--- title: "道德經（老子河上公注） · 任信第七十八" description: "道德经是春秋时期老子所著的哲学经典，河上公注本是汉代河上公所作的权威注释版本。该书产生于先秦思想百家争鸣的背景下，以道为核心概念，阐述无为而治、道法自然的哲学思想，包含宇宙观、治国方略与修身智慧。河上公注本通过经世致用的解读，使深奥经义更易传播，虽非佛教典籍，但其清静无为的思想与佛教般若空观形成哲学对话，在大乘佛教中国化过程中成为重要的文化参照，为汉传佛教吸收本土思想提供了理论桥梁。" url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmg3724q0000dl104dztvydia" --- ### 任信 > Chapter of Unwavering Faith 天下莫柔弱於水，圓中則圓，方中則方，壅之則止，決之則行。而攻堅強者莫之能勝，水能懷山襄陵，磨鐵消銅，莫能勝水而成功也。其無以易之。夫攻堅強者，無以易於水。弱之勝強，水能滅火，陰能消陽。柔之勝剛，舌柔齒剛，齒先舌亡。天下莫不知，知柔弱者久長，剛強者折傷。莫能行。恥謙卑，好強梁。是以聖人云：謂下事也。受國之垢，是謂社稷主；人君能受國之垢濁者，若江海不逆小流，則能長保其社稷，為一國之君主也。受國不祥，是為天下王。人君能引過自與，代民受不祥之殃，則可以王天下。正言若反。此乃正直之言，世人不知，以為反言。 > Nothing in the world is as weak and yielding as water. It takes the shape of whatever contains it—round in a round vessel, square in a square one. Dam it, and it stops; break the dam, and it flows. Yet there is nothing better than water for overcoming the hard and strong. It can wash away mountains, wear down iron, and dissolve metal. Nothing can surpass it. Nothing can take its place. When it comes to conquering hardness and strength, nothing is a match for water. The weak overcomes the strong, Water puts out fire; the feminine subdues the masculine. The yielding overcomes the rigid. The tongue is soft and lasts a lifetime; the teeth are hard but fall out first. Everyone knows this truth, They know that what is weak and yielding lasts long, while what is hard and rigid gets broken. But no one is able to put it into practice. Because people are ashamed to be humble, and they love to be strong and forceful. Therefore the wise person says: This refers to humility in ruling. “Accept the nation’s disgrace—that is the way to become its leader. If a ruler can accept the shame and impurity of his nation, like a great river that does not reject any small stream, he will long maintain his country and become its true leader. Take on the nation’s misfortunes—that is the way to rule the world.” If a ruler can take the blame upon himself and suffer the disasters on behalf of his people, then he is fit to be a king for all under heaven. The truth seems like the opposite of common sense. These are upright words, but most people do not understand them—they mistake them for their opposite.