Tao Te Ching Chapter 25

The Original Chinese Text

有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立不改，周行而不殆，可以为天下母。吾不知其名，字之曰道，强为之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域中有四大，而人居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。

There was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth. How still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change,reaching everywhere and in no danger (of being exhausted)!It may be regarded as the Mother of all things.
I do not know its name, and I give it the designation ofthe Dao (the Way or Course). Making an effort (further) togive it a name I call it The Great.Great, it passes on (in constant flow). Passing on,it becomes remote. Having become remote, it returns.Therefore the Dao is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great;and the (sage) king is also great. In the universe there arefour that are great, and the (sage) king is one of them.
Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes itslaw from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Dao. Thelaw of the Dao is its being what it is.

【译文】有一种事物浑然一体，在天地产生之前就已经产生了。听不到它的声音也看不到它的形体，它不依靠任何外力而永恒存在，循环运转而永不停息，可以把它作为天地万物根源。我不知道它的名字，暂且称之为道，又勉强给它起个名字叫做大。它广大无边而运行不息，运行不息而伸展遥远，伸展遥远而又返回本原。所以道大，天大，地大，人也大。天下有四大，而人居其中之一。人效法地，地效法天，天效法道，道效法自然。

There is something integral and undivided, which existed before heaven and earth came into being. It has no sound and no form, relying on nothing external, eternal and unchanging, moving in cycles without cease. It can be regarded as the root of all things in heaven and earth. I do not know its name, so I tentatively call it "Tao" and reluctantly give it the name "Great". It is vast and boundless, ever-moving; in its ceaseless movement, it extends far away; having extended far, it returns to its origin. Therefore, the Tao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and humanity is also great. There are four great things in the universe, and humanity is one of them. Humanity follows the ways of earth; earth follows the ways of heaven; heaven follows the ways of Tao; and Tao follows what is natural.

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