The Net of Heaven is Wide (Tian Wang Hui Hui, Shu Er Bu Lou) from Dao De Jing Chapter 73
天网恢恢，疏而不漏|The Net of Heaven is Wide（No matter how you translate it, it doesn’t reach the original meaning）
- Literal Translation:
- “The net of Heaven is wide-meshed” (天网恢恢)
- “Loosely, yet nothing slips through” (疏而不漏)
- Key Concepts:
- Heaven’s Justice: “Heaven’s net” symbolizes the natural or cosmic order that governs all things.
- Non-Action (Wu Wei): The phrase reflects Daoist belief in impartial, effortless justice—no active intervention is needed, yet balance is maintained.
- Inevitability: Despite seeming “loose,” no wrongdoing ultimately escapes consequences.
- Metaphorical Meaning:
- The universe operates by inherent laws; justice may appear delayed or invisible but is inexorable.
- Contrasts human legal systems (rigid, imperfect) with nature’s flawless, organic balance.
- Philosophical Context:
- Aligns with Laozi’s view of the Dao (Way) as self-regulating; force is unnecessary.
- Implies humility: humans cannot outwit cosmic harmony.
- Modern Application:
- Encourages trust in natural fairness over manipulation.
- Warns against arrogance (e.g., “escaping punishment”), as the Dao ensures equilibrium.
Summary: Heaven’s justice is all-encompassing—subtle but inescapable, like a vast net that seems open yet catches all. It embodies Daoist trust in the self-correcting nature of existence.
(Note: This phrase later influenced the Chinese idiom “天网恢恢，疏而不漏,” often used to mean “Justice may be delayed but never denied.”)