Dharma & Dao

Tao Te Ching · Chapter 26 of 81

Chapter 26

modern paraphrase of James Legge's 1891 translation

Modern paraphrase. This is an AI-generated retelling in contemporary English (model: claude-opus-4-7). It is not the James Legge translation. The original is one click away.

  1. Weight is the root of lightness; stillness is the master of motion.

  2. So a wise ruler, traveling all day, never strays far from his supply wagons. Even with splendid sights to enjoy, he stays calmly in place, untouched by them. How can the lord of ten thousand chariots act lightly before his kingdom? To act lightly is to lose the root; to rush into action is to lose the throne.

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