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Taoism & Chinese Folk Religion · Taoist Classics

Tao Te Ching 37

18

Taoism & Chinese Folk Religion · Taoist Classics

Tao Te Ching 37

LeggeEnglish
ChineseChinese
The Tao in its regular course does nothing (for the sake of doing it), and so there is nothing which it does not do.
道常無為而無不為。侯王若能守之,萬物將自化。化而欲作,吾將鎮之以無名之樸。無名之樸,夫亦將無欲。不欲以靜,天下將自定。老子下篇德經(三十八章~八十一章)
If princes and kings were able to maintain it, all things would of themselves be transformed by them.
—
If this transformation became to me an object of desire, I would express the desire by the nameless simplicity. Simplicity without a name Is free from all external aim. With no desire, at rest and still, All things go right as of their will.
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Tao Te Ching 36Tao Te Ching 38
Sources & credits: Legge · Chinese

Legge — Tao Te Ching (James Legge) (1891). Public Domain. Translated by James Legge (1891), public domain; Project Gutenberg #216. Source

Chinese — 道德經 (Classical Chinese) (c. 4th century BCE). Public Domain. Chinese text, Project Gutenberg #24039, public domain. Source