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Chapter 37 — Governing為政

Daodejing (The Classic of the Way and Virtue) 道德經 · Laozi, with commentaries by Wang Bi and Heshang Gong · 4th–3rd century BC (Wang Bi's commentary, 3rd century AD) · 5 passages · 50 Chinese characters · reading time 0.2 min

Daodejing (The Classic of the Way and Virtue) Daojing (The Classic of the Way) Eighty-one chapters, five thousand characters. The silk manuscripts that came out of the tombs differ in their characters from the recension in use today, so there are many places where the reading of one and the same passage divides. Wang Bi reads the book as philosophy; Heshang Gong reads it as governing and the nurture of life.

1The Dao is always without action

道常無為

The Dao is always without action,

note 2

王弼

順自然也。

It follows what is so of itself.

河上公

道以無為為常也。

The Dao takes being without action as what it constantly holds to.

2Nothing is left undone

而無不為。

and yet there is nothing it does not do.

note 1

王弼

萬物無不由為以治以成之也。

There is nothing among the ten thousand things that is not governed and brought to completion through this doing.

3Pressing wanting down with the nameless uncarved log

侯王若能守之，萬物將自化。化而欲作，吾將鎮之以無名之樸。

If a ruler can keep to it, the ten thousand things will change of themselves. If wanting rises as they change, I will press it down with the nameless uncarved log.

note 4

王弼

化而欲作，作欲成也。吾將鎮之無名之樸，不為主也。

That wanting rises as they change means that wanting rises and seeks to be fulfilled. That I press it down with the nameless uncarved log means that I do not act as their master.

河上公

言侯王若能守道，萬物將自化效於己也。

This says that if the lords and kings can keep to the Dao, the ten thousand things will change of themselves and model themselves on him.

河上公

吾，身也。無明之樸，道德也。萬物已化效於己也。復欲作巧偽者，侯王當身鎮撫以道德也。

Wu (吾, “I”) means one’s own person. The nameless plainness is the Dao and its virtue. When the ten thousand things have already changed and modeled themselves on him, if they again work cleverness and set about deceit, the lords and kings should in their own person press them down and settle them with the Dao and its virtue.

河上公

言侯王鎮撫以道德，民亦將不欲，故當以清靜導化之也。

This says that when the lords and kings press them down and settle them with the Dao and its virtue, the people too will come to want nothing; therefore he should lead and transform them by clarity and stillness.

4Wanting comes to an end

無名之樸，夫亦將無欲。

The nameless uncarved log also brings wanting to an end.

note 1

王弼

無欲競也。

The wanting that contends comes to an end.

5All under heaven settles of itself

不欲以靜，天下將自定。

When there is no wanting and all is still, all under heaven will settle of itself.

note 1

河上公

能如是者，天下將自正定也。

For one who can be like this, all under heaven sets itself right and settles of itself.

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