1

Tao called Tao is not Tao Names can name no lasting name
Nameless: the origin of heaven and earth Naming: the mother of ten thousand things
Empty of desire, perceive mystery Filled with desire, perceive manifestations
These have the same source, but different names
Call them both deep—Deep and again deep: the gateway to all mystery

2

Recognize beauty, and ugliness is born
Recognize good, and evil is born
Is and Isn’t produce each other Hard depends on easy
Long is tested by short, High is determined by low
Sound is harmonized by voice, After is followed by before
Therefore, the sage is devoted to non-action, Moves without teaching
Creates ten thousand things without instruction, Lives but does not own, Acts but does not presume
Accomplishes without taking credit When no credit is taken, accomplishment endures

3

Don’t glorify heroes, and people will not contend
Don’t treasure rare objects, and no one will steal
Don’t display what people desire, and their hearts will not be disturbed
Therefore, the Sage rules By emptying hearts and filling bellies
By weakening ambitions and strengthening bones Leads people away from knowing and wanting
Deters those who know too much From going too far
Practices non-action And the natural order is not disrupted

4

Tao is empty—its use never exhausted
Bottomless—the origin of all things
It blunts sharp edges, Unties knots, Softens glare, Becomes one with the dusty world
Deeply subsistent—I don’t know whose child it is It is older than the Ancestor

5

Heaven and Earth are not kind: The ten thousand things are straw dogs to them
The Sage is not kind: People are straw dogs to him
Yet Heaven and Earth And all the space between are like a bellows: Empty but inexhaustible, Always producing more
Longwinded speech is exhausting Better to stay centered

6

The Valley Spirit never dies It is called the Mysterious Female
The entrance to the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth
Endless flow of inexhaustible energy

7

Heaven is long, Earth enduring
Long and enduring because they do not exist for themselves
Therefore the Sage steps back but is always in front, Stays outside but is always within
No self-interest? Self is fulfilled?

8

Best to be like water, Which benefits the ten thousand things And does not contend
It pools where humans disdain to dwell, Close to the Tao
Live in a good place Keep your mind deep Treat others well Stand by your word
Make fair rules Do the right thing Work when it’s time
Only do not contend, And you will not go wrong

9

Hold and fill it—No as good as stopping in time
Measure and pound it—It will not long survive
When gold and jade fill the hall, They cannot be guarded
Riches and pride bequeath error

10

Can you balance your life force And embrace the One Without separation?
Can you control your breath Gently Like a baby?
Can you clarify Your dark vision Without blemish?
Can you love people And govern the country Without knowledge?
Can you open and close The gate of heaven Without clinging to earth?
Can you brighten The four directions Without action?
Give birth and cultivate Give birth and do not possess Act without dependence Excel but do not rule This is called the dark Te

11

Thirty spokes join one hub The wheel’s use comes from emptiness
Clay is fired to make a pot The pot’s use comes from emptiness
Windows and doors are cut to make a room The room’s use comes from emptiness
Therefore, Having leads to profit Not having leads to use

12

Five colors darken the eyes Five tones darken the ears Five tastes jade the palate
Hunting and racing madden the heart Exotic goods ensnarl human lives
Therefore the Sage Takes care of the belly, not the eye Chooses one, rejects the other

13

Favour and disgrace are like fear Honour and distress are like the self
What does this mean? Favour debases us Afraid when we get it Afraid when we lose it
The self embodies distress No self, No distress
Respect the world as your self: The world can be your lodging Love the world as your self: The world can be your trust

14

Seeing but not seeing, we call it dim Listening but not hearing, we call it faint Groping but not touching, we call it subtle
These three cannot be fully grasped Therefore they become one
Rising, it is not bright; setting it is not dark It moves all things back to where there is nothing
Meeting it there is no front, following it there is no back
Live in the ancient Tao Master the existing present Understand the source of all things This is called the record of Tao

15

The ancients who followed Tao: Dark, wondrous, profound, penetrating Deep beyond knowing
Because they cannot be known, They can only be described Cautious, like crossing a winter stream Hesitant, like respecting one’s neighbours Polite, like a guest
Yielding, Like ice about to melt Blank, like uncarved wood Open, like a valley Mixing freely, like muddy water
Calm the muddy water, It becomes clear Move the inert, It comes to life
Those who sustain Tao Do not wish to be full Because they do not wish to be full They can fade away Without further effort

16

Attain complete emptiness Hold fast to stillness
The ten thousand things stir about; I only watch for their going back Things grow and grow But each goes back to its root
Going back to the root is stillness This means returning to what is Returning to what is Means going back to the ordinary
Understanding the ordinary: Enlightenment Not understanding the ordinary: Blindness creates evil Understanding the ordinary: Mind opens Mind opening leads to compassion Compassion to nobility Nobility to heavenliness Heavenliness to Tao
Tao endures Your body dies There is no danger

17

Great rising and falling - People only know it exists Next they see and praise Soon they fear Finally they despise
Without fundamental trust There is no trust at all Be careful in valuing words
When the work is done, Everyone says We just acted naturally

18

Great Tao rejected: Benevolence and righteousness appear
Learning and knowledge professed: Great Hypocrites spring up
Family relations forgotten: Filial piety and affection arise
The nation disordered: Patriots come forth

19

Banish learning, discard knowledge: People will gain a hundredfold
Banish benevolence, discard righteousness: People will return to duty and compassion
Banish skill, discard profit: There will be no more thieves
These three statements are not enough One more step is necessary
Look at plain silk; hold uncarved wood The self dwindles; desires fade

20

Banish learning, no more grief Between Yes and No How much difference? Between good and evil How much difference?
What others fear I must fear - How pointless!
People are wreathed in smiles As if at a carnival banquet I alone am passive, giving no sign Like an infant who has not yet smiled Forlorn as if I had no home
Others have enough and more I alone am left out I have the mind of a fool Confused, confused
Others are bright and intelligent I alone am dull, dull Drifting on the ocean Blown about endlessly
Others have plans I alone am wayward and stubborn I alone am different from others Like a baby in the womb

21

Great Te appears Flowing from Tao
Tao in action - Only vague and intangible Intangible and vague, But within it are images Vague and intangible; Within are entities Shadowy and obscure; Within there is life Life so real, That within it there is trust
From the beginning its name is not lost But reappears through multiple origins
How do I know these origins? Like this

22

Crippled becomes whole Crooked becomes straight Hollow becomes full Worn becomes new Little becomes more Much becomes delusion
Therefore the Sages cling to the One And take care of this world
Do not display themselves And therefore shine Do not assert themselves and therefore stand out Do not praise themselves And therefore succeed
Do not contend And therefore no one under heaven Can contend with them
The old saying Crippled becomes whole Is not empty words It becomes whole and returns

23

Spare words; nature’s way Violent winds do not blow all morning Sudden rain cannot pour all day
What causes these things? Heaven and Earth If Heaven and Earth do not blow and pour for long How much less should humans?
Therefore in following Tao: Those on the way become the way Those who gain become the gain Those who lose become the loss
All within the Tao: The wayfarer, welcome upon the way Those who gain, welcome within gain Those who lose, welcome within loss
Without trust in this, There is no trust at all

24

Upon tiptoe: no way to stand Clambering: no way to walk
Self-display: no way to shine Self-assertion: no way to succeed
Self-praise: no way to flourish Complacency: no way to endure
According to Tao, Excessive food, Extraneous activity Inspire disgust Therefore the follower of Tao Moves on

25

Something unformed and complete Before heaven and Earth were born Solitary and silent Stands alone and unchanging Pervading all things without

limit It is like the mother of all things under heaven
But I don’t know its name - Better call it Tao Better call it great
Great means passing on Passing on means going far Going far means returning
Therefore Tao is great And heaven And earth And humans Four great things in the world Aren’t humans one of them?
Humans follow earth Earth follows heaven Heaven follows Tao Tao follows its own nature

26

Gravity is the root of lightness Stillness the master of passion
The Sage travels all day But does not leave the baggage-cart When surrounded by magnificent scenery Remains calm and still
When a lord of ten thousand chariots Behaves lightly in this world Lightness loses its root Passion loses its master

27

Good travelers leave no tracks Good words leave no trace Good counting needs no markers
Good doors have no bolts Yet cannot be forced Good knots have no rope But cannot be untied
In this way the Sage Always helps people And rejects none Always helps all beings And rejects none This is called practicing brightness
Therefore the good person is the bad person’s teacher And the bad person Is the good person’s resource
Not to value the teacher Not to love the resource Causes great confusion even for the intelligent This is called the vital secret

28

Know the male, maintain the female Become the channel of the world And Te will endure Return to infancy
Know the white, sustain the black Become the pattern of the world And Te will not falter Return to the uncarved block
Know honour, sustain disgrace Become the valley of the world And Te will prevail Return to simplicity
Simplicity divided becomes utensils That are used by the Sage as high official But great governing does not carve up

29

Trying to control the world? I see you won’t succeed
The world is a spiritual vessel And cannot be controlled Those who control, fail Those who grasp, lose
Some go forth, some are led Some weep, some blow flutes Some become strong, some superfluous Some oppress, some are destroyed
Therefore the Sage Casts off extremes Casts off excess Casts off Extravagance

30

Use Tao to help rule people This world has no need for weapons Which soon turn on themselves
Where armies camp, nettles grow After each war, years of famine
The most fruitful outcome Does not depend on force But succeeds without arrogance Without hostility Without pride Without resistance Without violence
If these things prosper and grow old This is called not-Tao Not-Tao soon ends

31

Fine weapons are ill-omened tools They are hated Therefore the old Tao ignores them
At home, honour the left In war, honor the right
Good omens honour the left Bad omens honour the right The lieutenant on the left The general on the right As in funeral ceremonies
Weapons are ill-omened Not proper instruments When their use can’t be avoided Calm restraint is best Don’t think they are beautiful Those who think they are beautiful Rejoice in killing people
Those who rejoice in killing people Cannot achieve their purpose in this world
When many people are killed We feel sorrow and grief A great victory Is a funeral ceremony

32

Tao endures without a name Though simple and slight, No one under heaven can master it
If kings and lords could possess it All beings would become their guests
Heaven and earth together Would drip sweet dew Equally on all people Without regulation
Begin to make order and names arise Names lead to more names - And to knowing when to stop
Tao’s presence in this world Is like valley streams Flowing into rivers and seas

33

Knowing others is intelligent Knowing yourself is enlightened
Conquering others takes force Conquering yourself is true strength
Knowing what is enough is wealth Forging ahead shows inner resolve
Hold your ground and you will last long Die without perishing and your life will endure

34

Great Tao overflows To the left To the right
All beings owe their life to it And do not depart from it It acts without a name It clothes and nourishes all beings But does not become their master
Enduring without desires It may be called slight
All beings return to it But it does not become their master It may be called immense
By not making itself great It can do great things

35

Hold the great elephant - The great image - And the world moves Moves without danger in safety and peace
Music and sweets Make passing guests pause
But the Tao emerges Flavourless and bland Look - you won’t see it Listen - You won’t hear it Use it - You will never use it up

36

To collect, first scatter To weaken, first strengthen To abolish, first establish To conclude, first initiate
This is called subtle illumination Soft and weak overcome stiff and strong
Fish cannot escape the deep pool A country’s sharpest weapons Cannot be displayed

37

Tao endures without a name Yet nothing is left undone
If kings and lords could possess it All beings would transform themselves Transformed, they desire to create; I quiet them through nameless simplicity Then there is no desire
No desire is serenity, And the world settles of itself

38

High Te? No Te! That’s what Te is Low Te doesn’t lack Te; That’s what Te is not
Those highest in Te take no action And don’t need to act Those lowest in Te take action And do need to act
Those highest in benevolence take action But don’t need to act Those highest in righteousness take action And do need to act Those highest in propriety take action And if people don’t reciprocate Roll up their sleeves and throw them out
Therefore Lose Tao And Te follows Lose Te and benevolence follows Lose benevolence And righteousness follows Lose righteousness and propriety follows
Propriety dilutes loyalty and sincerity: Confusion begins Foreknowledge glorifies the Tao: Stupidity sets in
And so the ideal person dwells In substance, not dilution In reality, not glory Accepts one, rejects the other

39

Of old, these attained the One: Heaven attaining the One Became clear Earth attaining the One Became stable Spirits attaining the One Became sacred
Valleys attaining the One Became bountiful Myriad beings attaining the One Became fertile Lords and kings attaining the One Purified the world
If Heaven were not clear It might split If Earth were not stable It might erupt If spirits were not sacred They might fade
If valleys were not bountiful They might wither If myriad beings were not fertile, They might perish If rulers and lords were not noble, They might stumble
Therefore, Noble has humble as its root High has low as its foundation
Rulers and lords call themselves Poor and lonely orphans Isn’t this using humility as a root?
They use many carriages But have no carriage; They do not desire to glisten like jade But drop like a stone

40

Reversal is Tao’s movement Yielding is Tao’s practice
All things originate from being Being originates from non-being

41

The great scholar hearing the Tao Tries to practice it The middling scholar hearing the Tao, Sometimes has it, sometimes not
The lesser scholar hearing the Tao Has a good laugh Without that laughter It wouldn’t be Tao
Therefore these sayings: The bright road seems dark The road forward seems to retreat The level road seems rough
Great Te seems hollow Great purity seems sullied Pervasive Te seems deficient Established Te seems furtive Simple truths seem to change The great square has no corners The great vessel is finished late The great sound is scarcely voiced The great image has no form
Tao hides, no name Yet Tao alone gets things done

42

Tao engenders One One engenders Two Two engenders Three Three engenders the ten thousand things
The ten thousand things carry shade And embrace sunlight Shade and sunlight, yin and yang Breath blending into harmony
Humans hate To be alone, poor, and hungry Yet kings and princes Use these words as titles
We gain by losing Lose by gaining
What others teach, I also teach: "A violent man does not die a natural death This is the basis of my teaching

43

The softest thing in the world rides roughshod over the strongest No-thing enters no-space This teaches me the benefits of no-action
Teaching without words Benefit without action - Few in this world can attain this

44

Name or body: which is closer? Body or possessions: which means more? Gain or loss: Which one hurts?
Extreme love exacts a great price Many possessions entail a heavy loss
Know what is enough - Abuse nothing Know when to stop - Harm nothing This is how to last for a long time

45

Great accomplishment seems unfinished But its use is continuous Great fullness seems empty But in use is inexhaustible
Great straightness seems bent Great skill seems clumsy Great eloquence seems mute
Exertion overcomes cold Calm overcomes heat Pure calm is the norm under heaven

46

With Tao under heaven Stray horses fertilize the fields Without Tao under heaven Warhorses are bred at the frontier
There is no greater calamity Than not knowing what is enough There is no greater fault Than desire for success
Therefore, Knowing that enough is enough Is always enough

47

Without going out the door, Know the world Without peeping through the window, See heaven’s Tao The further you travel, The less you know
This is why the Sage Knows without budging Identifies without looking Does without trying

48

Pursue knowledge, gain daily Pursue Tao, lose daily Lose and again lose Arrive at non-doing
Non-doing - and nothing not done
Take the entire world as nothing Make the least effort, And the world escapes you

49

The Sage has no set heart Ordinary people’s hearts Become the Sage’s heart
People who are good I

treat well People who are not good I also treat well: Te as goodness
Trustworthy people I trust Untrustworthy people I also trust Te as trust
Sages create harmony under heaven Blending their hearts with the world Ordinary people fix their eyes and ears upon them, But Sages become the world’s children

50

Emerge into life, enter death Life is only the thirteen body parts Death is only the thirteen body parts Human life, moving towards death, Is the same thirteen Why is this? Because life gives life to substance
You have heard of people Good at holding on to life Walking overland they don’t avoid Rhinos and tigers In battle they don’t arm themselves
The rhino’s horn find nothing to gore; The tiger’s claws find nothing to flay Weapons find nothing to pierce Why is this? They have no mortal spot

51

Tao bears them Te nurses them Events form them Energy completes them Therefore the ten thousand beings Honour Tao and respect Te Tao is honoured Te is respected Because they do not give orders But endure in their own nature
Therefore, Tao bears them and Te nurses them Rears them Raises them Shelters them Nurtures them Supports them Protects them
Bears them without owning them Helps them without coddling them Rears them without ruling them This is called original Te

52

The world has a source: the world’s mother Once you have the mother, You know the children
Once you know the children, Return to the mother Your body dies There is no danger
Block the passage, Bolt the gate: No strain Until your life ends
Open the passage, Take charge of things No relief Until your life ends
Seeing the small is called brightness Maintaining gentleness is called strength
Use this brightness to return to brightness Don’t cling to your body’s woes Then you can learn endurance

53

Having some knowledge When walking on the Great Tao Only brings fear
The great Tao is very smooth But people like rough trails
The government is divided Fields are overgrown Granaries are empty
But the nobles clothes are gorgeous Their belts show off swords And they are glutted with food and drink Personal wealth is excessive This is called thieves’ endowment But it is not Tao

54

Well planted, not uprooted Well embraced, never lost Descendants will continue The ancestral rituals
Maintain oneself: Te becomes real Maintain the family: Te becomes abundant Maintain the community: Te becomes extensive Maintain the country: Te becomes public Maintain the world: Te becomes omnipresent
Therefore, Through self contemplate self Through family contemplate family Through community contemplate community Through country contemplate country Through world contemplate world
How do I know the world? Like this!

55

Be filled with Te Like a baby: Wasps, scorpions and vipers Do not sting it Fierce tigers do not stalk it Birds of prey do not attack it Bones weak, muscles soft But its grasp is tight
It does not yet know Union of male and female But its sex is formed Its vital essence complete
It can scream all day and not get hoarse Its harmony is complete Knowing harmony is called endurance Knowing endurance is called illumination
Increasing life is called fortune Mind controlling energy is called power
When beings prosper and grow old Call them not-Tao Not-Tao soon ends

56

Those who know don’t talk Those who talk don’t know
Block the passage Bolt the gate Blunt the sharp Untie the knot Blend with the light Become one with the dust - This is called original unity
It can’t be embraced It can’t be escaped, It can’t be helped It can’t be harmed, It can’t be exalted It can’t be despised, Therefore it is revered under Heaven

57

Use the unexpected to govern the country Use surprise to wage war Use non-action to win the world How do I know? Like this!
The more prohibitions and rules, The poorer people become The sharper people’s weapons, The more they riot
The more skilled their techniques, The more grotesque their works The more elaborate the laws, The more they commit crimes
Therefore the Sage says, I do nothing And people transform themselves I enjoy serenity And people govern themselves
I cultivate emptiness And people become prosperous I have no desires And people simplify themselves

58

If government is muted and muffled People are cool and refreshed If government investigates and intrudes, People are worn down and hopeless
Bad fortune rests upon good fortune Good luck hides within bad luck
Who knows how it will end? If there is no principle Principle reverts to disorder, Good reverts to calamity People’s confusion hardens and lingers on
Therefore the Sage squares without cutting Corners without dividing Straightens without extending Shines without dazzling

59

Governing people and serving heaven Is like living off the land
Living sparingly and responding quickly Means accumulating Te There is nothing that cannot be overcome There is no limit
You can become the country And the country’s mother, and nourish and extend it
This is called deep roots, firm base This is the Tao of living long and seeing far

60

Govern big countries Like you cook a little fish
When Tao harmonizes the world, Demons lose their power
Not that demons lose their power, but their power does not harm people Not that their power does not harm people, but the Sage does not harm people
If neither does harm, Then Te flows and returns

61

A great nation flows down To be the world’s pool The female under heaven In stillness The female constantly overcomes the male In stillness Takes the low place
Therefore a great nation Lowers itself And wins over a small one A small nation keeps itself low And wins over a great one
Sometimes becoming low wins Sometimes staying low wins
A great nation desires nothing more Than to unite and protect people A small nation desires nothing more Than to enter the service of people
When both get what they wish The great one should be low

62

Tao is the mysterious center of all things, a treasure for those who are good, A refuge for those who are not
Beautiful words can be traded Noble deeds can enhance reputations But if people lack them, Why should they be rejected?
When the Son of Heaven is enthroned And the Three Ministers installed Presenting jade discs And four-horse chariots Cannot compare to sitting still And offering the Tao
The ancients honoured this Tao Didn’t they say: Through it seekers find Through it the guilty escape? This is why Tao is honoured under Heaven

63

Act without acting Serve without serving Taste without tasting
Big, little Many, few Repay hatred with Te
Map difficult with easy Approach great through narrow
The most difficult things in the world Must be accomplished through the easiest The greatest things in the world Must be accomplished through the smallest
Therefore the Sage Never attempts great things and so accomplishes them
Quick promises Mean little trust Everything easy Means great difficulty
Thus for the Sage everything is difficult, And so in the end Nothing is difficult

64

At rest is easy to hold Not yet impossible is easy to plan Brittle is easy to break Fine is easy to scatter
Create before it exists Lead before it goes astray
A tree too big to embrace Is born from a slender shoot A nine-story rises from a pile of earth A thousand-mile journey Begins with a single step
Act and you ruin it Grasp and you lose it Therefore the Sage Does not act And so does not ruin Does not grasp And so does not lose
People commonly ruin their work When they are near success Proceed at the end as at the beginning And your work won’t be ruined
Therefore the Sage Desires no desires Prizes no prizes Studies no studies And returns To what others pass by The Sage Helps all beings find their nature But does not presume to act

65

Taoist rulers of old Did not enlighten people But left them dull
People are difficult to govern Because they are very clever Therefore, Ruling through cleverness leads to rebellion Not leading through cleverness Brings good fortune
Know these two things And understanding the enduring pattern Understand the enduring pattern: This is called original Te
Original Te goes deep and far All things reverse Return And reach the great headwaters

66

Rivers and seas Can rule the hundred valleys Because they are good at lying low They are lords of the valleys
Therefore those who would be above Must speak as if they are below Those who would lead Must speak as if they are behind
In this way the Sage dwells above And the people are not burdened Dwells in front And they are not hindered Therefore the whole world Is delighted and unwearied
Since the Sage does not contend No one can contend with the Sage

67

Everyone under heaven calls my Tao great, and unlike anything else It is great only because It is unlike anything else If it were like anything else It would stretch and become thin
I have three treasures to maintain and conserve: the first is compassion The second is frugality The third is not presuming To be first under heaven
Compassion leads to courage Frugality allows generosity Not presuming to be first Creates a lasting instrument
Nowadays, People reject compassion But want to be brave Reject frugality But want to be generous Reject humility And want to come first This is death
Compassion: Attack with it and win Defend with it and stand firm Heaven aids and protects Through compassion

68

The accomplished person is not aggressive The good soldier is not hot tempered
The best conqueror does not engage the enemy The most effective leader takes the lowest place
This is called the Te of not contending This is called the power of the leader This is called matching Heaven’s ancient ideal

69

There is a saying in the army: I do not presume to be the master, But become the guest I do not dare advance an inch, but retreat a foot
This is called moving without moving, rolling up sleeves without showing your arms Repelling

without opposing Wielding without a weapon
There is no disaster greater than Contempt for the enemy
Contempt for the enemy - what a treasure is lost! Therefore, When the fighting gets hot, Those who grieve will conquer

70

My words are very easy to understand Very easy to practice No one under heaven can understand them No one can practice them
Words have ancestors Deeds have masters If people don’t understand this, They don’t understand me Few understand me And that is my value
Therefore the Sage wears rough clothing And carries Jade inside

71

Know not-knowing: supreme Not know knowing: faulty
Only faulting faults is faultless
The Sage is faultless
By faulting faults,
And so is without fault

72

When people are not in awe of power, Power becomes great
Do not intrude into their homes Do not make their lives weary If you do not weary them, They will not become weary of you
Therefore the Sage Has self-knowledge without self-display Self-love without personal pride Rejects one, accepts the other

73

Courage to dare kills Courage not to dare saves One brings profit, one brings harm
Of these two, one is good, and one is harmful Some are not favored by heaven Who knows why? Even the wise consider it a difficult question
Heaven hates what it hates - Who knows why! Even the Sage finds it difficult Heaven’s Tao does not contend But prevails Does not speak But responds Is not summoned But arrives Is utterly still But plans all actions
Heaven’s net is wide, wide Loose - But nothing slips through

74

If people do not fear death How dare you threaten them with death?
But if people with a normal fear of death Are about to do something vicious And I could seize and execute them Who would dare?
There is always an official executioner Trying to take the executioner’s place Is like trying to replace a master woodworker - Few would not slice their own hands

75

People are hungry When rulers tax grain People are hungry
People are rebellious When rulers are active People are rebellious
People ignore death When searching only for life’s bounty People ignore death Only those who do not strive after life Truly respect life

76

Humans are born soft and weak They die stiff and strong
The ten thousand plants and trees Are born soft tender And die withered and sere
The stiff and strong Are Death’s companions The soft and weak Are Life’s companions
Therefore the strongest armies do not conquer The greatest trees are cut down
The strong and great sink down The soft and weak rise up

77

Heaven’s Tao Is a stretched bow Pulling down on the top Pulling up on the bottom
If it’s too much, cut If it’s not enough, Add on to it: Heaven’s Tao
The Human Route Is not like this Depriving the poor Offering to the rich Who has a surplus And still offers it to the world? Only those with Tao
Therefore the Sage Acts and expects nothing Accomplishes and does not linger Has no desire to seem worthy

78

Nothing in the world is soft and weak as water But when attacking the hard and strong Nothing can conquer so easily
Weak overcomes strong, soft overcomes hard Everyone knows this, no one attains it
Therefore the Sage says: Accept a country’s filth And become master of its sacred soil Accept a country’s ill fortune And become king under heaven True words resemble their opposites

79

Appears great hatred sand hatred will remain How can this be good?
Therefore the Sage Holds the tally But does not judge people
Those who have Te Control the tally Those who lack Te Collect their due
Heaven has no favourites But endures in good people

80

Small country, few people - Hundreds of devices, But none are used People ponder on death And don’t travel far
They have carriages and boats But no one goes on board; Weapons and armour But no one brandishes them
They use knotted cords for counting Sweet is their food Beautiful their clothes Peaceful their homes Delightful their customs
Neighboring countries are so close You can hear their chickens and dogs But people grow old and die Without needing to come and go

81

Sincere words are not pretty Pretty words are not sincere
Good people do not quarrel Quarrelsome people are not good
The wise are not learned The learned are not wise
The Sage is not acquisitive - Has enough By doing for others, Has even more By giving to others
Heaven’s Tao Benefits and does not harm The Sage’s Tao Acts and does not contend

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