Original Text
The Way gives birth to all things, Virtue nurtures them, shapes them into various forms, and the environment allows them to grow. Therefore, all things honor the Way and value Virtue. The Way is honored and Virtue is valued because they do not interfere but let things follow their natural course. Thus, the Way gives birth to all things, Virtue nurtures them; they enable growth and development, bring them to maturity and fruition, and provide them with care and protection. They produce all things without claiming possession, nurture them without relying on their own merit, and guide them without acting as their master. This is the profound and far-reaching Virtue.
Guide
The Dao gives birth to all things, and Virtue nurtures them, yet neither interferes with their growth and reproduction, instead letting them follow their natural course. Once things have matured, they do not claim credit—producing without possessing, acting without presuming, and leading without controlling. Rulers should likewise emulate the Dao: on one hand, refraining from arbitrary action and governing through non-interference; on the other, not claiming credit, allowing the people to feel that they are acting naturally. Only in this way can they earn the people's respect and reverence.Analysis
In this chapter, Laozi discusses the "Way" and "Virtue" side by side, which has been touched upon in previous chapters; here we mainly explain the relationship between virtue and all things.
"Tao gives birth to them, Virtue nurtures them, matter shapes them, circumstances complete them." We understand that all things grow and develop because they conform to the objective laws of nature, which is the Great Tao. Therefore, Laozi calls this "Tao gives birth to them." After things are born from Tao, who then nurtures them? At this point, Virtue appears, perfectly capable of undertaking this responsibility, and Laozi calls this "Virtue nurtures them." Tao and Virtue together form the complete system of "moral integrity." All things are born from Tao and nurtured by Virtue; Tao and Virtue are like our parents who give us life and raise us—how could we not respect them?
In the preceding chapters, Laozi has repeatedly discussed the nature and function of virtue: virtue originally meant attainment, later extended to refer to the moral qualities that things should possess in the process of development, specifically manifested as human codes of conduct. If people's actions conform to the great virtue of the Way, then humanity can thrive and multiply; otherwise, it will self-destruct.
Thus all things honor the Way and value virtue. The Way is honored and virtue is valued not by any command but always through naturalness. All things revere the Way and virtue as noble not because of any deliberate decree or arrangement from a ruler, but because they follow and apply the objective laws of nature, which is a matter of spontaneity. All things are born naturally, develop naturally, and thrive endlessly by adhering to natural laws.
Therefore, the Way gives them life, virtue nurtures them; grows them, raises them; matures them, completes them; shelters them, protects them. This means the Way generates all things, virtue nourishes them, enabling their growth, development, ripening into fruit, and receiving care and protection. Laozi believed that in the process of the Way giving birth to all things, their myriad differences are merely due to circumstances; they all originate from the Way and are nurtured by virtue, and ultimately will accumulate virtue and return to the Way.
"Produce without possessing, act without presuming, nurture without dominating. This is called profound virtue." The Great Way generates all things but does not claim them as its own; nurtures all things but does not rely on its merit; guides all things but does not interfere or act as their master. The Great Way is deep and selfless, serving as a model for human conduct. People pursue reciprocity and use it as a guide for action, which is actually contrary to the Great Way and violates natural laws. The Great Way follows nature, free from desires and expectations, never seeking reward even when giving. The Great Way has no sense of distinction, so it has no separation between giving and receiving. When the Great Way gives much without return, it feels no distress or resentment. Humans are different; once our giving exceeds our returns or our desires go unfulfilled, we feel troubled and resentful, and some may even take extreme actions, harming both themselves and others.
In real life, no one can avoid being intentionally or unintentionally hurt by others. If we resent the entire society because of someone who once hurt us, we become cynical and narrow-minded. Viewing the world with hate-filled eyes inevitably impairs our judgment. In this world, no one is perfect; who can claim to have never hurt others? Since we have also hurt others, how can we expect never to be hurt by others intentionally or unintentionally? Therefore, when our efforts and rewards are not equal, we must calmly view gains and losses, and not harbor resentment over insufficient returns. In this chapter, Laozi elaborates on the philosophy of giving without expecting anything in return, a principle full of wisdom that offers beneficial guidance for each of us.