Chapter 51 of Laozi's Tao Te Ching explains how the ten thousand things (萬物) are born from their source, the Tao (道), and how they are nurtured and completed by the power of Virtue (德). It proposes that all things honor the Tao and value Virtue not because the Tao or Virtue commands it, but simply because it is their nature to do so. This process, where the Tao gives birth and Virtue nurtures, is described by the characteristics of 'Profound Virtue' (玄德): 'giving birth without possessing, acting without relying, and guiding without dominating' (生而不有, 為而不恃, 長而不宰).
📖 Table of Contents
- ✨ Introduction
- 📜 Original Text (原文)
- 📃 Meaning of the Original Text
- 🌲 Line-by-Line Translation
- 💧 Verse-by-Verse Commentary and Interpretation
- 道生之 德畜之 物形之 勢成之 (dào shēng zhī, dé xù zhī, wù xíng zhī, shì chéng zhī)
- 是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德 (shì yǐ wàn wù mò bù zūn dào ér guì dé)
- 道之尊德之貴 夫莫之命而常自然 (dào zhī zūn dé zhī guì, fū mò zhī mìng ér cháng zì rán)
- 故道生之德畜之 長之育之 亭之毒之 (gù dào shēng zhī dé xù zhī, zhǎng zhī yù zhī, tíng zhī dú zhī)
- 生而不有 為而不恃 長而不宰 是謂玄德 (shēng ér bù yǒu, wéi ér bù shì, zhǎng ér bù zǎi, shì wèi xuán dé)
- 🌳 Overall Interpretation
- 🌟 The Meaning and Importance of Chapter 51
📜 Original Text (原文)
道生之
德畜之
物形之
勢成之
是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德
道之尊德之貴
夫莫之命而常自然
故道生之德畜之
長之育之
亭之毒之
生而不有
為而不恃
長而不宰
是謂玄德
📃 Meaning of the Original Text
The Tao gives birth to all things.
Virtue nurtures them.
Matter gives them form.
Circumstances complete them.
Therefore, there is nothing among the ten thousand things that does not honor the Tao and value Virtue.
The honor of the Tao and the value of Virtue
Are not commanded, but are always spontaneous.
Thus, the Tao gives birth to them, and Virtue nurtures them.
It raises them and rears them.
It shelters them and matures them.
To give birth without possessing,
To act without relying,
To guide without dominating.
This is called Profound Virtue.
🌲 Line-by-Line Translation
道生之 德畜之 物形之 勢成之 (dào shēng zhī, dé xù zhī, wù xíng zhī, shì chéng zhī)
The Tao gives birth to all things. Virtue nurtures them. Matter gives them form. Circumstances complete them.
是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德 (shì yǐ wàn wù mò bù zūn dào ér guì dé)
Therefore, there is nothing among the ten thousand things that does not honor the Tao and value Virtue.
道之尊德之貴 夫莫之命而常自然 (dào zhī zūn dé zhī guì, fū mò zhī mìng ér cháng zì rán)
The honor of the Tao and the value of Virtue are not commanded, but are always spontaneous.
故道生之德畜之 長之育之 亭之毒之 (gù dào shēng zhī dé xù zhī, zhǎng zhī yù zhī, tíng zhī dú zhī)
Thus, the Tao gives birth to them, and Virtue nurtures them. It raises them and rears them. It shelters them and matures them.
生而不有 為而不恃 長而不宰 是謂玄德 (shēng ér bù yǒu, wéi ér bù shì, zhǎng ér bù zǎi, shì wèi xuán dé)
To give birth without possessing, to act without relying, to guide without dominating. This is called Profound Virtue.
💧 Verse-by-Verse Commentary and Interpretation (逐句解說與解釋)
1. 道生之 德畜之 物形之 勢成之 (dào shēng zhī, dé xù zhī, wù xíng zhī, shì chéng zhī)
o Literal Meaning: The Tao gives them birth. Virtue rears them. Matter gives them form. Circumstances complete them.
o Commentary: '之' (zhī) in all cases refers to 'the ten thousand things' (萬物). '道生之' (dào shēng zhī): 'The Tao (道) gives birth (生) to them.' This emphasizes the Tao as the fundamental origin of all things (connects to Chapter 42's 'The Tao gives birth to the One'). '德畜之' (dé xù zhī): 'Virtue (德) rears/nurtures (畜) them.' '德' (dé) is the power of the Tao manifesting within all things, responsible for their nourishment and growth. '物形之' (wù xíng zhī): 'Matter (物) gives form (形) to them.' This indicates that physical materials or elements provide the basis for the concrete form of all things. '勢成之' (shì chéng zhī): 'Circumstances/environment (勢) complete (成) them.' External conditions, environment, and the flow of time play a role in the final maturation and completion of all things.
o Interpretation: This is a comprehensive explanation of how all things come into existence: they originate from the Tao (the source), are nurtured by Virtue (the inherent power), take shape through physical matter (external materials), and are completed within their environment (circumstances). The Tao is the beginning and fundamental energy of all; Virtue is that energy manifesting as vitality within things; matter and circumstances are the external and environmental factors through which things are concretized and actualized.
2. 是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德 (shì yǐ wàn wù mò bù zūn dào ér guì dé)
o Literal Meaning: Therefore, there is nothing among the ten thousand things that does not honor the Tao and value Virtue.
o Commentary: '是以' (shì yǐ) means 'because of this' or 'therefore,' referring to the process of creation/nurturing/completion just described. '萬物莫不' (wàn wù mò bù) is a double negative meaning 'among the ten thousand things (萬物), there is nothing that does not (莫不),' which is a strong affirmation: 'all things do.' '尊道而貴德' (zūn dào ér guì dé) means 'to honor (尊) the Tao (道) and (而) value (貴) Virtue (德).'
o Interpretation: Because all things are born from the Tao as their source and are nurtured by the power of Virtue, everything in the world instinctively honors the Tao, the origin of all, and values Virtue, which nurtures all. This is a natural response of all things, occurring without artificial teaching or coercion.
3. 道之尊德之貴 夫莫之命而常自然 (dào zhī zūn dé zhī guì, fū mò zhī mìng ér cháng zì rán)
o Literal Meaning: That the Tao is honored and Virtue is valued, is not because of any command, but is always spontaneous.
o Commentary: '道之尊德之貴' (dào zhī zūn dé zhī guì) means 'the Tao's being honored (道之尊) and Virtue's being valued (德之貴).' This is the result stated in the previous line. '夫' (fū) is an introductory particle. '莫之命' (mò zhī mìng) means 'nothing (莫) commands (命) them (之, all things).' '而常自然' (ér cháng zì rán) means 'and yet (而) it is always (常) natural/spontaneous (自然).' Here, '自然' (zì rán) refers to the essential state of the Tao and the state of things being as they are of their own accord.
o Interpretation: The reason all things honor the Tao and value Virtue is not because the Tao or Virtue commands or coerces them like a monarch, but simply because they naturally give birth to and nurture all things. The Tao and Virtue issue no commands to all things, yet all things exist and transform according to their natural workings, and thus they follow and honor the Tao and Virtue.
4. 故道生之德畜之 長之育之 亭之毒之 (gù dào shēng zhī dé xù zhī, zhǎng zhī yù zhī, tíng zhī dú zhī)
o Literal Meaning: Thus, the Tao gives them birth, and Virtue rears them. It raises them and rears them. It shelters them and matures them.
o Commentary: '故' (gù) is a result and further explanation of the preceding content. It repeats '道生之德畜之' to re-emphasize the fundamental roles of Tao and Virtue. In '長之育之' (zhǎng zhī yù zhī), '長' (zhǎng) means to make grow or develop. '育' (yù) means to rear or nourish. In '亭之毒之' (tíng zhī dú zhī), '亭' (tíng) means to stabilize, to give shelter, or to give shape. '毒' (dú), originally meaning poison, is used here in its archaic sense to mean 'to grow,' 'to mature,' 'to complete,' or 'to thicken.' It signifies the final stage of completing the life cycle of things.
o Interpretation: The Tao not only brings all things into being initially but, along with the power of Virtue, is involved in the entire process of making things grow, nurturing them, giving them a stable form, and finally helping them mature and reach completion. This emphasizes the comprehensive role of Tao and Virtue in the creation and nurturing of all things.
5. 生而不有 為而不恃 長而不宰 是謂玄德 (shēng ér bù yǒu, wéi ér bù shì, zhǎng ér bù zǎi, shì wèi xuán dé)
o Literal Meaning: To give birth without possessing, to act without relying, to guide without dominating. This is called Profound Virtue.
o Commentary: This reuses phrases from Chapters 10 and 34 that describe the attitude of the Tao or the Sage. '生而不有' (shēng ér bù yǒu): 'to give birth but not possess.' '為而不恃' (wéi ér bù shì): 'to act but not rely' or 'not to claim credit for one's deeds.' '長而不宰' (zhǎng ér bù zǎi): 'to let grow but not dominate' or 'to guide but not control.' '是謂玄德' (shì wèi xuán dé): 'This is called (是謂) Profound Virtue (玄德).' '玄德' (xuán dé) is the mysterious and deep virtue of the Tao.
o Interpretation: The process by which the Tao gives birth to and nurtures all things is accomplished in a way that does not treat the result (all things) as its own possession or become attached to it, does not boast of or rely on the merit of having nurtured them, and does not try to dominate or manipulate their growth and development. This way of non-possession, non-assertion, and non-domination is the essence of the supremely natural and deep 'Profound Virtue' (玄德) that comes from the Tao.
🌳 Overall Interpretation
The fifty-first chapter tells the story of how all life begins and grows.
The Tao, the source of all things, 'gives birth' to all life. And 'Virtue' (德), which comes from the Tao, 'nurtures' that life. Physical 'matter' gives that life its 'form,' and the surrounding 'environment or circumstances' 'complete' it.
Because all things exist through this process, there is nothing in the world that does not honor the Tao and value Virtue. The reason the Tao is honored and Virtue is valued is not because the Tao or Virtue commands or forces all things like a king, but simply because they naturally give birth to and nurture them.
Therefore, the Tao gives birth to all things, and Virtue nurtures them. It also raises them, rears them, gives them a stable form, and finally helps them mature and reach completion.
However, while performing this great work of birthing and nurturing all things, the Tao and Virtue do not regard the result (all things) as their own 'possession' or become attached to it. They do not boast of or 'rely on' the credit for nurturing them, and they do not try to 'dominate or manipulate' their growth and development.
To treat all things in this way is what can be called the supremely natural and deep 'Profound Virtue' (玄德).
🌟 The Meaning and Importance of Chapter 51
Chapter 51 presents the following core ideas:
- The Process of Creation/Nurturing of All Things: The process of Tao (birth) - Virtue (nurturing) - Matter (form) - Circumstances (completion) explains that all things, originating from the Tao, exist and are completed through the interaction of various elements.
- Honor/Value for Tao and Virtue: It emphasizes that all things honor the Tao and value Virtue not because they are commanded to, but because of their natural function (birthing and nurturing). This shows that naturalness, not coercion, earns true respect.
- Deepening the Nurturing Role of Tao and Virtue: It reaffirms that the role of Tao and Virtue in relation to all things extends beyond simple creation to include the entire process of growth, nurturing, stabilization, and maturation.
- The Essence of Profound Virtue (玄德): 'Giving birth without possessing, acting without relying, guiding without dominating' are the core attributes of the way the Tao nurtures all things, that is, of Profound Virtue. It emphasizes that true virtue is an selfless and non-active attitude that relinquishes possessiveness, the need for credit, and the desire to dominate (connects to Chapters 10 and 34).
- The Practical Meaning of Wu Wei (non-action): Just as Tao and Virtue perfectly give birth to and nurture all things without artificial effort, it suggests that those who follow the Tao should emulate the attributes of this Profound Virtue and practice a life of non-possession, non-assertion, and non-domination.
Chapter 51 is a crucial chapter in the Tao Te Ching that explains in depth the relationship between Tao and Virtue and the essence of Virtue. It emphasizes that although all things are born and nurtured by the power of Tao and Virtue, Tao and Virtue operate in a humble and non-active way, not claiming credit or possessing the results. It makes clear that this attribute of 'Profound Virtue' is the ideal virtue that Taoist thought seeks.
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