道德经Dào Dé Jīng

All key terms

De (德, Virtue) in the Dao De Jing: Meaning and Occurrences

In the Dao De Jing, De (德) is virtue, the second word of the title: the Way gives the myriad things life and virtue nourishes them, and the highest virtue does not hold itself to be virtuous.

德 (dé) is the second word of the title, Dao De Jing, and is translated "virtue" throughout this site. The text pairs it with the Way: in chapter 51 the Way gives the myriad things life and virtue nourishes them, and none of them fails to honor the Way and value virtue.

Chapter 38, which opens the second part of the book, sets superior virtue against inferior virtue. Superior virtue is not "virtuous", and that is why it has virtue; inferior virtue never lets go of virtue, and that is why it has none. The same chapter lists what comes after the Way is lost: virtue, then humaneness, then justice, then ritual.

The phrase 玄德, "mysterious virtue", ends chapters 10 and 51 and returns in chapter 65, and 常德, "enduring virtue", appears three times in chapter 28. Chapter 54 follows virtue as it is cultivated in oneself, the family, the village, the state and the world.

Every occurrence of 德

Chapter 10

  1. Line 17

    是shì谓wèi玄xuán德dé。

    This is called the mysterious virtue.

Chapter 21

  1. Line 1

    孔kǒng德dé之zhī容róng，惟wéi道dào是shì从cóng。

    The great virtue's form, only originates from the Way.

Chapter 23

  1. Line 9

    德dé者zhě同tóng于yú德dé，

    The virtuous bonds with virtue,

  2. Line 12

    同tóng于yú德dé者zhě，德dé亦yì乐lè得dé之zhī；

    The virtuous who bonds, is also gladly received by virtue.

Chapter 28

  1. Line 2

    为wéi天tiān下xià溪xī，常cháng德dé不bù离lí，

    Be as the universal flow, and the enduring virtue shall not fade,

  2. Line 5

    为wéi天tiān下xià式shì，常cháng德dé不bù忒tè，

    Be as the universal order, and the enduring virtue shall be faultless,

  3. Line 8

    为wéi天tiān下xià谷gǔ，常cháng德dé乃nǎi足zú，

    Be as the universal channel, and the enduring virtue shall be sufficient,

Chapter 38

  1. Line 1

    上shàng德dé不bù德dé，是shì以yǐ有yǒu德dé；

    Superior virtue is not "virtuous"; that is why it has virtue.

  2. Line 2

    下xià德dé不bù失shī德dé，是shì以yǐ无wú德dé。

    Inferior virtue never lets go of virtue; that is why it has no virtue.

  3. Line 3

    上shàng德dé无wú为wéi而ér无wú以yǐ为wéi，

    Superior virtue does not act, and has no motive for acting.

  4. Line 4

    下xià德dé为wéi之zhī而ér有yǒu以yǐ为wéi。

    Inferior virtue acts, and has a motive for acting.

  5. Line 9

    故gù失shī道dào而ér后hòu德dé，失shī德dé而ér后hòu仁rén，

    So when the Way is lost, there is virtue; when virtue is lost, there is humaneness;

Chapter 41

  1. Line 9

    夷yí道dào若ruò颣lèi，上shàng德dé若ruò谷gǔ，

    the smooth Way seems rough, the highest virtue seems like a valley,

  2. Line 10

    大dà白bái若ruò辱rǔ，广guǎng德dé若ruò不bù足zú，

    the purest white seems soiled, broad virtue seems not enough,

  3. Line 11

    建jiàn德dé若ruò偷tōu，

    firm virtue seems idle,

Chapter 51

  1. Line 1

    道dào生shēng之zhī，德dé畜xù之zhī，物wù形xíng之zhī，

    The Way gives them life, virtue nourishes them, things shape them,

  2. Line 3

    是shì以yǐ万wàn物wù莫mò不bù尊zūn道dào而ér贵guì德dé。

    So among the myriad things none fails to honor the Way and value virtue.

  3. Line 4

    道dào之zhī尊zūn，德dé之zhī贵guì，夫fú莫mò之zhī命mìng而ér常cháng自zì然rán。

    The Way is honored and virtue valued not by anyone's command, but always of themselves.

  4. Line 5

    故gù道dào生shēng之zhī，德dé畜xù之zhī。

    So the Way gives them life and virtue nourishes them.

  5. Line 11

    是shì谓wèi玄xuán德dé。

    This is called mysterious virtue.

Chapter 54

  1. Line 4

    修xiū之zhī于yú身shēn，其qí德dé乃nǎi真zhēn；

    Cultivate it in yourself, and virtue will be genuine;

  2. Line 5

    修xiū之zhī于yú家jiā，其qí德dé乃nǎi余yú；

    cultivate it in the family, and virtue will be abundant;

  3. Line 6

    修xiū之zhī于yú乡xiāng，其qí德dé乃nǎi长cháng；

    cultivate it in the village, and virtue will last;

  4. Line 7

    修xiū之zhī于yú国guó，其qí德dé乃nǎi丰fēng；

    cultivate it in the state, and virtue will flourish;

  5. Line 8

    修xiū之zhī于yú天tiān下xià，其qí德dé乃nǎi普pǔ。

    cultivate it in the world, and virtue will be everywhere.

Chapter 55

  1. Line 1

    含hán德dé之zhī厚hòu，比bǐ于yú赤chì子zǐ。

    One who holds virtue in fullness is like a newborn child.

Chapter 59

  1. Line 3

    早zǎo服fú谓wèi之zhī重chóng积jī德dé；

    submitting early means accumulating virtue again and again;

  2. Line 4

    重chóng积jī德dé则zé无wú不bù克kè，

    accumulating virtue again and again, nothing cannot be overcome;

Chapter 60

  1. Line 5

    夫fú两liǎng不bù相xiāng伤shāng，故gù德dé交jiāo归guī焉yān。

    Since neither harms the other, their virtue flows back to the people.

Chapter 63

  1. Line 3

    大dà小xiǎo多duō少shǎo，报bào怨yuàn以yǐ德dé。

    Treat the small as great and the few as many; repay resentment with virtue.

Chapter 65

  1. Line 7

    常cháng知zhī稽jī式shì，是shì谓wèi玄xuán德dé。

    Always knowing the pattern is called mysterious virtue.

  2. Line 8

    玄xuán德dé深shēn矣yǐ，远yuǎn矣yǐ，

    Mysterious virtue is deep, is far-reaching,

Chapter 68

  1. Line 4

    是shì谓wèi不bù争zhēng之zhī德dé，是shì谓wèi用yòng人rén之zhī力lì，

    This is called the virtue of not contending; this is called using the strength of others;

Chapter 79

  1. Line 5

    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.

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