第六十六章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 66

Like rivers and seas below the valleys, the sage leads by staying low and behind.

江jiāng海hǎi所suǒ以yǐ能néng为wéi百bǎi谷gǔ王wáng者zhě，

Rivers and seas can be kings of the hundred valleys
以yǐ其qí善shàn下xià之zhī，

because they are good at being below them;
故gù能néng为wéi百bǎi谷gǔ王wáng。

so they can be kings of the hundred valleys.
是shì以yǐ欲yù上shàng民mín，必bì以yǐ言yán下xià之zhī。

So to be above the people, one must speak as one below them;
欲yù先xiān民mín，必bì以yǐ身shēn后hòu之zhī。

to lead the people, one must put oneself behind them.
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén处chǔ上shàng而ér民mín不bù重zhòng，

So the sage is above, yet the people do not feel his weight;
处chǔ前qián而ér民mín不bù害hài。

he is in front, yet the people do not feel harmed.
是shì以yǐ天tiān下xià乐lè推tuī而ér不bù厌yàn，

So the whole world gladly supports him and never tires of him.
以yǐ其qí不bù争zhēng，故gù天tiān下xià莫mò能néng与yǔ之zhī争zhēng。

Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 66, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
江	jiāng	river
海	hǎi	the sea
所以	suǒ yǐ	the reason why
能	néng	can, to be able
为	wéi	to be, to count as
百	bǎi	a hundred, all
谷	gǔ	valley
王	wáng	king, kingly
者	zhě	one who, that which
以	yǐ	because, by
其	qí	it, he, they (subject)
善	shàn	to be good at
下	xià	to place oneself below
之	zhī	it, them (object)
故	gù	therefore
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
欲	yù	desire, to desire
上	shàng	to be above
民	mín	the people
必	bì	surely, inevitably
以	yǐ	by means of, with
言	yán	words, to speak
先	xiān	before, ahead
身	shēn	oneself, the person
后	hòu	to put behind
圣人	shèng rén	the sage
处	chǔ	to dwell in, abide by
上	shàng	top, above
而	ér	and yet, but
不	bù	not
重	zhòng	heavy, heaviness
前	qián	front, before
害	hài	to harm
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
乐	lè	glad; to delight in
推	tuī	to push forward, support
而	ér	and, and then
厌	yàn	to tire of
不争	bù zhēng	not contending
莫	mò	no one, nothing
与	yǔ	with, and
争	zhēng	to contend

Compare: James Legge (1891)

That whereby the rivers and seas are able to receive the homage and tribute of all the valley streams, is their skill in being lower than they;--it is thus that they are the kings of them all. So it is that the sage (ruler), wishing to be above men, puts himself by his words below them, and, wishing to be before them, places his person behind them.

In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his weight, nor though he has his place before them, do they feel it an injury to them.

Therefore all in the world delight to exalt him and do not weary of him. Because he does not strive, no one finds it possible to strive with him.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 66

Chapter 66 explains leadership through the image of water. Rivers and seas are kings of the hundred valleys because they are good at being below them: every stream runs down into them.

The chapter draws the lesson for a ruler in two parallel lines. To be above the people, one must speak as one below them; to lead the people, one must put oneself behind them. So the sage is above, yet the people do not feel his weight; he is in front, yet they do not feel harmed. The whole world gladly supports him and never tires of him.

The last line returns to 不争 (not contending): because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him, nearly the same words as chapter 22. Rivers and seas also close chapter 32, the great state takes the lower place in chapter 61, and in chapter 7 the sage puts himself last and finds himself first.

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Meaning of chapter 66