Volume II — Te

Heaven's Way Is Like Bending a Bow

Chapter 77 of the Tao Te Ching

天之道，其猶張弓與？高者抑之，下者舉之，有餘者損之，不足者補之。天之道，損有餘而補不足。人之道則不然：損不足以奉有餘。孰能有餘以奉天下？唯有道者。是以聖人為而不恃，功成而不處，其不欲見賢。

The way of heaven— is it not like the bending of a bow? What is high is pressed down. What is low is raised up. What has excess is diminished. What is deficient is supplemented. The way of heaven diminishes excess and supplements deficiency. The way of humans is not like this: it diminishes the deficient to serve the excessive. Who can offer their excess to serve all under heaven? Only those who possess the Tao. Therefore the sage acts but does not rely on his actions. He achieves but does not dwell in his achievement. He has no desire to display his worthiness.

Commentary

This verse presents the cosmic principle of equilibrium, contrasting heaven's balancing way with humanity's imbalanced customs. "The way of heaven—is it not like the bending of a bow?"—tian zhi dao, qi you zhang gong yu (天之道，其猶張弓與)? Zhang (張) is to bend, stretch, draw (as a bow); gong (弓) is bow. The image is precise: when the bow is drawn, what was high (the top) moves down, what was low (the bottom) moves up, creating the tension that stores power. "What is high is pressed down"—gao zhe yi zhi (高者抑之). Yi (抑) is to press down, suppress, lower. "What is low is raised up"—xia zhe ju zhi (下者舉之). Ju (舉) is to raise, lift. "What has excess is diminished"—you yu zhe sun zhi (有餘者損之). Sun (損) is to diminish, reduce, decrease. "What is deficient is supplemented"—bu zu zhe bu zhi (不足者補之). Bu (補) is to supplement, repair, add to. "The way of heaven diminishes excess and supplements deficiency"—tian zhi dao, sun you yu er bu bu zu (天之道，損有餘而補不足). This is cosmic economy: the universe tends toward balance. What has too much naturally loses; what has too little naturally gains. "The way of humans is not like this: it diminishes the deficient to serve the excessive"—ren zhi dao ze bu ran: sun bu zu yi feng you yu (人之道則不然：損不足以奉有餘). Feng (奉) is to serve, offer up. Human society reverses heaven's economy: the poor are taxed to enrich the wealthy; the weak are exploited to strengthen the powerful. "Who can offer their excess to serve all under heaven? Only those who possess the Tao"—shu neng you yu yi feng tian xia? wei you dao zhe (孰能有餘以奉天下？唯有道者). The sage who has aligned with heaven's way willingly redistributes, not from compulsion but from harmony with cosmic principle.

The full commentary continues with deeper analysis of internal cultivation, classical perspectives, and cross-references. Read the complete chapter →

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