Four Great Things
Tao Te Ching: Chapter 25
The number Four, often associated in Chinese culture with death, is actually rather auspicious in Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching. But what exactly are the “four great things” Laozi refers to? Are they Man, Earth, Heaven, and Tao, with the understanding that the King is the highest representative of Man? Or should we exclude Man altogether and assume that the Old Master is actually referring to Earth, Heaven, Tao, and Nature?
The Translation
There was something indistinct Before Heaven and Earth were born. So silent, so isolated, Standing alone, not changing, Moving in a circle and not stopping, It can be considered the Mother of everything under Heaven. I do not know its Name. Describing it, I say: Tao Forced to name it, I say: Great. Great means Past, Past means Distant, Distant means Returning. Thus, Tao is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, The King is also great. In this domain there are four great things, And the King resides in one of them. Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Tao, Tao follows Nature.
The Original
Wang Bi’s original prose:
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，獨立不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。吾不知其名，字之曰道，強為之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。故道大，天大，地大，王亦大。域中有四大，而王居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
Our poetic reformatting:
有物混成， 先天地生。 寂兮寥兮， 獨立不改， 周行而不殆， 可以為天下母。 吾不知其名， 字之曰道， 強為之名曰大。 大曰逝， 逝曰遠， 遠曰反。 故道大， 天大， 地大， 王亦大。 域中有四大， 而王居其一焉。 人法地， 地法天， 天法道， 道法自然。
Terminology
Most of the key words and phrases have appeared in previous chapters, but I don’t recall having seen 域中 (yù zhōng) before. Derek Lin translates this phrase as “in the universe.” Dr. Hong and I have opted for the more literal “in this domain.” It could also be translated as “in this country,” “in this region,” or “in this territory.”
Notes
At least one version of the text substitutes 人 (rén = “Man,” “person,” “human,” “humanity”) for 王 (wáng = “the King”) in lines 16 and 18. As suggested above, the King should probably be understood as the highest representative of Man.