第七十九章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 79

Better not to create grievances than to settle them; the sage holds the claim but does not press it.

和hé大dà怨yuàn，必bì有yǒu余yú怨yuàn，

When a great grievance is settled, some grievance always remains;
安ān可kě以yǐ为wéi善shàn？

how can this be called good?
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén执zhí左zuǒ契qì，

So the sage holds the left half of the tally
而ér不bù责zé于yú人rén。

but makes no demands on others.
有yǒu德dé司sī契qì，无wú德dé司sī彻chè。

One with virtue keeps the tally; one without virtue collects the dues.
天tiān道dào无wú亲qīn，常cháng与yǔ善shàn人rén。

The Way of heaven has no favorites; it is always with the good.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 79, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
和	hé	to settle, reconcile
大	dà	great, big
怨	yuàn	resentment
必	bì	surely, inevitably
有余	yǒu yú	to have plenty
安	ān	how could
可	kě	can be
以	yǐ	to take (as)
为	wéi	to be, to count as
善	shàn	good, goodness
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
圣人	shèng rén	the sage
执	zhí	to hold, to grasp
左	zuǒ	the left
契	qì	tally (half of a contract)
而	ér	and yet, but
不	bù	not
责	zé	to demand, to exact
于	yú	to, at
人	rén	people, others
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
德	dé	virtue
司	sī	to be in charge of
无	wú	not have, without, no
彻	chè	tax dues
天	tiān	heaven
道	dào	the Way
亲	qīn	to love, to feel close to
常	cháng	always, ever
与	yǔ	with, and
善人	shàn rén	the good person

Compare: James Legge (1891)

When a reconciliation is effected (between two parties) after a great animosity, there is sure to be a grudge remaining (in the mind of the one who was wrong). And how can this be beneficial (to the other)?

Therefore (to guard against this), the sage keeps the left-hand portion of the record of the engagement, and does not insist on the (speedy) fulfilment of it by the other party. (So), he who has the attributes (of the Tao) regards (only) the conditions of the engagement, while he who has not those attributes regards only the conditions favourable to himself.

In the Way of Heaven, there is no partiality of love; it is always on the side of the good man.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 79

Chapter 79 is about grievances and how to avoid them. When a great grievance is settled, some grievance always remains, so settling it cannot be called truly good. Better not to create the grievance at all.

The image comes from contracts. A tally (契) was split in two, and the creditor held the left half. The sage holds the left half but makes no demands on others: he has the claim and does not press it. One with virtue keeps the tally; one without virtue collects the dues (彻, a tax or levy). The difference is between holding a right and enforcing it.

The last line, "the Way of heaven has no favorites; it is always with the good", can be set beside chapter 5, where heaven and earth are not humane. Heaven takes no sides, yet the good find it with them. Some modern editors move "repay resentment with virtue" from chapter 63 into this chapter, after the first line; the site keeps the received order.

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Meaning of chapter 79