Tao Te Ching Chapter 4
Original Chinese Text
道冲，而用之或不盈。
渊兮，似万物之宗。
挫其锐，解其纷，
和其光，同其尘。
湛兮，似或存。
吾不知谁之子，
象帝之先。
Pinyin (Pronunciation)
Dào chōng, ér yòng zhī huò bù yíng.
Yuān xī, sì wànwù zhī zōng.
Cuò qí ruì, jiě qí fēn,
Hé qí guāng, tóng qí chén.
Zhàn xī, sì huò cún.
Wú bù zhī shuí zhī zǐ,
Xiàng dì zhī xiān.
白话文翻译 (Plain Chinese Translation)
- 道冲，而用之或不盈
- 道是空虚无形的，但它的作用却无穷无尽。
- The Tao is empty (formless), yet its use is inexhaustible.
- 渊兮，似万物之宗
- 它深不可测，像是万物的本源。
- So deep! It seems the ancestor of all things.
- 挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘
- 它磨去锋芒，化解纷争，调和光芒，混同尘世。
- It blunts sharpness, untangles knots, softens glare, merges with dust.
- 湛兮，似或存
- 它隐没不见，却又真实存在。
- So clear! It seems barely to exist.
- 吾不知谁之子，象帝之先
- 我不知道它是谁创造的，它似乎早于天帝。
- I know not whose child it is—it seems older than the Divine.
Key Concepts Explained
- 冲 (chōng): “Empty” or “hollow,” representing the Tao’s formless nature.
- 和光同尘 (hé guāng tóng chén): A core Taoist principle of harmonizing with all things while remaining inconspicuous.
- 象帝之先 (xiàng dì zhī xiān): Suggests the Tao predates even the highest gods (metaphysical primacy).
Philosophical Essence
- Paradox of Emptiness: The Tao, though formless, is the source of all form and function.
- Non-Interference: The Tao naturally resolves conflicts (“解其纷”) without force.
- Mystery of Origins: The chapter hints at the Tao’s primordial existence beyond conventional divinity.
“The Tao is like a well: used but never used up.”
— Modern metaphor reflecting its inexhaustibility (verse 1).
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