“SAYINGSE EXPLAINED” is a collection of gnomic sayings (yan 
), most of which are further expanded or explicated to clarify their significance. Although at first glance, the sayings and explications seem to be merely a congeries of received wisdom, on more careful perusal they can be seen to recapitulate and reinforce important concepts and themes addressed elsewhere in the Huainanzi: What are the essential attributes of the sage? How does the sage bring order to his intrinsic self and, by extension, to the world? The sayings collected in this chapter address these central concerns, and the truths they are intended to express are explained through various analogies and illustrations that usually follow each saying. The sayings and explications also depict several ideal types that illustrate what a sage-ruler can and should be. The Genuine Person (zhen ren 
) embodies a pristine, primeval time before time, when there was perfect unity; he identifies completely with the Grand One, the primal nondifferentiation. The sage is fundamentally, although not exclusively, associated with the empty, nameless, formless, non-active, non-striving, non-intervening attributes of the Way. His ability to embody these aspects of the Way empowers him to sustain an inner equanimity in his person and a harmonious unity in his governance. Thus in ordering his person, the sage avoids the various external distractions that can entangle the mind and disturb the nature. In ruling, the sage’s qualities enable him to have to suffer neither the malice of his underlings nor the resentment of the common people. The Superior Man (junzi 
) is more deeply engaged with the differentiated world of affairs but nevertheless rises above petty concerns. The Genuine Person, the sage, and the Superior Man all have lessons to teach about the nature and practice of sage rulership.
The Chapter Title
The title of this chapter is “Quan yan” 
, which we translate as “Sayings Explained.” We take the phrase quan yan to be essentially a verb–object construction (explaining sayings), but we have reversed the order of the words to make a more graceful construction in English. The primary meanings of quan are “to explain” or “to comment on,” giving the word an association with elucidation and explication. The second term, yan, means “a saying” or “an utterance”; all the word’s connotations revolve around spoken language. “Sayings Explained” expresses its authors’ aim of gathering together and explaining sayings that express basic truths about the ideal ruler and his governance.
Some other scholars have translated the chapter title as “Explanations and Theories” (taking quan yan as a double noun) or as “Des paroles probantes” (that is, “convincing sayings,” a somewhat unconventional understanding of quan).1 In our view, these renderings overlook the important literary form of the chapter. That is, it consists of not “explanations and sayings” but rather discrete sayings that are explained to bring out their sometimes subtle or recondite significance. The chapter summary in chapter 21 of the Huainanzi supports this interpretation. The summary comments only briefly and generally on the chapter’s content, focusing instead on the literary techniques employed throughout the chapter:
“Sayings Explained” provides the means by which to
compare through analogy the tenets of human affairs
and elucidate through illustration the substance of order and disorder.
It ranks the hidden meanings of subtle sayings,
explaining them with literary expressions that reflect ultimate principles.
Thus it patches up and mends deficiencies due to errors and oversights. (21.2)
This summary makes clear that the goal of this chapter is to remedy potential conceptual deficiencies by collecting a number of “subtle sayings” and “literary expressions” whose hidden meanings and recondite principles are clarified through literary techniques like “comparing through analogy” and “elucidating through illustration.” Such literary techniques enabled the Huainanzi’s compilers to shape this inherited oral wisdom and make it their own.
The Huainanzi’s authors have organized this chapter as a series of sayings (
) with their attendant explanations (
). The opening section (14.1) serves as a preamble to the chapter as a whole and does not follow the chapter’s standard format. Thereafter, most sections begin with a saying that is explained through an illustration, an analogy, or a definition. In several instances, the sayings are layered or interleaved with explanations within a single section. In a few cases, the section concludes with a flourish, quoting a passage from the Odes or Changes. Generally, however, this chapter, like chapters 16 and 17, does not rely very much on canonical authority. Rather, it collects and conserves a genre of oral literature that seems to have been a ubiquitous part of intellectual life in the late Warring States and early Han periods: well-known sayings.
In order to make this apparent to the reader, we italicized the sayings that open each section of the chapter. Distinguishing the sayings from their corresponding explanations proved to be challenging because the sayings are not introduced with the conventions—“a tradition says” (
) or “there is a saying that states” (
) —typically used in Warring States and Han texts to introduce oral maxims. We thus relied on several criteria to parse the materials, including grammatical structure, parallelism, rhyme, and an analysis of the ways in which various grammatical particles are used here. Parallel passages in other texts (such as the Zhuangzi, Wenzi, and Hanshi waizhuan) also were helpful. In many cases, the repetition of a theme or concept from a previous line indicates the beginning of the explication. In other cases, the explication is introduced with the standard marker “therefore” (
) or “thus” (
). In still other cases, standard phrases such as “this is what is meant by X” or “this is what is called X” (
) identify the explanation. This list of criteria is by no means exhaustive.
Despite our best efforts, in some cases our demarcations remain tentative simply because the materials in some sections are more ambiguous and challenging, containing few or no markers of which we can be confident. In some cases, other scholars might have made different decisions about sectioning. Nonetheless, we believe that our understanding of chapter 14 of the Huainanzi as a series of sayings (
) with corresponding explanations (
) is correct and that such an approach will enable the reader to appreciate the chapter’s rhetorical coherence, which in turn will offer new interpretive possibilities for others to explore in the future. For these reasons, we have chosen to translate the chapter title as “Sayings Explained,” to underscore and clarify the chapter’s special rhetorical aims and characteristics.
Summary and Key Themes
This chapter opens with a description of the “Grand One” (taiyi 
), portrayed as a personification of the primordial state of the Way before things as discrete entities came into existence. This first section of the chapter thus establishes a conceptual framework for the many (and otherwise seemingly random and disconnected) sayings and explications. This structural strategy is similar to that of other chapters consisting of a fairly large number of short sections that collect various types of oral literature, such as precepts (chapter 10), anecdotes (chapter 12), and persuasions (chapters 16 and 17). The opening passage of those chapters also serves as a frame, a kind of preamble, showing how the content of the chapter is to be understood. The placement of the opening anecdote concerning the “Grand One” and the closely related “Grand Inception” thus strikes us as not only the consequence of a deliberate editorial choice by the Huainan masters but also a key to the chapter as a whole.
The Grand One: Human Ontogeny Reflects Cosmogony
The Grand One personifies the state of things at the primeval time before time began, when there was only Oneness, a state of utter nondifferentiation. The Grand One represents unmediated unity characterized by emptiness and nondifferentiation, thus containing the full potentiality of all that will come to be in the world but that has not yet been formed and fashioned. The Grand One is both anterior to the creative (that is, differentiating) process of the Way and implicit in it as the source from which the differentiation of things proceeds: “It is not that there was nothing that made things into things; rather, what made things into things is not among the myriad things” (14.1).
Both individual human ontogeny and human history echo this grand cosmogonic movement from a state of formlessness to the acquisition of physical form, a transition from Nonbeing to Being. This process, the “Grand Inception,” is understood to be both inevitable and regrettable, a devolution from the primeval and ideal state of the Grand One. (This theme of cosmic and historical devolution is important throughout the Huainanzi and is emphasized especially in chapters 6 and 8.) Once human beings acquire physical form, they willingly fall under the sway of the phenomenal world and thus lose their original unity. This need not happen, however. As the opening passage of this chapter points out, some can “return to that from which they were born as if they had not yet acquired a physical form.” These are the “Genuine,” idealized beings that represent the highest level of identification with the cosmos.
The Grand One, the Sage, and the Superior Man
With this conceptual mooring in place, the chapter uses gnomic verse to describe the sage, the Superior Man, and the manner in which they represent various aspects of sagely governance. What specific qualities does the sage possess? Just as the non-differentiated and timeless Grand One is a manifestation of the Pole Star, the sage is identified with the stillness and constancy of the unmoving center (14.22, 14.67). This stability engenders inner harmony (he 
) or equanimity (ping 
), which enables the sage to remain unburdened and unperturbed by the world (14.5, 14.29). A number of sayings explicitly identify the sage with qualities associated with the Way, as described in the Laozi. The sage is nameless, formless, and empty. He is unassuming, keeping to the soft and weak. He is identified with non-action, nonstriving, naturalness, nonassertiveness, non-knowledge, and nonintervention.2 He is selfless and devoid of mind, desires, and preferences. He follows the natural tendencies of things and does not initiate or innovate. He prizes (apparent) weakness and despises (apparent) strength, recognizing, as the Laozi states, that “the power of tigers and leopards attracts archers. The agility of monkeys and apes invites pursuit.” But the description of the sage in this chapter draws on other sources besides the Laozi. The sage is the traceless sage of the Hanfeizi, who through his non-action and invisibility stands beyond the criticisms and judgments of his underlings. He is the timely sage of the Lüshi chunqiu, who, indifferent to worldly success and failure, simply waits for the opportune moment to arise (and understands the limitations imposed on his actions should that time not come). By following the natural course of things, the sage is able to keep his life secure and his innate nature intact while avoiding for both himself and his governance such negative outcomes as bad fortune, harm, danger, criticism, and chaos.
The Superior Man, although not achieving the perfection of the sage, cultivates his virtuous conduct in the world and extends his kindness to the world but goes to great pains to ensure that his goodness does not bring him fame or that his humaneness does not bring him notice. Like the sage, he remains in the background, barely discernible to those around him yet contributing to the harmony and unity of the world. By inwardly following his nature and the principles of the Way, the Superior Man outwardly accords with Rightness and is not burdened by the external world. The virtuous conduct of the Superior Man interacts (by means of the natural force of resonance) with the world of phenomena to generate “upright qi” (as opposed to the “noxious qi” generated by such historical monsters of bad rulership as Jie and Djou [see 14.31]). Like the sage, the Superior Man embodies unity or oneness, but his oneness is associated with the mental focus identified as an essential quality of the sage as described by Xunzi. In short, the Superior Man is synonymous with Moral Potency in the world; he simply does good and refuses to do evil, all the while recognizing that such conduct will not ensure that good fortune comes to his person and bad fortune does not. Like the sage, he is indifferent to the conventions of worldly success and failure. Thus, echoing the Laozi, one passage concludes: “Therefore, within himself his mind is constantly tranquil and still, and his Moral Potency is unencumbered. Even the barking of a dog cannot startle him because he naturally trusts his genuine responses” (14.71).
The Grand One and the Ordering of the Intrinsic Self
Echoing a theme that pervades the Huainanzi, “Sayings Explained” insists that an essential step on the path to sagehood is returning to primordial unity by identifying the intrinsic self with the Grand One. The sage must constantly cultivate his intrinsic Potency so as to become as unitary and self-sufficient as the Grand One, finding self-realization within rather than looking to what lies outside the self. He does so by relying on the Way and its Techniques (dao shu 
) to cultivate such essential aspects of the self as mind, natural tendencies, and the spirit.3 Of equal importance is the necessity of restraining or eradicating responses to the external world that are expressed as human desires or preferences. By cultivating his identification with the Grand One and purging himself of desires for particular things and outcomes in the differentiated world, the sage achieves Grand Vacuity (taichong 
), a psychic state that enables him to respond to the external world from a unified and still center.
The Grand One and the Ordering of the Extrinsic World
Having cultivated the qualities of the Grand One in his intrinsic person, the sage is empowered to bring order to the world. With this conceptual frame in place, the chapter turns to a number of themes found throughout the Huainanzi. A clear homology is established between ordering the self and ordering the world; one must begin by ordering what lies within.4 Because the Grand One represents a state of cosmic unity temporally and epistemologically prior to the differentiation of the ten thousand things, the ruler is urged to emulate the Grand One in his governance: “When the ruler grasps the One [zhi yi 
], there is order; when he lacks constancy [chang 
], there is disorder.”5 The Huainan masters are quick to identify this immersion in unity with non-action : “The Way of rulership is not the means by which one acts; it is the means by which one does not act.”6 This saying is elucidated further:
What does “non-action” mean? [It means that]
the wise do not avail themselves of their position to intervene;
the courageous do not avail themselves of their position to engage in violence;
and the humane do not avail themselves of their position to confer kindness.
This may be called “non-action.” Through non-action, you can grasp the One.
The One is the root of the myriad things. It is the Way that is unopposed. (14.35)
We see here that non-action is the chief characteristic of the sagely ruler, but it is not the only one. All the qualities of a sage—being nameless, selfless, formless, empty, and unassuming; without mind, desires, or preferences; natural, non-striving, nonassertive, unknowing and noninterventionist—come into play in sage-governance. Repeatedly, the authors warn that only those who do not seek to rule the world, who rise above the worldly conventions of success and failure, who are indifferent to bringing fame and reputation to their person or ensuring that they enjoy good fortune, and who avoid misfortune are truly fit to rule. The ruler must rely on the Way and not his personal preferences (14.48). In short, the sage rules by extinguishing his personal preferences and biases so that he follows the natural tendencies of things and is as impartial as Heaven and Earth (14.44, 14.45). Thus he rules as a sage but (fortunately) is not recognized as such; fame and reputation are contradictions of the Way and only bring disaster.
Sources
In this chapter, as throughout the Huainanzi, we see the Huainan masters weaving together various strands of gnomic verse and philosophical concepts derived from diverse wisdom traditions of the pre-Han era. Here, the authors demonstrate how gnomic sayings—most, if not all, of which would have been familiar to educated people of the time—exemplify themes seen elsewhere in the Huainanzi concerning the sage and his governance of the world. As we saw earlier, the sayings are explained through the literary techniques of “comparing through analogy” and “elucidating through illustration.” Apothegms that at first glance seem unrelated to the sage are read analogically as descriptions of this ideal personality.7 For example,
Yang qi arises in the northeast and culminates in the southwest.
Yin qi arises in the southwest and culminates in the northeast.
This description of the yearly waxing and waning of yin and yang, which the authors flesh out in the following lines, is read as a metaphor for the sage who “is cautious and circumspect concerning what he accumulates” (14.64). We also find the following apothegm describing the trajectory of two commonplace items from their origins to their destinations:
Water comes out of the mountains and flows to the sea;
grain grows in the fields and is stored in granaries.
This saying similarly is read analogically as descriptive of the sage who “observes the beginning of things and knows their end” (14.65).
An example of the second literary technique, “elucidating through illustration,” is
Those who excel at swimming do not study how to move a boat with a pole yet find [boats] easy to use.
Those who possess strong muscles do not study how to ride a horse yet find [horses] easy to mount.
Those who look lightly upon [taking possession of] the world do not allow their person to become entangled by external things; thus they can occupy such a position. (14.14)
Here the compilers illustrate the deep meaning of this expression by linking it to the following anecdote concerning the Great King Danfu:
When the Great King Danfu resided in Bin, the Dee people attacked him. He offered them skins, silks, pearls, and jades, but they did not heed him. Danfu then bid farewell to his elders and moved his residence to the foot of Mount Qi. Carrying their young and supporting their old, the common people followed Danfu, and subsequently he established a state there. By this principle, is it not fitting that the house of Zhou attained the world in four generations? Those who do nothing deliberately to take possession of the world assuredly are those who can rule the world.8 (14.14)
By explaining the implications of these sayings through analogy and illustration, the authors shape this gnomic literature by identifying how these sayings should be interpreted.
This chapter reiterates arguments concerning the ideal ruler and his governance found elsewhere in the Huainanzi and echoes sayings that appear in early texts such as the Mozi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Hanfeizi, Guanzi, Lüshi chunqiu, Wenzi, and Hanshi waizhuan. As part of the common intellectual property of educated people of the time, the origins of the gnomic sayings quoted in this chapter usually cannot be traced to particular literary sources so might best be described as part of early China’s cultural inheritance. The contribution of the Huainan masters has been to use those sayings as the basis for their arguments about the nature of ideal rulership.
The Chapter in the Context of the Huainanzi as a Whole
The summary of chapter 14 in chapter 21 of the Huainanzi describes the literary methods employed in this chapter, and the concluding line of the chapter summary refers to its broader conceptual goals: chapter 14 “patches up and mends deficiencies due to errors and oversights.” Therefore, any arguments or themes presented earlier in the work that were misunderstood or overlooked are meant to be redressed in this chapter. A striking example of how this chapter harks back to earlier material is the way in which it recapitulates and expands on a theme from chapter 7—the tranquil, self-cultivated nature of the sage and the sage’s complete lack of interest in pursuing political power and its worldly trappings. This is why the chapter might at first glance seem redundant, although as argued earlier, the chapter is not simply a repetition of themes that appear elsewhere in the work. Rather, it presents such themes within an overarching conceptual framework that foregrounds the notion of the Grand One, a concept to which the book returns repeatedly, exploiting this symbol with its associations ranging from cosmogony, cosmology, and human ontogony to self-cultivation and human governance in order to underscore the concept of self-identification with primordial unity as characteristic of a sage and foundational to one who would rule the world as a sage.9
Sarah A. Queen
1. Csikszentmihalyi 2004, 150n.117; Le Blanc and Mathieu 2003, 658.
2. See 14.3, 14.4, 14.18, 14.19, 14.22, 14.35, 14.46, 14.67, and 14.68.
3. These themes are found in many sections of the chapter: for example, 14.8, 14.11, 14.12, 14.23, 14.37, 14.38, 14.39, 14.46, 14.49, 14.51, 14.52, 14.53, 14.67, and 14.68.
4. See, for example, 14.7, 14.8, and 14.12.
5. Lüshi chunqiu 17/7.1, “No Duality” (Bu er) similarly states: “Where there is unity, order results; where there are differences, chaos ensues; where there is unity, security results; and where there are differences, danger arises” (Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 434). Lüshi chunqiu 17/8.1, “Upholding Unity” (Zhi yi), also states:
The true king by holding fast to the One makes the myriad things correct. An army must have a general, for he is what unifies it; a state must have a ruler, for he is what unifies it; and the world must have a Son of Heaven, for he is what unifies it. The Son of Heaven must hold fast to the One, for that is what makes him unique. Where there is unity, there is order; where there is duality, there is chaos. (Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 434)
6. See also WZ 5/26/12–13.
7. See, for example, 14.3, 14.23, 14.32, 14.40, 14.43, 14.64, 14.65, and 14.66.
8. Great King Danfu also appears in 12.15 and 20.9.
9. For a particularly illuminating discussion of the Grand One and its associations with the Laozi, see Sarah Allan, “The Great One, Water, and the Laozi: New Light from Guodian,” T ’oung Pao 89 (2003): 237–85.
Cavernous and undifferentiated Heaven and Earth, chaotic and inchoate Uncarved Block, not yet created and fashioned into things: this we call the “Grand One.”1
Together emerging from this unity, so that each acquired its distinctive qualities, there were birds, there were fish, there were animals: this we call the “differentiation of things.”
Regions became distinguished according to their categories;
things became differentiated according to their groupings.
Their natures and destinies were dissimilar; all acquired their physical forms in the realm of “Being.”
Separate and not interconnected, differentiated as the myriad things, none could return to their Ancestor.2 Thus,
when animated, things are said to be alive;
when dead, things are said to be expired.
In both cases, they are things. It is not that there was nothing that made things into things; rather, what made things into things is not among the myriad things. [14/132/10–13]
In antiquity, at the Grand Beginning,3 human beings came to life in “Non-being” and acquired a physical form in “Being.” Having a physical form, [human beings] came under the control of things. But those who can return to that from which they were born, as if they had not yet acquired a physical form, are called the “Genuine.”4 The Genuine are those who have not yet begun to differentiate from the Grand One. [14/132/15–16]
The sage
does not for the sake of a name become a corpse;
does not for the sake of stratagems store things up;
does not for the sake of affairs take on responsibility;
does not for the sake of wisdom become a ruler.5
[The sage]
dwells in the Formless,
moves in the Traceless,
and wanders in the Beginningless.
He does not initiate things for the sake of good fortune,
nor does he begin things to deal with misfortune.
He remains in Emptiness and Non-being
and moves when he cannot do otherwise.
For those who desire good fortune, sometimes suffer misfortune,
and those who desire benefit, sometimes suffer harm.6
Thus,
those who are secure through non-action become endangered when they lose that by which they are secure [i.e., non-action].
Those who are well ordered through nonintervention become disordered when they lose that by which they are well ordered. [14/132/18–20]
Stars arrayed in the heavens are bright. Therefore people point at them.
Rightness arrayed in one’s Moral Potency is obvious. Therefore people observe it.
What people point at has a manifestation because it moves;
what people observe leaves a trace because it acts.
When movements have manifestations, they will be criticized;
when actions have traces, they will be appraised.
Thus, the sage conceals his brilliance in the Formless and hides his traces in non-action. [14/132/20–22]
Prince Qingji7 perished by the sword;
Yi died by a cudgel made of peach wood;
Zilu was dismembered in Wey;
and Su Qin died because of his eloquence.
There are no people
who do not cherish their strengths
and despise their weaknesses.
Yet,
while they indulge their strengths,
their weaknesses become pronounced.
So that
while what they cherish assumes definite form;
what they despise [seems to] leave not a trace.
Thus,
the power of tigers and leopards attracts archers.
The agility of monkeys and apes invites pursuit.8
Those who can
cherish their weaknesses
and despise their strengths
can join in discussions of the highest principles. [14/132/24–28]
Those who trust themselves cannot be swayed by slander or flattery.
Those whose knowledge is sufficient cannot be enticed by power or profit.
Thus,
those who fully comprehend the genuine qualities of their nature do not strive to accomplish what their nature cannot accomplish.
Those who fully comprehend the genuine qualities of their destiny do not concern themselves with what their destiny cannot control.
For those who fully comprehend the Way, things are not enough to disorder their inner harmony.9 [14/133/1–3]
Zhan He said:
“I have never heard of a ruler who was ordered in his person yet found his state disordered.
Nor have I heard of a ruler who was disordered in his person yet found his state to be well ordered.” [14/133/5]
If the carpenter’s square is not true, it cannot create a square.
If the compass is not true, it cannot create a circle.
Your person is the carpenter’s square and compass of all your undertakings. I have not heard that it was possible to correct others by perverting yourself. [14/133/5–6]
Trace to the source Heaven’s decree,
cultivate the techniques of the mind,
regulate likes and dislikes,
follow your disposition and nature,
and the Way of governing [oneself] will come through.
If you trace to the source Heaven’s decree, you will not be deluded by bad or good fortune.
If you cultivate the techniques of the mind, you will not be unrestrained in your happiness and anger.
If you regulate your likes and dislikes, you will not covet what is useless.
If you follow your disposition and nature, your desires will not exceed the appropriate limits.
If you are not deluded by bad or good fortune, your movement and stillness will comply with the inherent principles of things.
If you are not unrestrained in your happiness and anger, your rewards and punishments will not be partial.
If you do not covet what is useless, you will not allow your desires to harm your nature.
If your desires do not exceed the appropriate limits, you will nurture your nature and know contentment.
As a general rule, these four things cannot be sought after in what is outside the self nor can you bestow them on others. You can obtain them only by returning to the self.10 [14/133/7–11]
The world
cannot be acted on by knowledge;
cannot be discerned through perceptiveness;
cannot be governed by intervening;
cannot be subjugated through humaneness;
and cannot be vanquished through strength.
These five are all aspects of human talent. If your Potency does not flourish, you will not be able to perfect even one of them. Where Potency is established, these five will not be endangered. But where these five appear, Potency will not be established.
Thus,
if you grasp the Way, stupidity will be more than sufficient;
if you lose the Way, knowledge will be insufficient to the task. [14/133/13–15]
When crossing a river,
if you lack the technique11 of swimming, you will assuredly drown despite your strength.
If you possess the technique of swimming, you will assuredly cross to the other side despite your weakness.
Then again, how much better to rely on taking a boat! [14/133/17]
The root of governance lies in bringing security to the people.
The root of bringing security to the people lies in using them sufficiently.
The root of using them sufficiently lies in not taking them from their seasonal tasks.
The root of not taking them from their seasonal tasks lies in decreasing what they need to attend to.
The root of decreasing what they need to attend to lies in moderating their desire.
The root of moderating their desire lies in returning to their nature.
The root of returning to their nature lies in eradicating [what] burdens [their mind].
If you eradicate [what] burdens [their mind], they will become empty. Being empty, they will become balanced.
Balance is the beginning of the Way.
Emptiness is the abode of the Way. [14/133/19–21]
Those who can take possession of the world assuredly do not forfeit their states.
Those who can take possession of a state assuredly do not forfeit their families.
Those who can govern their family assuredly do not neglect their persons.
Those who can cultivate their persons assuredly do not forget their minds.
Those who can trace their minds to the source assuredly do not injure their natures.
Those who can keep their natures intact assuredly are not confused about the Way.
Thus the “Master of Broad Perfection”12 said:
“Reverently preserve what lies inside;
comprehensively shut out what lies outside.
Too much knowledge gives rise to defeat.
Do not look.
Do not listen.
Embrace the spirit by means of stillness,
and your physical form will correct itself.”13
To be unable to grasp it within yourself and yet to be able to know it in others—this has never been possible.
Thus the Changes says:
“Tie it up in a sack.
No blame, no praise.”14 [14/134/1–4]
Those who can succeed as hegemons and kings assuredly achieve victory.
Those who can vanquish their enemies assuredly are powerful.
Those who can be powerful assuredly use the strength of others.
Those who can use the strength of others assuredly win the people’s hearts.
Those who can win the people’s hearts assuredly understand their own hearts.
Those who can understand their own hearts assuredly are soft and weak.
Strength triumphs when others’ strength does not compare to your own. Should you encounter those whose strength is equal to your own, you will be resisted. But softness triumphs over those who exceed you [in strength], because its power is immeasurable. Thus, only the sage can accomplish great victories where most people would suffer defeat.15 [14/134/6–9]
Those who excel at swimming do not study how to move a boat with a pole yet find [boats] easy to use.16
Those who possess strong muscles do not study how to ride a horse yet find [horses] easy to mount.
Those who look lightly upon [taking possession of] the world do not allow their person to become entangled by external things; thus they can occupy such a position.
When the Great King Danfu resided in Bin, the Dee people attacked him. He offered them skins, silks, pearls, and jades, but they did not heed him. Danfu then bid farewell to his elders and moved his residence to the foot of Mount Qi. Carrying their young and supporting their old, the common people followed Danfu, and subsequently he established a state there. By this principle, is it not fitting that the house of Zhou attained the world in four generations? Those who do nothing deliberately to take possession of the world assuredly are those who can rule the world.17 [14/134/11–15]
Frost, snow, rain, and dew bring life and death to the myriad things.
Heaven does not act deliberately in such matters,
yet Heaven is revered for accomplishing them.
Slaving over civil documents and worrying about legal decrees;
managing offices and keeping the people in order:
[such things are the tasks] of the officials.
The ruler does not intervene in such matters,
yet he is honored for accomplishing them.
The one who cultivated the fields and reclaimed the wastelands was Lord Millet;
the one who opened up the Yellow River and dredged the Yangzi was Yu;
the one who heard court cases and settled them appropriately was Gao Yao;
yet the one who enjoyed a sagely reputation for accomplishing them was Yao.
Thus if you rely on the Way in directing the world, even though you may be devoid of ability, you will invariably use those who are capable. But if you do not rely on the Way, though you may possess much skill and artistry, they will not bring you any benefit.18 [14/134/15–18]
Suppose you are crossing the river in a twin-hulled boat19 and an empty boat comes from another direction and crashes into your boat and overturns it. Even if you have a violent temper, you certainly will not exhibit an angry expression. [But] if there had been someone in the [other] boat, you might first have shouted, “Trim the sail,” and next, “Stay to one side.” And if you had called two or three times with no response, certainly a stream of insulting words would have followed in the wake of the boat.
[Thus], although in the former case you would not be angry, in the latter case you would be angry; although in the former case you would be empty [of emotion], in the latter case you would be full. But as for those who are able to empty themselves [of emotions] and drift through the world, who could criticize them?20 [14/134/20–22]
If you disregard the Way and rely on knowledge, invariably you will be endangered.
If you abandon technique and employ talent, invariably you will encounter difficulties.
There have been those who perished because their desires were numerous;
there have never been those who were endangered because they were free from desires.
There have been those who desired order but suffered disorder;
there have never been those who preserved what is constant and yet lost their state.
Thus,
while knowledge [alone] will not suffice for you to avoid trouble,
stupidity [alone] will not suffice to jeopardize your peace.
If you preserve these distinctions
and act in accordance with these principles,
when you lose, you will not feel vexed,
and when you succeed, you will not feel happy.
For when you accomplish something, it is not because you have acted deliberately,
and when you acquire something, it is not because you have sought after something.
What you receive, you take without [consciously] accepting;
what you give, you confer without [consciously] distributing.
If you [nourish] life in accordance with spring,
and you kill in accordance with autumn,
those to whom you grant life will not view you as exerting Moral Potency,
and those whom you subject to death will not view you as expressing anger.
[Thus] you will have come close to the Way. [14/134/24–28]
The sage does not do things that are wrong
yet does not hate those who do wrong to him.
He cultivates Moral Potency worthy of praise
yet does not seek the praise of others.
He cannot prevent ill fortune from arising
yet trusts that he personally will not summon it.
He cannot assure that good fortune will invariably befall him
yet trusts that he personally will not yield to it.
[Thus,]
if misfortune befalls him, because it is not something he sought to bring about, should he fail, he feels no anxiety.
If good fortune befalls him, because it is not something he sought to bring about, should he succeed, he feels no pride.
He knows that what determines bad and good fortune is beyond his control.
Thus, he is joyful abiding at his leisure and governs through non-action.21 [14/134/30–14/135/3]
The sage preserves what he already has
and does not seek after what he has not yet attained.
If he seeks after what he has not yet attained,
he will lose what he already has.
If he cultivates what he has within himself,
what he desires will be obtained.22
Thus,
those who employ an army
first make sure they cannot be defeated,
then await the enemy that can be defeated.
Those who rule a state,
first make sure that it cannot be captured,
then await the enemy that can be captured. [14/135/3–5]
Shun cultivated himself on Mount Li, and all within the Four Seas were transformed by his influence.
King Wen cultivated himself on Mount Qi, and the world was moved by his example.
Had Shun hastened after the benefit [of ruling] the world,
had he abandoned the Way of Self-Cultivation,
he would not have been able to preserve himself. How then would he have been able to take possession of [even] an inch of territory?
Thus,
if your governance is not yet secure enough to avoid disorder, and yet you intervene to create order, you will certainly encounter danger.
If your conduct is not yet secure enough to avoid censure, and yet you anxiously seek to establish a reputation, you will certainly fail in your attempt to do so.
There is no good fortune greater than being free of calamity.
There is no benefit better than avoiding death.23 [14/135/5–8]
The thing about movement is
if you do not gain, you will lose;
if you do not succeed, you will fail;
if you do not benefit, you will suffer harm.
These things are dangerous; those who follow such a course are in peril.
Thus,
Qin won victory over the Rong [tribe] but was defeated at Mount Yao.
Chu won victory over the Central States but was defeated at Boju.
Thus,
the Way does not allow for seeking benefit through force
but does allow for avoiding harm through tranquillity.
Thus,
constantly avoid ill fortune,
but do not constantly seek good fortune.
Constantly avoid blame,
but do not constantly seek achievements.24 [14/135/8–10]
The sage has no conscious deliberations;
he has no fixed ideas.
He neither welcomes what arrives
nor sends off what departs.
Though others occupy positions north, south, east, and west,
he alone is established at the center.
Thus, he encounters various crooked ways, but he does not lose his rectitude; the world flows to and fro, but he alone does not leave his [ancestral] shrine and walled city.
Thus,
he does not encourage what he likes,
nor does he avoid what he dislikes;
he simply follows Heaven’s Way.
He does not initiate,
nor does he personally assume authority;
he simply complies with Heaven’s Principles.
He does not make plans in advance,
nor does he miss the opportune moment;
he simply complies with Heaven’s Times.
He does not seek to obtain things,
nor does he shun good fortune;
he simply goes along with Heaven’s Patterns.
He does not seek after what he does not possess,
nor does he lose what he has obtained.
Inwardly he experiences no unexpected misfortune;
outwardly he experiences no unexpected good fortune.
Since neither ill fortune nor good fortune arises,
how can others harm him?25 [14/135/10–14]
If you do good, you will be admired.
If you do ill, you will be criticized.
Admiration generates honor.
Criticism generates resentment.
Thus the Techniques of the Way
cannot be used to advance and seek a reputation
but can be used to retreat and cultivate one’s person.
They cannot be used to obtain benefit
but can be used to distance oneself from harm.
Thus the sage
does not rely on his conduct to seek a reputation,
does not rely on his knowledge to demonstrate his praiseworthiness.
He imitates and complies with the natural so that nothing interferes with him.26 [14/135/16–18]
Forethought is not superior to techniques;
acting is not superior to Potency;
intervening is not superior to the Way.
If you act deliberately, there will be things you do not achieve.
If you seek after things, there will be things you do not obtain.
Though human beings possess their limits,
there is nothing the Way does not penetrate.27
If you compete with the Way, you will suffer misfortune.
Thus the Odes says:
“Without recognizing them, without knowing them,
comply with the thearch’s regulations.”28 [14/135/20–21]
To have knowledge but not act purposively is at one with the Way of no-knowledge;
to have ability but not intervene is at one with the Potency of no-ability.
This knowledge is such that only when someone comes to report to him do we become aware that he has [already] acted.
This ability is such that only after someone comes to employ him do we become aware that he has already done it.
When having knowledge resembles no-knowledge,
when having ability resembles no-ability,
the Patterns of the Way are rectified.
Thus,
when your merit spreads over the world but does not evoke praise,
and when your beneficence extends to future ages but does not earn fame,
the Patterns of the Way will pervade [the world], and human artifice will be destroyed.29 [14/135/21–24]
Reputation and the Way cannot simultaneously be brilliant.
When humans cherish a reputation, the Way is of no use.
When the Way prevails over humans, reputation vanishes.
The Way and humans compete for priority. What embellishes the human diminishes the Way. When the human is embellished and the Way vanishes, danger is not far off. Thus, when an age enjoys a reputation for sageliness, the day of the Way’s decline has already arrived.30 [14/135/26–28]
One who desires to have a posthumous reputation invariably performs good deeds;
one who desires to perform good deeds invariably initiates various undertakings.
If undertakings are initiated, then
you will abandon the public good and pursue self-interest
and will spurn techniques and rely on yourself.
Desiring to solicit praise for good deeds
and establish a reputation for worthiness,
your governance will not comply with precedent,
and your undertakings will not be in accord with the seasons.
When governance does not comply with precedent,
it will elicit numerous criticisms.
When undertakings do not accord with the seasons,
they will not be meritorious.
When criticisms are numerous and merit rare, and you do not possess the means to stop such tendencies, then
you will incite recklessness, even though you strive for what is appropriate,
and you will act recklessly, [even] though you seek to hit the mark.
Should your undertakings eventually succeed, it will not suffice to stop the criticisms;
should your undertakings eventually fail, it will suffice to cause you distress.31
Thus, if
you value doing what is approved
equally with doing what is disapproved,
you will have come close to the Way. [14/136/1–5]
It is not the case that the world lacks trustworthy men.
It is just that in the management of goods and the distribution of wealth, when you invariably seek to make calculations and determine distributions accordingly, you should consider that intending to be fair does not compare with being without intentions altogether.
It is not the case that the world is devoid of honest men.
It is just that in preserving valuable and precious things, as you invariably secure the doors and seal in the valuable and precious goods, you should consider that the desire to be honest does not compare with being without desires altogether. [14/136/7–9]
If a person points out your flaws, you will despise that person.
But should a mirror reveal your imperfections, you will praise the mirror.
Those who can interact with things and not take them personally can thus avoid encumbrances. 14/136/11]
Gongsun Long was gifted with words but bought his way to fame;
Deng Xi was a clever disputer but confounded the laws;
Su Qin excelled at offering persuasions but lost his life.
If you follow the Way, you will excel at not being conspicuous;
if you comply with its principles, you will be skillful at not gaining fame.
Thus,
those who rely on cleverness to compete for supremacy start out in yang but always end up in yin.32
Those who rely on intelligence to govern a state start out in order but always end up in disorder.
If you allow water to flow downward, who cannot regulate it? But should you force it to flow upward, without [exceptional] skill, you will not be able to do so.
Thus,
when outer ornamentation prevails, inner substance is concealed.
When artful depravity succeeds, uprightness is blocked. [14/136/13–16]
Moral Potency can be used to cultivate oneself, but it cannot be used to make others tyrannical.
The Way can be used to order oneself, but it cannot be used to make others disorderly.
Although you possess the inner qualities of a worthy or sage, if you do not encounter a tyrannical or disorderly age, you can perfect your person, but you cannot become a hegemon or king. Kings Tang and Wu encountered the tyranny of Jie and Djou. Jie and Djou were not tyrannical on account of Tang’s and Wu’s worthiness, but Tang and Wu encountered the tyranny of Jie and Djou and so became kings. Thus, however worthy, whether a person becomes king invariably depends on encountering an opportune moment. Encountering an opportune moment means obtaining something by happening upon the right moment. It is not something you can seek and perfect with your knowledge and ability.33 [14/136/18–21]
The Superior Man cultivates his conduct yet makes certain that his goodness does not bring him fame.
He extends his kindness yet makes certain that his humaneness does not bring him notice.
Thus,
the scholars practice goodness but do not know the source of their goodness.
The people enjoy the benefits [they receive] but do not know the origins of their benefits.
Thus,
if you do not act, things will become regulated by themselves.
If your goodness becomes manifest, functionaries will compete [to establish] reputations.
If your benefits [are seen to] have a basis, the people will vie with one another to obtain them.
When these two types of competition arise, [even] though you are a worthy ruler, you will not be able to govern. Thus, the sage
hides his tracks when doing good
and conceals his reputation when acting humanely. [14/136/23–25]
Associating with foreign states to seek assistance
and serving large states to seek security
do not compare with
establishing order within your borders
and waiting for the opportune moment.
As a general rule, when serving others,
if you do not rely on jade and silk,
you will surely use humble speech.
If you serve others by means of jade and silk, once the goods have been given away, [their] desires may not be satiated.
If you humble yourself and use servile speech, once the phrases have been spoken, the relationship may not be clinched.
If you conclude a treaty and swear an oath, once the treaty has been established, it may be abrogated that very day.
Even though you diminish your state by a zi or a chui34 to serve others and do not follow the Way of self-reliance, it will not suffice to keep your state intact. If you stop pursuing foreign policy schemes and truly attend to cultivating the affairs within your state, fully developing the resources of your land to increase the state reserves, exhorting your people to avoid death by repairing their city walls, [so that]
superior and subordinates are of one mind,
and ruler and ministers are of one will,
so that together with your ministers you preserve the altars of the soil and grain and the people are inspired to remain within the state even when facing death, then
those who aspire to establish a reputation will not punish the innocent,
and those who endeavor to bring benefit will not attack those who are difficult to defeat.
Surely this is the Way of keeping [one’s state] intact. [14/136/27–14/137/3]
The people have a Way that they will uniformly follow;
the people have laws that they will uniformly uphold.
Rightness cannot make the people secure with one another;
coercion cannot make the people be bound to one another.
Thus a ruler is established to unify the people.
When the ruler grasps the One, there is order;
when he lacks constancy, there is disorder.35 [14/137/5–6]
The Way of Rulership is not the means by which one acts;
it is the means by which one does not act.36
What does “non-action” mean? [It means that]
the wise do not avail themselves of their position to intervene;
the courageous do not avail themselves of their position to engage in violence;
and the humane do not avail themselves of their position to confer kindness.
This may be called “non-action.” Through non-action, you can grasp the One. The One is the root of the myriad things. It is the Way that is unopposed. [14/137/6–8]
As a general rule, human nature
is glittering and unruly when young,
is violent and vigorous when mature,
and loves what brings it benefit when elderly.
In the course of one’s life, a person undergoes these several alterations. How much more is it the case that rulers change the laws countless times and that states change their rulers! If people rely on their position in life to satisfy their likes and dislikes, they will not be able to bring order to [those who take] the “low road.” Thus, when the ruler loses the One and there is chaos, it is worse than when there is no ruler at all.37
Thus, the Odes states:
“Do not err. Do not forget.
Follow the ancient regulations.”38
That expresses it. [14/137/8–11]
When the ruler favors knowledge,
he will turn his back on timeliness and rely on himself;
he will abandon technique and rely on forethought.
Since the things of the world are extensive while knowledge is limited, it is not possible to rely on what is limited to tend to what is extensive. When the ruler relies solely on knowledge, his mistakes will invariably multiply. Thus, favoring knowledge is an inferior policy.
When the ruler favors courage,
he will underestimate the enemy and be lax with his defensive preparations;
he will rely on himself and dismiss the assistance of others.
When he confronts a powerful enemy with the strength of [only] his one person and does not avail himself of the multitudes but instead relies solely on his own capabilities, invariably he will not survive. Thus, favoring courage is a dangerous policy.
When the ruler favors charity,
he will lack a fixed standard for making distributions
When there is no fixed standard of distribution above,
resentments will not cease below.39
If he increases taxes and fills the storehouses with surplus, the people he is helping will despise him. If he appropriates little and gives much, the quantity of his surplus will not be sufficient. Thus, favoring charity is a Way that only gives rise to resentment.
Humaneness, knowledge, courage, and strength40 constitute the outstanding capacities of human beings, yet none suffices to rule the world. Considering the matter from this perspective,
it will not suffice to rely on the worthy and capable.
Yet it is possible to follow the Techniques of the Way.
This is clear.41 [14/137/13–18]
The sage makes his mind victorious;
the ordinary person makes his desires victorious.
The Superior Man disseminates upright qi;
the small man disseminates noxious qi.
That which
inwardly suits nature
outwardly accords with Rightness,
complies with Patterns when acting,
and is not burdened by external things
is upright qi.
That which is
attracted by succulent aromas and tastes,
excited by sounds and colors,
moved by happiness and anger,
and unmindful of the dangers that lie ahead
is noxious qi.
Noxious qi and upright qi injure each other;
desires and nature harm each other.
They cannot both stand.
Uphold one and the other falls.
Thus the sage rejects desires and follows his nature.
The eyes being fond of color,
the ears being fond of sounds,
the mouth being fond of taste,
coming into contact with them [i.e., color, sound, and taste], they delight in them without understanding the benefit or harm that lies therein. [These are] the desires.
When eating is not good for the body,
when hearing does not accord with the Way,
when seeing does not suit nature,
and when the three sense organs [of taste, hearing, and sight] are in conflict with one another, what relies on Rightness to bring them under control is the mind.
When you cut out a boil it cannot but be painful.
When you drink toxic medicine, it cannot but be bitter.
Yet you do these things because they are good for the body.
If you are thirsty and drink [too much] water, it cannot but be pleasing,
and if you are hungry and eat a huge meal, it cannot but be satisfying.
Yet you do not do such things because they are harmful to the nature.
In these four cases, the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth do not understand what to take and what to reject. When the mind controls them, each achieves what is appropriate. Considering the matter from this perspective, desires cannot be made victorious. This is clear.42 [14/137/20–27]
To regulate your body and nourish your nature,
moderate your sleep and rest,
be appropriate in your food and drink,
harmonize your happiness and anger,
and make suitable your movement and stillness.
When you achieve the [ability to] carry out these things within the self, noxious qi will have no means to be produced.43 Is not this similar to one who, fearing an asthmatic attack might occur or a skin ulcer burst forth, takes the proper precautions in advance? [14/137/27–29]
Now ox meat in a ding tripod is boiling, so flies and gnats do not dare approach it.
The jade of the Kunlun Mountains is dense, so dirt and dust will not defile it.
The sage
does not have a rejecting mind, yet his mind is free of imperfections
and does not have an acquisitive beauty, yet his beauty is never lost.
Thus,
when offering sacrifices, he thinks of his parents but does not seek their blessings;
when feasting guests, he cultivates reverence but does not think about how he will be repaid.
Only those who do not strive after things are able to take possession of them. [14/137/29–14/138/2]
When those who occupy an honored position follow the way of public mindedness and abandon personal preferences, they are recognized as honorable but not recognized as worthy.
When those who possess large territories rely on enduring techniques and avoid secret stratagems, they are recognized as fair but not recognized as knowledgeable.
Inside [their states], they avoid violent acts that would arouse the resentment of their people.
Outside [their states], they avoid worthy conduct that would incite the jealousy of the Lords of the Land.
The propriety between superior and inferior
is compliant and does not deviate [from what is proper].
Those who would judge them are silenced, for what they look at is not visible. This is what is meant by the phrase “hiding in the Formless.” If not those who hide in the Formless, who then can give shape to what has form?44 [14/138/4–6]
The Way of the Three Dynasties was “to follow the natural course of things.”
Thus,
when Yu dredged the Yangzi and Yellow rivers, he followed the natural properties of the water.
When Lord Millet scattered seed and planted grain, he followed the natural properties of the land.
When Tang and Wu quelled violence and rebellion, they accorded with timeliness.
Thus the empire can be attained, but it cannot be appropriated.
The title of hegemon or king can be conferred, but it cannot be sought.
If you rely on knowledge, others will dispute with you.
If you rely on strength, others will contend with you.
Though you cannot ensure that others will lack knowledge, you can ensure that others will not be able to use their knowledge against you.
Though you cannot ensure that others will lack strength, you can ensure that others will not be able to use their strength against you.
These two techniques have existed for a long time and have long been observed.
Thus,
if the ruler does not reveal his worthiness, the Lords of the Land will not be on guard.
If he does not reveal his stupidity, the common people will not feel resentment.
If the common people do not feel resentment, it is possible to obtain the usefulness of the populace.
If the Lords of the Land are not on guard, it is possible to avail oneself of the world’s opportune moments as they arise.
When undertakings are commensurate with those of the multitudes,
when achievements depend on the opportune moment to succeed,
the sage will have nothing to do.
Thus the Laozi says:
“Tigers have no place to thrust their claws;
rhinos have no place to butt their horns.”45
The passage likely refers to such things as this. [14/138/8–14]
A drum does not absorb sounds; consequently it can produce [various] sounds.
A mirror does not retain forms; consequently it can reflect [various] forms.
Metal [bells] and stone [chimes] possess the ability to make sounds, but if you do not strike them, they will not sound.
The flute and panpipes possess the ability to emit tones, but if you do not blow them, they will not sound.
The sage internalizes what [should be] hidden and is not drawn out by things.
When affairs arise, the sage regulates them;
when things appear, the sage responds to them.46
Those who adorn their exterior harm their interior.
Those who cling to their emotions injure their spirit.
Those who manifest their outer refinement obscure their inner substance.
Those who do not for a moment forget their worthiness will invariably obstruct their nature.
Those who within a hundred paces do not forget their appearance will invariably encumber their bodies.
Thus,
when feathers and wings are beautiful, they injure the skeleton and marrow.
When leaves and branches are beautiful, they injure the roots and stems.
Of both being able to be beautiful, there is no instance in all the world.47 [14/138/16–20]
Though Heaven possesses light, it does not worry about the people’s darkness. The people bore out doors and chisel out windows and, of their own accord, appropriate the light of Heaven.
Though Earth possesses resources, it does not worry about the people’s poverty. The people fell trees and cut grasses and, of their own accord, appropriate the resources of Earth.
[Thus,]
those who perfect Potency and the Way are like hills and mountains. Solitary and unmoving, travelers take them as their guides. They rectify themselves and find sufficiency in things. They do not offer charity to others, and those who use them likewise do not receive their kindness. Thus they are peaceful and able to endure.48 [14/138/22–24]
Since Heaven and Earth do not confer things, there is nothing to take.
Since the sun and the moon do not exhibit kindness, there is nothing to resent.
Those who enjoy exhibiting kindness invariably increase resentments;
those who enjoy giving invariably praise taking.
Only those who hide their tracks in non-action and follow the naturalness of Heaven and Earth can make [their] patterns victorious and abandon a love of reputation.
Where reputation flourishes, the Way does not operate.
Where the Way operates, people have no status.49
Thus,
where praise arises, insult follows.
Where good appears, evil follows.50 [14/138/24–27]
Benefit is the starting point of harm.
Good fortune is the harbinger of bad fortune.
Only those who do not strive after advantage are free from disadvantage.
Only those who do not strive after benefit are free from harm.51
A marquis who strives to become a hegemon invariably will lose his standing as a marquis.
A hegemon who strives to become a king invariably will forfeit his standing as a hegemon.
Thus,
a state considers remaining intact as the norm, becoming hegemon or king as the extraordinary exception.
A person considers life as the norm, becoming wealthy or noble as the extraordinary exception.
Only those who will not injure their kingdom for the sake of the world or harm themselves for the sake of a kingdom can be entrusted with the world. [14/138/29–31]
Those who do not understand the Way
abandon what they already possess
and strive after what they do not yet possess.
With a distressed mind and anxious thoughts, they try to realize misguided precedents.
When good fortune arises, they feel happy.
When bad fortune arises, they feel frightened.
Their spirit is exhausted by various stratagems;
their intelligence is wearied by various affairs.
Bad fortune and good fortune sprout forth,
yet to the ends of their lives they are undeterred,
for what they themselves have caused,
they turn around and blame others.
Unhappy and anxious,
their center is never balanced.
They hold to what is unexamined.
This is called “a reckless life.” [14/139/1–3]
When the people’s ruler favors Humaneness,
those who lack merit will be rewarded,
and those who are guilty will be pardoned.
When he favors punishments,
those who possess merit will be disregarded,
and those who are innocent will be punished.
Only the ruler who has no preferences
punishes without [causing] resentment,
exhibits kindness without [eliciting] gratitude,
accords with the level and complies with the marking cord,
and does not personally intervene.
Like Heaven and Earth,
there is nothing that he does not cover or support.
Thus,
what unifies and harmonizes is the lord;
what controls and punishes is the law.
When the people receive their punishments
yet feel no resentment or hatred,52
this is called “The Way.” Where the Way is victorious, people have nothing to do. [14/139/5–9]
The clothing of the sage is neither long nor short.
His conduct is neither extraordinary nor unusual.
His clothing does not arouse notice.
His conduct does not elicit observation,
and his speech does not incite criticism.
When successful, he is not ostentatious.
When impoverished, he is not afraid.
When honored, he is not showy.
When ignored, he is not bereft.
He is extraordinary yet does not appear unusual.
He is always appropriate yet identifies with the multitudes.
There are no means to name him. This is what is called “Great Merging.”53 [14/139/10–11]
Whether ascending or descending,
bowing with clasped hands or yielding to another,
moving quickly or slowly,
circulating forward or back,
do so spontaneously.
If they are not inherent to your person by nature, none among your spontaneous feelings will tally with them. Do those things that come spontaneously, and do not abandon the prescribed framework. That’s it. What need is there to apply a precedent? Thus,
those who sing spontaneously do not work at being sorrowful.
Those who dance spontaneously do not strive at being graceful.
Those who sing and dance but do not work at being sorrowful or graceful [can do so] because in all cases there is nothing rooted in their minds. [14/139/13–15]
The adept gambler neither desires a win nor fears a loss.
With a tranquil mind and settled will,
he casts the dice in a uniform fashion,
and his movements follow definite patterns.
Though he does not always win,
he invariably accumulates many tallies.
Why is this so? It is because
winning is determined by technique
and not by desires. [14/139/17–18]
The chariot driver
does not covet being the very first,
does not fear being dead last.
He regulates the pace of the horse with his hands
and harmonizes his mind with the horse.
Though he does not always win first place,
he invariably causes his horse to do its utmost.
Why is this so? It is because
winning is determined by technique
and not by desire.
For this reason,
when you eradicate desire, technique will prevail.
When you banish knowledge, the Way will become established. [14/139/18–20]
Too many deals impoverish the merchant.
Too much artistry exhausts the craftsman.
It is because their minds are not [focused on] one thing.
Thus,
when the span of a tree is great, its height is compromised.
When the flow of a river is wide, its depth is compromised.
If you possess knowledge but lack technique, though you bore with an awl you will never get through anything.
If you possess a hundred different kinds of skills but lack a single Way, though you achieve things you will not be able to sustain [your achievements].
Thus the Odes states:
“The good man, the Superior Man,
his propriety is one.
His propriety is one.
His heart is as if bound.”54
How bound by oneness is the Superior Man! [14/139/22–24]
Shun plucked the five-stringed qin and chanted the poems of the “Southern Airs” [section of the Odes] and thereby governed the world.
The Duke of Zhou, before the fine meats could be removed from in front of him and before the bells and drums could be taken down from their suspension cords, had already assisted King Cheng in pacifying the world.55
If a person maintains one hundred mu of land, he will have no time for leisure, but neither is there anything that would induce him to move [away].
[But] if you rely on the One Man to listen to petitions from the whole world,
every day there will be an excess [of work]
[and so] governance will be deficient.
[Thus] he employs others to manage things [for him].56 [14/139/26–28]
One who occupies a revered position is like the impersonator of the dead at a sacrifice;
one who has an official post is like the invoker.
Though the impersonator of the dead is capable of skinning a dog or roasting a pig, he does not do so. [Thus], if he is not able to do such things, nothing is lost.
Though he understands the proper arrangement of the dishes and platters used to offer sacrifices and the proper sequence in which the various types of millet are offered, he does not instruct others [in these matters]. [Thus] if he is incapable of instructing others, nothing is lost.
One who is incapable of offering prayers and invocations cannot be compelled to assume the responsibilities of the invoker, yet there is no harm in such a person acting as the impersonator of the dead.
One who is incapable of driving a chariot cannot be compelled to assume the responsibilities of a charioteer, yet there is no harm in such a person acting as the rider on the left.
Therefore, the more revered the position, the more idle the occupant. The more significant the post, the fewer duties it entails. It is similar to stringing a qin: The short strings are made tight, but the long strings must be looser. [14/140/1–4]
Non-action is the substance of the Way.
Following behind is the outward form of the Way.
Those who do not act control those who act; this is [called] technique.
Those who follow behind control those who take the lead; this is [called] the proper sequence of things.
If you rely on technique, you will be strong.
If you understand the proper sequence of things, you will be calm.
Now when it came to giving away Mr. Bian’s jade disk,57 when he had not yet obtained it, [Mr. Bian] was ahead. When he pleaded to present it and would not give up despite his indignation, he was behind.
If three men live together and two begin to quarrel, each will think he is right, and neither will listen to the other. Though the third man is a fool, he will invariably resolve the dispute from the sidelines. This is not due to his intelligence but is because he was not fighting.
If two men begin to fight and a weakling stands at their side, if he helps one man, that man will win. If he aids the other man, that man will avoid defeat. Though the two fighters are strong, invariably [the outcome is] controlled by the single weakling.
This is not due to his courage, but due to the fact that he does not fight.
Looking at it from this perspective,
that those who follow behind control those who take the lead
and that those who are still defeat those who are excitable
is due to following the proper sequence of things.
To defy the Way and abandon the proper sequence of things, hoping thereby to encounter good luck;
to alter constant norms and change precedents, relying on your intelligence in your desire to cover up for yourself;
to pass over your own errors and to take credit when you hit the mark;
to conduct yourself from a position of darkness and recklessly change things;
to remain throughout your life unaware;
such actions are called “reckless.”
To be dissatisfied with misfortune and satisfied with good fortune,
to regret committing errors and feel satisfied when you achieve merit,
to push ahead and not know to return,
this [too] is called “reckless.” [14/140/6–14]
When your circles coincide with the compass,
when your squares coincide with the [carpenter’s]
square, when your going constitutes ferocity,
when your stopping constitutes civility,
you will be able to lead a small number of people,
but you will not be able to lead the multitudes.
When you raise knotweed in rows,
when your [ceremonial] cups are [furnished with] pedestals,
when you measure out millet and pound it [to remove the husk],
when you count out rice to prepare for steaming it,
you will be able to govern a household,
but you will not be able to govern a state.
When you wash the cup before eating from it,
when you clean the goblet before drinking from it,
when you bathe before offering up food,
you will be able to nourish the elderly of your household,
but you will not be able to offer a feast to the Three Armies. [14/140/16–18]
If you are not unassuming, you cannot govern what is great.
If you are not simple, you cannot unite the multitudes.
The greatest music is invariably unassuming.
The greatest rites are invariably simple.
Unassuming, you thus may be like Heaven.
Simple, you thus may be like Earth.
The greatest music [provokes] no resentment.
The greatest rites do not [evoke] censure.
All within the Four Seas will attach themselves to your rule, and thus you will be able to become emperor. [14/140/20–21]
When the mind is agitated,
though provided with a well-made bed and soft mats, you will not feel comfortable.
Though provided with a meal of wild rice and succulent beef, you will not find the taste good.
Though provided with the [music of] the qin and se, and the piping of the flute, you will not feel joy.
Only when vexations dissipate and agitations disappear will food taste good, a bed feel peaceful, a dwelling feel secure, and wanderings be joyful.
Looking at it from this perspective,
Nature has the means to be joyful,
and the means to be sorrowful.
Now if you try to promote what cannot bring joy to your nature
and you harm what brings joy to your nature,
though enriched by possessing the world and revered as the Son of Heaven, you will not be able to avoid becoming a sorrowful person.
In all cases, human nature
enjoys peace and quiet and dislikes discord and noise;
it enjoys rest and relaxation and dislikes toil and hard work.
When the mind is consistently free of desires, it is said to be “peaceful.”
When the body is consistently free of tasks, it is said to be “resting.”
If you allow the mind to wander in peace and quiet
and abandon the body to leisure,
thereby awaiting Heaven’s decree,
within you will find joy,
and without you will be free from worries.
Even something as grand as the world will not be sufficient to change your unitary vision.
Should the sun or moon be eclipsed, it will not be sufficient to compel you to change your intentions.
Thus,
though lowly, it is as if you were honored;
though impoverished, it is as if you were wealthy. [14/140/23–28]
The greatest Way is devoid of form.
The greatest Humaneness is devoid of affection.
The greatest disputation is devoid of sound.
The greatest honesty is devoid of modesty.
The greatest courage is devoid of haughtiness.
When you do not abandon these five, you are heading in the right direction. [14/141/1]
When armies contend with too many orders, they will grow chaotic.
When wine [drinking] is under too many constraints, there will be disputes.
When armies grow chaotic, they will be routed.
When there are disputes, there will be mutual harm.
Therefore,
what begins as beautiful and elegant always ends up vulgar and vile.
What begins joyfully always ends up sorrowfully.
Yet things that begin in simplicity
invariably end up in perfect harmony.
Now suppose you prepare good wine and savory food to fete your guests and greet them with a modest bearing and humble words, hoping in this way to join with them in happy concord. Yet while contending to fill your guest’s cup, contrary [to expectations], a quarrel ensues. In the course of the quarrel, both parties are injured, arousing the enmity of each other’s clans for three generations. Thus contrary to expectations, you have elicited the very thing you despise. Such are the dangers of wine! [14/141/3–6]
The shortcoming of the Odes lies in its partiality;
the shortcoming of the Music lies in its critiques;
the shortcoming of the Rites lies in its criticisms.58 [14/141/8]
It is not the case that the zhi tone lacks a yu sound or that the yu tone lacks the zhi sound.
Of the five tones, none is without overtones, but it is the dominant tone that determines the name of a specific note.
Thus, Humaneness and Rightness, wisdom and courage are equally possessed by the sage,
Yet they all contribute to the single designation of the sage; all speak of his greatness. [14/141/10–11]
Yang qi arises in the northeast and culminates in the southwest.
Yin qi arises in the southwest and culminates in the northeast.
From their inception the evolutions of yin and yang are synchronized.
Daily [the one that is waxing] strengthens [within its own] category.
[Moving] slowly and keeping equidistant from each other,
One becomes hot enough to melt sand;
The other becomes cold enough to freeze water.
Thus, the sage is cautious and circumspect concerning what he accumulates. [14/141/13–14]
Water comes out of the mountains and flows to the sea;
grain grows in the fields and is stored in granaries.
The sage observes the beginning of things and knows their end. [14/141/16–17]
We offer up astringent mushrooms from a sitting mat;
we offer up dark wine in a zun goblet;
we offer up raw fish on a zu stand;
we offer up unsalted soup in a dou vessel.
Such foods neither please the ears or eyes nor suit the palate or belly, yet the former kings valued them, because they attended first to the root and only afterward to the branches. [14/141/19–21]
When the sage encounters things in the world amid their thousand alterations and myriad evolutions, he invariably relies on what never transforms to respond to what is always transforming.
Cold and heat stand in opposition to each other.
During the season of intense cold, the ground cracks and water freezes, yet fire’s capacity to burn is not diminished as a consequence.
During the season of intense heat, stones melt and metal fuses, yet fire’s capacity to burn is not enhanced as a consequence.
The alterations of cold and heat neither harm nor benefit his person, for his inner substance is unchanging. [14/141/23–25]
The sage constantly follows behind and does not take the lead;
he constantly responds and does not initiate;
he does not advance to seek after things;
nor does he retreat to decline things.
“I follow the times for three years;
when the time’s departed, there I would go.
I fled the times for three years,
so the time was at my back.
I have no discarding or seeking,
in the center I find my place.”
The Way of Heaven is without affection; it gives only to those who have Potency.59 Those who possess the Way do not lose the opportune moment to accommodate others, and those who do not possess the Way lose the opportune moment to accommodate others. If you rectify yourself and await your fate, once a propitious moment arrives, you can neither welcome nor oppose it. Whether you impede it or seek convergence with it, once the opportune moment passes, you cannot pursue it or change its course.
Thus, you will not say: “I have done nothing and yet the empire remains distant.”
Nor will you say: “I desire nothing yet the empire does not come to me.” [14/141/27–14/142/3]
In ancient times, those who preserved themselves
rejoiced in their Moral Potency and forgot their lowly status; therefore fame could not alter their wills.
They rejoiced in the Way and forgot their poverty; therefore profit could not disturb their minds.60
Though concerns for fame and profit filled the world, it did not suffice to alter their wills.
Thus,
they were pure and able to be joyous;
they were tranquil and able to live peacefully.
Thus, those who govern themselves are those with whom you may speak of the Way. [14/142/5–6]
Now the difference between your own life and the time dating back to the Great Vastness is distant indeed.
The difference between your own death and the eternity of Heaven and Earth is immense indeed.
To expend the life span of a single person worrying about the chaos of the world is like worrying that there is insufficient water in a river and trying to augment it with one’s tears. The turtle lives for three thousand years, whereas the mayfly does not live more than three days. Now if you rely on the mayfly to augment the turtle’s life, people will surely laugh at you. Thus, those who stop worrying about the chaos of the world and simply delight in governing themselves are those with whom you may speak of the Way.61 [14/142/6–9]
When the Superior Man does good, he cannot ensure that it will bring good fortune;
when he refuses to do evil, he cannot ensure that it will not bring bad fortune.
If good fortune arrives, since it is not something he sought, he does not proclaim his achievements;
if bad fortune arrives, since it is not something he elicited, he does not regret his actions.
If he should cultivate himself inwardly to the utmost and still adversity and bad fortune arrive, it is due to Heaven and not the person. Therefore, within himself his mind is constantly tranquil and still, and his Moral Potency is unencumbered. Even the barking of a dog cannot startle him because he naturally trusts his genuine responses.
Thus,
those who understand the Way are not confused;
those who understand fate are free from anxiety.62 [14/142/11–14]
When the ruler of a state possessing ten thousand chariots passes away, we bury his bones in the wild lands and worship his spirit in the Mingtang.
[This is because] the spirit is more highly honored than the physical form.
Thus,
when the spirit regulates, the physical form complies,
but when the physical form prevails, the spirit dissipates.
Acuity and keenness may be employed, but you must revert to the spirit. This is called “Grand Vacuity.”63 [14/142/16–17]
Translated by Sarah A. Queen
1. For the “Grand One” (tai yi 
), see also 3.13, 7.15, 8.7, 9.2, and 21.2.
2. For the notion of “returning to your Ancestor,” see 16.1 and 16.15. The latter explains:
The crumbling of a wall is better than its building;
the melting of ice is better than its freezing
because they [thus] return to the Ancestor.
For “returning to the Ancestor of Nature and Destiny,” see the summary of chap. 7 in 21.2. For the “Great Ancestor,” see Zhuangzi, chap. 6. For a different point of view, see 17.27.
3. Tai chu 
. Compare the “Grand Beginning” (tai shi 
) in 3.1.
4. The concept of the “Genuine” (zhen ren 
) is developed most extensively in chap. 2 but also appears in chaps. 6–8. See also extensive references in the Zhuangzi, especially in chaps. 6 and 24.
5. This saying also appears in Zhuangzi 7 (ZZ 7/21/19–20).
6. The Wenzi parallels this passage to the end of this line, and then the two texts diverge. See WZ 4/18/22–4/19/1.
7. Prince Qingji 
was the son of King Liao of Wu (r. 526–515 B.C.E.). He fled into exile when his brother, King Helü, usurped the throne. He was renowned as a fierce warrior and an expert swordsman.
8. This saying paraphrases Zhuangzi 7 (ZZ 7/20/20), where it is attributed to Laozi. It does not, however, appear in the received version of the Daodejing. This saying also appears in 17.84 and 10.92.
9. Following Lau, who follows Wang Niansun and emends wu mo bu zu gu qi diao (
) to wu mo zu gu qi he (
), based on other occurrences of the expression in, for example, Huainanzi, chaps. 1, 2, and 7. See Lau, HNZ, 133n.2. See also Zhang Shuangdi 1997, 2:1475n.2. For the similar expression bu zu yi gu he, see ZZ 5/15/2.
10. For the sage’s ability to “return to the self” (fan ji 
) or the closely related expression “return to [one’s] nature” (fan xing 
), see 10.113, 10.117, 11.5, 11.6, and 11.15. For “returning to [one’s] nature” as the root of governance, see 20.28. For a parallel passage in the Wenzi, see WZ 4/19/23–26.
11. For the justification of reading shu 
as shu 
, see the numerous examples from the Huainanzi and other texts listed in Zhuang Shuangdi 1997, 2:1475n.7.
12. Guang Chengzi 
.
13. For a longer and differently ordered version of this passage in which the Master of Broad Perfection imparts his teachings to the Yellow Emperor, see Zhuangzi 11 (ZZ 11/27/15–28).
14. For this line, see Changes, hexagram 2, Kun.
15. See also Wenzi 4 (WZ 4/24/4–7).
16. See the exchange in Zhuangzi 19 (ZZ 19/50/18–23) between Yen Hui and Confucius on what enables a good swimmer to handle a boat deftly.
17. Danfu was the (legendary) grandfather of King Wen, founder of the Zhou dynasty. The story of Great King Danfu is also found in 12.15 and 20.9. The version in chap. 12 is in turn nearly identical to the story as it appears in Zhuangzi 28 (28/81/23–28). See Mair 1997, 285–86. See also LSCQ 21.4/141/11–17; and Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 557–58.
18. For a near parallel to this passage, see HSWZ 2/10.
19. Fang chuan 
, which we understand to be a vessel comprising two boats lashed together side by side.
20. For a near parallel to this passage in Zhuangzi 20, see ZZ 20/54/4–6.
21. See also WZ 4/20/1–5.
22. See also WZ 4/20/6–7.
23. For these two couplets of parallel prose (beginning with “Thus”), see also WZ 4/20/8–9.
24. The six lines following “Thus” have near parallels in WZ 4/20/8–10.
25. See also WZ 4/20/10–13.
26. See also WZ 4/20/17–18.
27. For these four lines, see also WZ 4/20/18–19.
28. Odes 241.
29. See also WZ 4/20/19–20.
30. See also WZ 4/20/20–21.
31. See also WZ 4/18/18–20.
32. This claim appears in Zhuangzi 4 (ZZ 4/10/25–26). Graham translates:
Another point: competitors in a game of skill begin in a bright Yang mood, but it is apt to end up by darkening to Yin; when they have gone too far they play more and more unfair tricks. Drinkers at a formal banquet are mannerly at first, but generally end up too boisterous; when thy have gone too far the fun gets more and more reckless. This happens in all sorts of affairs. (1982, 71)
Mair’s version reads,
Moreover, those who contest for supremacy with cleverness begin openly but invariably end up in deception. In their excesses, they are full of chicanery. Those who drink according to etiquette begin politely but invariably end up disorderly. In their excesses, they are full of debauchery. It’s the same with all affairs. (1997, 35)
33. A similar point is made in LSCQ 14.5/74/23. See Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 319.
34. Zi 
and chui 
are trifling amounts.
35. LSCQ 17.7/107/6–7, “No Duality” (Bu er), similarly states: “Where there is unity, order results; where there are differences, chaos ensues; where there is unity, security results; and where there are differences, danger arises” (Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 434). LSCQ 17.8/107/13–15, “Upholding Unity” (Chi yi), also states:
The true king by holding fast to the One makes the myriad things correct. An army must have a general, for he is what unifies it; a state must have a ruler, for he is what unifies it and the world must have a Son of Heaven, for he is what unifies it. The Son of Heaven must hold fast to the One, for that is what makes him unique. Where there is unity, there is order; where there is duality, there is chaos. (Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 434)
36. See also WZ 5/26/12–13.
37. This sentence also appears in WZ 5/26/15–16.
38. Odes 249.
39. LSCQ 17.6/106/11–14, “Heeding the Circumstances” (Shen shi), quotes Shen Dao:
When a rabbit runs by, a hundred people chase it. The reason is not that a hundred people could divide one rabbit but that its distribution has not yet been settled. Since its distribution has not yet been settled, even a Yao might exhaust his strength chasing it. How much more would this be the case with an ordinary man! But when the market is filled with rabbits, passersby pay them no heed. The reason is not that they do not desire rabbits but that their distribution is settled. When distribution is settled, no one, no matter how backward, contests with another over it. Therefore, governing the world, as well as a single state, rests on nothing more than settling distribution. (Modified from Knoblock and Riegel 2000, 431–32)
For a variation on this passage in the reconstructed Zisizi, see Csikszentmihalyi 2004, app. 1, no.27. The Zisizi version does not attribute the passage to Shen Dao.
40. Note that the qualities described here in the explanation do not precisely match those in the sayings.
41. See also WZ 5/26/1–4.
42. See also WZ 4/21/6–11.
43. See also WZ 4/21/13–14.
44. Emending shu neng xing 
to shu neng xing xing 
, based on Zhang Shuangdi 1997, 2:1504n.3.
45. Laozi 50.
46. See also WZ 6/33/1–2.
47. The lines beginning “Those who adorn their exterior” to “all the world” also appear in WZ 4/21/14–16.
48. See also WZ 4/21/18–19.
49. See also HSWZ 1.13/3/18–19: “Only those who hide their tracks . . . status.” The preceding couplet, identified as “tradition says,” is closely similar but not identical.
50. See also WZ 4/21/18–21.
51. See also HSWZ 1.13/3/19–20 and WZ 4/21/21–22.
52. See also WZ 5/28/15–18.
53. See also WZ 4/21/24–25.
54. Odes 152.
55. The same image appears in 20.16.
56. For another version of this passage, see HSWZ 4.7/27/9–11.
57. Mr. Bian’s jade disk 
, also known as Mr. He’s 
jade disk, was a fabulous jewel that was discovered by Bian He 
, a man of Chu, in the mountains of that state. When the jade was presented to King Li of Chu as an uncut matrix, the king suspected Bian He of fraud and had his left foot cut off as punishment. When King Li died and Bian He tried to present the jade to his son, King Wu, the king ordered that his right foot be cut off. When King Wu finally had the stone cut and polished, its precious nature was revealed. See also 6.3, 16.19, and 16.90.
58. A fuller version of this statement is found in 20.13.
59. See also WZ 4/21/27–4/22/1.
60. For the notion of the undisturbed or unmoved mind (budongxin 
), see Mencius 2A.2.
61. See also WZ 4/22/6–8.
62. See also WZ 4/22/1–3.
63. See also WZ 4/22/3–4.