Quick Answer
ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱴᱷᱤᱸᱜᱟᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱩᱯᱩ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱵᱟᱹᱭᱥᱟᱹᱭ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ᱾ ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱷᱩᱨᱟᱹ ᱵᱟᱱᱟᱨ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱤᱭᱟ, ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱛᱳ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱫᱤᱱᱟᱹᱢ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱵᱟ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
Key Concepts
Cite This Chapter
Laozi, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 4, "ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟᱱ ᱠᱚᱨᱟᱣ", laotzu.ai: https://www.laotzu.ai/sat-Olck/chapters/4/
Classical Chinese, translation, and AI reflection are shown separately; cite this chapter URL for references.
Original
道冲，而用之或不盈。渊兮，似万物之宗。
ᱵᱷᱟᱥᱟ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ
ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱩᱯᱩ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱛᱚᱵᱮ ᱚᱱᱟᱟ ᱡᱚᱢᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱚᱰᱚᱠ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱷᱩᱨᱟᱹ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱤᱸᱜᱟᱛᱤ, ᱥᱟᱛᱞᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱤᱱᱟᱹᱢ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱵᱟ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱰᱟᱹᱦᱤ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱤᱭᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱫᱤᱥᱟᱹᱢ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱤᱭᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱷᱟᱹᱰᱩᱭ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱠᱷᱚᱱᱡᱚ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱷᱟᱹᱵᱤᱡᱟᱸᱜᱟ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱛᱳ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱᱡᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱯᱟᱹᱰᱟᱣᱜᱟ, ᱫᱟᱣ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱱᱚᱰᱮᱱᱟᱜᱟ᱾\nᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱦᱚᱸᱭ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱭ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱜᱤᱫᱽᱨᱟᱹ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱥᱟᱝ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱠᱩᱲᱤ ᱥᱟᱞᱟᱜᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾
ᱜᱷᱚᱨᱚ ᱪᱤᱱᱛᱟ
ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱯᱟᱹᱨᱥᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱧᱪᱟᱣ?
ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱴᱷᱤᱸᱜᱟᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱩᱯᱩ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱵᱟᱹᱭᱥᱟᱹᱭ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ᱾ ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱷᱩᱨᱟᱹ ᱵᱟᱱᱟᱨ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱤᱭᱟ, ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱛᱳ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱫᱤᱱᱟᱹᱢ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱵᱟ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱟᱢ ᱥᱟᱶ ᱠᱮᱫ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ?
ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱴᱷᱤᱸᱜᱟᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱚᱱᱮ ᱵᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱹᱰᱚᱜᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱢᱮᱱᱛᱮ ᱯᱚᱱᱚᱛ ᱦᱚᱸᱭ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱜ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱵᱟᱹᱭᱥᱟᱹᱭ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ᱾ ᱥᱟᱛᱞᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱴᱷᱤᱸᱜᱟᱛᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱦᱤᱡᱩᱜᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱᱡᱚ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾
ᱟᱡ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱠᱟᱢ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜᱼᱟ?
ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱢᱟᱬᱟᱝ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱫᱽᱨᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱡᱚᱢᱟᱜ ᱫᱚᱨᱟᱹ ᱢᱟᱬᱟᱝ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱡᱚᱢᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱮᱜᱟ, ᱢᱤᱫ ᱡᱚᱢᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱢᱟᱬᱟᱝ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟᱱ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱩᱯᱩᱭᱟᱹᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱜ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾
📜 ᱛᱷᱚᱠ ᱧᱮᱞᱢᱟ (Wang Bi · Legge · AI Modern)
James Legge (1891)
The Tao is (like) the emptiness of a vessel; and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fulness. How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honoured Ancestor of all things! We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things; we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others. How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue! I do not know whose son it is. It might appear to have been before God.
AI Modern
ᱛᱟᱣᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱩᱯᱩ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱛᱚᱵᱮ ᱚᱱᱟᱟ ᱡᱚᱢᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱚᱰᱚᱠ ᱛᱟᱭᱚᱢ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱷᱩᱨᱟᱹ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱤᱸᱜᱟᱛᱤ, ᱥᱟᱛᱞᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱤᱱᱟᱹᱢ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱵᱟ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱰᱟᱹᱦᱤ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱤᱭᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱡᱷᱚᱛᱚ ᱫᱤᱥᱟᱹᱢ ᱡᱟᱠᱟᱛᱤᱭᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱷᱟᱹᱰᱩᱭ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱠᱷᱚᱱᱡᱚ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱷᱟᱹᱵᱤᱡᱟᱸᱜᱟ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱛᱳ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱᱡᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱯᱟᱹᱰᱟᱣᱜᱟ, ᱫᱟᱣ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱱᱚᱰᱮᱱᱟᱜᱟ᱾\nᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ, ᱚᱱᱟ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱦᱚᱸᱭ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸᱭ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱜᱤᱫᱽᱨᱟᱹ᱾\nᱚᱱᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱥᱟᱝ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱠᱩᱲᱤ ᱥᱟᱞᱟᱜᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱩᱛᱩᱢᱚᱜᱟ᱾
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