諺語 · a single proverb
報怨以德
Simplified: 报怨以德
What does 報怨以德 (bào yuàn yǐ dé) mean?
報怨以德 (bào yuàn yǐ dé) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "repay grievance with virtue." In use it means: Return kindness for resentment; respond to injury with virtue. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "repay grievance with virtue."
The reading
The flame that is met with more flame grows until it burns everything down. The grievance met with virtue receives something it was not prepared for and often does not know how to continue being a grievance in the presence of it. This is not weakness but a different kind of strength: the one that changes the equation entirely.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Te Ching 道德經·第七十九章 (Chapter 79); also Analects 論語·憲問
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 報怨以德 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 報怨以德 (bào yuàn yǐ dé) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Tao Te Ching 道德經·第七十九章 (Chapter 79); also Analects 論語·憲問. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 報怨以德?
In Mandarin it is bào yuàn yǐ dé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 報怨以德 aloud in Mandarin.