道德經

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。

一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。

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。

Universal Love, Izabella Masalska

Dao De Jing Chapter Sixty-seven — C. Ganson

67

The world says:

"Tao is great but seems so foolish!"

It seems foolish because it is great.

If it did not seem so foolish

it would long since have lost its value.

I have three treasures.

Guard them and keep them safe!

The first is love,

the second is moderation,

the third is humility.

From love, one gains courage,

from moderation, one gains ability,

from humility one achieves greatness.

To forsake love and courage,

to forsake moderation and ability,

to forsake humility and rush to the forefront,

is death to all hope.

With love battles can be won,

with love defence proves invulnerable,

with love heaven arms those it would protect.

Dao De Jing Chapter Sixty-seven — James Legge

67 (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.

The first is gentleness;

the second is economy,

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. Nowadays 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.

Dao De Jing Chapter Sixty-seven — Arthur Waley

67

Everyone 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!

The first is the pity;

The second is frugality;

The third is the 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 refuses 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 saving.

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