Chapter 39 — The root as the rule法本

昔，始也。一，數之始而物之極也。各是一物之生，所以為主也。物皆各得此一以成，既成而舍以居成，居成則失其母，故皆裂發歇竭滅蹶也。

Of old (昔) means the beginning. The one (一) is the beginning of number and the end of things. It is why each becomes the master in the coming to be of a single thing. Things are all completed by each getting this one; but once completed they leave it aside and dwell in what has been completed. Dwelling in what has been completed, they lose their mother. Hence they all split apart, burst open, cease, run dry, perish, and fall.

昔，往也。一，無為，道之子也。

Of old means what is past. The one is doing nothing, and it is the child of the Dao.

各以其一致此清、寧、靈、盈、生、貞。

Each by its own one reaches this clearness, this rest, this divinity, this fullness, this living, and this rightness.

言天得一故能垂象清明。

This says that because heaven got the one, it can display a clear and bright aspect.

言地得一故能安靜不動搖。

This says that because earth got the one, it is still and settled and does not shake.

言神得一故能變化無形。

This says that because the spirit got the one, it can change without having a form.

言谷得一故能盈滿而不絕也。

This says that because the valley got the one, it is filled and does not cease.

言萬物皆須道以生成也。

This says that the ten thousand things all come to be and are completed by relying on the Dao.

言侯王得一故能為天下平正。

This says that because rulers got the one, they can make all under heaven even and right.

致，誡也。謂下六事也。

Zhi (致) means to warn. It refers to the six matters below.

用一以致清耳，非用清以清也。守一則清不失，用清則恐裂也。故為功之母，不可舍也。是以皆無用其功，恐喪其本也。

It is by using the one that clearness is reached; it is not by using clearness that one becomes clear. Keep to the one and clearness is not lost; use clearness and there is the fear of splitting apart. Hence the mother that completes the merit cannot be discarded. So none of them uses its merit, for fear of losing its root.

言天當有陰陽弛張，晝夜更用，不可但欲清明無已時，將恐分裂不為天。

This says that in heaven yin and yang slacken and draw tight, and day and night are used by turns; so heaven cannot wish for clearness and brightness alone with no time of ceasing. To do so would raise the fear of splitting apart and failing to be heaven.

清不能為清，盈不能為盈，皆有其母以存其形，故清不足貴，盈不足多，貴在其母，而母無貴形。貴乃以賤為本，高乃以下為基，故致數輿乃無輿也，玉石琭琭珞珞，體盡於形，故不欲也。

Clearness cannot make clearness, and fullness cannot make fullness; each has its mother, and so its form is preserved. Hence clearness is not something to be prized, and fullness is not something to be called much. What is prized lies in the mother, and the mother has no form that is prized. The noble takes the lowly as its root, and the high takes the low as its ground. Hence it says that counting carriage after carriage, there is no carriage. That jade and stone are smooth and hard is the body exhausted in form, and so it is not wished for.

言地當有高下剛柔，節氣五行，不可但欲安靜無已時，將恐發洩不為地。

This says that earth has high and low, the hard and the soft, the seasonal terms and the five phases; so it cannot wish for stillness alone with no time of ceasing. To do so would raise the fear of bursting open and leaking away and failing to be earth.

言神當有王相囚死休廢，不可但欲靈變無已時，將恐虛歇不為神。

This says that the spirit has flourishing and aiding, confinement and death, resting and falling away; so it cannot wish to change divinely alone with no time of ceasing. To do so would raise the fear of emptying out and ceasing and failing to be spirit.

言谷當有盈縮虛實，不可但欲盈滿無已時，將恐枯竭不為谷。

This says that the valley has waxing and waning, emptiness and fullness; so it cannot wish for fullness alone with no time of ceasing. To do so would raise the fear of drying up and failing to be a valley.

言萬物當隨時生死，不可但欲長生無已時，將恐滅亡不為物。

This says that the ten thousand things are born and die according to their season; so they cannot wish to live long alone with no time of ceasing. To do so would raise the fear of perishing and failing to be things.

言侯王當屈己以下人，汲汲求賢，不可但欲貴高於人無已時，將恐顛蹶失其位。

This says that a ruler should bend his own person and put himself below others, and diligently seek out worthy men; so he cannot wish to be noble and high above others alone with no time of ceasing. To do so would raise the fear of falling and losing his place.

言必欲尊貴，當以薄賤為本，若禹稷躬稼，舜陶河濱，周公下白屋也。

To become high and noble one should take the low and lowly as the root. This says it is like Yu (禹) and Ji (稷) tilling the ground with their own hands, Shun (舜) firing pots on the bank of the He (河水), and the Duke of Zhou (周公) humbling himself before scholars in thatched huts.

言必欲尊貴，當以下為本基，猶築牆造功，因卑成高，下不堅固，後必傾危。

To become high and noble one should take the low as the ground. It is like building a wall to finish a task, treading on the low place in order to climb high; this says that if what is below is not firm, it will surely lean over afterward and come into danger.

孤寡喻孤獨，不轂喻不能如車轂為眾輻所湊。

Gu (孤) and gua (寡) are figures for being solitary and alone, and bugu (不轂) is a figure for not being able to draw the many spokes together as a wheel hub does.

言侯王至尊貴，能以孤寡自稱，此非以賤為本乎，以曉人。

Though a ruler is utterly high and noble, he calls himself the orphaned one and the one of little virtue. Is this not taking the lowly as the root? By this he awakens people.

嗟嘆之辭。

These are words of sighing.

致，就也。言人就車數之為輻、為輪、為轂、為衡、為轝，無有名為車者，故成為車，以喻侯王不以尊號自名，故能成其貴。

Zhi means to go up to a thing and count it. If someone goes up to a carriage and counts, there are the spokes, the wheel, the hub, the yoke, and the carriage frame, but nothing apart from these to be named the carriage. That is how it becomes a carriage. By this it is figured that because a ruler does not name himself by a high title, he can bring his nobility to completion.

琭琭喻少，落落喻多，玉少故見貴，石多故見賤。言不欲如玉為人所貴，如石為人所賤，當處其中也。

Lulu (琭琭) is a figure for being few, and luoluo (落落) a figure for being many. Jade is prized because it is few, and stone is held lowly because it is many. This says that one does not wish to be prized by others like jade or held lowly like stone, but should dwell in the middle between them.