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德 Teh
Chapter 40

Oppose things
movement of Tao

weaken things
usefulness of Tao

under heaven
ten thousand things
grow to existence

existence grows
to non-existence

四 十 章

反 者
道 之 動

弱 者
道 之 用

天 下
万 物
生 於 有

有 生
於 無

Key Terms

Observations and Comments

Legge Translation Notes

###, 'Dispensing with the Use (of Means);'—with their use, that is, as it appears to us. The subject of the brief chapter is the action of the Tâo by contraries, leading to a result the opposite of what existed previously, and by means which might seem calculated to produce a contrary result.

In translating par. 2 1 have followed Ziâo Hung, who finds the key to it in ch. 1. Having a name, the Tâo is 'the Mother of all things;' having no name, it is 'the Originator of Heaven and Earth.' But here is the teaching of Lâo-dze:—'If Tâo seems to be before God,' Tâo itself sprang from nothing.