Dao De Jing (5)

Dao De Jing (5)
Learn Chinese – Chinese Literature
Chapter5

Heaven and Earth are ruthless;
To them the Ten Thousand Things are but as straw dogs.
The Sage too is ruthless;
To him the people are but as straw dogs.
Yet[1] Heaven and Earth and all that lies between
Is like a bellows
In that it is empty, but gives a supply that never fails.
Work it, and more comes out .
wheras the force of words[2] is soon spent.
Far better is it to keep what is in the heart[3].

[1]Though ruthless nature is perpetually bounteous.
[2]Laws and proclamations.
[3]For chung as ‘what is within the heart, see Tso Chuan, Yin Kung 3rd year and Kuan Tzu,37, beginning. The comparison of Heaven and Earth to a bellows is also found in Kuan Tzu (P’ien 11, beginning).

第五章 

      天地不仁,以万物为刍狗;圣人不仁,以百姓为刍狗。
天地之间,其犹橐籥乎!虚而不屈,动而愈出。
多言数穷,不如守中。

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