---
title: "道德經（老子河上公注） · 任契第七十九"
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/cmg372izq000hl104q5cv5jlf"
---

### 任契

和大怨，殺人者死，傷人者刑，以相和報。必有餘怨，任刑者失人情，必有餘怨及於良人也。安可以為善？言一人吁嗟則失天心，安可以和怨為善？是以聖人執左契，古者聖人執左契，合符信也。無文書法律，刻契合符以為信也。而不責於人。但刻契為信，不責人以他事也。有德司契，有德之君，司察契信而已。無德司徹。無德之君，背其契信，司人所失。天道無親，常與善人。天道無有親疏，唯與善人，則與司契者也。

> To reconcile great grievances— \*\[Note: If someone kills, they die; if someone harms, they are punished—this is how you balance and repay.\]\* there will surely be some residual resentment. \*\[Note: Those who rely on punishment lose human feeling; there will surely be lingering resentment extending even to good people.\]\* How can this be considered good? \*\[Note: This refers to one person's sigh of distress disturbing the mind of Heaven—how can balancing grievances with punishment be considered good?\]\* Thus the sage holds the left half of a contract, \*\[Note: In ancient times, sages held the left half of a contract as a symbol of trust. There were no written documents or laws; they carved notches on contracts as proof of agreements.\]\* yet does not demand repayment from others. \*\[Note: They merely carved contracts as tokens of trust, without holding others accountable for other matters.\]\* A person of virtue attends to the contract. \*\[Note: A virtuous ruler simply oversees the agreement and trust.\]\* A person without virtue attends to collecting debts. \*\[Note: A ruler without virtue disregards the contract and focuses on others' failures and defaults.\]\* The way of Heaven shows no favoritism; it constantly stays with good people. \*\[Note: Heaven's way has no partiality; it only remains with good people. And this aligns with those who attend to the contract.\]\*