文／春秋．老子（604BC～531BC）

我有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。

慈故能勇；儉故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。

今舍慈且勇；舍儉且廣；舍後且先；死矣！

夫慈，以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。

──選自《道德經》

【譯文】

我有三個珍寶，掌握並珍惜著它們。第一是「慈」，第二是「儉」，第三是「不敢居天下之先」。

因有慈柔，所以才能勇敢；因有儉樸，所以才能開拓；因不敢自傲為天下先，所以成為天下的首長。

如果捨棄慈柔談勇敢，捨棄儉樸談開拓，捨棄退讓談爭先，就必然走向死路。

所以慈柔用於作戰就可以取勝，用於守衛就能堅固。上蒼要救助人，就用慈愛去保衛他。

The Three Precious Things

Laozi (604 BC - 531 BC, Spring and Autumn Period)

English translation: James Legge

I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.

With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour.

Nowadays they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost; of all which the end is death.

Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his very gentleness protecting him.

── from Tao Te Ching