第七十九章   中和解怨

和大怨，必有馀怨，安可以為善？ 報怨以德。是以圣人執左契，而不責于人。有德司契，無德司徹。天道無親，常與善人。

Reconciling by Natural Laws

Patching up a great hatred is sure to leave some hatred behind. How canthis be regarded as satisfactory?

That iswhy Enlightened Individuals

hold theleft side of the contract

and donot blame others.

The virtuous attends to his duties; The virtueless knows only how to levyduties upon the people.

The Tao in Nature is impartial. It always stayswith the harmonious.

[譯文]

調和雙方深重怨恨，必然留下余怨，如何能夠友善和諧相處呢？用天德來化解怨恨才是解決辦法。

真正悟道的人居間經雙方溝通達到中和，而不索取苛責于人。因此，有德的人持借據的存根，并不強行索??；無德的人則持強茍取。