Chapter 77 — The way of heaven天道
1The way of heaven is like the drawing of a bow
天之道，其猶張弓與？高者抑之，下者舉之；有餘者損之，不足者補之。天之道，損有餘而補不足。人之道則不然，
The way of heaven is like the drawing of a bow. What is high it presses down, what is low it lifts up. What has too much it takes from, what has too little it fills out. The way of heaven takes from what has too much and fills out what has too little. The way of people is not so,
note 5
與天地合德，乃能包之，如天之道。如人之量，則各有其身，不得相均，如惟無身無私乎，自然然後乃能與天地合德。
Only one who joins his virtue with heaven and earth can encompass this, as the way of heaven does. Measured by human capacity, each has a body of his own and they cannot be made even with one another. Only where there is no body and no private self is it so of itself, and only then can one join one's virtue with heaven and earth.
天道暗昧，舉物類以為喻也。
The way of heaven is dark and hard to know, so a class of ordinary things is held up as a comparison.
言張弓和調之，如是乃可用耳，夫抑高舉下，損強益弱，天之道也。
This says that in drawing a bow one must bring it into even accord, and only then can it be used at all. To press down what is high and lift up what is low, to take from the strong and add to the weak — this is the way of heaven.
天道損有餘而益謙，常以中和為上。
The way of heaven takes from what has too much and adds to what lowers itself, and it always holds what is unswerving and harmonious to be highest.
人道則與天道反，
The way of people is the opposite of the way of heaven.
2Only one who holds the way
損不足以奉有餘。孰能有餘以奉天下？唯有道者。是以聖人為而不恃，功成而不處，其不欲見賢。
it takes from what has too little to serve what has too much. Who can serve all under heaven out of what he has to spare? Only one who holds the way. So the sage acts and does not depend, completes his work and does not dwell in it. He has no wish to show himself worthy.
note 6
言唯能處盈而全虛，損有以補無，和光同塵，蕩而均者，唯其道也。是以聖人不欲示其賢以均天下。
This says that only the way can dwell in fullness and yet keep emptiness whole, take from what is and fill out what is not, soften its light and share the dust, and so run clear and make all even. That is why the sage has no wish to show himself worthy in order to make all under heaven even.
世俗之人損貧以奉富，奪弱以益強也。
The people of the world take from the poor to serve the well-off, and seize from the weak to add to the strong.
言誰能居有餘之位，自省爵祿以奉天下不足者乎？唯有道之君能行也。
This asks who, holding a place where there is more than enough, could of himself cut back his office and its stipend to serve those under heaven who have too little. Only a ruler who holds the way can do it.
聖人為德施，不恃其報也。
The sage bestows virtue and does not depend on being repaid for it.
功成事就，不處其位。
Though the work is completed and the task done, he does not dwell in the place it gives him.
不欲使人知己之賢，匿功不居榮，畏天損有餘也。
He has no wish for others to know his worth; he hides what he has achieved and does not dwell in glory, for he fears that heaven takes from whatever has too much.