第38章 · 原文
现代白话译文
具备上等德行的人不自以为有德，所以实际上有德；具备下等德行的人自以为不丧失德，所以实际上没有德。具备上等德行的人顺应自然而无心作为；具备下等德行的人顺应自然而有心作为。上等的仁者有所作为而无心作为；上等的义者有所作为而有心作为。上等的礼者有所作为而得不到回应，就挽起袖子强引别人。所以失去了道然后才有德，失去了德然后才有仁，失去了仁然后才有义，失去了义然后才有礼。礼是忠信不足的产物，是祸乱的开端。所谓的先知，是道的虚华，是愚昧的开始。因此大丈夫立身敦厚，不居于浅薄；存心朴实，不居于虚华。所以要舍弃浅薄虚华，采取敦厚朴实。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
徳者得也．常得而无丧．利而无害．故以徳为名焉．何以得徳．由乎道也．何以尽徳．以无为用．以无为用．则莫不载也．故物无焉则无物不经．有焉则不足以免其生．是以天地虽广以无为心．圣王虽大以虚为主．故曰以复而视．则天地之心见．至日而思之．则先王之至覩也．故灭其私而无其身．则四海莫不瞻．远近莫不至．主其己而有其心．则一体不能自全．肌骨不能相容．是以上徳之人．唯道是用．不徳其徳．无执无用．故能有徳而无不为．不求而得．不为而成．故虽有徳而无徳名也．下徳求而得之．为而成之．则立善以治物．故徳名有焉．求而得之必有失焉．为而成之必有败焉．善名生则有不善应焉．故下徳为之而有以为也．无以为者无所偏也．凡不能无为而为之者皆下徳也．仁义礼节是也．正明徳之上下．辄举下徳以对上徳．至于无以为极下徳之量上仁是也．足及于无以为而犹为之焉．为之而无以为．故有为为之患矣．本在无为母在无名．弃本舍母．而适其子．功虽大焉必有不济．名虽美焉伪亦必生．不能不为而成不兴而治．则乃为之．故有宏普博施仁爱者．而爱之无所偏私．故上仁为之而无以为也．爱不能兼．则有抑抗正直而义理者．忿枉佑直．助彼攻此．物事而有以心为矣．故上义为之而有以为也．直不能笃．则有游饰修文礼敬之者．尚好修敬．校责往来．则不对之间忿怒生焉．故上礼为之而莫之应．则攘臂而扔之．夫大之极也其唯道乎．自此已往岂足尊哉．故虽徳盛业大．富而有万物．犹各得其徳．而未能自周也故天不能为载地不能为覆人不能为赡万物虽贵．以无为用．不能舍无以为体也．不能舍无以为体．则失其为大矣．所谓失道自后徳也．以无为用．得其母．故能己不劳焉而者无不理．下此已往．则失用之母．不能无为而贵博施．不能博施而贵正直．不能正直而贵饰敬．所谓失徳而后仁失仁而后义失义而后礼也．夫礼也．所始首于忠信不笃．通简不阳．责备于表．机微争制．夫仁义发于内．为之犹伪．况务外饰而可久乎．故夫礼者忠心之薄而乱之首也．前识者前人而识也．则下徳之伦也．竭其聪明以为前识．役其智力以营庶事．虽得其情奸巧弥密．虽丰其誉愈丧笃实．劳而事昏．务而治薉秽．虽竭圣智而民愈害．舍己任者则无为而泰．守其素朴则不顺典制．耽彼所获．弃此所守．故前识者道之华而愚之首．故苟得其为功之母．则万物作焉而不辞也．万物存焉而不劳也．用不以形．御不以名．故仁义可显礼敬可彰也．夫载之以大道．鎭之以无名．则物无所尚志无所营．各任其贞事用其诚．则仁徳厚焉．行义正焉．礼敬清焉．弃其所载．舍其所正．用其成形．役其聪明．仁则诚尚焉．义则竞焉．礼则争焉．故仁徳之厚非用仁之所能也．行义之正非用义之所成也．礼敬之清非用礼之所济也．载之以道．统之以母．故显之而无所尚．彰之而无所竞．用夫无名故名以笃焉．用夫无形故形以成焉．守母以存其子．崇本以举其末．则形名倶有而邪不生．大美配天而华不作．故母不可远．本不可失．仁义母之所生．非可以为母．形器匠之所成．非可以为匠也．舍其母而用其子．弃其本而适其末．名则有所分．形则有所止．虽极其大必有不周．虽盛其美必有患忧．功在为之．岂足处也.
河上公注（汉）
上德不德者，上德之人，不自有其德，故曰不德。下德不失德者，下德之人，常自以为有德，故失其德也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
虎豹之行，進而前，則不能顧其卻。新木之植，盛其華，則不能固其根。然不能無所前矣，無已，其以樸者前乎！前者犯難，卻者觀變。以犯難者，敦重而不驚；以觀變者，因勢而徐辨。故不以識之銳抵天下之巇。何也？以失主樂取夫美名而暱之，以背眾美之涵也，是德、仁、義、禮之可名而不常者也。故出而逾華，反而逾薄。唯先戒其前者，為能不德而德，無為以為。嚴君平云：「至至而一不存。」豈不存哉？誠無以存之。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此承上清淨無為之益，甚言多欲有為之害，以誡人君當以知足自守也。謂上古之世，有道之君，清淨無欲，無為而化。故民安其生，樂其業，棄卻走馬而糞田疇。所以家給人足，而無不足者。及世衰道微，聖人不作，諸侯暴亂。各務富國強兵，嗜欲無厭，爭利不已，互相殺伐。故戎馬生於郊。以致民不聊生，奸欺並作。此無他，是皆貪欲務得，不知止足之過也。故天下罪之大者，莫大於可欲。以其戕生傷性，敗亂彝倫。以至君臣父子，皆失其分者，皆見可欲之罪也。以致敗國亡家，覆宗滅族之禍者，皆不知止足所致也。由不知足，故凡見他人之所有，而必欲得之。然欲得之心，為眾罪大禍之本。故咎之大者，莫大於欲得。欲得者，心不足也。古人云，若厭於心，何日而足。以貪得不止，終無足時。惟知足之足，無不足矣，故常足。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
上德不德，是以有德。下德不失德，是以无德。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
High virtue is not virtuous, therefore it has virtue. Low virtue never loses virtue, therefore it has no virtue. High virtue acts without acting. Low virtue acts with intention. High benevolence acts without intention. High righteousness acts with intention. High ritual acts and gets no response, then pulls up sleeves and forces compliance. Therefore lose the way then virtue, lose virtue then benevolence, lose benevolence then righteousness, lose righteousness then ritual. Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and faith, the beginning of disorder. Foreknowledge is the flower of the way and the beginning of ignorance. Therefore the great man dwells in thickness not thinness, in substance not in flower. Therefore he rejects the former and takes the latter.
High virtue is not virtuous, therefore it has virtue. Low virtue never loses virtue, therefore it has no virtue. High virtue acts without acting. Low virtue acts with intention. High benevolence acts without intention. High righteousness acts with intention. High ritual acts and gets no response, then pulls up sleeves and forces compliance. Therefore lose the way then virtue, lose virtue then benevolence, lose benevolence then righteousness, lose righteousness then ritual. Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and faith, the beginning of disorder. Foreknowledge is the flower of the way and the beginning of ignorance. Therefore the great man dwells in thickness not thinness, in substance not in flower. Therefore he rejects the latter and takes the former.
High virtue is not virtuous, therefore it has virtue. Low virtue does not lose virtue, therefore it has no virtue. High virtue takes no action and has no intention. Low virtue takes action and has intention. High benevolence takes action and has no intention. High righteousness takes action and has intention. High ritual takes action and gets no response, then pulls up sleeves and forces compliance. Therefore lose the way then virtue, lose virtue then benevolence, lose benevolence then righteousness, lose righteousness then ritual. Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and trust, the beginning of disorder. Foreknowledge is the flower of the way and the beginning of ignorance. Therefore the great man dwells in thickness not thinness, in fruit not flower. Therefore he rejects the latter and takes the former.