第六十二章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 62

The Way shelters good and bad alike, and is worth more than any treasure.

道dào者zhě万wàn物wù之zhī奥ào。

The Way is the hidden refuge of the myriad things,
善shàn人rén之zhī宝bǎo，不bù善shàn人rén之zhī所suǒ保bǎo。

the treasure of the good, and what keeps the not-good safe.
美měi言yán可kě以yǐ市shì，尊zūn行xíng可kě以yǐ加jiā人rén。

Fine words can be sold; noble deeds can raise a person up.
人rén之zhī不bù善shàn，何hé弃qì之zhī有yǒu？

Even if people are not good, why cast them away?
故gù立lì天tiān子zǐ，置zhì三sān公gōng，

So when the Son of Heaven is enthroned and the three ministers appointed,
虽suī有yǒu拱gǒng璧bì以yǐ先xiān驷sì马mǎ，

though there be jade discs held in both hands, followed by teams of four horses,
不bù如rú坐zuò进jìn此cǐ道dào。

it is better to sit still and offer this Way.
古gǔ之zhī所suǒ以yǐ贵guì此cǐ道dào者zhě何hé？

Why did the ancients value this Way?
不bù曰yuē以yǐ求qiú得dé，有yǒu罪zuì以yǐ免miǎn邪yé？

Is it not said: seek and you shall find; do wrong and you shall be spared?
故gù为wéi天tiān下xià贵guì。

So it is the most valued in the world.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 62, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
道	dào	the Way
者	zhě	one who, that which
万物	wàn wù	the myriad things
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
奥	ào	hidden refuge
善人	shàn rén	the good person
宝	bǎo	treasure
不	bù	not
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
所	suǒ	that which, what
保	bǎo	to keep, preserve
美	měi	beautiful, beauty
言	yán	words, to speak
可	kě	can be
以	yǐ	by means of, with
市	shì	to sell, to trade
尊	zūn	to honor; noble
行	xíng	to walk, to move
加	jiā	to raise, to add to
人	rén	people, others
善	shàn	to be good at
何	hé	what, how
弃	qì	to abandon, cast away
之	zhī	it, them (object)
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
故	gù	therefore
立	lì	to set up, enthrone
天子	tiān zǐ	the Son of Heaven
置	zhì	to appoint
三	sān	three
公	gōng	duke, high minister
虽	suī	although, even if
拱璧	gǒng bì	a jade disc held in both hands
先	xiān	before, ahead
驷	sì	team of four horses
马	mǎ	horses
不如	bù rú	is not as good as
坐	zuò	to sit still
进	jìn	to offer up
此	cǐ	this, these
古	gǔ	antiquity, ancient
所以	suǒ yǐ	the reason why
贵	guì	to value, to prize
曰	yuē	is called, to say
求	qiú	to seek
得	dé	to get, to obtain
罪	zuì	wrongdoing, guilt
免	miǎn	to be spared
邪	yé	question particle
为	wéi	to be, to count as
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
贵	guì	noble, honored

Compare: James Legge (1891)

Tao has of all things the most honoured place.
No treasures give good men so rich a grace;
Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface.

(Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are not abandoned by it.

Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a prince) were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in the court-yard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of) this Tao, which one might present on his knees.

Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape (from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 62

Chapter 62 describes the Way as a shelter open to everyone, the good and the not-good alike. It calls the Way the 奥 of the myriad things: the inner corner of a house, where one is sheltered, translated here as "hidden refuge".

Fine words can be sold and noble deeds can raise a person up, but the chapter asks why anyone should be cast away for not being good, a thought close to chapter 27, where the sage abandons no one. It then turns to a court ceremony: when the Son of Heaven is enthroned and the three ministers appointed, jade discs are presented and teams of four horses follow, yet it is better to sit still and offer this Way.

The ending asks why the ancients valued the Way and answers with a saying: by it, those who seek find, and those who have done wrong are spared. The site reads 以 in line 9 as "by it", the Way. The last line, "so it is the most valued in the world", repeats the end of chapter 56.

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Meaning of chapter 62