The Tao Te Ching
One
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.
These two spring form the manifestations.
These two spring form the same source but differ in name;
this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness
The gate to all mystery
Two
Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness
All can know good as good only because there is evil
Therefore having and not having arise together
Difficult and easy complement each other
Long and short contrast each other
High and low rest upon each other
Voice and sound harmonize each other
Front and back follow one another
Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no- talking
The ten thousand things rise and fall without cease
Creating, yet not passing
Working, yet not taking credit
Work is done, then forgotten
Therefore it lasts forever
Three
Not exalting the gifted prevents quarreling
Not collecting treasures prevents stealing
Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart
The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies
by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones
If people lack knowledge and desire
then intellectuals will not try to interfere
I nothing is done, then all will be well
Four
The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used, but never filled
Oh, unfathomable source of ten thousand things!
Blunt the sharpness
Untangle the knot
Soften the glare
Merge with dust
Oh, hidden deep but ever present!
I do not know form whence it comes
It is the forefather of the emperors
Five
Heaven and earth are ruthless
They see the ten thousand things as dummies
The wise are ruthless
They see the people as dummies
The space between heaven and earth is like a bellows
The shape changes but not the form
The more it moves, the more it yields
More words count less
Hold fast to the center
Six
The valley spirit never dies;
It is the woman, primal mother
Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth
It is like a veil barely seen
Use it, it will never fail
Seven
Heaven and earth last forever
Why do heaven and earth last forever?
They are unborn,
So ever living
The sage stays behind, thus he is ahead
He is detached, thus at one with all
Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment
Eight
The highest good is like water
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive
It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao
In dwelling, be close to the land
In meditation, go deep in the heart
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind
In speech, be true
In ruling, be just
In business, be competent
In action, watch the timing
No fight: No blame
Nine
Better stop short than fill to the brim
Oversharpen the blade, and the edge will soon blunt
Amass a store of gold and jade, and no one can protect it
Claim wealth and titles, and disaster will follow
Retire when the work is done
This is the way of heaven
Ten
Carrying body and soul and embracing the one,
Can you avoid separation?
Attending fully and becoming supple.
Can you be without stain?
Loving all men and ruling the country
Can you be without cleverness?
Opening and closing the gates of heaven
Can you play the role of woman?
Understanding and being open to all things
Are you able to do nothing?
Giving birth and nourishing
Bearing yet not possessing
Working yet not taking credit
Leading yet not dominating
This is the Primal Virtue
Eleven
Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub
It is the center hole that makes it useful
Shape clay into a vessel
It is the space within that makes it useful
Cut doors and windows for a room
It is the holes which make it useful
Therefore profit comes form what is there
Usefulness from what is not there
Twelve
The five colors blind the eye
The five tones deafen the ear
The five flavors dull the taste
Racing and hunting madden the mind
Precious things lead one astray
Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees
He lets go of that and chooses this
Thirteen
Accept disgrace willingly
Accept misfortune as the human condition
What do you mean by “Accept disgrace willingly”?
Accept being unimportant
Do not be concerned with loss or gain
This is called “accepting disgrace willingly”
What do you mean by “Accept misfortune as the human condition”?
Misfortune comes from having a body
Without a body, how could there be misfortune?
Surrender yourself humbly; then you can be trusted to care for all things
Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things
Fourteen
Look, it cannot be seen – it is beyond form
Listen, it cannot be heard – it is beyond sound
Grasp, it cannot be held – it is intangible
These three are indefinable;
Therefore they are joined in one
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark;
An unbroken thread beyond description
It returns to nothingness
The form of the formless
The image of the imageless
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination
Stand before it and there is no end
Stay with the ancient Tao,
Move with the present
Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao
Fifteen
The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive
The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable
Because it is unfathomable
All we can do is describe their appearance
Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream
Alert, like men aware of danger
Courteous, like visiting guests
Yielding, like ice about to melt
Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood
Hollow, like caves
Opaque, like muddy pools
Who can wait quietly while the mud settles?
Who can remain still until the moment of action?
Observers of the Tao do not seek fulfillment
Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change
Sixteen
Empty yourself of everything
Let the mind rest at peace
The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return
They grow and flourish and then return to the source
Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature
The way of nature is unchanging
Knowing constancy is insight
Not knowing constancy leads to disaster
Knowing constancy, the mind is open
With an open mind, you will be openhearted
Being openhearted, you will act royally
Being royal, you will attain the divine
Being divine, you will be at one with the Tao
Being at one with the Tao is eternal
And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away
Seventeen
The very highest is barely known by men
Then comes that which they know and love
Then that which is feared
Then that which is despised
He who does not trust enough will not be trusted
When actions are performed
Without unnecessary speech
People say, We did it!
Eighteen
When the great Tao is forgotten
Kindness and morality arise
When wisdom and intelligence are born
The great pretense begins
When there is no peace within the family
Filial piety and devotion arise
When the country is confused and in chaos
Loyal ministers appear
Nineteen
Give up sainthood, renounce wisdom,
And it will be a hundred times better for everyone
Give up kindness, renounce morality
And men will rediscover filial piety and love
Give up ingenuity, renounce profit
And bandits and thieves will disappear
These three are outward forms alone, they are not sufficient in themselves
It is more important
To see the simplicity
To realize one’s true nature
To cast off selfishness
And temper desire
Twenty
Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles
Is there a difference between yes and no?
Is there a difference between good and evil?
Must I fear what others fear? What nonsense!
Other people are contended, enjoying the sacrificial feast of the ox
In spring some go to the park, and climb the terrace
But I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am
Like a newborn babe before it learns to go
Others have more than they need, but I alone have nothing
I am a fool. Oh, yes! I am confused
Other men are clear and bright
But I am dim and weak
Other men are sharp and clever
But I alone am dull and stupid
Oh, I drift like the waves of the sea
Without direction, like the restless wind
Everyone else is busy
But I alone am aimless and depressed
I am different
I am nourished by the great mother
Twenty-One
The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao and Tao alone
The Tao is elusive and intangible
Oh, it is intangible and elusive, and yet within is image
Oh, it is elusive and intangible, and yet within is form
Oh, it is dim and dark, and yet within is essence
This essence is very real, and therein lies faith
Form the very beginning until now its name has never been forgotten
Thus I perceive the creation
How do I know the ways of creation?
Because of this
Twenty-Two
Yield and overcome
Bend and be straight
Empty and be full
Wear out and be new
Have little and gain
Have much and be confused
Therefore wise men embrace the one
And set an example to all
Not putting on a display
They shine forth
Not justifying themselves
They are distinguished
Not boasting
They receive recognition
Not bragging
They never falter
They do not quarrel
So no one quarrels with them
Therefore the ancients say, “Yield and overcome”
Is that an empty saying?
Be really whole,
And all things will come to you
Twenty-Three
To talk little is natural
High winds do not last all morning
Heavy rain does not last all day
Why is this? Heaven and earth!
If heaven and earth cannot make things eternal
How is it possible for man?
Twenty-Four
He who stands on tiptoe is not steady
He who strides cannot maintain the pace
He who makes a show is not enlightened
He who is self-righteous is not respected
He who boasts achieves nothing
He who brags will not endure
According to followers of the Tao
These are extra food and unnecessary luggage
They do not bring happiness
Therefore followers of the Tao avoid them
Twenty-Five
Something mysteriously formed
Born before heaven and earth
In the silence and the void
Standing alone and unchanging
Ever present and in motion
Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things
I do not know its name
Call it Tao
For lack of a better word, I call it great
Being great, it flows
It flows far away
Having gone far, it returns
Therefore Tao is great
Heaven is great
Earth is great
The king is also great
These are the four great powers
of the universe
And the king is one of them
Man follows the earth
Earth follows heaven
Heaven follows the Tao
Tao follows what is natural
Twenty-Six
The heavy is the root of the light
The still is the master of unrest
Therefore the sage, traveling all day
Does not lose sight of his baggage
Though there are beautiful things to be seen
He remains unattached and calm
Why should the lord of ten thousand chariots act lightly in public?
To be light is to lose one’s root
To be restless is to lose one’s control
Twenty-Seven
A good walker leaves no tracks
A good speaker makes no slips
A good reckoner needs no tally
A good door needs no lock
Yet no one can open it
Good binding requires no knots
Yet no one can loose it
Therefore the sage takes care of all men
And abandons no one
Ha takes care of all things
And abandons nothing
This is called following the light
What is a good man?
A teacher of a bad man
What is a bad man?
A good man’s charge
If the teacher is not respected
And the student not cared for
Confusion will arise, however clever one is
This is the crux of mystery
Twenty-Eight
Know the strength of man
But keep a woman’s care!
Be the stream of the universe
Ever true and unanswering
Become as a little child once more
Know the white
But keep the black!
Be an example to the world
Ever true and unwavering
Return to the infinite
Know honor
Yet keep humility
Be the valley of the universe!
Being the valley of the universe
Ever true and resourceful
Return to the state of the uncarved block
When the block is carved, it becomes useful
When the sage uses it, he becomes the ruler
Thus, A great tailor cuts little
Twenty-Nine
Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done
The universe is sacred
You cannot improve it
If you try to change it, you will ruin it
If you try to hold it, you will lose it
So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes they are behind
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness
Sometimes one is up and sometimes down
Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency
Thirty
Whenever you advise a ruler in the way of Tao
Counsel him not to use force to conquer the universe
For this would only cause resistance
Thorn bushes spring up wherever the army has passed
Learn years follow in the wake of a great war
Lust do what needs to be done
Never take advantage of power
Achieve results
But never glory in them
Achieve results
But never boast
Achieve results
But never be proud
Achieve results
Because this is the natural way
Achieve results
But not through violence
Force is followed by loss of strength
This is not the way of Tao
That which goes against the Tao
comes to an early end
Thirty- One
Good weapons are instruments of fear; all creatures hate them
Therefore followers of Tao never use them
The wise man prefers the left
The man of war prefers the right
Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not a wise man’s tools
He uses them only when he has no choice
Peace and quiet are dear to his heart
And victory no cause for rejoicing
If you rejoice in victory, then you delight in killing
If you delight in killing, you cannot fulfill yourself
On happy occasions precedence is given to the left,
On sad occasions to the right
In the army the general stands on the left
The commander in chief on the right
This means that war is conducted like a funeral
When many people are being killed
They should be mourned in heartfelt sorrow
That is why a victory must be observed like a funeral
Thirty- Two
The Tao is forever undefined
Small though it is in the unformed state, it cannot be grasped
If kings and lords could harness it
The ten thousand things would naturally obey
Heaven and earth would come together
And gentle rain fall
Men would need no more instruction
and all things would take their course
Once the whole is divided, the parts need names
There are already enough names
One must know when to stop
Knowing when to stop averts trouble
Tao in the world is like a river flowing home to the sea
Thirty-Three
Knowing others is wisdom
Knowing the self is enlightenment
Mastering others requires force
Mastering the self needs strength
He who knows he has enough is rich
Perseverance is a sign of will power
he who stays where he is endures
To die but not to perish is to be eternally present
Thirty-Four
The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and to the right
The ten thousand things depend upon it, it holds nothing back
It fulfills its purpose silently and makes no claim
The ten thousand things return to it
Yet it is not their lord
It is very great
It does not show greatness
And is therefore truly great
Thirty Five
All men come to him who keeps to the one
For there lie rest and happiness and peace
Passersby may stop for music and good food
But a description of the Tao
Seems without substance or flavor
It cannot be seen, it cannot be heard
And yet it cannot be exhausted
Thirty Six
That which shrinks
Must first expand
That which fails
Must first be strong
That which is cast down
Must first be raised
before receiving
There must be giving
This is called perception of the nature of things
Soft and weak overcome hard and strong
Fish cannot leave deep waters
And a country’s weapons should not be displayed
Thirty Seven
Tao abides in non-action
Yet nothing is left undone
If kings and lords observed this
The ten thousand things would develop naturally
If they still desired to act
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance
Without form there is tranquility
And in this way all things would be at peace
Thirty Eight
A truly good man is not aware of his goodness
And is therefore good
A foolish man tries to be good
And is therefore not good
A truly good man does nothing
Yet leaves nothing undone
A foolish man is always doing
Yet much remains to be done
When a truly kind man does something, he leaves nothing undone
When a just man does something, he leaves a great deal to be done
When a disciplinarian does something and no one responds
He rolls up his sleeves in an attempt to enforce order
Therefore when Tao is lost, there is goodness
When goodness is lost, there is kindness
When kindness is lost, there is justice
When justice is lost, there is ritual
Now ritual is the husk of faith and loyalty, the beginning of confusion
Knowledge of the future is only a flowery trapping of Tao
It is the beginning of folly
Therefore the truly great man dwells on what is real
and not on what is on the surface
On the fruit and not the flower
Therefore accept the one and reject the other
Thirty-Nine
These things from ancient times arise from one:
The sky is whole and clear
The earth is whole and firm
The spirit is whole and strong
The valley is whole and full
The ten thousand things are whole and alive
Kings and lords are whole, and the country is upright
All these are in virtue of wholeness
The clarity of the sky prevents its falling
The firmness of the earth prevents its splitting
The strength of the spirit prevents its running dry
The growth of the ten thousand things prevents their dying out
The leadership of kings and lords prevents the downfall
of the country
Therefore the humble is the root of the noble
The low is the foundation of the high
Princes and lords consider themselves
orphaned, widowed and worthless
Do they not depend on being humble?
Too much success is not an advantage
Do not tinkle like jade
Or chatter like stone chimes
Forty
Returning is the motion of the Tao
Yielding is the way of the Tao
The ten thousand things are born of being
Being is born of not being
Forty- One
The wise student hears of the Tao and practices it diligently
The average student hears of the Tao and gives it thought now and again
The foolish student hears of the Tao and laughs aloud
If there were no laughter, the Tao would not be what it is
Hence it is said:
The bright path seems dim
Going forward seems like retreat
The easy way seems hard
The highest Virtue seems empty
Great purity seems sullied
A wealth of Virtue seems inadequate
The strength of Virtue seems frail
Real Virtue seems unreal
The perfect square has no corners
Great talent ripens late
The highest notes are hard to hear
The greatest form has no shape
The Tao is hidden and without name
The Tao alone nourishes and brings everything to fulfillment
Forty- Two
The Tao begot one
One begot two
Two begot three
And three begot the ten thousand things
The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang
They achieve harmony by combining these forces
Men hate to be orphaned, widowed or worthless
But this is how kings and lords describe themselves
For one gains by losing
And loses by gaining
What others teach, I also teach, that is:
A violent man will die a violent death
This will be the essence of my teaching
Forty- Three
The softest thing in the universe
Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe
That without substance can enter where there is no room
Hence I know the value of non-action
Teaching without words and work without doing
Are understood by very few
Forty- Four
Fame or self: Which matters more?
Self or wealth: Which is more precious?
Gain or loss: Which is more painful?
He who is attached to things will suffer much
He who saves will suffer heavy loss
A contended man is never disappointed
He who knows when to stop does not find himself in trouble
He will stay forever safe
Forty- Five
Great accomplishment seems imperfect
Yet it does not outlive its usefulness
Great fullness seems empty
Yet it cannot be exhausted
Great straightness seems twisted
Great intelligence seems stupid
great eloquence seems awkward
Movement overcomes cold
Stillness overcomes heat
Stillness and tranquility set things in order in the universe
Forty- Six
When the Tao is present in the universe
The horse haul manure
When the Tao is absent from the universe
War horses are bred outside the city
There is no greater sin than desire
No greater curse than discontent
No greater misfortune than wanting something for oneself
Therefore he who knows that enough is enough will always have enough
Forty- Seven
Without going outside, you may know the whole world
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven
The farther you go, the less you know
Thus the sage knows without traveling
He sees without looking
He works without doing
Forty- Eight
In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped
Less and less is done
Until non-action is achieved
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone
The world is ruled by letting things take their course
It cannot be ruled by interfering
Forty- Nine
The sage has no mind of his won
He is aware of the needs of others
I am good to people who are good
I am also good to people who are not good
Because Virtue is goodness
I have faith in people who are faithful
I also have faith in people who are not faithful
Because Virtue is faithfulness
The sage is shy and humble – to the world he seems confusing
Men look to him and listen
He behaves like a little child
Fifty
Between birth and death
Three in ten are followers of life
Three in ten are followers of death
And men just passing form birth to death also number three in ten
Why is this so?
Because they live their lives on the gross level
He who knows how to live can walk abroad
Without fear of rhinoceros or tiger
He will not be wounded in battle
For in him rhinoceroses can find no place to thrust their horn
Tigers no place to use their claws
And weapons no place to pierce
Why is this so?
Because he has no place for death to enter
Fifty- One
All things arise form Tao
They are nourished by Virtue
They are formed form matter
They are shaped by environment
Thus the ten thousand things all respect Tao and honor Virtue
Respect of Tao and honor of Virtue are not demanded
But they are in the nature of things
Therefore all things arise form Tao
By Virtue they are nourished
Developed, cared for,
Sheltered, comforted,
Grown, and protected
Creating without claiming
Doing without taking credit
Guiding without interfering
This is Primal Virtue
Fifty- Two
The beginning of the universe
Is the mother of all things
Knowing the mother, one also knows the sons
Knowing the sons, yet remaining in touch with the mother
Brings freedom from the fear of death
Keep your mouth shut
Guard the senses
And life is ever full
Open your mouth
Always be busy
And life is beyond hope
Seeing the small is insight
Yielding to force is strength
Using the outer light, return to insight
And in this way be saved form harm
This is learning constancy
Fifty-Three
If I have even just a little sense,
I will walk on the main road and my only fear will be of straying from it.
Keeping to the main road is easy,
But people love to be sidetracked.
When the court is arrayed in splendor,
The fields are full of weeds,
And the granaries are bare.
Some wear gorgeous clothes,
Carry sharp swords,
And indulge themselves with food and drink;
They have more possessions than they can use.
They are robber barons.
This is certainly not the way of Tao.
Fifty-Four
What is firmly established cannot be uprooted.
What is firmly grasped cannot slip away.
It will be honored from generation to generation.
Cultivate Virtue in your self,
And Virtue will be real.
Cultivate it in the family,
And Virtue will abound.
Cultivate it in the village,
And Virtue will grow.
Cultivate it in the nation,
And Virtue will be abundant.
Cultivate it in the universe,
And Virtue will be everywhere.
Therefore look at the body as body;
Look at the family as family;
Look at the village as village;
Look at the nation as nation;
Look at the universe as universe.
How do I know the universe is like this?
By looking!
Fifty-Five
He who is filled with Virtue is like a newborn child.
Wasps and serpents will not sting him;
Wild beasts will not pounce upon him;
He will not be attacked by birds of prey.
His bones are soft, his muscles weak,
But his grip is firm.
He has not experienced the union of man and woman, but is whole.
His manhood is strong.
He screams all day without becoming hoarse.
This is perfect harmony.
Knowing harmony is constancy.
Knowing constancy is enlightenment.
It is not wise to rush about.
Controlling the breath causes strain.
If too much energy is used, exhaustion follows.
This is not the way of Tao.
Whatever is contrary to Tao will not last long.
Fifty-Six
Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know.
Keep your mouth closed.
Guard your senses.
Temper your sharpness.
Simplify your problems.
Mask your brightness.
Be at one with the dust of the Earth.
This is primal union.
He who has achieved this state
Is unconcerned with friends and enemies,
With good and harm, with honor and disgrace.
This therefore is the highest state of man.
Fifty-Seven
Rule a nation with justice.
Wage war with surprise moves.
Become master of the universe without striving.
How do I know that this is so?
Because of this!
The more laws and restrictions there are,
The poorer people become.
The sharper men's weapons,
The more trouble in the land.
The more ingenious and clever men are,
The more strange things happen.
The more rules and regulations,
The more thieves and robbers.
Therefore the sage says:
I take no action and people are reformed.
I enjoy peace and people become honest.
I do nothing and people become rich.
I have no desires and people return to the good and simple life.
Fifty-Eight
When the country is ruled with a light hand
The people are simple.
When the country is ruled with severity,
The people are cunning.
Happiness is rooted in misery.
Misery lurks beneath happiness.
Who knows what the future holds?
There is no honesty.
Honesty becomes dishonest.
Goodness becomes witchcraft.
Man's bewitchment lasts for a long time.
Therefore the sage is sharp but not cutting,
Pointed but not piercing,
Straightforward but not unrestrained,
Brilliant but not blinding.
Fifty-Nine
In caring for others and serving heaven,
There is nothing like using restraint.
Restraint begins with giving up one's own ideas.
This depends on Virtue gathered in the past.
If there is a good store of Virtue, then nothing is impossible.
If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.
If a man knows no limits, then he is fit to be a ruler.
The mother principle of ruling holds good for a long time.
This is called having deep roots and a firm foundation,
The Tao of long life and eternal vision.
Sixty
Ruling the country is like cooking a small fish.
Approach the universe with Tao,
And evil is not powerful,
But its power will not be used to harm others.
Not only will it do no harm to others,
But the sage himself will also be protected.
They do not hurt each other,
And the Virtue in each one refreshes both.
Sixty-One
A great country is like low land.
It is the meeting ground of the universe,
The mother of the universe.
The female overcomes the male with stillness,
Lying low in stillness.
Therefore if a great country gives way to a smaller country,
It will conquer the smaller country.
And if a small country submits to a great country,
It can conquer the great country.
Therefore those who would conquer must yield,
And those who conquer do so because they yield.
A great nation needs more people;
A small country needs to serve.
Each gets what it wants.
It is fitting for a great nation to yield.
Sixty-Two
Tao is source of the ten thousand things.
It is the treasure of the good man, and the refuge of the bad.
Sweet words can buy honor;
Good deeds can gain respect.
If a man is bad, do not abandon him.
Therefore on the day the emperor is crowned,
Or the three officers of state installed,
Do not send a gift of jade and a team of four horses,
But remain still and offer the Tao.
Why does everyone like the Tao so much at first?
Isn't it because you find what you seek and are forgiven when you sin?
Therefore this is the greatest treasure of the universe.
Sixty-Three
Practice non-action.
Work without doing.
Taste the tasteless.
Magnify the small, increase the few.
Reward bitterness with care.
See simplicity in the complicated.
Achieve greatness in little things.
In the universe the difficult things are done as if they are easy.
In the universe great acts are made up of small deeds.
The sage does not attempt anything very big,
And thus achieved greatness.
Easy promises make for little trust.
Taking things lightly results in great difficulty.
Because the sage always confronts difficulties,
He never experiences them.
Sixty-Four
Peace is easily maintained;
Trouble is easily overcome before it starts.
The brittle is easily shattered;
The small is easily scattered.
Deal with it before it happens.
Set things in order before there is confusion.
A tree as great as a man's embrace springs up from a small shoot;
A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth;
A journey of a thousand miles starts under one's feet.
He who acts defeats his own purpose;
He who grasps loses.
The sage does not act, and so is not defeated.
He does not grasp and therefore does not lose.
People usually fail when they are on the verge of success.
So give as much care to the end as to the beginning;
Then there will be no failure.
Therefore the sage seeks freedom from desire.
He does not collect precious things.
He learns not to hold on to ideas.
He brings men back to what they have lost.
He help the ten thousand things find their own nature,
But refrains from action.
Sixty-Five
In the beginning those who knew the Tao did not try to enlighten others,
But kept it hidden.
Why is it so hard to rule?
Because people are so clever.
Rulers who try to use cleverness
Cheat the country.
Those who rule without cleverness
Are a blessing to the land.
These are the two alternatives.
Understanding these is Primal Virtue.
Primal Virtue is deep and far.
It leads all things back
Toward the great oneness.
Sixty-Six
Why is the sea king of a hundred streams?
Because it lies below them.
Therefore it is the king of a hundred streams.
If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility.
If he would lead them, he must follow behind.
In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed;
When he stands before them, they will not be harmed.
The whole world will support him and will not tire of him.
Because he does not compete,
He does not meet competition.
Sixty-Seven
Everyone under heaven says that my Tao is great and beyond compare.
Because it is great, it seems different.
If it were not different, it would have vanished long ago.
I have three treasures which I hold and keep.
The first is mercy; the second is economy;
The third is daring not to be ahead of others.
From mercy comes courage; from economy comes generosity;
From humility comes leadership.
Nowadays men shun mercy, but try to be brave;
They abandon economy, but try to be generous;
They do not believe in humility, but always try to be first.
This is certain death.
Mercy brings victory in battle and strength in defense.
It is the means by which heaven saves and guards.
Sixty-Eight
A good soldier is not violent.
A good fighter is not angry.
A good winner is not vengeful
A good employer is humble.
This is known as the Virtue of not striving.
This is known as ability to deal with people.
This since ancient times has been known as the ultimate unity with heaven.
Sixty-Nine
There is a saying among soldiers:
I dare not make the first move but would rather play the guest;
I dare not advance and inch but would rather withdraw a foot.
This is called marching without appearing to move,
Rolling up your sleeves without showing your arm,
Capturing the enemy without attacking,
Being armed without weapons.
There is no greater catastrophe than underestimating the enemy.
By underestimating the enemy, I almost lost what I value.
Therefore when the battle is joined,
The underdog will win.
Seventy
My words are easy to understand and easy to perform,
Yet no man under heaven knows them or practices them.
My words have ancient beginnings.
My actions are disciplined.
Because men do not understand, they have no knowledge of me.
Those that know me are few;
Those that abuse me are honored.
Therefore the sage wears rough clothing and holds the jewel in his heart.
Seventy-One
Knowing ignorance is strength.
Ignoring knowledge is sickness.
If one is sick of sickness, then one is not sick.
The sage is not sick because he is sick of sickness.
Therefore he is not sick.
Seventy-Two
When men lack a sense of awe, there will be disaster.
Do not intrude in their homes.
Do not harass them at work.
If you do not interfere, they will not weary of you.
Therefore the sage knows himself but makes no show,
Has self-respect but is not arrogant.
He lets go of that and chooses this.
Seventy-Three
A brave and passionate man will kill or be killed.
A brave and calm man will always preserve life.
Of these two which is good and which is harmful?
Some things are not favored by heaven. Who knows why?
Even the sage is unsure of this.
The Tao of heaven does not strive, and yet it overcomes.
It does not speak, and yet is answered.
It does not ask, yet is supplied with all its needs.
It seems to have no aim and yet its purpose is fulfilled.
Heaven's net casts wide.
Though its meshes are course, nothing slips through.
Seventy-Four
If men are not afraid to die,
It is no avail to threaten them with death.
If men live in constant fear of dying,
And if breaking the law means that a man will be killed,
Who will dare to break the law?
There is always an official executioner.
If you try to take his place,
It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood.
If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.
Seventy-Five
Why are the people starving?
Because the rulers eat up the money in taxes.
Therefore the people are starving.
Why are the people rebellious?
Because the rulers interfere too much.
Therefore they are rebellious.
Why do the people think so little of death?
Because the rulers demand too much of life.
Therefore the people take death lightly.
Having little to live on, one knows better than to value life too much.
Seventy-Six
A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.
Seventy-Seven
The Tao of heaven is like the bending of a bow.
The high is lowered, and the low is raised.
If the string is too long, it is shortened;
If there is not enough, it is made longer.
The Tao of heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who do not have enough.
Man's way is different.
He takes from those who do not have enough and give to those who already have too much.
What man has more than enough and gives it to the world?
Only the man of Tao.
Therefore the sage works without recognition.
He achieves what has to be done without dwelling on it.
He does not try to show his knowledge.
Seventy-Eight
Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water.
Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better;
It has no equal.
The weak can overcome the strong;
The supple can overcome the stiff.
Under heaven everyone knows this,
Yet no one puts it into practice.
Therefore the sage says:
He who takes upon himself the humiliation of the people is fit to rule them.
He who takes upon himself the country's disasters deserves to be king of the universe.
The truth often sounds paradoxical.
Seventy-Nine
After a bitter quarrel, some resentment must remain.
What can one do about it?
Therefore the sage keeps his half of the bargain
But does not exact his due.
A man of Virtue performs his part,
But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfill their obligations.
The Tao of heaven is impartial.
It stays with good men all the time.
Eighty
A small country has fewer people.
Though there are machines that can work ten to a hundred times faster than man, they are not needed.
The people take death seriously and do not travel far.
Though they have boats and carriages, no one uses them.
Though they have armor and weapons, no one displays them.
Men return to the knotting of rope in place of writing.
Their food is plain and good, their clothes fine but simple, their homes secure;
They are happy in their ways.
Though they live within sight of their neighbors,
And crowing cocks and barking dogs are heard across the way,
Yet they leave each other in peace while they grow old and die.
Eighty-One
Truthful words are not beautiful
Beautiful words are not truthful
Good men do not argue
Those who argue are not good
Those who know are not learned
The learned do not know
The sage never tries to store things up
The more he does for others, the more he has
The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance
The Tao of heaven is pointed but does not harm
The Tao of the sage is work without effort