Knowing the unknowingness, is wise; not knowing the knowingness, is si

知病 · Zhī Bìng

Classical Chinese Text

知不知，尚矣；不知知，病也。圣人不病，以其病病。夫唯病病，是以不病。

Translation & Meaning

Knowing the unknowingness, is wise; not knowing the knowingness, is sickness. A sage has no sickness, because she treats the sickness like sickness. For knowing the sickness, (she) therefore has no sickness.

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 尚 (shàng): classical character (shàng)
  • 矣 (yǐ): [modal particle of realization]
  • 病 (bìng): classical character (bìng)
  • 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
  • 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
  • 人 (rén): person / human
  • 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
  • 唯 (wéi): only / precisely because
  • 是 (shì): this / therefore