道德經

Tao Te Ching 13 · 13

Detesting Disgrace

寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。何謂寵辱？辱為下，得之若驚，失之若驚，是謂寵辱若驚。何謂貴大患若身？吾所以有大患者，為吾有身；及吾無身，吾有何患？故貴以身為天下者，則可寄於天下；愛以身為天下者，乃可以託於天下。

Favor and disgrace are like a shock; fear great trouble reaching the body. What is meant by “favor and disgrace”? Disgrace is lowly. Getting favor is like a shock; losing it is like a shock: this is called “favor and disgrace are like a shock.” What is meant by “fear great trouble reaching the body”? The reason I have great trouble is that I have a body. If I had no body, what trouble would I have? So one who prizes his body as the world can then be lent the world; one who loves his body as the world can then be entrusted with the world.

Word by word

寵chǒngFavor辱rǔand disgrace若ruòare like驚jīnga shock，貴guìfear大dàgreat患huàntrouble若ruòreaching身shēnthe body。何héWhat謂wèiis meant by寵chǒngfavor辱rǔand disgrace？辱rǔDisgrace為wéiis下xiàlowly，得déGetting之zhīfavor若ruòis like驚jīnga shock，失shīlosing之zhīit若ruòis like驚jīnga shock，是shìthis謂wèiis called寵chǒngfavor辱rǔand disgrace若ruòare like驚jīnga shock。何héWhat謂wèiis meant by貴guìfear大dàgreat患huàntrouble若ruòreaching身shēnthe body？吾wúI所以suǒ yǐThe reason有yǒuhave大dàgreat患huàntrouble者zhěis，為wèithat吾wúI有yǒuhave身shēna body；及jíIf吾wúI無wúhad no身shēnbody，would吾wúI有yǒuhave何héwhat患huàntrouble？故gùSo貴guìprizes以yǐ(takes)身shēnhis body為wéias天下tiān xiàthe world者zhěone who，則zéthen可kěcan寄jìbe lent於yú(in)天下tiān xiàthe world；愛àiloves以yǐ(takes)身shēnhis body為wéias天下tiān xiàthe world者zhěone who，乃nǎithen可kěcan以yǐ(by this)託tuōbe entrusted於yúwith天下tiān xiàthe world。；。？。；：。？。，？；。

The setting

A chapter on favor, disgrace, and having a body, arguing that self-regard is the root of being startled by either.

A note on this passage

Favor and disgrace are one experience: both startle you, because both make you watch your own standing. The body here is that self, the one that can be raised up or brought low.

Heshang Gong's text differs from Wang Bi's at several points of grammar here (a fuller opening question, extra particles in the closing couplet) without changing the conclusion: whoever cares for the world as they care for their own body is the one fit to be trusted with it.

Read the full commentary — and tap any word for its dictionary entry — in the interlinear reader.

Open Tao Te Ching 13 in the full reader

Always open passages in the reader

From the Great Library

You are reading a page of the Tao Te Ching — the whole book is free in our interlinear reader.

The Great Library Project presses the classics in their original languages, glossed word by word — free to read, always. Browse the whole library.

Also on our shelves:

❦

Tao Te Ching 13 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/tao/13/