Tao Te Ching道德经
Tao Te Ching/Chapter 81

True Words Are Not Beautiful

为而不争
Wèi Ér Bù Zhēng

True words are not fine and fine words are not true. The sage does not hoard: the more he gives away, the more he has — and the way of heaven helps and does not harm.

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6 sentences · 2 notes
信xìn言yán不bù美měi,美měi言yán不bù信xìn。

1Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere.

善shàn者zhě不bù辩biàn,辩biàn者zhě不bù善shàn。

2Those who are skilled (in the Tao) do not dispute (about it); the disputatious are not skilled in it.

知zhī者zhě不bù博bó,博bó者zhě不bù知zhī。

3Those who know (the Tao) are not extensively learned; the extensively learned do not know it.

圣shèng人rén不bù积jī,既jì以yǐ为wéi人rén己jǐ愈yù有yǒu,既jì以yǐ与yǔ人rén己jǐ愈yù多duō。

4The sage does not accumulate (for himself).

5The more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself.

天tiān之zhī道dào,利lì而ér不bù害hài;人rén之zhī道dào,为wéi而ér不bù争zhēng。

6With all the sharpness of the Way of Heaven, it injures not; with all the doing in the way of the sage he does not strive.

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辩:有口才,会申辩。

2积:积蓄,贮存。

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