Chapter 73 — Relying on action任為
1Bold in daring, and you are killed
勇於敢則殺，
Be bold in daring and you are killed,
note 2
必不得其死也。
He is sure not to meet his allotted death.
勇敢有為，則殺其身。
If he is bold in daring and has something he does, he kills his own person.
2Bold in not daring, and you live
勇於不敢則活。
be bold in not daring and you live.
note 2
必齊命也。
He is sure to keep his life in order.
勇於不敢有為，則活其身。
If he is bold in not daring to have anything he does, he keeps his own person alive.
3These two are sometimes a gain and sometimes a harm
此兩者，或利或害。
These two are sometimes a gain and sometimes a harm.
note 3
俱勇而所施者異，利害不同，故曰，或利或害也。
Both are bold alike, but what they put forth differs, so the gain and the harm are not the same. Hence it says: sometimes a gain, sometimes a harm.
謂敢與不敢也。
It means daring and not daring.
活身為利，殺身為害。
To keep the person alive is the gain; to kill the person is the harm.
4Even the sage treats it as hard
天之所惡，孰知其故？是以聖人猶難之。
Who knows the reason for what heaven hates? So even the sage treats it as hard.
note 4
孰，誰也。言誰能知天下之所惡意故邪？其唯聖人。夫聖人之明，猶難於勇敢，況無聖人之明而欲行之也。故曰，猶難之也。
Shu (孰) means who. This says: who can know the intent and the reason of what all under heaven hates? Only the sage. Now even with the sage's clarity one still finds it hard to be bold in daring; how much more one who has not the sage's clarity and would do it anyway. Hence it says: even he treats it as hard.
惡有為也。
It hates having something one does.
誰能知天意之故而不犯？
Who can know the reason of heaven's intent and not offend against it?
言聖人之明德猶難於勇敢，況無聖人之德而欲行之乎？
It says that even with the sage's bright virtue one still finds daring hard; how much more one who has not the sage's virtue and would do it anyway.
5It does not contend, yet it wins well
天之道，不爭而善勝，
The way of heaven does not contend, yet it wins well,
note 2
天唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。
Heaven alone does not contend, and so no one under heaven can contend with it.
天不與人爭貴賤，而人自畏之。
Heaven does not contend with people over the noble and the base, yet people stand in awe of it of themselves.
6It does not speak, yet it answers well
不言而善應，
it does not speak, yet it answers well,
note 2
順則吉，逆則凶，不言而善應也。
Follow it and there is good fortune, go against it and there is ill fortune; so it answers well without speaking.
天不言，萬物自動以應時。
Heaven does not speak, yet the ten thousand things stir of themselves and answer to the season.
7It does not call, yet things come of themselves
不召而自來，
it does not call, yet things come of themselves,
note 2
處下則物自歸。
Dwell in the low place and things come back of themselves.
天不呼召，萬物皆負陰而向陽。
Heaven does not call them, yet the ten thousand things all turn their backs to the shade and face the sun.
8It is unhurried, yet it plans well
繟然而善謀。
it is unhurried, yet it plans well.
note 2
垂象而見吉凶，先事而設誠，安而不忘危，未召而謀之，故曰，繟然而善謀也。
It hangs out its signs and shows good and ill fortune, sets out its good faith before the event, does not forget danger while at ease, and plans before it is called upon. Hence it says: unhurried, yet it plans well.
繟，寬也。天道雖寬博，善謀慮人事，修善行惡，各蒙其報也。
Chan (繟) means ample. The way of heaven is ample and wide, yet it plans the affairs of people well, so that whether they cultivate good or do harm, each receives his requital.
9Its mesh is loose, yet nothing slips through
天網恢恢，疏而不失。
The net of heaven is vast and wide. Its mesh is loose, yet nothing slips through.
note 1
天所網羅恢恢甚大，雖疏遠，司察人善惡，無有所失。
The net heaven has spread is vast and wide, very great indeed. Though its mesh is loose and far apart, it watches over the good and the harm people do, and nothing slips through.