第67章 · 原文
现代白话译文
天下人都说我的道大，好像什么都不像。正因为大，所以什么都不像。如果像什么，早就渺小了！我有三件宝贝，持守而保全它们：第一叫作慈爱，第二叫作俭啬，第三叫作不敢居于天下人的前面。因为有慈爱，所以能勇武；因为俭啬，所以能宽广；因为不敢居于天下人的前面，所以能成为万物的首长。现在舍弃慈爱而追求勇武，舍弃俭啬而追求宽广，舍弃退让而追求争先，就是死路！慈爱，用来作战就能胜利，用来守卫就能坚固。天要救助谁，就用慈爱来保卫谁。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
久矣其细犹曰其细久矣．肖则失其所以为大矣．故曰若肖久矣其细也夫．夫慈以陈则胜以守则固．节俭爱费天下不匮故能广也．唯后外其身．为物所归．然后乃能立成器为天下利．为物之长也．且犹取也．相慜而不避于难故胜也.
河上公注（汉）
天下皆谓我道大者，世人谓老子之道大也。似不肖者，似不似凡人也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
曰蠶「肖」蠋，不能謂蠋之即蠶也。曰蠶「肖」蠶，不能謂此蠶之即彼蠶也。求名不得，而舉其「肖」，然且不可，況欲執我以求「肖」乎？終日「慈」，而非以「肖」仁；終日「儉」，而非以「肖」禮；終日「後」，而非以「肖」智。善無近名，名固不可得而近矣。無已，遠其刑而居於無迹，猶賢於「肖」迹以失真乎！不然，「天將救之，以慈衛之」；苻堅不忍於慕容，而不救其死，非以其求「肖」也哉？
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此教君天下者，以無我之德，故天下歸之如水之就下也。百川之水，不拘淨穢，總歸於江海。江海而能容納之，以其善下也。此喻聖人在上，天下歸之，以其無我也。欲上民，必以言下之。言者，心之聲也。故君天下者，尊為天子。聖人虛心應物，而不見其尊，故凡出言必謙下。如日孤寡不穀，不以尊陵天下也。欲先人，必以身後之。身者，心之表也。君天下者，貴為天子，天下推之以為先。聖人忘己與人，而不自見有其貴。故凡於物欲，澹然無所嗜好，不以一己之養害天下也。重者，猶不堪也。是則聖人之心，有天下而不與。故雖處上，而民自堪命，不以為重。雖處前，而民自遂生，不以為害。此所以天下樂推而不厭。蓋無我之至，乃不爭之德也。此爭非爭鬥之謂，蓋言心不馳競於物也。以其不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。莊子所謂兼忘天下易，使天下忘己難。此則能使天下忘己，故莫能與之爭耳。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
天下皆谓我大，不肖。夫唯大，故不肖。若肖，细久矣。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
All the world says my way is great, resembling nothing. If it resembled something, how could it be small from the beginning? I have three treasures that I hold and protect: the first is called compassion, the second is called frugality, the third is called not daring to be first in the world. Compassion leads to courage, frugality leads to generosity, not daring to be first leads to the chief of vessels. Now if one has compassion but abandons it, frugality but abandons it, being behind but abandons it, one will die. With compassion, in attack one wins, in defense one is secure. Heaven will help, and with compassion it will protect.
All the world says my way is great, resembling nothing. If it resembled something, how could it be small from the beginning? I have three treasures that I hold and protect: the first is called compassion, the second is called frugality, the third is called not daring to be first in the world. Compassion leads to courage, frugality leads to generosity, not daring to be first leads to the chief of vessels. Now if one has compassion but abandons it, frugality but abandons it, being behind but abandons it, one will die. With compassion, in attack one wins, in defense one is secure. Heaven will help, and with compassion it will protect.
All the world says my way is great, resembling nothing. If it resembled something, how could it be small from the beginning? I have three treasures that I hold and protect: the first is called compassion, the second is called frugality, the third is called not daring to be first in the world. Compassion leads to courage, frugality leads to generosity, not daring to be first leads to the chief of vessels. Now if one has compassion but abandons it, frugality but abandons it, being behind but abandons it, one will die. With compassion, in attack one wins, in defense one is secure. Heaven will help, and with compassion it will protect.