Original Text
Even great grievances, though reconciled, still leave lingering resentment—how can this be considered the best solution? Therefore, the wise person keeps the stub of a loan agreement but does not force others to repay. The virtuous are like the holder of a debt, tolerant and not demanding; the unvirtuous are like the tax collector, harsh and deceitful. The natural way shows no favoritism, making no distinction between close and distant, yet it always accompanies those of virtue.
Guide
Those who govern must not harbor resentment toward the people, nor intensify conflicts with them, for deep-seated grievances become irreconcilable. To prevent trouble before it arises, rulers should practice governance through non-action, transform the people with virtue, give without taking, and refrain from harming the populace.Analysis
In this chapter, Laozi continues to discuss the contradictions between rulers and the people. He states that the Dao and De are the foundation of all things; if people can honor the Dao and respect De, things will naturally be done well. If people do not honor the Dao and respect De, then even with all their efforts, they cannot accomplish things perfectly. Heaven's way shows no partiality, yet it naturally inclines toward those who possess the Dao.
"Reconciling great resentment inevitably leaves residual resentment—how can this be considered good?" "Great resentment" refers to profound and serious grievances, deep-seated hatred formed between people, while "residual resentment" means lingering bitterness that accumulates over years at the bottom of one's heart. How does great resentment arise? In previous chapters, we have analyzed the characteristics of the era in which Laozi lived. At that time, rulers were ambitious for grandiose achievements; to satisfy their selfish desires, they did not hesitate to exhaust military resources, launching large-scale wars of annexation, causing people to flee and suffer displacement. They even imposed heavy taxes on the people, making them endure deep suffering and unbearable burdens. Thus, the contradictions between rulers and the people intensified, and complaints arose on all sides. To stabilize public sentiment, rulers sought to eliminate great resentment through reconciliation—this is what is meant by "reconciling great resentment." What is the result of such reconciliation? Laozi believed that "reconciling great resentment inevitably leaves residual resentment." Why is there residual resentment? Because the contradictions between rulers and the people had reached an irreconcilable point. To completely eliminate residual resentment, rulers must abandon their selfish thoughts, restrain their desires, and free themselves from the pursuit of personal interests. If rulers continue to harm the people's interests to satisfy their own desires, no matter how hard they try, they cannot erase the residual resentment in the people's hearts.
Therefore the sage holds the left half of the contract but does not demand payment from others. Those with virtue hold the contract; those without virtue enforce collection. The left contract refers to the left half of a bond, held by the creditor as proof for demanding repayment from the debtor. Those with virtue are moral subjects who consciously follow morality and readily accept goodness. Che refers to an ancient form of tax, here extended to mean settling a debt in full with interest. If a debtor cannot repay, they lose personal freedom and all property is confiscated. In this passage, Laozi again uses the sage's behavior as a reference to highlight the difference between those with virtue and those without. He says that rulers with virtue collect taxes according to the terms of the contract, while rulers without virtue arbitrarily collect rent based on the amount of land.
"The Way of Heaven has no partiality; it is always with the good person." Here, the "good person" refers to one who embodies morality, existing in unity with the Way and the entire world created by it, so the whole world is their support and reliance—only such a person is truly strong. In this statement, Laozi indicates that the Way of Heaven is impartial toward all things, yet it favors standing with the virtuous. In other words, Heaven despises those without virtue, and harsh rulers will inevitably face its punishment, serving as a warning to unvirtuous rulers.