Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 54
Chapter 54 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
善建不拔，善抱者不脫，子孫以祭祀不輟。修之於身，其德乃真；修之於家，其德乃餘；修之於鄉，其德乃長；修之於國，其德乃豐；修之於天下，其德乃普。故以身觀身，以家觀家，以鄉觀鄉，以國觀國，以天下觀天下。吾何以知天下然哉？以此。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
What is well planted cannot be uprooted; what is well embraced cannot slip away; descendants will thereby continue the ancestral offerings without cease.Cultivate it in the self, and its Virtue will be genuine;Cultivate it in the family, and its Virtue will overflow;Cultivate it in the village, and its Virtue will endure;Cultivate it in the state, and its Virtue will flourish;Cultivate it in all under heaven, and its Virtue will be universal.Therefore, observe the self through the self, the family through the family, the village through the village, the state through the state, and all under heaven through all under heaven.How do I know that all under heaven is so?By this.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
What is planted well cannot be uprooted; what is held well cannot slip free. So descendants never cease their ancestral offerings.Cultivate the Way in yourself, and its inner power becomes genuine;cultivate it in the family, and its inner power is more than enough;cultivate it in the village, and its inner power endures;cultivate it in the state, and its inner power becomes abundant;cultivate it throughout the world, and its inner power reaches everywhere.So see the self from within the self, the family from within the family, the village from within the village, the state from within the state, and the world from within the world.How do I know this is true of the world?By this.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1.
What (Tao's) skilful planter plantsCan never be uptorn;What his skilful arms enfold,From him can ne'er be borne.Sons shall bring in lengthening line,Sacrifices to his shrine.
2.
Tao when nursed within one's self,His vigour will make true;And where the family it rulesWhat riches will accrue!The neighbourhood where it prevailsIn thriving will abound;And when 'tis seen throughout the state,Good fortune will be found.Employ it the kingdom o'er,And men thrive all around.
3. In this way the effect will be seen in the person, by the observation of different cases; in the family; in the neighbourhood; in the state; and in the kingdom.
4. How do I know that this effect is sure to hold thus all under the sky? By this (method of observation).