Translation

Together with great resentment must exist lingering resentment.
Such peace, passable and different, is satisfactory
That is because the wise person manages the different contracts,
Yet doesn’t punish the people.
In having kindness takes charge of the contract,
In not having kindness take charge of the penetration.
Nature’s way is without match.
Constantly helping the kind person.

gentle (together with; and) big (large; great; major) resentment (blame; complain)  certainly (must) have (exist) extra (surplus; remaining; after) resentment (blame; complain).

peaceful (quiet; calm) can (may <informal> passable; not bad) left (east; heretical; wrong; different) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) good (satisfactory; be adept in).

<grm>is <formal> this; that) use (v: take; p: because of; so as to; c: and) sage (wise man) hold (manage; stick to, carry out; observe) left (east; heretical; wrong; different) engrave (carve; agree; contract),

<conj.>and / but (not)  no (not) duty (responsibility) at (in,  in regard to) human being (man; person; people).

have virtue (moral character; mind; kindness) take charge of (attend to; manage) engrave (carve; contract; deed; agree; get along well),

nothing (nil; not have; without) virtue (moral character; heart; mind; kindness) take charge of (attend to; manage) thorough (penetrating).

sky (heaven, nature; God) road (way, path, speak) nothing (nil; without; not) parent (relative; match; intimate).

ordinary (normal; constant) give (offer; help; and, together with) philanthropist (charitable person; well doer).

Original

和大怨必有余怨。
安可以为善。
是以圣人执左契，
而不责于人。
有德司契，
无德司彻。
天道无亲
常与善人。

Commentary, October 2011

I’ve always had an issue with the way D.C. Lau’s translated the end of this chapter: It is the way of heaven to show no favoritism. It is forever on the side of the good man. How can nature on one hand “show no favoritism” and on the other hand “be on the side of the good man”?

One of the Chinese characters involved here helps me resolve this. This character, shan (善) means: satisfactory; good; make a success of; perfect; kind; friendly; be adept in; properly. This word, shan, is the “good” at the end of this chapter. It is also the “perfect” at the beginning of the chapter (i.e. How can this be considered perfect?).

My difficulty comes from having this translated as “good” or “perfect”. As I see it, there is no “bad” or “imperfect” in nature. We are so partaking of the ‘Tai Lao’ offering in our notions of ‘good and bad‘. Good and bad are human values which simply mirror what we generally like and dislike, and our preferences for comfort and security, e.g., we dislike death, it’s “bad”; we like life, it’s “good”.

This inconsistency clears right up when I use some of the other meanings of shan, i.e., satisfactory, be adept in, make a success of… are all preferable to perfect and good. Nature is adept in all she does. Nature makes a success of all she does. Nature is always satisfactory. Nature is always on the side of adeptness; after all, that is evolution, plain and simple.

As to nature showing no favoritism, favoritism has nothing to do with being adept. Favoritism is giving your son the job even though he is not adept. Ulterior motives drive favoritism. Nature has no ulterior motives, which I can see anyway.

The wise person is the one not driven by their agenda (desires, needs, fears), so it takes a lot more to trigger their fairness instinct. It is much easier to be impartial, and not punish people or exact ‘fairness’ when you have little thought of self and as few desires as possible.