Chapter 2 — Nourishing the self養身
1Know beauty, and ugliness appears
天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。皆知善之為善，斯不善已。故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。
When all under heaven know beauty as beauty, there is already ugliness. When all know good as good, there is already what is not good. So being and nonbeing give birth to each other. Difficult and easy complete each other. Long and short measure each other. High and low lean toward each other. Tone and voice harmonize with each other. Before and after follow each other.
note 11
美者，人心之所進樂也；惡者，人心之所惡疾也。美惡，猶喜怒也；善不善，猶是非也。喜怒同根，是非同門，故不可得偏舉也。此六者皆陳自然不可偏舉之明數也。
Beauty is what the human heart goes toward and delights in; ugliness is what the human heart dislikes and hates. Beauty and ugliness are like joy and anger, and good and not good are like right and wrong. Joy and anger share one root and right and wrong share one gate, so neither side can be raised alone. These six pairs are all so of themselves, and this makes clear that no one side can be raised alone.
自揚己美，使彰顯也。
It means displaying one's own beauty so that it shows forth brightly.
有危亡也。
In this there is danger and ruin.
有功名也。
In this there is merit and a name.
人所爭也。
It is what people contend over.
見有而為無也。
It means seeing being and making it out to be nonbeing.
見難而為易也。
It means seeing what is difficult and making it out to be easy.
見短而為長也。
It means seeing what is short and making it out to be long.
見高而為下也。
It means seeing what is high and making it out to be low.
上唱下必和也。
When the one above sings out, those below are sure to join in harmony.
上行下必隨也。
When the one above acts, those below are sure to follow.
2The sage dwells in the work of nonaction
是以聖人處無為之事，
So the sage dwells in the work of nonaction,
note 2
自然已足，為則敗也。
Being so of itself, it is already sufficient; to set about doing spoils it.
以道治也。
He governs by the Dao.
3He practices the teaching without words
行不言之教；萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有，為而不恃，
and he practices the teaching without words. The ten thousand things rise up and he does not turn them away. He gives birth and does not possess. He acts and does not depend.
note 6
智慧自備，為則偽也。
Wisdom is furnished of itself; to set about doing makes it false.
以身師導之也。
He becomes a teacher in his own person and leads them by it.
各自動也。
Each of them moves of itself.
不辭謝而逆止。
He does not decline them and hold them back.
元氣生萬物而不有。
The primal breath (yuanqi 元氣) gives birth to the ten thousand things and does not possess them.
道所施為，不恃望其報也。
What the Dao bestows and does, it does without leaning on any repayment for it.
4He completes the work and does not stay in it
功成而弗居。
He completes the work and does not stay in that place.
note 2
因物而用，功自彼成，故不居也。
He uses things by following them, so the work is completed over on their side. Therefore he does not stay in it.
功成事就，退避不居其位。
When the work is accomplished and the task is done, he withdraws and does not stay in that place.
5Because he does not stay, it does not leave
夫唯弗居，是以不去。
It is only because he does not stay that it does not leave.
note 3
使功在己，則功不可久也。
If one makes the work reside in oneself, that work cannot last long.
夫惟功成不居其位。
It is only that he accomplishes the work and yet does not stay in that place.
福德常在，不去其身也。此言不行不可隨，不言不可知疾。上六句有高下長短，君開一源，下生百端，百端之變，無不動亂。
Blessing and virtue are always present and do not leave his person. This says that if he does not act, others cannot follow him, and if he does not speak, they cannot come to know quickly. The six phrases above have high and low and long and short in them: when the ruler opens up one source, a hundred ends arise below him, and among the changes of those hundred ends there is none that does not stir up disorder.