Chapter 9 of Laozi's Tao Te Ching warns of the dangers that arise when things or situations reach their extreme. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining a moderate and simple state rather than an excessive one, and highlights the value of knowing when one has enough (知足). This chapter connects with the principle of "going too far is as bad as not going far enough" (過猶不及) and cautions against the pursuit of absolute perfection or excessive possession.
📜 Original Text (原文)
持而盈之 不如其已
揣而銳之 不可長保
金玉滿堂 莫之能守
富貴而驕 自遺其咎
功遂身退 天之道也
📃 Meaning of the Original Text
To hold and fill it to the brim is not as good as stopping in time.
To sharpen and hone it to the utmost cannot be long preserved.
When gold and jade fill the hall, no one can protect them.
Wealth and honor with arrogance bring on their own disaster.
When the work is done, to withdraw is the Way of Heaven.
🌲 Line-by-Line Translation
持而盈之 不如其已 (chí ér yíng zhī, bù rú qí yǐ)
To hold and fill it to the brim is not as good as stopping in time.
揣而銳之 不可長保 (chuǎi ér ruì zhī, bù kě cháng bǎo)
To sharpen and hone it to the utmost cannot be long preserved.
金玉滿堂 莫之能守 (jīn yù mǎn táng, mò zhī néng shǒu)
When gold and jade fill the hall, no one can protect them.
富貴而驕 自遺其咎 (fù guì ér jiāo, zì yí qí jiù)
Wealth and honor with arrogance bring on their own disaster.
功遂身退 天之道也 (gōng suì shēn tuì, tiān zhī dào yě)
When the work is done, to withdraw is the Way of Heaven.
💧 Verse-by-Verse Commentary and Interpretation (逐句解說與解釋)
1. 持而盈之 不如其已 (chí ér yíng zhī, bù rú qí yǐ)
o Literal Meaning: To hold and fill it is not as good as stopping in time.
o Commentary: In '持而盈之' (chí ér yíng zhī), '持' (chí) means to hold, maintain, or grasp. '而' (ér) is a conjunction. '盈之' (yíng zhī) means to fill it to the brim or to overflowing, with '之' (zhī) being a pronoun for some object (like a cup). The phrase describes the act of continually filling something to overflowing. In '不如其已' (bù rú qí yǐ), '不如' (bù rú) means 'is not as good as.' '其已' (qí yǐ) means 'to stop it' or 'to cease.'
o Interpretation: This means that trying to greedily fill something until it overflows is worse than stopping at the right time. It is a warning against material greed and artificial perfectionism. The more one tries to fill something to the brim, the more likely it is to become unstable or cause problems. It is wiser to stop at an appropriate point.
2. 揣而銳之 不可長保 (chuǎi ér ruì zhī, bù kě cháng bǎo)
o Literal Meaning: To hammer and sharpen it cannot be long preserved.
o Commentary: In '揣而銳之' (chuǎi ér ruì zhī), '揣' (chuǎi) means to hammer, temper, or hone. '而' (ér) is a conjunction. '銳之' (ruì zhī) means to make it sharp or pointed, with '之' (zhī) referring to an object like a blade or a person's talent. The phrase describes the act of artificially making something extremely sharp. In '不可長保' (bù kě cháng bǎo), '不可' (bù kě) means 'cannot be.' '長保' (cháng bǎo) means to preserve for a long time.
o Interpretation: If a tool is sharpened excessively or a person's talent is honed to an extreme point, it is more likely to break or wear down and cannot be preserved for long. This is a warning that artificial perfection or extreme sharpness disrupts natural harmony and is prone to self-destruction. This connects to the Taoist idea that what is soft and blunt lasts longer (see Chapter 76).
3. 金玉滿堂 莫之能守 (jīn yù mǎn táng, mò zhī néng shǒu)
o Literal Meaning: When gold and jade fill the hall, no one can protect them.
o Commentary: '金玉滿堂' (jīn yù mǎn táng) means 'gold (金) and jade (玉) fill (滿) the hall (堂),' describing a state of immense wealth. In '莫之能守' (mò zhī néng shǒu), '莫' (mò) is a negative, meaning 'no one' or 'nothing can.' '之' (zhī) refers to the aforementioned wealth. '能守' (néng shǒu) means 'to be able to guard' or 'to protect.'
o Interpretation: No matter how much wealth one accumulates to fill one's house, no one can guard it forever or keep it completely safe. The more wealth one has, the more it attracts danger from others, and the attachment to it can destroy one's peace of mind. This is a warning that excessive possession invites anxiety and risk.
4. 富貴而驕 自遺其咎 (fù guì ér jiāo, zì yí qí jiù)
o Literal Meaning: Wealth and honor with arrogance bring on their own disaster.
o Commentary: In '富貴而驕' (fù guì ér jiāo), '富貴' (fù guì) means to be wealthy and noble. '而' (ér) is a conjunction meaning 'and then.' '驕' (jiāo) means to be arrogant or proud. In '自遺其咎' (zì yí qí jiù), '自' (zì) means 'oneself.' '遺' (yí) means to leave behind or to bring upon. '其咎' (qí jiù) means 'its fault,' 'disaster,' or 'calamity.'
o Interpretation: When one becomes wealthy and attains a high position, if one becomes arrogant and proud, this will inevitably lead to one's own downfall or disaster. It illustrates the worldly truth that arrogance at the peak of success is the beginning of ruin, indirectly emphasizing the importance of humility.
5. 功遂身退 天之道也 (gōng suì shēn tuì, tiān zhī dào yě)
o Literal Meaning: When the work is done, to withdraw is the Way of Heaven.
o Commentary: In '功遂' (gōng suì), '功' (gōng) means work, merit, or achievement, and '遂' (suì) means to complete or accomplish. '功遂' means 'the work is successfully done.' In '身退' (shēn tuì), '身' (shēn) means 'oneself,' and '退' (tuì) means to retreat or withdraw. '功遂身退' (gōng suì shēn tuì) means to step back after successfully completing one's work. '天之道也' (tiān zhī dào yě) means 'this is the Way of Heaven' or 'the law of nature,' with '也' (yě) being a final particle of assertion.
o Interpretation: After successfully accomplishing a task or achieving great merit, the natural and Tao-aligned way is to withdraw gracefully, without clinging to the results or the position. This is the core principle of Taoist conduct: to achieve true harmony and stability by not artificially asserting one's own merits or clinging to power, but by following the natural flow. This connects to the sage's action in Chapter 2: "achieves merit but does not dwell on it" (功成而弗居).
🌳 Overall Interpretation
The ninth chapter speaks of the danger of going to extremes and the wisdom of a life that knows contentment.
Holding onto a vessel and trying to fill it until it overflows is not as good as stopping at the right time. Likewise, hammering a blade until it is extremely sharp makes it difficult to preserve its edge for long.
If your house is filled with precious things like gold and jade, no one can guard them safely forever. When you become wealthy and achieve high status, if you act with arrogance, you are bringing disaster and ruin upon yourself.
The wisest and most natural course of action is, after successfully completing a task or achieving something great, to withdraw gracefully without clinging to the result. This is the unchanging law of Heaven (nature).
🌟 The Meaning and Importance of Chapter 9
Chapter 9 presents the following core ideas:
- Going Too Far is as Bad as Not Going Far Enough (過猶不及): Through various analogies (filling to the brim, extreme sharpness, excessive wealth, arrogance), it shows that anything excessive is worse than not enough. It warns that perfection and extreme states are unstable and cannot last.
- Knowing Contentment (知足) and Moderation: Instead of pursuing artificial perfection or endless possessions, it stresses the importance of knowing satisfaction and stopping at the right point (不如其已). Knowing one's limits and being content brings stability and peace.
- Humility and Stepping Back (身退): It emphasizes the importance of not being arrogant when successful or wealthy (不驕) and of stepping back naturally after accomplishing a great deed (功遂身退). This is the core of Taoist conduct: abandoning artificial desire and attachment to follow the flow of nature.
- The Way of Nature: By stating that '功遂身退' is the 'Way of Heaven,' it shows that this humble and retiring attitude is not just an artificial human effort but aligns with the fundamental order of nature itself.
Chapter 9 warns against the dangers brought by human's artificial desires, attachments, and excesses, while emphasizing the importance of living a life of humility, contentment, and moderation in accordance with the laws of nature. This clearly illustrates why Taoist thought cautions against material and reputational greed, and instead advocates for a simple and natural life.
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