運夷章第九
Key Takeaway: "When your work is done, then withdraw! Such is Heaven's Way." — Laozi, Daodejing Chapter 9
Holding a cup to the brim invites spilling; sharpening a blade to its keenest edge guarantees early dulling. When wealth and honors accumulate alongside arrogance, disaster looms. True mastery lies in graceful withdrawal—a foundational perspective explored in Daodejing Chapter 9 Translation.
Daodejing Chapter 9 Translation: Stepping Aside When the Work Is Done
The wisdom of Daodejing Chapter 9 Translation addresses a fundamental human dynamic: how we navigate ambition, quietude, and the natural flow of existence. In the classical tradition, this passage serves as both a metaphysical mirror and a practical compass for daily living and leadership. Explore how this principle translates into contemporary daily life in our guide to Why Holding On Too Tightly Is Losing: Laozi’s Chapter 9 on Knowing When to Stop.
By shifting our focus from outer coercion to internal stillness, we uncover a more resilient way of relating to ourselves and the world around us.
Complete Chapter Translation: Modern Western Reading
Stretch a bow to the very full, And you will wish you had stopped in time; Temper a sword-edge to its very sharpest,
And you will find it soon grows dull. When bronze and jade fill your hall. It can no longer be guarded. Wealth and place breed insolence.
That brings ruin in its train. When your work is done, then withdraw! Such is Heaven's Way.
道德经中文原文与对照
【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。
核心要义解析 (Philosophical Insights)
- 道义发微：本章通过“運夷章第九”阐发了《道德经》的核心精髓。从“有”与“无”、“动”与“静”的辩证转化中，提醒我们在日用常行中摒弃过度的功利执念，回归纯粹本真的生命状态。
- 现代启示：当外界喧嚣与评判标准不断施加压力时，保持内心的虚静与不争，反而是最强大的定力与智慧。
Follow the sequential development of the text in Laozi’s next philosophical movement in Cultivating Inner Capability: Embracing the Primal Wholeness of the Newborn.
For a deeper comparative examination of these ideas, explore our related study on Sacred Virtue: The Nameless Uncarved Block That Sweet Dew Obeys.
