng之zhī死sǐ地dì，

but move toward the place of death
亦yì十shí有yǒu三sān。

are also three in ten.
夫fú何hé故gù？

Why is this?
以yǐ其qí生shēng生shēng之zhī厚hòu。

Because they cling too hard to living.
盖gài闻wén善shàn摄shè生shēng者zhě，陆lù行xíng不bù遇yù兕sì虎hǔ，

I have heard that one who nurtures life well walks the land without meeting rhinos or tigers,
入rù军jūn不bù被bèi甲jiǎ兵bīng；

and goes into battle without armor or weapons;
兕sì无wú所suǒ投tóu其qí角jiǎo，虎hǔ无wú所suǒ措cuò其qí爪zhǎo，

the rhino finds nowhere to drive its horn, the tiger nowhere to set its claws,
兵bīng无wú所suǒ容róng其qí刃rèn。

the weapon nowhere to lodge its blade.
夫fú何hé故gù？

Why is this?
以yǐ其qí无wú死sǐ地dì。

Because he has no place of death in him.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 50, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
出	chū	to come out, emerge
生	shēng	to live
入	rù	to enter
死	sǐ	to die
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
徒	tú	followers, companions
十	shí	ten
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
三	sān	three
人	rén	people, others
动	dòng	to move
之	zhī	to go to
地	dì	earth, ground
亦	yì	also
夫	fú	now, indeed (opening particle)
何故	hé gù	why, for what reason
以	yǐ	because, by
其	qí	it, he, they (subject)
厚	hòu	thick, heavy, generous
盖	gài	it is said, indeed
闻	wén	to hear
善	shàn	to be good at
摄	shè	to nurture, to guard
者	zhě	one who, that which
陆	lù	on land
行	xíng	to walk, to move
不	bù	not
遇	yù	to meet, to encounter
兕	sì	wild buffalo, rhino
虎	hǔ	tiger
军	jūn	army, battle
被	bèi	to wear, to put on
甲	jiǎ	armor
兵	bīng	arms, troops
无	wú	not have, without, no
所	suǒ	that which, what
投	tóu	to thrust, to drive
其	qí	its, his, their
角	jiǎo	horn
措	cuò	to set, to apply
爪	zhǎo	claws
容	róng	to lodge, to hold
刃	rèn	blade

Compare: James Legge (1891)

Men come forth and live; they enter (again) and die.

Of every ten three are ministers of life (to themselves); and three are ministers of death.

There are also three in every ten whose aim is to live, but whose movements tend to the land (or place) of death. And for what reason? Because of their excessive endeavours to perpetuate life.

But I have heard that he who is skilful in managing the life entrusted to him for a time travels on the land without having to shun rhinoceros or tiger, and enters a host without having to avoid buff coat or sharp weapon. The rhinoceros finds no place in him into which to thrust its horn, nor the tiger a place in which to fix its claws, nor the weapon a place to admit its point. And for what reason? Because there is in him no place of death.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 50

Chapter 50 asks why so many people die before their time, and describes one who nurtures life so well that death finds no place in him.

It opens with four characters, 出生入死: coming out into life, going into death. Then come three groups, each 十有三. The site follows Wang Bi in reading this as three in ten: three in ten follow life, three in ten follow death, and three in ten live but move toward the place of death. Han Fei read the same words as thirteen, the four limbs and nine openings of the body; Legge, like the site, has three in ten. The third group, the chapter says, clings too hard to living (生生之厚), a phrase close to one in chapter 75.

The second half is an image of safety. One who nurtures life well (善摄生) walks the land without meeting rhinos or tigers and goes into battle without armor or weapons; the rhino finds nowhere to drive its horn, the tiger nowhere to set its claws, the weapon nowhere to lodge its blade, because there is no place of death in him. Chapter 55 gives a similar picture of an infant that no creature harms.

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Meaning of chapter 50