English and Chinese (Wade-Giles) Terms: Water (shui), The Soft Overcomes the Hard, True or Correct (chêng), Seem or Appear (jo), Dishonor or Disgrace (kou), Soil or Earth or Grain (chi), The Failed are Often Chosen, Paradoxes, Have Faith, Trust, Rituals, Belief, Weak (jo), Overcomes the Strong, Hold or Keep (shou), Follow or Practice (hsing), Assault or Attack (kung), Conquer or Surpass or Overcome (shêng), Accept Responsibility, Good Omen or Blessing (hsiang), Accept Disgrace, Below or Under (hsia), Heaven (t'ien), Offering or Sacrifice, Don't Make Sacrifices, Double Meanings, Altar or Shrine (shê), Hard or Firm (chien), Opposite or Paradox or Crooked (fan), Country or Nation (kuo), Words (yen), Inexpressible, Ambiguous, Vague, Exchange or Replace (yi), Watercourse Way, Unyielding or Stiff (ch'iang), Soft or Pliant or Supple (jou), Lord or Master or God (chu), King (wang), Sage or Holy Man (shêng jên), 任信

Términos en Español: Agua, Verdadero, Correcta, Parecen, Aparecer, Deshonra, Vergüeza, Suelo, Confianza, Rituales, Creencias, Débil, Supera, Fuerte, Guardar, Seguir, Práctica, Asalto, Ataque, Conquer, Tierra, Superar, Aceptar la Responsabilidad, Bendición, Abajo, Bajo, Cielo, Ofrenda, Sacrificio, Altar, Santuario, Firme, Dura, País, Nación, Palabras, Inexpresable, Ambiguo, Remplazará, Inflexible, Rígido, Suave, Supple, Maestro, Rey, Sabio Hombre.

"In the world nothing is more fragile than water, and yet of all the agencies that attack hard substances nothing can surpass it.
Of all things there is nothing that can take the place of Tao.
By it the weak are conquerors of the strong, the pliable are conquerors of the rigid.
In the world every one knows this, but none practice it.
Therefore the wise man declares: he who is guilty of the country's sin may be the priest at the altar.
He who is to blame for the country's misfortunes, is often the Empire's Sovereign.
True words are often paradoxical."
- Translated by Dwight Goddard, 1919, Chapter 78

"In the world nothing is supple and weak in relation to water
Yet of those things which attack the firm and unyielding
Nothing is able to do better
In what is absent, this easily happens.
Being supple conquers the unyielding
Being weak conquers the firm
In the world
No one is without knowing it
No one is able to practice it.
Appropriately it happens that sages say
He who accepts the disgrace of a nation
Is appropriately called lord of the grain shrine
He who accepts the misfortune of a nation
Is appropriately acting as the king of the world.
Correct words look like they turn back."
- Translated by David Lindauer, Chapter 78

"Nothing in all beneath heaven is so soft and weak as water.
And yet, for conquering the hard and strong, nothing succeeds like water.
And nothing can change it:
weak overcoming strong,
soft overcoming hard.
Everything throughout all beneath heaven knows this,
and yet nothing puts it into practice.
That's why the sage said:
Whoever assumes a nation's disgrace is called the sacred leader of a country,
and whoever assumes a nation's misfortune is called the emperor of all beneath heaven.
Words of clarity sound confused."
- Translated by David Hinton, Chapter 78

"In the whole World nothing is softer or weaker than water.
And yet even those who succeed when attacking the hard and the strong
cannot overcome it
Because nothing can harm it.
The weak overcomes the strong.
The soft conquers the hard.
No one in the World can deny this
Yet no one seems to know how to put it into practice.
Therefore the Sage says
"One who accepts a peoples" shame is qualified to rule it.
One who embraces a condemned people.
is called the king of the Universe."
True words seem paradoxical."
- Translated by John R. Mabry, 1994, Chapter 78

"There is nothing softer and weaker than water,
And yet there is nothing better for attacking hard and strong things.
For this reason there is no substitute for it.
All the world knows that the weak overcomes the strong and the soft overcomes the hard.
But none can practice it.
Therefore the sage says:
He who suffers disgrace for his country Is called the lord of the land.
He who takes upon himself the country's misfortunes Becomes the king of the empire.
Straight words seem to be their opposite."
- Translated by Wing-Tsit Chan, 1963, Chapter 78

"Water and the Paradoxes of Life

Nothing under heaven is weaker than water.
Yet nothing however proficient in attacking the strong can win over water.
The reason is that nothing can lay a handle on water.

The weak overcomes the strong;
The soft overcomes the hard.
All under heaven know about this dictum
but few people can put it into practice.

That is why the Sage says:
"Those who take what other people discard as garbage
is the lord of Society.
Those who love the nation when it is in the grip of misfortune
can claim to be the king."
What is right often seems to be wrong."
- Translated by Lok Sang Ho, 2002, Chapter 78

"Nothing Weaker Than Water

Lao Tze says,
There is nothing in the world softer and weaker than water,
and yet for attacking things that are hard and strong, there is nothing that can surpass it.
For there is nothing so effectual that can take its place.
Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard,
and the weak the strong, yet no one can put this knowledge into practice.
Therefore a sage has said,
'He who receives unto himself the calumny of the nation entitles himself to the lordship of the state;
he who bears the nation's direful woes shall be looked up to as the king of the world.'
Words that are strictly true seem to be opposed to common senses."
- Translated by Shi Fu Hwang, Chapter 78

"Under Heaven, nothing is softer and weaker than water.
Yet nothing is better for attacking the hard and the strong.
There is no better substitute.

All under Heaven know that the weak overcomes the strong
And the soft overcomes the hard.
Yet there are none who practise this.

Therefore the Sage says:
He who takes upon himself the disgrace of the country
Is fit to be lord of the land.
He who takes upon himself the misfortunes of the country
Is fit to be king of the empire.

True words seem paradoxical."
- Translated by Keith Seddon, Chapter 78

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong

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"Nothing in the world is weaker than water
but against the hard and the strong nothing excels it
for nothing can change it
the soft overcomes the hard
the weak overcomes the strong
this is something everyone knows but no one is able to practice
thus the sage declares who accepts a country's disgrace we call the lord of soil and grain
who accepts a country's misfortune we call king of all under Heaven
upright words sound upside down"
- Translated by Bill Porter (Red Pine), 1996, Chapter 78

"Heaven below (the sacred body) is not as soft and yielding as water, yet can take on the rigid and violent.
Without its (the sacred body's) ability to overcome the rigid and the violent, it is nothing.
It replaces violence with gentleness.
It overcomes violence.
Tenderly it overcomes the unyielding.
Without knowing this, no one in Heaven below can progress.
The sages speak of guarding the community:
Dishonor comes from making sacrifices to the gods.
Preserve the community, not its omens.
It is correct to speak of Heaven below as what connects Heaven,
Humanity and Earth.
The words of the person who sacrifices backfire."
- Translated by Barbara Tovey and Alan Sheets, 2002, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the world is weaker
or more yielding than water.
Yet nothing is its equal
in wearing away the hard and strong.
There is nothing quite like it.

Thus the weak can overpower the strong;
the flexible can overcome the rigid.
The whole world can perceive this,
but does not put it into practice.

And so the truly wise say:
Whoever bears the shame of the nation
is fit to lead the nation.
Whoever bears the sins of the world
is fit to lead the world.

Straight words (truth)
can seem crooked (paradoxical)."
- Translated by C. Ganson, Chapter 78

"What more gentle in this world than water?
Yet nothing better conquers hard and strong.
What else could take its place?
Gentle conquers strong, and tender hard.
Well-known as this is to all the world,
Who has proven able to apply it?
Wiser men accordingly have said,
“He who for the kingdom’s sake bears shame
Earns the name – master of the shrine.
He who for the kingdom bears ill-fortune
Earns the name of king of all the world.”
How untrue words of truth appear to be."
- Translated by Moss Roberts, 2000, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the world is softer
and weaker than water.
But for attacking the hard, the unyielding,
nothing can surpass it.
There is nothing like it.

The weak overcomes the strong;
the soft surpasses the hard.
In all the world, there is no one who does not know this,
but no one can master the practice.

Therefore the master remains
serene in the midst of sorrow;
evil cannot enter his heart.
Because he has given up helping,
he is the people's greatest help.

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander Simkins.

The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed By Derek Lin.

Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony By Ming-Dao Deng.

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

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Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life By Ming-Dao Deng.

Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook Translated by Thomas Cleary.

"Nothing is softer, more flexible, or more giving than
water
nothing can resist it
nothing can take it away
nothing can endure it
there is no way to hurt it.
The flexible overcomes what resists it,
the giving overcomes what takes it,
the soft overcomes the hard,
but who uses this knowledge?
Only the person who knows the earth
as intimately as the trees and grasses
can rule the earth,
only the person who accepts
the guilt and evil of humanity
can rule the universe.
Straight tongues seem forked.
Straight talk seems crooked."
- Translated by Tom Kunesh, Chapter 78

A Chinese Language Version of Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A note on my style of displaying the Chinese characters of the Tao Te Ching

天下莫柔弱於水,
而攻堅強者, 莫之能勝,
其無以易之.
弱之勝強, 柔之勝剛, 天下莫不知, 莫能行.
是以聖人云受國之垢, 是謂社稷主;
受國不祥, 是謂天下王.
正言若反.
- Chinese characters, Chapter 78, Tao Te Ching

t'ien hsia mo jou jo yü shui,
erh kung chien ch'iang chê, mo chih nêng shêng,
ch'i wu yi yi chih.
jo chih shêng ch'iang, jou chih shêng kang, tien hsia mo pu chih, mo nêng hsing.
shih yi shêng jên yün shou kuo chih kou, shih wei shê chi chu;
shou kuo pu hsiang, shih wei t'ien hsia wang.
chêng yen jo fan.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 78, Tao Te Ching

tian xia mo rou ruo yu shui,
er gong jian qiang zhe, mo zhi neng sheng,
qi wu yi yi zhi.
ruo zhi sheng qiang, rou zhi sheng gang, tian xia mo bu zhi, mo neng xing.
shi yi sheng ren yun shou guo zhi gou, shi wei she ji zhu;
shou guo bu xiang, shi wei tian xia wang.
zheng yan ruo fan.
- Pinyin Romanization, Chapter 78, Daodejing

Laozi Daodejing: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script, detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English.

Lao Zi's Dao De Jing: A Matrix Translation with Chinese Text by Bradford Hatcher.

"Nothing in the world is Softer or Weaker than water.
But when it attacks what is hard and strong none of them can win out, because they have no way of affecting it.
Softness overcomes what is hard Weakness overcomes what is unyielding.
Everyone in the world understands it no one can practice it.
And so the Wise Person says: Taking on a state's dirt makes one lord of its earth altars taking on a state's misfortunes makes one King of the world.
Right words seem the opposite."
- Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 78

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

"There is nothing in the world
as soft and weak as water.
But to erode the hard and strong,
nothing can surpass it;
nothing can be a substitute.
The weak can overcome the strong;
the soft can overcome the hard.
There is no-one in the world who does not know this,
but there is no-one who can put it into practice.
Those who are enlightened say:
those who bear a nation's disgrace
will become lords of its shrines to earth and grain; *
those who bear a nation's misfortune
will become kings under heaven.
True words often seem a paradox."
- Translated by Tim Chilcott, 2005, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet when it attacks what is strong and firm, nothing can hold up against it.
Because there is nothing as changeable as water,
Water conquers what is firm and unyielding.
By being flexible, it can conquer what is strong.
No one in this world wouldn’t be able to understand that, yet no one has the ability to carry it out.

Therefore a wise person’s words declare:
Accepting the blame for a nation’s problems is naturally referred to as being the master of what nourishes the world;
Accepting the nation’s problems as bad signs of fate is naturally referred to as being the king of the world.
These straight-spoken words seem to be backwards."
- Translated by Nina Correa, 2005, Chapter 78

"In this world there is nothing more supple and weak than water;
and yet no one,
however strong and powerful he may be,
can resist its action;
and no being can do without it.
Is it clear enough that weakness is worth more than strength, that suppleness can overcome rigidity?
Everyone agrees with this; but no one acts according to it.
The Sages have said: "He who rejects neither moral filth nor political evil is capable of becoming the chief of a territory or the sovereign of the empire."0
He who is supple enough to accommodate himself to all that; and not a rigid and systematic person.
These words are quite true, even though they offend many."
- Translated by Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 78

"Water is soft and yielding, but
nothing can more effectively dissolve the hard and inflexible.
Weak defeats strong.
Soft defeats hard.
This is well–known, but not easy to put into practice.
Therefore, the Tao–Master says:
He who takes upon himself the dirt of the nation
becomes the master of its sacred soil;
he who takes upon himself the evils of the land
becomes a true king under Heaven.
Straight words seem crooked."
- Translated by George Cronk, 1999, Chapter 78

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"Nothing in the world is more supple than water,
Yet nothing is more powerful than water in attacking the hard and strong.
Why?
Because nothing can take its place.
Everyone in the world knows
That the weak is more powerful than the strong,
That the supple is more rigid than the hard,
Yet no one so far can put the knowledge into practice.
That is why the sage says,
Only he who can bear the humiliation on behalf of the state
Can be called the great priest of the state;
Only he who dare shoulder the responsibility for the calamity of the state
Can be called the king of the state.
Factual words seem ironical."
- Translated by Gu Zhengkun, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the World is as yielding as water;
Nor can anything better overcome the hardened.
Just as the yielding overcomes the hardened,
The weak may overcome the strong;
Yet they do not.
The sage says:
"Who accepts responsibility for his people rules the country;
Who accepts responsibility for the World rules the World",
But his words are not understood.
- Translated by Peter Merel, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water.
Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it.
So the flexible overcomes the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful.
Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.
This is why the sages say those who can take on the disgrace of nations are leaders of lands;
and those who can take on the misfortune of nations are rulers of the world.
True sayings seem paradoxical."
- Translated by Thomas Cleary, 1991, Chapter 78

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"There is nothing more yielding than water,
yet when acting on the solid and strong,
its gentleness and fluidity
have no equal in any thing.
The weak can overcome the strong,
and the supple overcome the hard.
Although this is known far and wide,
few put it into practice in their lives.
Although seemingly paradoxical,
the person who takes upon himself,
the people's humiliation,
is fit to rule;
and he is fit to lead,
who takes the country's disasters upon himself."
- Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the world is soft and weak as water.
But when attacking the hard and strong
Nothing can conquer so easily.
Weak overcomes strong, soft overcomes hard.
Everyone knows this, no one attains it.
Therefore the Sage says: Accept a country's filth And become master of its sacred soil.
Accept a country's ill fortune
And become king under heaven.
True words resemble their opposites."
- Translated by Stephen Addis, 1993, Chapter 78

"There's hardly anything more yielding than gas, air, and] water, but almost none is better in attacking the resistant and hard.
There are few substitutes for it.
Thus the yielding may conquer the resistant and the soft the hard.
This was utilized by none I knew.
Wise sayings,
"Only he who has accepted the dirt of a country can be lord of its soil-shrines: can become heaven-accepted there.
Who bears evils of the country can become a king.
Who takes into himself the calumny of the world serves to preserve the state."
Straight words seem crooked."
- Translated by Tormond Byrn, 1997, Chapter 78

"Of the soft and weak things in the world
None is weaker than water.
Bur in overcoming that which is firm and strong
Nothing can equal it.
It is easy to know the inner meaning of this: "That which is weak conquers the strong, that which is soft conquers the hard."
All men know this, No one is able to practice it.
That is why the self-controlled man says:
"He who fears the reproach of the Kingdom is called Ruler of the Land. He who bears the woes of the Kingdom is called King of the land."
True words in paradox."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 78

"The weakest things in the world can overmatch the strongest things in the world.
Nothing in the world can be compared to water for its weak and yielding nature; yet in attacking the hard and the strong, nothing proves better than it.
For there is no other alternative to it.
The weak can overcome the strong and the yielding can overcome the hard.
This all the world knows but does not practise.
Therefore the Sage says:
He who sustains all the reproaches of the country can be master of the land;
He who sustains all the calamities of the country can be king of the world.
These are words of truth,
Though they seem paradoxical."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 78

"Nothing in the world is Softer or Weaker than water.
But when it attacks what is hard and strong none of them can win out, because they have no way of affecting it.
Softness overcomes what is hard
Weakness overcomes what is unyielding.
Everyone in the world understands it no one can practice it.
And so the Wise Person says: Taking on a state's dirt makes one lord of its earth altars taking on a state's misfortunes makes one King of the world.
Right words seem the opposite."
- Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 78

"Nothing is more soft and yielding than water,
for cutting things hard and strong, nothing is better,
because it persists.
The weak can overcome the strong;
the supple can overcome the stiff.
Everyone knows this,
yet no one puts it into practice.
Therefore, the sage says:
who shoulders the humiliation of the people, fits to rule them,
who shoulder the country's disaster, deserves to be the king.
The truth often sounds paradoxical."
- Translated by Tienzen Gong, Chapter 78

"Auf der ganzen Welt
gibt es nichts Weicheres und Schwächeres als das Wasser.
Und doch in der Art, wie es dem Harten zusetzt,
kommt nichts ihm gleich.
Es kann durch nichts verändert werden.

Daß Schwaches das Starke besiegt
und Weiches das Harte besiegt,
weiß jedermann auf Erden,
aber niemand vermag danach zu handeln.
Also auch hat ein Berufener gesagt:
Wer den Schmutz des Reiches auf sich nimmt,
der ist der Herr bei Erdopfern.

Wer das Unglück des Reiches auf sich nimmt,
der ist der König der Welt.
Wahre Worte sind wie umgekehrt."
- Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 78

"Die Größe sittlich-religiöserTragkraft
Es gibt in der Welt nichts,
was sich mehr seinem Grunde einfügt
und weicher ist als Wasser,
zugleich nichts,
was stärker ist und selbst das Härteste besiegt;
es ist unvergleichbar und unbezwingbar.

Daß das Schwache das Starke
und das Weiche das Harte besiegt,
weiß zwar jedermann, doch niemand lebt und wirkt darnech.
Nur der Weyse erkennt als wahr:
Wer bei den Erdopfern den Staub des Landes auf sich nimmt,
der ist der Herr des Erdal-tars.

Wer des Reiches Schuld und Unglück auf sich nimmt,
der ist des Reiches Herr.
Unangenehme Wahrheiten sind dies!"
- Translated by Rudolf Backofen, 1949, Chapter 78

"Nothing is so flexible as water, yet for attacking that which is hard nothing surpasses it.
There is nothing which supplants it.
The weak overcomes the strong, the soft control the hard.
Everyone knows this, but no one practices it.
Hence a Sage has said who bears his country reproach is hailed as the lord of his nation altars.
Who bears his country misfortunes is called the Empire chief.
Truth, when expressed in speech, appears paradoxical."
- Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 78

"Nothing on earth is so weak and yielding as water, but for breaking down the firm and strong it has no equal.
This admits of no alternative.
All the world knows that the soft can wear away the hard, and the weak can conquer the strong, but none can carry it out in practice.
Therefore the Sage says: He who bears the reproach of his country is really the lord of the land. He who bears the woes of the people is in truth their king.
The words of truth are always paradoxical."
- Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 78

"remember
to be at your best
pattern yourself after water
nothing in all the world is softer or more powerful
nothing in all the world can substitute for it
nothing in all the world can stop it

in their hearts
everyone easily knows that
the soft and the weak
will always overcome the hard and strong
but they find it difficult to live this way

the secret is to
move the bodymind like water."
- Translated by John Bright-Fey, 2006, Chapter 78

"What is more fluid, more yielding than water?
Yet back it comes again, wearing down the rigid strength
Which cannot yield to withstand it.
So it is that the strong are overcome by the weak,
The haughty by the humble.
This we know
But never learn,
So that when wise men tell us,
'He who bites the dust
Is owner of the earth,
He who is scapegoat
Is king,'
They seem to twist the truth."
- Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 78

"Parmi toutes les choses du monde, il n'en est point de plus molle et de plus faible que l'eau,
et cependant, pour briser ce qui est dur et fort, rien ne peut l'emporter sur elle.
Pour cela rien ne peut remplacer l'eau.
Ce qui est faible triomphe de ce qui est fort; ce qui est mou triomphe de ce qui est dur.
Dans le monde, il n'y a personne qui ne connaisse cette vérité, mais personne ne peut la mettre en pratique.
C'est pourquoi le Saint dit: Celui qui supporte les opprobres du royaume devient chef du royaume.
Celui qui supporte les calamités du royaume devient le roi de l'empire.
Les paroles droites paraissent contraires à la raison)."
- Translated by Stanislas Julien, 1842, Chapter 78

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons Consejos de Estilo de Vida de Sabios

Daodejing Español, Inglés, y Chino Versiones Lingüísticas de la Daodejing

"Bajo el cielo no hay nada tan blando y maleable como el agua;
Pero no hay nada como el agua
para erosionar lo duro y rígido.
El agua no es sustituible.
Lo débil puede sobreponerse a lo fuerte;
lo blando puede sobreponerse a lo rígido;
Nadie desconoce esta verdad
pero nadie se atreve a ponerla en práctica.

Por eso el sabio dice:
'Aquel que asume la responsabilidad
por todas las corrupciones de un reino,
merece ser su soberano.
Aquel que soporta todos los males de un reino,
puede ser soberano del imperio.'

Las palabras de la Verdad parecen paradójicas."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 78

"Las más débiles cosas del mundo, pueden superar a las más fuertes.
Nada en el mundo puede compararse al agua pr su naturaleza blanda y débil,
pero cuando ataca a lo duro y lo fuerte, prueba ser más ponderosa que éstos.
Esto puede comprobarse.
Lo débil puede vencer a lo fuerte, y lo flexible a lo rígido.
Todos conocemos esta verdad, y, sin embargo, parecemos ignorarla y no la practicamos.

Por esto, el Sabio dice:
'El que soporta todos los baldones de un país, puede ser su jefe.
El que soporta todas las calamidades del país puede ser su rey.'

Ciertas son estas palabras, aungue parezcan paradójicas.'

- Translated into Spanish by Caridad Diaz Faes (2003) from the English translation by Ch'u Ta-Kao (1904), Capítulo 78

"Nada hay en el mundo más blando y suave que el agua,
pero nada puede superarla en el combate contra lo duro y resistente,
en esto nada puede sustituirla.
El agua vence a lo más duro,
lo débil vence a lo fuerte,
no hay en el mundo quien desconozca esta razón,
pero tampoco quien sea capaz de ponerla en práctica.

De ahí que el sabio diga:
'Sólo quien asume los oprobios del Estado,
merece ser llamado señor del país.
Sólo quien soporta las desgracias del Estado,
merece ser llamado rey del mundo.'

Las palabras verdaderas parecen paradójicas."
- Translated by Juan Ignacio Preciado, 1978, Capítulo 78

"Nada hay en el mundo tan blando como el agua.
Pero nada hay que la supere contra lo duro.

Lo blando vence a lo duro,
lo débil vence a lo fuerte.
Nadie desconoce esta verdad
pero nadie la practica.

Por esto el sabio dice:
'Aquel que asume todas las corrupciones de un reino,
merece ser su soberano.
Aquel que soporta todos los males de un reino,
puede ser soberano del imperio.'

Las palabras de la Verdad parecen paradójicas."
- Translated into English by James Legge, Spanish Version Online at RatMachines, Capítulo 78

"Nada existe en el mundo tan dócil y débil como el agua.
Pero para atacar lo duro y lo fuete no existe nada que pueda superarla.
No hay nada que la pueda sustituir.
Lo débil vence a lo fuerte y lo frágil vence a lo duro.
Esto todo el mundo lo sabe pero nadie lo practica.

Por eso el sabio dice:
Quien se hace cargo de los males de un reino es un señor que sacrifica a los espíritus de la tierra.
Quien se hace cargo de las calamidades de un reino, éste se vuelve el señor del imperio."

Estas palabras son verdaderas aunque parezcan paradójicas."
- Translation from Logia Medio Dia, 2015, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 78

Tao Te Ching
Commentary, Interpretations, Research Tools, Resources
Chapter 78

Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse. Complete versions of all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching by many different translators in many languages: 124 English, 24 German, 14 Russian, 7 Spanish, 5 French and many other languages. Links are organized first by languages, and then alphabetically by translators. Formatting varies somewhat. The original website at Onekellotus went offline in 2012; but, the extensive collection of these Tao Te Ching versions was saved for posterity by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine and available as of 9/9/2015. This is an outstanding original collection of versions of the Daodejing─ the Best on the Internet. Caution: copyright infringement may sometimes be an issue at this website.

Tao Te Ching, Translations into English: Terebess Asia Online (TAO). 124 nicely formatted complete English language translations, on separate webpages, of the Daodejing. Alphabetical index by translators. Each webpage has all 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching translated into English. A useful collection! Many reformatted and colored versions from the original collection at Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse. Caution: copyright infringement may sometimes be an issue at this website.

Daodejing by Laozi: Chapters with Chinese characters, seal script, detailed word by word concordance, Pinyin (tone#), German, French and English. This is an outstanding resource for serious students of the Tao Te Ching.

Two Visions of the Way: A Study of the Wang Pi and the Ho-Shang Kung Commentaries on the Lao-Tzu. By Professor by Alan Kam-Leung Chan. SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture. State University of New York Press, 1991. Index, bibliography, glossary, notes, 314 pages. ISBN: 0791404560.

Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition By Jonathan Star. Translation, commentary and research tools. New York, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Penguin, 2001. Concordance, tables, appendices, 349 pages. A new rendition of the Tao Te Ching is provided, then a verbatim translation with extensive notes. Detailed tables for each verse provide line number, all the Chinese characters, Wade-Giles Romanization, and a list of meanings for each character. An excellent print reference tool!

Chinese Reading of the Daodejing Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi with Critical Text and Translation. By Professor Rudolf G. Wagner. A SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture. English and Mandarin Chinese Edition. State University of New York Press; Bilingual edition (October 2003). 540 pages. ISBN: 978-0791451823. Wang Bi (Wang Pi, Fusi), 226-249 CE, Commentary on the Tao Te Ching.

Tao Te Ching Translated by D. C. Lau. Addison Wesley, Reprint Edition, 2000. 192 pages. ISBN: 978-0140441314.

Yellow Bridge Dao De Jing Comparison Table Provides side by side comparisons of translations of the Tao Te Ching by James Legge, D. T. Suzuki, and Dwight Goddard. Chinese characters for each paragraph in the Chapter are on the left; place your cursor over the Chinese characters to see the Pinyin Romanization of the Chinese character and a list of meanings.

Translators Index, Tao Te Ching Versions in English, Translators Sorted Alphabetically by Translator, Links to Books and Online Versions of the Chapters

The Tao of Zen. By Ray Grigg. Tuttle, 2012, 256 pages. Argues for the view that Zen is best characterized as a version of philosophical Taoism (i.e., Laozi and Zhuangzi) and not Mahayana Buddhism.

Lao-tzu's Taoteching Translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter). Includes many brief selected commentaries for each Chapter draw from commentaries in the past 2,000 years. Provides a verbatim translation and shows the text in Chinese characters. San Francisco, Mercury House, 1996, Second Edition, 184 pages. An invaluable resource for commentaries.

Cloud Hands Blog Mike Garofalo writes about Mind-Body Arts, Philosophy, Taoism, Gardening, Taijiquan, Walking, Mysticism, Qigong, and the Eight Ways.

Research and Indexing by
Michael P. Garofalo

Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Center, Gushen Grove Notebooks (2001-2020)

East Los Angeles, California, 1946-1998; Red Bluff, California from 1998-2017; Vancouver, Washington from 2107-

Green Way Research, Chapter 78, 2011-2020.

Indexed and Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo

This webpage was last modified, edited, maintained, expanded, improved or updated on October 16, 2019. .

This webpage was first distributed online on February 7, 2011.

This webpage work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Michael P. Garofalo's E-mail

Brief Biography of Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.

Ripening Peaches: Daoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: Resources and Guides

Cloud Hands Blog

Valley Spirit Qigong

Ways of Walking

The Spirit of Gardening

Months: Cycles of the Seasons

Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu, Zhuang Zhou, Master Chuang) 369—286 BCE

Chan (Zen) and Taoist Poetry

Yang Style Taijiquan

Chen Style Taijiquan

Taoist Perspectives: My Reading List

Meditation

Bodymind Theory and Practices, Somaesthetics

The Five Senses

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Grandmaster Chang San Feng

Virtues

Qigong (Chi Kung) Health Practices

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey: Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove

Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Index to Cloud Hands and Valley Spirit Websites

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching

Introduction

Bibliography

Index to English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching

Thematic Index 1-81

Chapter Index 1-81

Concordance to the Daodejing

Recurring Themes (Terms, Concepts, Leimotifs) in the Tao Te Ching

Spanish Language Translations of the Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) circa 500 BCE

Cloud Hands Blog

Tao Te Ching Chapter Number Index Standard Traditional Chapter Arrangement of the Daodejing Chapter Order in Wang Bi's Daodejing Commentary in 246 CE Chart by Mike Garofalo Subject Index
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50
51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60
61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70
71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80
81

Chapter 78

Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue

By Lao Tzu (Laozi)

Chapter 78

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong

The Daodejing of Laozi Translated by Philip Ivahoe

Daoism: A Beginner's Guide By James Miller

Early Daoist Scriptures Translated by Stephen Bokencamp

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins

Practical Taoism Translated by Thomas Cleary

Daoism and Chinese Culture By Livia Kohn

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander Simkins.

The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed By Derek Lin.

Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony By Ming-Dao Deng.

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

The Tao of Pooh By Benjamin Hoff.

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life By Ming-Dao Deng.

Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook Translated by Thomas Cleary.

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-Depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic By Hu Xuzehi

Tao Te Ching Annotated translation by Victor Mair

Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation By Ha Poong Kim

The Philosophy of the Daodejing By Hans-Georg Moeller

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall

Be Enlightened! A Guidebook to the Tao Te Ching and Taoist Meditation: Your Six-Month Journey to Spiritual Enlightenment By Wes Burgess

The Way and Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought By Arthur Waley

The Complete Works of Lao Tzu: Tao Teh Ching & Hua Hu Ching Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu Translated by Brian Walker

Tao Te Ching Translated by Arthur Waley

Tao - The Way Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles

Taoism: An Essential Guide By Eva Wong

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons Consejos de Estilo de Vida de Sabios

Research and Indexing by
Michael P. Garofalo

Gushen Grove Notebooks for the Tao Te Ching

Bibliography

Thematic Index 1-81

Chapter Index 1-81

Chapter 78

Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) Classic of the Way and Virtue

By Lao Tzu (Laozi)

Chapter 78

Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu

Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong

The Daodejing of Laozi Translated by Philip Ivahoe

Daoism: A Beginner's Guide By James Miller

Early Daoist Scriptures Translated by Stephen Bokencamp

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins

Practical Taoism Translated by Thomas Cleary

Daoism and Chinese Culture By Livia Kohn

Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance By Alexander Simkins.

The Tao of Daily Life: The Mysteries of the Orient Revealed By Derek Lin.

Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony By Ming-Dao Deng.

The Tao of Pooh By Benjamin Hoff.

Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life By Ming-Dao Deng.

Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook Translated by Thomas Cleary.

Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In-Depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic By Hu Xuzehi

Tao Te Ching Annotated translation by Victor Mair

Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation By Ha Poong Kim

The Philosophy of the Daodejing By Hans-Georg Moeller

Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall

Be Enlightened! A Guidebook to the Tao Te Ching and Taoist Meditation: Your Six-Month Journey to Spiritual Enlightenment By Wes Burgess

The Way and Its Power: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Its Place in Chinese Thought By Arthur Waley

The Complete Works of Lao Tzu: Tao Teh Ching & Hua Hu Ching Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu Translated by Brian Walker

Tao Te Ching Translated by Arthur Waley

Tao - The Way Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles

Taoism: An Essential Guide By Eva Wong

Lifestyle Advice from Wise Persons Consejos de Estilo de Vida de Sabios

Research and Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo

Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
Classic of the Way and Virtue

Research and Indexing by
Michael P. Garofalo