Chapter 23 — Emptiness and nothing虛無

聽之不聞名曰希，下章言，道之出言淡兮其無味也，視之不足見，聽之不足聞，然則無味不足聽之言，乃是自然之至言也。

What is listened to but not heard is called xi (希). A chapter below says, "When the Dao comes out as words, it is bland and without flavor," and says that looking at it one does not see enough and listening to it one does not hear enough. If so, then words without flavor, words one does not hear enough of, are the very words of the utmost of what comes of itself.

希言者，謂愛言也。愛言者，自然之道。

Few words means sparing one's words. To spare one's words is the Dao of what comes of itself.

言暴疾美興不長也。

It means that what rises fierce and fast does not last long.

飄風，疾風也。驟雨，暴雨也。言疾不能長，暴不能久也。

Piaofeng (飄風) is a fierce wind, and zhouyu (驟雨) is pouring rain. It means that what is fierce does not go on long, and what is violent does not last.

孰，誰也。誰為此飄風暴雨者乎？天地所為。

Shu (孰) means who. Who makes this fierce wind and this pouring rain? It is heaven and earth that make them.

不能終於朝暮也。

They do not last out even from morning to evening.

天地至神合為飄風暴雨，尚不能使終朝至暮，何況人欲為暴卒乎。

Even when the utmost spirit power of heaven and earth joins together to make a fierce wind and pouring rain, it cannot make them run from morning to evening. How much less a person who would act with violence and haste.

從事，謂舉動，從事於道者也。道以無形無為成濟萬物，故從事於道者，以無為為君，不言為教，緜緜若存而物得其真，與道同體，故曰同於道。

Congshi (從事) means to rouse oneself and work at the Dao. The Dao completes the ten thousand things and brings them through by having no form and no acting. So one who works at the Dao takes no acting as his lord and not speaking as his teaching; faint and unbroken he seems to be there, and yet things gain their genuineness and are one body with the Dao. This is why it says that he becomes one with the Dao.

從，為也。人為事當如道安靜，不當如飄風驟雨也。

Cong (從) means to do. When a person does a thing he ought to be calm and still like the Dao, and not act like a fierce wind or pouring rain.

道者，謂好道人也。同於道者，所謂與道同也。

One who follows the Dao means a person who loves the Dao. To become one with the Dao means to be of one body with the Dao.

得，少也，少則得，故曰得也。行得則與得同體，故曰，同於得也。

De (得) means few. With less one gains, and so it says one gains. Practice gaining and one is one body with gaining. This is why it says that one becomes one with gaining.

德者，謂好德之人也。同於德者，所謂與德同也。

One who follows virtue means a person who loves virtue. To become one with virtue means to be of one body with virtue.

失，累多也，累多則失，故曰失也。行失則與失同體，故曰，同於失也。

Shi (失) is to be much entangled. Be much entangled and one loses, and so it says one loses. Practice losing and one is one body with losing. This is why it says that one becomes one with loss.

失，謂任己而失人也。同於失者，所謂與失同也。

Loss means doing as one pleases and so losing people. To become one with loss means to be of one body with loss.

言隨行其所，故同而應之。

It means that because it follows what he does, it becomes one with him and answers him.

與道同者，道亦樂得之也。

For one who is of one body with the Dao, the Dao too is glad to have him.

與德同者，德亦樂得之也。

For one who is of one body with virtue, virtue too is glad to have him.

與失同者，失亦樂失之也。

For one who is of one body with loss, loss too is glad to lose him.

忠信不足於下，焉有不信焉。

Where loyalty and trust run short below, there comes to be distrust.

君信不足於下，下則應君以不信也。

When the ruler does not show full trust to those below, those below answer him with distrust.

此言物類相歸，同聲相應，同氣相求。雲從龍，風從虎，水流濕，火就燥，自然之類也。

It means that like returns to like, that the same sound answers the same sound and the same breath seeks the same breath. Clouds follow the dragon and wind follows the tiger; water runs to what is wet and fire goes to what is dry. Such are the kinds that come of themselves.