三寶

道德經第六十七章

天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。

夫唯大，故似不肖。

若肖久矣。

其細也夫！

我有三寶，持而保之。

慈故能勇；儉故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。

今舍慈且勇；舍儉且廣；舍後且先；死矣！

夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。

一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。

Dao De Ching Chapter 67 ― A. Charles Muller

67. The reason everybody calls my Way great...

The reason everybody calls my Way great
Is because there is nothing quite like it.
It is exactly because it is great
That there is nothing quite like it.
If there were something that were consistently like it
How could it be small?
I have three treasures that I hold and cherish.

1. The first is compassion,
2. The second is frugality,
3. The third is not daring to put myself ahead of everybody.

Having compassion, I can be brave.
Having frugality, I can be generous.
Not daring to put myself ahead of everybody
I can take the time to perfect my abilities.
Now if I am brave without compassion
Generous without frugality, or
Go to the fore without putting my own concerns last,
I might as well be dead.
If you wage war with compassion you will win.
If you protect yourself with compassion you will be impervious.
Heaven will take care of you,
Protecting you with compassion.

Dao De Ching Chapter 67 ― Arthur Waley

Every one under heaven says that our Way is greatly like folly.

But it is just because it is great, that it seems like folly.

As for things that do not seem like folly — well,

There can be no question about their smallness!

Here are my three treasures.

Guard and keep them!

1. The first is pity;
2. The second, frugality;
3. The third, refusal to be “foremost of all things under heaven.”

For only he that pities is truly able to be brave;

Only he that is frugal is able to be profuse.

Only he that refuse to be foremost of all things

Is truly able to become chief of all Ministers.

At present your bravery is not based on pity,

Nor your profusion on frugality,

Nor your vanguard on your rear; and this is death.

But pity cannot fight without conquering or guard without.

But pity cannot fight without conquering or guard without saving.

Heaven arms with pity those whom it would not see destroyed.

Dao De Ching Chapter 67 ― James Legge

(Three precious things)

All the world says that, while my Dao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching).

Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known!

But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast.

1. The first is gentleness;
2. the second is economy;
3. and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.

With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost; - (of all which the end is) death.

Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.

道教三寶

道教原以元始天王所化玉清天寶君，上清靈寶君，太清神寶君，為道教三寶，尊為最高之神。

入世三寶

行道者：以「慈、儉、讓」為立身行道,作入世的三寶。出自老子三寶章中的「我有三寶,一曰慈,二曰儉,三曰不敢為天下先」。