Das Tao Te King von Yi Wu

Das
Tao Te King
von
Lao Tse

English by
Yi Wu
http://www.sanmayce.com/

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1

The way that can be talked about is not the constant Way.
The name that can be named is not the constant Name.
Non-being is the name of the origin of Heaven and Earth;
Being is the name of the mother of all things.
Therefore:
Constantly in Non-being, one wishes to contemplate its (the Way's) subtlety.
Constantly in Being, one wishes to contemplate its path.
These two come from the same source, but are different in name.
The same source is called Mystery.
Mystery and more mystery.
It is the gateway to myriad subtleties.

2

When all in the world know beauty as beauty,
then ugliness already has arisen.
When all know good as good,
then bad already has arisen.
Therefore:
existence and non-existence give birth to each other,
difficult and easy complement each other,
long and short contrast with each other,
high and low rely on each other,
sound and voice harmonize with each other,
front and back follow each other.
Therefore:
the sage manages his affairs by non-action and spreads his teachings without words.
All things arise, he does not reject them.
He produces, but does not possess;
acts, but does not take credit;
achieves merit, but does not dwell [on it].
Because he does not dwell on it, it does not leave him.

3

[The ruler] not exalting talent, the people will not compete;
[The ruler] not valuing rare goods, the people will not steal;
[The ruler] not displaying desirable things, the people's hearts will not be disturbed.
Therefore, the sage's government:
empties their hearts,
fills their bellies,
weakens their wills,
strengthens their bones.
He always causes the people to have no knowledge and no desires
And causes those who are clever to not dare to act.
Acting by non-action, nothing will not be governed well.

4

The Way appears empty;
in use, it may not overflow.
Fathomless, it seems to be the ancestor of all things.
It blunts its own sharpness,
unties its own tangles,
tempers its own brightness,
unites itself with dust.
Deep but clear, it seems to exist and not to exist.
I do not know whose son it is.
It symbolizes that which precedes the Creator.

5

Heaven and Earth have no humanity;
They regard all things as straw-dogs.
The sage has no humanity;
He regards the people as straw-dogs.
Between Heaven and Earth, it is like a bellows or a flute!
Empty, but not exhausted;
With movement, more comes out.
Too much talk always exhausts;
It is better to keep to the inside.

6

The spirit of the valley never dies;
It is called the mysterious female.
The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.
Continuously it seems to exist.
There is no labor in its use.

7

Heaven is eternal and Earth is everlasting.
The reason they can last forever
Is because they do not live for themselves.
So, they can live long.
Therefore, the sage places himself behind,
But actually he goes ahead;
Neglects himself,
But actually preserves himself.
Is it not because he has no self
That his self is realized?

8

The supremely good [man] is like water.
Water is good at benefiting all things
but does not compete with them.
It dwells in places that people dislike;
therefore, it is close to the Way.
In dwelling, he is good at living close to the ground.
In mind, he is good at making himself like an abyss.
In giving, he is good at practicing humanity.
In speaking, he is good at keeping his word.
In governing, he is good at managing.
In doing, he is good at using his abilities.
In moving, he is good at discerning the right time.
Because he does not compete with others, he will be free from blame.

9

Holding [a cup] until it overflows, is not as good as stopping in time.
[A sword] beaten to its sharpest, will not last long.
A hall filled with gold and jade, cannot be kept forever.
Pride in riches and honors, creates trouble for oneself.
After achieving merit, retire.
It is the Way of Heaven.

10

To keep the spirit and body embracing Oneness,
can you let them not be separate?
To concentrate the breath for attaining softness,
can you be like an infant?
To wash and clear the mysterious vision,
can you eliminate all flaws?
To love the people and govern the state,
can you be without knowledge?
To open and close the Heavenly gates,
can you be the female?
To understand all things in the four directions,
can you be in non-action?
To produce them and nourish them,
To produce without possessing,
To act without taking credit,
To [encourage] growth without controlling,
This is called mysterious virtue.

11

Join thirty spokes at one hub;
in its emptiness, the carriage has its use.
Mold clay into a vessel;
in its emptiness, the vessel has its use.
Make doors and windows for a room;
in its emptiness, the room has its use.
Therefore, to have existence is beneficial;
not to have it is useful.

12

The five colors cause people's eyes to become blind.
The five tones cause people's ears to become deaf.
The five flavors cause people's mouths to become taste-less.
Racing and hunting cause people's minds to become mad.
Rare goods cause people's actions to become obstructed.
Therefore, the sage is for the belly, not for the eye.
He renounces that and takes this.

13

Favor is like disgrace, which startles us.
Big troubles should be treated as seriously as our bodies.
What is meant by, "Favor is like disgrace, which startles us"?
Favor is lowly.
Getting it startles us;
Losing it startles us;
Thus, favor is like disgrace, which startles us.
What is meant by, "Big troubles are treated as seriously as our bodies"?
The reason that we have big troubles is that we possess bodies.
If we did not possess bodies, what troubles could we have?
Therefore,
only the man who values himself for the sake of the world
is worthy of being entrusted with the world;
only the man who loves himself for the sake of the world
is worthy of being relied on by the world.

14

Looking at it, one cannot see it;
it is named the invisible.
Listening to it, one cannot hear it;
it is named the inaudible.
Grasping at it, one cannot get it;
it is named the immaterial.
These three cannot be inquired into;
therefore, they are blended into one.
Above it, there is no light;
below it, there is no darkness.
Continually!
Infinitely!
Unnameable, it returns again to the no-thingness.
This is called the form of the formless, the image of nothingness.
This is called the vague, the elusive.
Meeting it, one does not see its face;
Following it, one does not see its back.
If one holds to the Way of ancient times,
one can manage existence in the present.
That one can know the origin,
is called the record of the Way.

15

In ancient times, the men who cultivated the Way shared its essence, subtlety, mystery, and penetration.
They were deep and beyond knowing.
Because they were beyond knowing, we try only to describe them:
Cautious, as if crossing a river in winter;
Hesitant, as if fearing the neighbors on all sides;
Serious, as if a guest;
Expansive, as if melting ice;
Sincere, as if an uncarved block;
Vast, as if a valley;
Chaotic, as if turbid [water].
Who can stop turbidity, clarifies it gradually through tranquility.
Who can create lasting peace, produces it gradually through movement.
The men who protect this Way do not want to be too full;
only by not being too full can they remain under cover,
without new achievements.

16

Practice emptiness to its ultimate.
Maintain tranquility sincerely.
All things rise together;
I only contemplate their return.
All things flourish;
Each returns to its root.
To return to the root is tranquility;
It means to return to life.
To return to life is constancy;
To know constancy is enlightenment.
One who does not know constancy acts blindly and is in danger.
Knowing constancy, one's mind embraces all.
Embracing all, one treats all things equally.
Treating all things equally, one is kingly.
Being kingly, one is in accord with Heaven.
In accord with Heaven, one attains the Way.
Attaining the Way, one lives long.
One's entire life is without danger.

17

The best ruler: the people merely know he exists.
Next best: the people love and praise him.
Next: the people fear him.
Lowest: the people despise him.
Because he does not trust enough,
he will not be trusted by others.
Silent, the best ruler values his words.
When he has achieved merit and completed his works,
the people all say, "We did it ourselves."

18

When the great Way was abandoned,
Humanity and righteousness appeared.
When the intelligent and knowledgeable arose,
Great hypocrisy appeared.
When the six relationships were not in harmony,
Filial piety and paternalistic kindness appeared.
When the state was in chaos and disorder,
Loyal ministers appeared.

19

Transcend sagacity and abandon intellect;
The people will be benefited a hundredfold.
Transcend humanity and abandon righteousness;
The people will return to filial piety and paternal kindness.
Transcend craftiness and abandon profit;
Robbers and thieves no longer will exist.
These three are but ornaments, and inadequate;
Therefore, they should be subordinated.
Appear plain and embrace simplicity;
Reduce selfishness and restrain desires.

20

Transcend learning; there will be no sorrow.
Between "yea" and "nay", what is the difference?
Between "good" and "evil", what is the distinction?
What other people fear, I cannot but fear.
Of wandering, there will be no end.
Most people are busy coming and going
As if enjoying a feast,
As if ascending a tower in the springtime.
I alone am unmoved, showing no sign,
Like a baby who has not yet become a child;
Weary, as if I have no home to return to.
Most people have more than enough; I alone seem to be left out.
My mind is like a fool's! Chaotic, chaotic!
Ordinary people are bright; I alone am dim.
Ordinary people inspect [everything]; I alone am obscurant,
Indifferent as the sea, endless as a high wind.
Most people are reasonable; I alone am stubborn and mean.
I am different from others; I value being fed by the Mother.

21

The attitude of grand virtue is to follow only the Way.
The Way is like something elusive and evasive.
Within it there is image, evasive and elusive.
Within it there is matter, elusive and evasive.
Within it there is essence, dim and dark.
The essence is very real,
Within it there is evidence of reality.
From ancient times to now,
Its name has not disappeared.
By it one can see the source of all things.
How could I know the source of all things?
By this.

22

To bend is to be whole.
To crook is to be straightened.
To be hollow is to be filled.
To be worn out is to be renewed.
To have little is to gain more.
To wish for more is to be confused.
Therefore, the sage embraces oneness to become the pattern for the world.
By not being self-opinionated, he becomes enlightened.
By not being self-righteous, he becomes manifest.
By not being self-glorified, he has merit.
By not being self-satisfied, he develops well.
He alone does not compete with anyone;
so, no one can compete with him.
Is the ancient saying, "To bend is to be whole", an idle word?
Truly, the whole will return to him.

23

Nature rarely speaks.
So, a whirlwind does not last all morning,
Nor does a sudden shower last the whole day.
Who causes these? Heaven and earth.
If what Heaven and earth do cannot last long,
What can man do?
Therefore, one who follows the Way is in accord with the Way.
One who practices virtue is in accord with virtue.
One who loses is in accord with loss.
To be in accord with the Way is to be accepted gladly by the Way.
To be in accord with virtue is to be accepted gladly by virtue.
To be in accord with loss is to be accepted gladly by loss.
When a man is not sincere enough
He will not be trusted.

24

One who is on tiptoe cannot stand.
One who strides cannot walk.
One who is self-opinionated is not enlightened.
One who is self-righteous is not brightened.
One who is self-glorified is without merit.
One who is self-satisfied cannot develop.
To the Way, all of them are known as
"Unwanted food and useless actions."
They may be despised by all things;
Therefore, one who practices the Way does not dwell on them.

25

There was something formed in chaos;
It existed before heaven and earth.
Still and solitary,
It alone stands without change.
It is all-pervasive without being exhausted.
It may be the mother of the world.
I do not know its name, but name it the Way.
With reluctance, I call it Great.
Great means on-going;
On-going means far-reaching;
Far-reaching means reversing;
Therefore, the Way is great.
Heaven is great;
Earth is great;
The king also is great.
In this realm there are four great things,
And the king is one of them.
Man follows Earth;
Earth follows Heaven;
Heaven follows the Way;
The Way follows its nature.

26

Heaviness is the root of lightness.
Tranquility is the master of restlessness.
Therefore, the sage travels all day without parting from his baggage wagon.
Although there are splendid palaces,
he lives transcendentally at ease.
Why would a ruler of ten thousand chariots treat himself so lightly in the world?
Being light, one would lose one's foundation.
Being restless, one would lose one's mastery.

27

Good walkers leave no track.
Good speakers leave no opening for criticism.
Good counters use no calculators.
Good closers use no bolts, but the doors cannot be opened.
Good tiers use no rope, but their knots cannot be untied.
Therefore, the sage is constantly good at saving people; no one is forsaken.
He is constantly good at saving things; nothing is abandoned.
This is called inherent enlightenment.
Therefore, good men are teachers of men who are not good;
Men who are not good are the good man's materials.
He who does not respect his teacher nor love his materials,
However intelligent, is greatly confused.
This is called essential subtlety.

28

Knowing the male and keeping to the female,
One will be the stream bed of the world.
To be the stream bed of the world,
One will not depart from the constant virtue
But will return again to infancy.
Knowing the white and keeping to the black,
One will be the pattern of the world.
To be the pattern of the world,
One will not deviate from the constant virtue
But will return to the non-ultimate.
Knowing the honor and keeping to the mean,
One will be the valley of the world.
Being the valley of the world,
One's constant virtue is complete;
One returns to simplicity.
When the uncarved block is divided, it becomes vessels.
The sage uses it to become a leader.
Therefore, the great system will not cut apart.

29

If one wants to possess the world and act upon it,
I know that he cannot get it.
The world is a sacred vessel;
It cannot be acted upon.
To act upon it is to destroy it.
To grasp it is to lose it.
Therefore, in all things,
Some lead, some follow,
Some blow warm, some blow cool,
Some are strong, some are weak,
Some destroy, some are destroyed.
Therefore, the sage avoids the extreme,
The extravagant, and the excessive.

30

One who aids the ruler with the Way
Does not use military force to be strong in the world.
It brings retribution.
Where an army is stationed,
Briers and thorns grow.
After a great war,
A bad year invariably follows.
The good one gets a result and stops;
He dares not attribute it to his strength.
He gets results but does not brag,
gets results but does not boast,
gets results but is not arrogant,
gets results but does not make choices,
gets results but does not use force.
Anything that grows strong grows old.
This is called, "Not being with the Way".
Whatever is not with the Way will die early.

31

Fine weapons are things of ill omen.
All beings may dislike them;
Therefore, one who follows the Way does not live with them.
Ordinarily, a superior man values the left side;
Using an army, he values the right side.
Weapons are things of ill omen, not a superior man's things.
He uses them only when unavoidable.
He regards contentment as best.
Even if he wins, victory is not beautiful.
To find a victory beautiful is to rejoice at killing people.
One who rejoices at killing people can never attain his will in the world.
On fortunate occasions, the left side is elevated;
On unfortunate occasions, the right side is elevated.
The lieutenant-general stays on the left;
The supreme general stays on the right.
Deal with military affairs as if they were funeral rites.
Mourn for the killing of many people.
Observe funeral rites for the winning of a war.

32

The Way constantly is nameless.
Although its simplicity makes it seem trivial,
No one can subjugate it.
If dukes and kings can keep to it,
All things will naturally behave as guests.
Heaven and earth will unite with each other,
And sweet dew will fall.
People, without being commanded,
Will be equal to each other.
In the beginning of creation,
All things were given names.
When names are given,
One must know when to stop.
Knowing when to stop,
One will be free from danger.
The Way is to the world
As the great rivers and oceans
Are to streams in the valleys.

33

One who knows another is intelligent;
One who knows himself is enlightened.
One who overcomes another has power;
One who overcomes himself is strong.
One who is contented is rich.
One who acts forcefully has will.
One who does not lose his place will endure long.
One who dies but does not perish will live long.

34

The great Way is universal,
It exists on the left and the right.
All things rely on it for life,
And it does not refuse them.
It achieves without possessing.
It clothes and feeds all things
Without being their master.
Constantly desireless, it may be called "the small".
All things return to it,
But it is not their master.
It may be called "the great".
Because it does not consider itself great,
It is able to be great.

35

He who holds to the great image
Will be followed by the people of the world.
They will go unharmed,
In safety, calm, and peace.
Music and good food tempt passing guests to pause;
[But,] the Way that is tasted has no flavor,
Looked at, it cannot be seen,
Listened to, it cannot be heard,
Used, it cannot be exhausted.

36

If it wants to close anything, surely it will first open it.
If it wants to weaken anything, surely it will first strengthen it.
If it wants to abandon anything, surely it will first allow it to arise.
If it wants to take away anything, surely it will first give it.
This is called the subtle enlightenment.
The soft and the weak win over the hard and the strong.
Fish cannot leave the deep water.
The state's sharpest weapons cannot be shown to people.

37

The Way is constantly in non-action,
But it leaves nothing undone.
If dukes and kings can keep to it,
All things will be transformed by themselves.
But, in transforming, desires arise.
I will subdue them by the nameless simplicity;
With nameless simplicity,
There will be no desires.
Being desireless is to be tranquil.
All the world will become calm by itself.

38

One with supreme virtue is not attached to virtue, so has virtue.
One with lower virtue does not lose virtue, so has no virtue.
One with supreme virtue is in non-action and acts without purpose.
One with lower virtue is in action and has purpose in his actions.
One with high humanity is in action but acts without purpose.
One with high righteousness is in action and acts with purpose.
One with high propriety is in action but, if people do not respond,
He raises armies to draw others to him.
Therefore, when people lose the Way, they resort to virtue.
Losing virtue, they resort to humanity.
Losing humanity, they resort to righteousness.
Losing righteousness, they resort to propriety.
Propriety marks the lack of loyalty and trust
And the beginning of disorder!
The man with foreknowledge is only an ornament of the Way
And the beginning of stupidity.
Therefore, the great man dwells on the thick but not on the thin.
Dwells on the substance, but not on the ornament.
So, he renounces that and takes this.

39

Those of ancient times attained oneness.
Heaven attained oneness and became clear;
Earth attained oneness and became calm;
Spirits attained oneness and became divine;
Valleys attained oneness and became full;
All things attained oneness and came to life;
Dukes and kings attained oneness and became models for the world.
All was achieved by oneness.
Heaven, without [oneness], becoming clear, might crack;
Earth, without [oneness], becoming calm, might explode;
Spirits, without [oneness], becoming divine, might be exhausted;
Valleys, without [oneness], becoming full, might dry up;
All things, without [oneness], receiving life, might perish;
Dukes and kings, without [oneness], becoming honorable, might fall.
Therefore, the superior takes the inferior as its root.
The high recognizes the low as its foundation.
Therefore, dukes and kings call themselves
"the lonely one", "the little one", and "the worthless one".
Is this not to recognize the lowly as the root?
Is not this?
Therefore, those who wish for great reputation have no reputation.
We do not want to be bright as jade or hard as stone.

40

Reversal is the movement of the Way.
Weakness is the function of the Way.
All things in the world live in Being,
And Being lives in Non-being.

41

When the highest scholars hear of the Way, they practice it diligently.
When average scholars hear of the Way, they doubt its existence.
When the lowest scholars hear of the Way, they laugh loudly at it.
Without their laughing, it would not be the Way.
Therefore, the established words say:
The bright way looks dim,
The advancing way looks as if retreating,
The level way looks rough,
Supreme virtue looks like a valley,
Great whiteness looks soiled,
Abundant virtue looks deficient,
Established virtue looks like cowardice,
True essence looks changeable,
The greatest square has no corners,
The greatest vessel is completed late,
The greatest music is seldom heard,
The greatest image has no shape,
The Way is hidden in namelessness.
Yet, only the Way is good in lending itself, and is complete.

42

The Way brings forth one,
One brings forth two,
Two bring forth three,
Three bring forth all things.
All things carry the dark and embrace the light
and make them harmonize with empty energy.
People dislike "the lonely one", "the little one", and "the worthless one",
But kings and dukes call themselves by these names.
Therefore, everything may gain by losing
and may lose by gaining.
What people teach, I also teach:
"The man of violence will not die well."
I will take this as the father of my teaching.

43

That which is softest in the world overrides that which is hardest in the world.
Only that which has no existence can enter that which has no crevice.
Therefore, I know the benefit of non-action.
Teaching without words
And benefit without action;
Few in the world attain it.

44

Of fame and body, which is dearer?
Of body and property, which is worth more?
Of gain and loss, which is more troublesome?
Therefore, excessive love surely is great waste.
Much storing up surely is a heavy loss.
To know when you have enough
is to avoid disgrace.
To know when to stop
is to be free from danger.
Only thus can one long endure.

45

The greatest achievement seems imperfect, yet its usefulness is never exhausted.
The greatest fullness seems empty, yet its usefulness is endless.
The greatest straightness seems bent.
The greatest skill seems clumsy.
The greatest eloquence seems like stammering.
Restlessness wins over cold.
Tranquility wins over heat.
Pure tranquility is the norm of the world.

46

When the world is with the Way,
Galloping horses are sent back for dung.
When the world is without the Way,
War horses are raised in the suburbs.
No calamity is greater than not knowing contentment;
No trouble is greater than desiring gain.
Therefore, the contentment of knowing contentment is constant contentment.

47

Without going out of doors, one can know the world.
Without looking out of windows, one can see the Way of Heaven.
The more one goes, the less one knows.
Therefore, the sage
knows without travelling,
names without looking,
achieves without action.

48

To pursue learning is to increase daily.
To practice the Way is to decrease daily.
Decreasing and more decreasing,
One arrives at non-action.
Non-action, but nothing is left undone.
To have the world, one always should be in doing nothing.
If one is busy in doing something,
One cannot have the world.

49

The sage's mind is not unchangeable;
He regards the people's mind as his mind.
He is good to those who are good;
He also is good to those who are not good.
This is the virtue of goodness.
He trusts those who are trustworthy;
He also trusts those who are not trustworthy.
This is the virtue of trustfulness.
The sage, in the world,
Harmoniously merges his mind with the world's.
The people all strain their ears and eyes;
The sage regards them as children.

50

From birth to death,
One-third are fellows of life,
One-third are fellows of death,
And one-third are fellows of life who move to grounds for death.
Why is this?
Because they are overly attached to their lives.
It is said that those who are good at sustaining life
Travel on land without meeting wild buffalos or tigers,
Enter battle without protection of armor or weapons.
In them, a wild buffalo finds no place to gore with its horns,
A tiger finds no place to seize with its claws,
A weapon finds no place to pierce with its blade.
Why is this?
Because they have no grounds for death.

51

The Way brings them forth,
Virtue nurtures them,
Matter shapes them,
Environment forms them.
Therefore, all things without exception venerate the Way and value virtue.
The Way's venerability and virtue's value
are that they do not command but constantly are natural.
Therefore, the Way brings them forth,
Virtue nurtures them,
Grows them and rears them,
Matures them and ripens them,
Nourishes them and shelters them.
Producing without possessing,
Acting without taking credit,
Growing without controlling, --
This is called mystical virtue.

52

The world has a beginning;
It is the mother of the world.
Having the mother,
One can know the son.
Having known the son,
One should stay with the mother;
Then, to the end of one's life, there will be no danger.
Block the passages;
Shut the doors;
To the end of one's life, there will be no toil.
Open the passages;
Do all things;
To the end of one's life, there will be no salvation.
To know the small is called enlightenment;
To keep to the soft is called strength.
Use brightness and return to enlightenment.
Do not bring calamities upon oneself.
This is to practice constancy.

53

If I, subtly, have knowledge,
Walking in the great Way,
My only fear is to act on it.
The great Way is very level,
But the people prefer short cuts.
The court is very remote;
The fields are very weedy;
The storehouses are very empty.
But officials wear gorgeous garments,
Carry sharp swords,
Are surfeited with food and drink,
And possess more money and goods than they can use.
This is called, "to steal reputation."
This is not the Way!

54

What is well established cannot be uprooted.
What is well embraced cannot slip away.
[Practicing these], one's descendants will offer sacrifices without end.
Cultivate them in oneself, one's virtue will be true.
Cultivate them in the family, one's virtue will increase.
Cultivate them in the community, one's virtue will develop.
Cultivate them in the country, one's virtue will be abundant.
Cultivate them in the world, one's virtue will be universal.
Therefore,
by the self, contemplate the self;
by the family, contemplate the family;
by the community, contemplate the community;
by the country, contemplate the country;
by the world, contemplate the world.
How can I know about the world as such?
By these.

55

One who has an abundance of virtue is like a newborn baby.
Wasps and serpents do not sting it;
Fierce beasts do not seize it;
Birds of prey do not pounce on it.
Its bones are weak, its sinews are soft, but its grasp is firm.
Not yet knowing the union of female and male, its spirit is whole.
This is perfect essence.
It howls all day without getting hoarse.
This is perfect harmony.
To know harmony is to be constant;
To know constancy is to be enlightened.
To increase one's life span is ominous.
To control one's energy by mind is called strength;
To become strong is to become old.
This cannot be called the Way.
Not being in the Way, one will soon die.

56

One who is wise does not speak;
One who speaks is not wise.
Blocking the passages,
Shutting the doors,
Blunting the sharpness,
Untying the tangles,
Tempering the brightness,
Uniting with the dust, --
This is called the mystical union.
Therefore,
There is no way to get close to it;
There is no way to leave it;
There is no way to benefit it;
There is no way to harm it;
There is no way to value it;
There is no way to despise it;
Therefore, it is revered in the world.

57

Govern the country correctly,
Use the army trickily,
Have the world by doing nothing.
How can I know that is so?
By these:
The more taboos and prohibitions there are in the world,
the poorer the people are.
The more sharp weapons the people have,
the more chaotic the nation is.
The more craft and skill people have,
the more strange things happen.
The more laws and commands a nation has,
the more robbers and thieves there are.
Therefore, the sage says:
I am in non-action, and the people transform themselves.
I like to be tranquil, and the people correct themselves.
I do not interfere, and the people prosper naturally.
I have no desires, and the people return naturally to simplicity.

58

When the government is obscure and withdrawn,
The people are simple and honest.
When the government inspects and reinspects,
The people lack [morality and virtue].
Bad fortune is what good fortune depends on;
Good fortune is what bad fortune hides in.
Who knows the ultimate end?
There is no norm.
Normality turns out to be odd;
Goodness turns out to be bad.
People's confusion has been long.
Therefore, the sage is
upright but not cutting,
incorruptible but not harmful,
straight but not reckless,
bright but not dazzling.

59

In governing people and serving Heaven,
There is nothing better than thrift.
Only by thrift can one submit early.
To submit early is to fully accumulate virtue.
With a full accumulation of virtue,
there is nothing that cannot be overcome.
With nothing that cannot be overcome,
one's limits are beyond knowing.
With limits beyond knowing,
one can rule a nation.
If one has the country's mother,
one can long endure.
This is called deep-root and firm-stalk.
This is the way of long life and lasting vision.

60

Govern a big country as if cooking a small fish.
Reign over the world with the Way,
Then its demons will have no spiritual power.
Not that demons are not spiritually powerful,
But their spiritual powers will not harm people.
Not that their spiritual powers cannot harm people,
But, because the sage also will not harm people,
Neither harms the other.
Therefore, they return to virtue together.

61

A big state puts itself in the low place:
It is the focal point of the world
And the female of the world.
The female constantly wins over the male by her tranquility.
Tranquility is regarded as the low place;
Therefore, a big state, by lowering itself beneath a small state,
Can have the small state.
The small state, by lowering itself beneath a big state,
Can be taken to the big state's heart.
Therefore, one puts itself low to take,
and the other puts itself low to be accepted.
The big state wants only to embrace more people;
The small state wants only to join and serve the big state;
Thus, both have satisfied their needs.
The big one is right to put itself in the low place.

62

The Way is the refuge of all beings.
It is the good man's treasure
And the safeguard of the man who is not good.
Fine words can buy,
Respectable conduct can win people over.
If a man is not good,
How could he abandon the Way?
Therefore, if one is crowned king,
Installed by three dukes,
Although with hands full of jade,
Preceded by a four-horse team,
It is not as good as sitting here, advancing the Way.
Why, since ancient times, has the Way been thus valued?
Is it not because the one can get what he seeks
And the other can get rid of his sins?
Therefore, the Way is valued by the world.

63

Act through non-action,
Serve through non-doing,
Taste through non-tasting,
Do the great through the small,
Deal with the myriad through the few,
Repay malice with virtue,
Solve the difficult problem at its easiest,
Do the great work at its smallest.
The difficult affairs of the world surely start from the easy,
The great works of the world surely begin from the small.
Therefore, the sage, never doing anything for greatness,
Is able to achieve greatness.
One who promises lightly surely will not be trustworthy;
One who thinks everything easy will end in more difficulty.
Therefore, the sage, taking everything as difficult,
Will have no difficulty in the end.

64

What is at rest is easy to hold;
What has not yet appeared is easy to plan.
What is fragile is easy to shatter;
What is small is easy to scatter.
Act before the problem happens;
Manage before disorder arises.
A tree as big as one's embrace springs from a tiny sprout;
A tower with nine stories starts from a heap of earth;
A walk of a thousand miles begins from where one stands.
One who acts will fail;
One who becomes attached will lose.
Therefore, the sage, without acting, does not fail,
Without becoming attached, does not lose.
The people, in doing, fail at the point of success.
One should be as cautious at the end as at the beginning;
Then there will be no failure.
Therefore, the sage desires to be desireless
And does not value rare treasures,
Learns to be unlearned
And reforms the faults of people.
He aids all things in their natural development
And dares to not act on them.

65

In ancient times, one who was good at practicing the Way
Did not make the people clever
But kept them in ignorance.
If the people are hard to govern,
It is because they have too much knowledge.
Therefore,
one who governs the state with knowledge is a malefactor to the state;
one who does not govern the state with knowledge is a benefactor to the state.
Knowing both of these is also knowing to follow the pattern.
Constantly knowing to follow the pattern
Is called mystical virtue.
Mystical virtue reaches deep and far;
It returns with all things,
After which, supreme harmony will be attained.

66

The reason rivers and seas are able to be the kings of all valleys
Is because they excel in taking the lowest places.
So, they become the kings of all valleys.
Therefore, one who wants to be above the people
Surely must, in words, be below them.
One who wants to stay before people
Surely must, in body, stay behind them.
Therefore, though the Sage's place is above,
The people are not burdened.
The Sage is ahead,
But the people are not obstructed.
Therefore, the world happily praises and does not tire of him.
Because he does not compete,
The world cannot compete with him.

67

All the world says that my Way is too great to be like a thing.
It alone is great; so, it seems like no thing.
If it were like a thing, it would be already small.
I have three treasures to be kept and protected:
The first is called compassion;
The second is called thrift;
The third is called not daring to be ahead of the world.
Compassionate, one can be brave;
Thrifty, one can be expansive;
Not daring to be ahead of the world, one is able to be the leader.
Now,
Bravery without compassion,
Expansiveness without thrift,
Going ahead without retreat,
Is fatal.
Compassion,
In war, will result in victory;
In defense, will result in holding firm.
When Heaven is going to save someone,
It protects him with compassion.

68

One who excels as a knight is not warlike.
One who excels as a warrior is not angry.
One who excels at winning over enemies does not strive with them.
One who excels at managing people puts himself beneath them.
This is called the virtue of not being competitive.
This is called using the power of people.
This is called "matching Heaven", the ultimate state of the ancients.

69

Military strategists have a saying,
"I dare not be a host; rather, a guest.
I dare not advance an inch; rather, retreat a foot."
This can be called
marching without formation,
striving without arms,
overthrowing without enmity,
capturing without weapons.
There is no greater calamity than to underestimate an enemy.
To underestimate an enemy is to lose one's treasures.
Therefore, when opposing armies try to overcome each other,
One who sorrows will win.

70

My words are very easy to understand
and very easy to practice,
But the world cannot understand them
and cannot practice them.
My words have their primal meaning;
My deeds have their principle.
Only I am without knowledge;
Therefore, I am not known.
If those who know me are few,
Then, what I have is of value.
Therefore, the sage is covered by coarse clothes, but embraces jade.

71

One who knows, but does not know, is best.
One who does not know, but knows, is sick.
Only one who recognizes this sickness as sickness
Will not have the sickness.
The sage does not have this sickness
Because he recognizes this sickness as sickness.
Therefore, he has no sickness.

72

When the people no longer fear authority,
Then the great authority will come.
Do not neglect their livelihood;
Do not scorn their spiritual lives.
If you do not scorn them,
They will not reject you.
Therefore, the sage
Knows himself, but is not opinionated;
Loves himself, but is not conceited.
So, he renounces that and chooses this.

73

One who shows bravery in daring will be killed.
One who shows bravery in not daring will live.
Of them both, one is beneficial and the other is harmful.
About Heaven's dislike,
Who knows the reason?
Therefore, even a sage finds it difficult.
The way of Heaven
does not compete, but is good at winning;
does not speak, but is good at responding;
does not summon, but all things come of themselves;
is broad, but is good at planning.
Heaven's net is vast;
It is loose, but never misses.

74

If the people no longer fear death,
How can one threaten them with death?
If one causes them constantly to fear death and captures and kills those who are tricky,
Who would dare to be tricky?
The one who constantly is the executioner can kill.
One who kills by taking the place of the great executioner
is like one who takes the place of the great carpenter in cutting wood.
Of those who have taken the place of the great carpenter,
Few have not hurt their own hands!

75

The people are starving
Because those above tax them too heavily.
Therefore, they starve.
The people are hard to govern
Because those above are too active.
Therefore, they are hard to govern.
The people make light of death
Because those above seek too much for their own lives.
Therefore, they make light of death.
To do nothing for one's life
Is better than to value it.

76

One who is living is soft and weak.
One who is dead is hard and rigid.
All living things, like grass and trees, are soft and frail.
With death, they become withered and dry.
Therefore, hardness and rigidity are associated with death.
Softness and weakness are associated with life.
Therefore, powerful weapons will not win;
Massive trees will be cut down;
The strong and great will be laid low;
The soft and weak will be exalted.

77

Is not the way of Heaven like the stringing of a bow?
The upper part is depressed,
The lower part is raised;
The too-long string is shortened,
The too-short string is added to.
The way of Heaven reduces excesses and makes-up deficiencies.
The path of man is not so;
It decreases the deficient to supply the excessive.
Who can have more to offer to the world?
Only the man with the Way.
Therefore, the sage acts without taking credit,
Achieves without attachment.
He does not want to display his worthiness.

78

Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water,
But those who attack the hard and strong cannot conquer it,
Because nothing can change it.
The weak wins over the strong,
The soft wins over the tough.
Everyone in the world knows this,
But no one can practice it.
Therefore, the sage says,
To accept the state's sordid aspects is to be the lord of the state.
To accept the state's ill omens is to be the king of the world.
True words sound like their opposite.

79

Reconciliation of a great grudge
Surely will leave some ill-will.
How can this be considered as good?
Therefore, the sage holds the left-hand part of the contract and does not blame the other person.
The man with virtue is likely to keep the contract;
The man without virtue is likely to collect the tax.
The way of Heaven has no favor;
It is constantly with the good man.

80

There can be a small state with few people.
Let it have many vessels; the people will not use them.
Let the people value death and not move to far places.
Though there are boats and carriages, there is no place to ride them.
Though there are arms and weapons, there is no place to display them.
Let the people again tie knots of rope and use them.
Sweet their food,
Beautiful their clothes,
Peaceful their living,
Happy their customs.
Neighboring states can see each other,
The sounds of cocks and dogs can be heard by each other,
But the people will grow old and die, never having visited each other.

81

Sincere words are not sweet;
Sweet words are not sincere.
The good man is not argumentative;
The argumentative man is not good.
The wise man is not erudite;
The erudite man is not wise.
The sage does not hoard.
The more he does for others,
The more he has for himself.
The more he gives to others,
The more he gains for himself.
The way of Heaven is to benefit others, not to harm them.
The way of the sage is to act, but not to compete with others.

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