第九章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 9
Knowing when to stop: fullness, sharpness, wealth and pride do not last; withdraw when the work is done.
Text
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持而盈之，
Persisting in fulfilling it,
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不如其已。
Is inferior to stopping in time.
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揣而锐之，
Protecting and sharpening it,
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不可长保。
Can not be preserved forever.
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金玉满堂，
Treasure filled halls,
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莫之能守。
Can not be defended.
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富贵而骄，
Wealth and pride,
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自遗其咎。
Lead to self-loss and bad fortune.
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功成身退，
Accomplish and retire,
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天之道。
The universal Way.
Words in this chapter
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 持 | chí | to hold |
| 而 | ér | and, and then |
| 盈 | yíng | full, to fill |
| 之 | zhī | it, them (object) |
| 不如 | bù rú | is not as good as |
| 其 | qí | it, he, they (subject) |
| 已 | yǐ | to stop |
| 揣 | chuǎi | to hammer, to temper |
| 锐 | ruì | sharp, to sharpen |
| 不 | bù | not |
| 可 | kě | can be |
| 长 | cháng | long, long-lasting |
| 保 | bǎo | to keep, preserve |
| 金 | jīn | gold |
| 玉 | yù | jade |
| 满 | mǎn | to fill |
| 堂 | táng | hall |
| 莫 | mò | no one, nothing |
| 能 | néng | can, to be able |
| 守 | shǒu | to keep, to guard |
| 富贵 | fù guì | wealth and rank |
| 骄 | jiāo | arrogant |
| 自 | zì | oneself, by oneself |
| 遗 | yí | to bring upon, leave |
| 其 | qí | its, his, their |
| 咎 | jiù | blame, misfortune |
| 功 | gōng | achievement, work done |
| 成 | chéng | to complete, accomplish |
| 身 | shēn | oneself, the person |
| 退 | tuì | to withdraw |
| 天 | tiān | heaven |
| 之 | zhī | of, 's (linking particle) |
| 道 | dào | the Way |
Compare: James Legge (1891)
It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to attempt to carry it when it is full. If you keep feeling a point that has been sharpened, the point cannot long preserve its sharpness.
When gold and jade fill the hall, their possessor cannot keep them safe. When wealth and honours lead to arrogancy, this brings its evil on itself. When the work is done, and one's name is becoming distinguished, to withdraw into obscurity is the way of Heaven.
Public domain. Source: Wikisource.
Meaning of chapter 9
Chapter 9 is about knowing when to stop. It gives four pictures of excess: holding a vessel and filling it to the brim, sharpening a blade until it cannot keep its edge, a hall full of gold and jade that no one can guard, and wealth and rank that turn to pride and bring their own ruin.
Each picture shows something pushed past its point, so that it turns against its owner. The first lines, 持而盈之 and 揣而锐之, are very compressed in the Chinese and name no object; the vessel and the blade are one common way of reading them. The chapter ends with its rule: when the work is done, withdraw. That is the Way of heaven, 天之道.
The advice is not to do nothing, but not to cling to what has been done, as the sage of chapter 2 does not dwell on his work. Chapter 44 makes a similar point: knowing what is enough brings no disgrace, knowing when to stop brings no danger, and one can last long.