Chapter 27 — Skillful use巧用

順自然而行，不造不始，故物得至而無轍迹也。

He travels following what is so of itself, neither making nor starting anything. This is why things arrive and yet there are no tracks.

善行道者求之於身，不下堂，不出門，故無轍跡。

One who practices the Dao well seeks it in his own person; he does not come down from the hall, he does not go out through the gate, and so there are no wheel tracks.

順物之性，不別不析，故無瑕讁可得其門也。

He follows the nature of things, neither dividing nor splitting them. This is why there is no flaw to blame and no handle to get hold of.

善言謂擇言而出之，則無瑕疵讁過於天下。

To speak well is to choose one's words before uttering them; then there is no flaw and no fault anywhere in the world.

善以道計事者，則守一不移，所計不多，則不用籌策而可知也。

One who reckons affairs well by the Dao holds to the One and does not shift. Since there is not much to reckon, he can know without using counting rods.

因物之數，不假形也。

He follows the number of things, and so he borrows no form.

因物自然，不設不施，故不用關楗繩約而不可開解也。此五者皆言不造不施，因物之性，不以形制物也。

He follows what is so of itself in things, setting nothing up and handing nothing out. This is why, though he uses neither bar nor cord, nothing can be opened or undone. All five of these say that he neither makes nor hands out, that he follows the nature of things, and that he does not govern things by form.

善以道閉情欲、守精神者，不如門戶有關楗可得開。

One who by the Dao shuts away feeling and desire well and guards his spirit is not like a door leaf with a bar that can be opened.

善以道結事者，乃可結其心，不如繩索可得解也。

One who binds affairs well by the Dao binds the heart, and is not like a cord that can be untied.

聖人不立形名以檢於物，不造進向以殊棄不肖，輔萬物之自然而不為始，故曰無棄人也。不尚賢能，則民不爭，不貴難得之貨，則民不為盜，不見可欲，則民心不亂。常使民心無欲無惑，則無棄人矣。

The sage does not set up forms and names to keep things in check, and he does not make up a direction to advance in and so set the dull apart and cast them aside; he only helps what is so of itself in the ten thousand things, and does not start anything. This is why it says that he casts no one aside. Do not exalt worth and ability, and the people do not contend; do not prize goods that are hard to come by, and the people do not steal; do not show them what they might want, and the hearts of the people are not thrown into disorder. Keep the hearts of the people always without wanting and without delusion, and there will be no one cast aside.

聖人所以常教人忠孝者，欲以救人性命。

The sage always teaches people loyalty and filial care because he wishes to save their lives.

使貴賤各得其所也。

He lets the noble and the lowly each find their own place.

舉善以師不善，故謂之師矣。

He takes up the good and makes them teachers of the not good, and so it says teachers.

聖人所以常教民順四時者，欲以救萬物之殘傷。

The sage always teaches the people to follow the four seasons because he wishes to save the ten thousand things from being harmed and hurt.

聖人不賤名而貴玉視之如一。

The sage does not hold the name cheap and the jade dear; he looks on them as one.

聖人善救人物，是謂襲明大道。

That the sage is good at saving people and things — this is called the great Dao that carries on the light.

人之行善者，聖人即以為人師。

A person who does good the sage takes at once as a teacher for others.

資，取也。善人以善齊不善，以善棄不善也。故不善人，善人之所取也。

Zi (資) means to take. The good use their goodness to put the not good in order, and use their goodness to leave the not good behind. This is why the not good are what the good take.

資，用也。人行不善者，聖人猶教導使為善，得以給用也。

Zi means use. Even a person who does what is not good the sage still teaches and leads into goodness, and so he comes to add to what can be used.

雖有其智，自任其智，不因物，於其道必失。故曰，雖智大迷。

However much wisdom one has, if one entrusts everything to one's own wisdom and does not follow things, one is sure to lose the Dao. This is why it says that one is greatly lost, however wise one may be.

獨無輔也。

He is alone, with no one to help him.

無所使也。

He has no one to set to work.

雖自以為智。言此人乃大迷惑。

However wise he may take himself to be, this says that such a person is greatly deluded.

能通此意，是謂知微妙要道也。

If one can get through to this meaning, this is called knowing the wondrous and essential Dao.