Tao Te Ching道德经
Tao Te Ching/Chapter 47

Without Leaving the Door

不为而成
Bù Wèi Ér Chéng

You need not go to the window to know the heavens. The further the sage travels the less he learns, so he does not go, and understands; does not look, and names it.

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3 sentences · 2 notes
不bù出chū户hù,知zhī天tiān下xià;不bù窥kuī牖yǒu,见jiàn天tiān道dào。

1Without going outside his door, one understands (all that takes place) under the sky; without looking out from his window, one sees the Tao of Heaven.

其qí出chū弥mí远yuǎn,其qí知zhī弥mí少shǎo。

2The farther that one goes out (from himself), the less he knows.

是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén不bù行xíng而ér知zhī,不bú见jiàn而ér明míng,不bù为wéi而ér成chéng。

3Therefore the sages got their knowledge without travelling; gave their (right) names to things without seeing them; and accomplished their ends without any purpose of doing so.

Chinese commentary · 2 notes

The notes printed with this chapter in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

1窥:从孔隙看。牖:窗户。

2弥(mi):更加,越。

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