Daodejing, Livre de la Voie et de la Vertu Chapitre 23

希言自然。 故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。孰為此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而況於人乎？ 故從事於道者，道者同於道， 德者同於德， 失者同於失。 同於道者，道亦樂得之；同於德者，德亦樂得之；同於失者，失亦樂得之。 信不足焉，有不信焉。

Abstaining from speech marks him who is obeying the spontaneity of his nature. A violent wind does not last for a whole morning; a sudden rain does not last for the whole day. To whom is it that these (two) things are owing? To Heaven and Earth. If Heaven and Earth cannot make such (spasmodic) actings last long, how much less can man! Therefore when one is making the Tao his business, those who are also pursuing it, agree with him in it, and those who are making the manifestation of its course their object agree with him in that; while even those who are failing in both these things agree with him where they fail. Hence, those with whom he agrees as to the Tao have the happiness of attaining to it; those with whom he agrees as to its manifestation have the happiness of attaining to it; and those with whom he agrees in their failure have also the happiness of attaining (to the Tao). (But) when there is not faith sufficient (on his part), a want of faith (in him) ensues (on the part of the others).

Celui qui ne parle pas (arrive au) non-agir. Un vent rapide ne dure pas toute la matinée ; une pluie violente ne dure pas tout le jour. Qui est-ce qui produit ces deux choses ? Le ciel et la terre. Si le ciel et la terre même ne peuvent subsister longtemps, à plus forte raison l’homme ! C’est pourquoi si l’homme se livre au Tao, il s’identifie au Tao ; s’il se livre à la vertu, il s’identifie à la vertu ; s’il se livre au crime, il s’identifie au crime. Celui qui s’identifie au Tao gagne le Tao ; celui qui s’identifie à la vertu gagne la vertu ; celui qui s’identifie au crime gagne (la honte du) crime. Si l’on ne croit pas fortement (au Tao), l’on finit par n’y plus croire.