Tao Te Ching

Chapter 46
[Original text]

If Dacheng [1] is lacking, its use will not be harmful [2].

Great surplus Ruochong [3], its use is endless.

Great straightness is like bending [4], great ingenuity is like clumsiness, great debate is like negligence [5], and great victory is like embarrassment [6].

Irritability wins over cold, while stillness leads to heat.Be quiet and be righteous for the world.

【Note】

[1] into: perfect.

[2] Disadvantage: failure.

[3] Chong: Tong "cup", empty.

[4] Qu: pass "qu", bend.

[5] Ne: stuttering, not good at speech.

[6] 恩 (chù): Tong "舍", loss.

【Analysis】

The best things are often incomplete, but its function will not fail because of this incompleteness.

The fullest thing seems to be empty, but its function is infinite.

The straightest things seem crooked, the most delicate things seem a bit clumsy, the most adept at debate seem a little inarticulate, and the biggest profits seem to lose something.

Restlessness in the bottom of my heart is more lethal than cold, but quietness has the energy to grow all things.Quiet and inaction ruling thoughts and practices can often become the leader of the world.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
Those who achieve great success are called the king of great moral success.If it is lacking, its name will be destroyed and its reputation will be hidden.If the intention is the same, there will be no harm at all.

Those who have a great surplus are called the king who is full of morality.Ruo Chong, you dare not be arrogant when you are expensive, and dare not be extravagant if you are rich.If the intention is like this, there will be no end to it.

Dazhi means that the way of cultivation is upright.If you are bent, don't compete with the layman, if you can bend.Great skill, so-called multi-talented skills.If you are clumsy, show that you dare not see what you can do.Great debaters, no doubt about their wisdom.If you are naive, you have nothing to say.

Victory, extreme also.In spring and summer, the yang qi is restless and sick, and everything is grand, and the extreme is cold, and the cold is scattered and dead.In autumn and winter, everything is quiet under the Yellow Spring, and the extreme is hot, and the heat is the source of life.If you can be quiet, you will be the leader of the world, and if you keep your body upright, there will be no end to time.

(End of this chapter)