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Chapter 68 — Matching heaven配天

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 · 43 Chinese characters · reading time 0.2 min

Daodejing (The Classic of the Way and Virtue) Dejing (The Classic of Virtue) 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.

1A good commander does not use force

善為士者不武，

A good commander does not use force,

note 2

王弼

士，卒之帥也。武，尚先陵人也。

Shi (士) is the head of the foot soldiers. Wu (武) is to exalt going first and to trample on others.

河上公

言貴道德，不好武力也。

It means that he holds the Dao and its virtue precious and is not fond of force.

2A good fighter does not grow angry

善戰者不怒，

a good fighter does not grow angry,

note 2

王弼

後而不先，應而不唱，故不在怒。

He stays behind and does not go first; he responds and does not lead off. So he does not abide in anger.

河上公

善以道戰者，禁邪於胸心，絕禍於未萌，無所誅怒也。

One who is good at fighting by the Dao blocks what is crooked within his own breast and cuts off disaster before it sprouts, so there is nothing for him to punish or be angry at.

3One good at beating an enemy does not engage him

善勝敵者不與，

one who is good at beating an enemy does not engage him,

note 2

王弼

不與爭也。

He does not contend with him.

河上公

善以道勝敵者，附近以仁，來遠以德，不與敵爭，而敵自服也。

One who is good at beating an enemy by the Dao draws those near with humaneness and brings those far with virtue, so that without contending with the enemy the enemy submits of himself.

4One good at using people puts himself below them

善用人者為之下，是謂不爭之德，是謂用人之力，

and one who is good at using people puts himself below them. This is called the virtue of not contending, and this is called using the strength of others.

note 4

王弼

用人而不為之下，則力不為用也。

If one uses people without putting oneself below them, their strength is not put to use.

河上公

善用人自輔佐者，常為人執謙下也。

One who is good at using people to help him always keeps himself humble and yielding toward them.

河上公

謂上為之下也。是乃不與人爭之道德也。

It means being above and yet putting oneself below. This is just the Dao and the virtue of not contending with others.

河上公

能身為人下，是謂用人臣之力也。

He can put his own person below others, and this is called using the strength of his ministers.

5This is called matching heaven the utmost of old

是謂配天古之極。

This is called matching heaven, the utmost of old.

note 1

河上公

能行此者，德配天也。是乃古之極要道也。

One who can practice this has a virtue that matches heaven. This is just the most essential Dao of old.

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