第五十章  出生入死
出生入死。生之徒十有三; 死之徒十有三; 人之生，動之于死地，亦十有三。夫何故？以其生生之厚。蓋聞善攝生者，路行不遇兕虎，入軍不被甲兵；兕無所投其角，虎無所措其爪，兵無所容其刃。夫何故？以其無死地。

The Cycling fromBirth and Death

Men go forth intolife, And return in death.

Those coming to life occupy one third of allpopulation;

Those passing away occupy one third;

Those moving in between are one third.

Why is this cycling so?

It comes from the original power of life.

I have heard thatthose who celebrate life walk safely among the wild animals. When they go intobattle, they remain unharmed. The wild buffalo's horns find nothing to gore;the tiger's claws find nothing to tear; and weapons' points find nothing topierce.

Why is this so?

They flows in the waves of the Nature Mother,

Andhe is beyond theregion of death.

[譯文]

人顯現有形而生, 入地無跡為死。處于生機勃勃階段的生命有三分之一，向衰老方向發展的有三分之一，而處于中間成長發展階段的人又占總量的三分之一三成。為什么會這樣？那是因為生生不息，生與死是無限循環。

據我所知，那些善于養生的人，他們在陸地行走不會受到兕虎的襲擊，在軍隊中不會遭敵方的傷害，兕虎的利角也不會刺向他們，猛虎的利爪不會抓傷他們，敵人的刀槍不入他們的軀體。

為何如此呢？是他們順勢而為, 無欲無求。