Chapter 62 — Practicing the Dao為道

奧，猶曖也。可得庇蔭之辭。

Ao (奧) is like a shaded place, and so it is the word for being able to obtain shelter and covering.

奧，藏也。道為萬物之藏，無所不容也。

Ao is storing away. The Dao is the place where the ten thousand things are stored away, and so there is nothing it does not take in.

寶以為用也。

He takes it as a treasure and puts it to use.

善人以道為身寶，不敢違也。

The good take the Dao as the treasure of their body and do not dare go against it.

保以全也。

By holding on to it they are kept whole.

道者，不善人之保倚也。遭患逢急，猶自知悔卑下。

The Dao is what the not good hold on to and lean upon. When they meet with trouble and pass through urgent straits, they still know how to repent of themselves and put themselves low.

言道無所不先，物無有貴於此也。雖有珍寶璧馬，無以匹之，美言之則可以奪眾貨之賈，故曰，美言可以市也，尊行之則千里之外應之，故曰，可以加於人也。

This says that there is nothing the Dao does not come before, and that among things there is none more precious than this. Though one have rare treasures and jade and horses, they cannot match it; so to speak of it beautifully is enough to take away the price of all other goods. Therefore it says that beautiful words can be offered in the market. Practice it loftily and there is response from a thousand li away. Therefore it says that it can lift a man above others.

美言者獨可於市耳。夫市交易而退，不相宜善言美語，求者欲疾得，賣者欲疾售也。

Beautiful words are fit for use only in the market. The market is a place where people trade and withdraw, so fine speech and beautiful words are not suited to each other there: the buyer wants to get quickly, and the seller wants to sell quickly.

加，別也。人有尊貴之行，可以別異於凡人，未足以尊道。

Lifting above (加) is setting apart. If a person has honorable and noble conduct, he can be set apart as different from the common run, but it is still not enough to honor the Dao.

不善當保道以免放。

One who is not good ought to hold on to the Dao and so escape being cast out.

人雖不善，當以道化之。蓋三皇之前，無有棄民，德化淳也。

Even if a person is not good, one should transform him by the Dao. Before the Three Sovereigns (三皇) there were no cast-out people, for their transforming by virtue was rich.

言以尊行道也。

This says that by honoring them one practices the Dao.

欲使教化不善之人。

It is to have the not good taught and transformed.

此道，上之所云也。言故立天子、置三公，尊其位、重其人，所以為道也。物無有貴於此者。故雖有拱抱寶璧以先，駟馬而進之，不如坐而進此道也。

This Dao is what was spoken of above. So it says that setting up the Son of Heaven and placing the three dukes, honoring their positions and giving weight to the men who fill them, is done for the sake of the Dao. Among things there is none more precious than this; so though a man clasp a great treasure of jade and send it ahead and present it with a team of four horses, that is not as good as sitting still and presenting this Dao.

雖有美璧先駟馬而至，故不如坐進此道。

Though a man sets a beautiful jade ahead of a team of four horses and has it brought, that is not as good as sitting still and presenting this Dao.

以求則得求，以免則得免，無所而不施，故為天下貴也。

Seek by it and you obtain what you seek; try to be spared by it and you obtain being spared. There is nowhere it is not bestowed. Therefore it is prized by all under heaven.

古之所以貴此道者，不日日遠行求索，近得之於身。

The ancients prized this Dao because they did not go far each day to search for it, but obtained it near at hand, in their own body.

有罪謂遭亂世，闇君妄行形誅，修道則可以解死，免於眾也。

Having guilt speaks of meeting a disordered age, when a benighted ruler recklessly inflicts bodily punishment. If one cultivates the Dao, one can loosen death and escape from the midst of the crowd.

道德洞遠，無不覆濟，全身治國，恬然無為，故可為天下貴也。

The Dao and virtue are deep and far-reaching, and there is nothing they do not cover and save. In keeping the body whole and governing the state they are calm and do nothing, and so they can be prized by all under heaven.