《道德經》

道德經: 第三十四章節

大道汎兮，其可左右。

萬物恃之而生而不辭，功成不名有。

衣養萬物而不為主，常無欲，可名於小。

萬物歸焉，而不為主，可名為大。

以其終不自為大，故能成其大。

Dao De Jing Chapter 34 — A. Charles Muller

34. The Way is like a great flooding river...

The Way is like a great flooding river. How can it be directed to the left or right?

The myriad things rely on it for their life but do not distinguish it.

It brings to completion but cannot be said to exist.

It clothes and feeds all things without lording over them.

It is always desireless, so we call it "the small."

The myriad things return to it and it doesn't exact lordship

Thus it can be called "great."

Till the end, it does not regard itself as Great.

Therefore it actualizes its greatness.

34 — Arthur Waley

Great Dao is like a boat that drifts;

It can go this way; it can go that.

The ten thousand creatures owe their existence to it and it does not disown them;

Yet having produced them, it does not take possession of them.

Makes no claim to be master over them,

(And asks for nothing from them.)

Therefore it may be called the Lowly.

The ten thousand creatures obey it,

Though they know not that they have a master;

Therefore it is called the Great.

So too the Sage just because he never at any time makes a show of greatness

In fact, achieves greatness.

Dao De Jing Chapter 34 ― James Legge (The task of achievement)

All-pervading is the Great Dao! It may be found on the left hand and on the right.

All things depend on it for their production, which it gives to them, not one refusing obedience to it. When its work is accomplished, it does not claim the name of having done it. It clothes all things as with a garment and makes no assumption of being their lord; ― it may be named in the smallest things. All things return (to their root and disappear), and do not know that it is it which presides over their doing so; ― it may be named in the greatest things.

Hence the sage is able (in the same way) to accomplish his great achievements. It is through his not making himself great that he can accomplish them.