21. The Shape of Great Virtue｜Tao Te Ching

孔（kǒng）德（dé）之（zhī）容（róng），（）唯（wéi）道（dào）是（shì）从（cóng）。（）

The character of great virtue follows the Way alone.

Profound virtue is not a persona deliberately constructed. It appears naturally when one's conduct follows the underlying course of things.

道（dào）之（zhī）为（wéi）物（wù），（）唯（wéi）恍（huǎng）唯（wéi）惚（hū）。（）

As a reality, the Way is elusive and indistinct.

The Way is not a sharply bounded object that can be pointed out directly; it is approached through the arising and changing of things.

忽（hū）兮（xī）恍（huǎng）兮（xī），（）其（qí）中（zhōng）有（yǒu）象（xiàng）；（）恍（huǎng）兮（xī）忽（hū）兮（xī），（）其（qí）中（zhōng）有（yǒu）物（wù）。（）

Elusive and indistinct, yet within it are forms; indistinct and elusive, yet within it are things.

Though the Way cannot be clearly defined, it is not mere nothingness. The forms and reality of particular things emerge within it.

窈（yǎo）兮（xī）冥（míng）兮（xī），（）其（qí）中（zhōng）有（yǒu）精（jīng）；（）其（qí）精（jīng）甚（shèn）真（zhēn），（）其（qí）中（zhōng）有（yǒu）信（xìn）。（）

Deep and obscure, yet within it is a vital essence. That essence is utterly real, and within it lies something trustworthy.

Beneath visible forms, a genuine generative power is at work. Though unseen, it is borne out by the existence of things.

自（zì）古（gǔ）及（jí）今（jīn），（）其（qí）名（míng）不（bù）去（qù），（）以（yǐ）阅（yuè）众（zhòng）甫（fǔ）。（）

From ancient times to the present, its name has not vanished; through it we can observe the beginnings of all things.

The name “Way” endures because it offers a means of understanding how the many things arise and take shape.

吾（wú）何（hé）以（yǐ）知（zhī）众（zhòng）甫（fǔ）之（zhī）状（zhuàng）哉（zāi）？（）

How do I know what the beginnings of all things are like?

This question asks for the basis of such knowledge, turning the preceding account of the Way into a claim that must be grounded.

以（yǐ）此（cǐ）。（）

By this.

“This” points back to the real traces and trustworthy evidence of the Way as they appear in the things themselves.

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