CHINESE ORIGINAL
天下之至柔，驰骋天下之至坚。
无有入无间，吾是以知无为之有益。
不言之教，无为之益，天下希及之。
ENGLISH · JAMES LEGGE, 1891
The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest; that which has no (substantial) existence enters where there is no crevice. I know hereby what advantage belongs to doing nothing (with a purpose).
There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.
Legge’s translation uses nineteenth-century English. Parentheses are the translator’s; English chapter headings are editorial reading aids. Sources & method ↗
READ IN CONTEXT
Everyday living
Water, an empty bowl, a modest home. Ordinary images open questions about desire, sufficiency, generosity, and how to live with others.
Everyday living