道德经Dào Dé Jīng

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Tianxia (天下, All Under Heaven) in the Dao De Jing: Meaning and Occurrences

In the Dao De Jing, tianxia (天下), literally "under heaven", means the world, and often the world as something to be governed: the text asks who can be entrusted with it and says it is won by leaving it alone.

天下 (tiān xià) is literally "under heaven": everything the sky covers, the world. This site almost always translates it "the world". It is one of the most frequent words in the book.

Often it means the world people live in: in chapter 2, when everyone in the world takes beauty as beauty, ugliness appears; in chapter 78, nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water. Chapter 47 says that one can know the world without going out of the door.

Just as often the world is something to govern. Chapter 13 says the world can be entrusted to one who values his own person as much as the world; chapter 29 calls the world a sacred vessel that cannot be acted upon; chapters 48 and 57 say the world is won by leaving it alone (以无事取天下). In chapter 25, the Way could be the mother of the world.

Every occurrence of 天下

Chapter 2

  1. Line 1

    天tiān下xià皆jiē知zhī美měi之zhī为wéi美měi，斯sī恶è已yǐ，

    People on Earth have defined beautiful as beautiful, and thus they created ugliness.

Chapter 13

  1. Line 11

    故gù贵guì以yǐ身shēn为wéi天tiān下xià，

    Consequently, valuing your body in accordance with the world,

  2. Line 12

    若ruò可kě寄jì天tiān下xià；

    Is alike entangling yourself with the world;

  3. Line 13

    爱ài以yǐ身shēn为wéi天tiān下xià，

    Loving your body in accordance with the world,

  4. Line 14

    若ruò可kě托tuō天tiān下xià。

    Is alike entrusting yourself with the world.

Chapter 22

  1. Line 4

    是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén抱bào一yī，为wéi天tiān下xià式shì。

    Therefore the sage embraces unity, and follows the universe's patterns.

  2. Line 7

    夫fú唯wéi不bù争zhēng，故gù天tiān下xià莫mò能néng与yǔ之zhī争zhēng。

    He does not contend, therefore the world cannot contend with him.

Chapter 25

  1. Line 3

    周zhōu行xíng而ér不bù殆dài，可kě以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià母mǔ。

    Once it revolved safely, could the earth be created.

Chapter 26

  1. Line 5

    而ér以yǐ身shēn轻qīng天tiān下xià？

    That are so concerned with themselves as to disregard the rest of the world?

Chapter 28

  1. Line 1

    知zhī其qí雄xióng，守shǒu其qí雌cí，为wéi天tiān下xià溪xī。

    Manage masculinity, abides by femininity, be as the universal flow.

  2. 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,

  3. Line 4

    知zhī其qí白bái，守shǒu其qí黑hēi，为wéi天tiān下xià式shì。

    Handle whiteness, comply with darkness, be as the universal order.

  4. 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,

  5. Line 7

    知zhī其qí荣róng，守shǒu其qí辱rǔ，为wéi天tiān下xià谷gǔ。

    Control glory, accept disgrace, be as the universal channel.

  6. 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 29

  1. Line 1

    将jiāng欲yù取qǔ天tiān下xià而ér为wéi之zhī，

    If you wish to take the world and run it,

  2. Line 3

    天tiān下xià神shén器qì，不bù可kě为wéi也yě。

    The universe's power cannot be acted upon.

Chapter 30

  1. Line 2

    不bù以yǐ兵bīng强qiáng天tiān下xià，

    Is not a means to dominate people by military force.

Chapter 31

  1. Line 10

    则zé不bù可kě以yǐ得dé志zhì于yú天tiān下xià矣yǐ。

    cannot achieve his aims in the world.

Chapter 32

  1. Line 2

    天tiān下xià莫mò能néng臣chén也yě。

    no one in the world can make it a subject.

  2. Line 10

    譬pì道dào之zhī在zài天tiān下xià，

    The Way in the world

Chapter 35

  1. Line 1

    执zhí大dà象xiàng，天tiān下xià往wǎng；

    Hold to the great image, and the world will come;

Chapter 37

  1. Line 9

    天tiān下xià将jiāng自zì定dìng。

    and the world settles of itself.

Chapter 39

  1. Line 4

    侯hóu王wáng得dé一yī以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià贞zhēn。

    lords and kings attained the One and became the standard of the world.

Chapter 40

  1. Line 3

    天tiān下xià万wàn物wù生shēng于yú有yǒu，

    The myriad things of the world are born from presence,

Chapter 43

  1. Line 1

    天tiān下xià之zhī至zhì柔róu，驰chí骋chěng天tiān下xià之zhī至zhì坚jiān。

    The softest thing in the world runs through the hardest thing in the world.

  2. Line 5

    天tiān下xià希xī及jí之zhī。

    few in the world attain them.

Chapter 45

  1. Line 9

    清qīng静jìng为wéi天tiān下xià正zhèng。

    Clear and still, one sets the world right.

Chapter 46

  1. Line 1

    天tiān下xià有yǒu道dào，却què走zǒu马mǎ以yǐ粪fèn。

    When the world has the Way, galloping horses are sent back to manure the fields.

  2. Line 2

    天tiān下xià无wú道dào，戎róng马mǎ生shēng于yú郊jiāo。

    When the world lacks the Way, warhorses are bred on the borders.

Chapter 47

  1. Line 1

    不bù出chū户hù，知zhī天tiān下xià；

    Without going out of the door, one knows the world;

Chapter 48

  1. Line 4

    取qǔ天tiān下xià常cháng以yǐ无wú事shì，

    One wins the world by constantly leaving it alone;

  2. Line 5

    及jí其qí有yǒu事shì，不bù足zú以yǐ取qǔ天tiān下xià。

    as soon as one meddles, one is not fit to win the world.

Chapter 49

  1. Line 7

    圣shèng人rén在zài天tiān下xià歙shè歙shè，

    The sage in the world draws himself in,

  2. Line 8

    为wèi天tiān下xià浑hún其qí心xīn，百bǎi姓xìng皆jiē注zhù其qí耳ěr目mù，

    and for the world's sake keeps his mind undivided. The people all strain their eyes and ears,

Chapter 52

  1. Line 1

    天tiān下xià有yǒu始shǐ，以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià母mǔ。

    The world has a beginning, which is the mother of the world.

Chapter 54

  1. 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.

  2. Line 11

    以yǐ天tiān下xià观guān天tiān下xià。

    the world through the world.

  3. Line 12

    吾wú何hé以yǐ知zhī天tiān下xià然rán哉zāi？以yǐ此cǐ。

    How do I know the world is so? By this.

Chapter 56

  1. Line 9

    故gù为wéi天tiān下xià贵guì。

    So it is the most valued in the world.

Chapter 57

  1. Line 2

    以yǐ无wú事shì取qǔ天tiān下xià。

    win the world by leaving it alone.

  2. Line 4

    天tiān下xià多duō忌jì讳huì，

    the more prohibitions in the world,

Chapter 60

  1. Line 2

    以yǐ道dào莅lì天tiān下xià，其qí鬼guǐ不bù神shén；

    When the Way presides over the world, ghosts have no power;

Chapter 61

  1. Line 2

    天tiān下xià之zhī交jiāo。

    where the whole world meets.

  2. Line 3

    天tiān下xià之zhī牝pìn，牝pìn常cháng以yǐ静jìng胜shèng牡mǔ，

    It is the female of the world. The female always overcomes the male by stillness;

Chapter 62

  1. Line 10

    故gù为wéi天tiān下xià贵guì。

    So it is the most valued in the world.

Chapter 63

  1. Line 5

    天tiān下xià难nán事shì必bì作zuò于yú易yì，

    The difficult things of the world always start out easy;

  2. Line 6

    天tiān下xià大dà事shì必bì作zuò于yú细xì。

    the great things of the world always start out small.

Chapter 66

  1. Line 8

    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.

  2. Line 9

    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.

Chapter 67

  1. Line 1

    天tiān下xià皆jiē谓wèi我wǒ道dào大dà，

    Everyone in the world says my Way is great,

  2. Line 7

    三sān曰yuē不bù敢gǎn为wéi天tiān下xià先xiān。

    the third is not daring to be first in the world.

  3. Line 10

    不bù敢gǎn为wéi天tiān下xià先xiān，

    not daring to be first in the world,

Chapter 70

  1. Line 2

    天tiān下xià莫mò能néng知zhī，莫mò能néng行xíng。

    Yet no one in the world can understand them, no one can practice them.

Chapter 77

  1. Line 8

    孰shú能néng有yǒu余yú以yǐ奉fèng天tiān下xià？

    Who can take what he has in excess and give it to the world?

Chapter 78

  1. Line 1

    天tiān下xià莫mò柔róu弱ruò于yú水shuǐ，

    Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water,

  2. Line 6

    天tiān下xià莫mò不bù知zhī莫mò能néng行xíng。

    everyone in the world knows it, yet no one can practice it.

  3. Line 9

    受shòu国guó不bù祥xiáng，是shì为wéi天tiān下xià王wáng。”

    one who takes on the misfortunes of the state is king of the world."

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