Tao Te Ching — Translated by John Louis Albert Trottier
The Tao Te Ching
Translated by John Louis Albert Trottier
Source: http://soli.com/dao1.htm
1
TAO (THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE) can be talked about,
but not the Eternal Tao (Laws of the Universe).
Names can be named,
but not the Eternal Name.
(You cannot name the unknown.)
As the origin of heaven-and-earth,
it is not describable:
As “the Mother” of all things,
it is describable.
(You cannot describe the unknown origin.)
As it is always hidden,
We should look at its Inner Sum and Substance (through philosophy
and poetry):
As always visible,
We should look at its Outer Form (through science and obsevation).
These two flow from the same source
(the Laws of the Universe,)
though differently named;
And both are called mysteries.
The Mystery of mysteries is the Gate of all sum and substance.
(Beyond the gate of experience is the Way.
It is in all ways greater and more subtle than the world.)
2
When all the world recognizes beauty as beauty,
this in itself is ugliness,
(for it lacks a seeing of the Truth.)
(When all of humankind abstracts beauty there is no beauty).
When all the world recognizes good as good, this in itself is
destruction.,
(for it lacks a seeing of the Truth.)
(What is good in one circumstance is bad in another).
Indeed, the hidden and the visible give birth to each other.
Hard and easy balance each other.
Long and short give measure to each other.
High and low set measure to each other.
Voice and sound give wholeness each other.
Back and front follow each other.
Therefore, the Complete Thinker
experiences without abstraction
and accomplishes without visible action;
Yet spreads their teaching by actions.
Accepting the ebb and flow of
the many living things.
Raises them,
but makes no claim of them.
Does his work,
but does not brag about it.
Finishing tasks,
and moves on.
And yet it is just because
of moving on.
That nobody can take
works away.
3
By not making great the worthy
you will cause the people
to stop from having enemies and fighting.
(When everyone is equal, each is rewarded fairly.)
By not giving value to
goods hard to get,
you will cause the people
to stop from robbing and stealing.
(When material goods have no value there is no temptation to steal.)
By not showing
what people would like to have,
you will cause the people’s hearts
to remain undisturbed.
(When people are not tempted to own things they do not desire things.)
Therefore, the Complete Thinker’s way of governing begins by
Emptying the heart of wants,
Filling the belly with food,
Relaxing the ambitions, (not creating a temptation),
Toughening the bones, (guiding a healthful life).
In this way will cause
the people to remain
without strategy
and without desire,
and prevent the knowing ones
from causing any trouble.
Practice doing things at the Proper Speed, and everything
will be in order.
4
The Tao (the Law of the Universe) is like
an empty bowl.
Which in being used
can never be filled up
. So deep it
cannot be measured,
it is the
origin of all things.
It blurs
all sharp edges,
It unties
all tangles,
It blends
all lights,
It unites the world
into one whole.
Hidden
in the depths,
Yet it seems to
exist for ever.
I do not know
whose child it is;
It is the common ancestor
of all,
the father of all things.
(It is the Universal Laws from the beginning of our Universe),
To live by these Laws is to
live in harmony with our
True Nature.
5
Heaven-and-Earth is
not sentimental;
It treats all things
like straw dogs
(equal).
The Complete Thinker is
not sentimental;
Treats all people
as straw dogs
( equally).
Between Heaven and Earth,
There seems to be
a Bellows:
It is empty,
yet it can
not be emptied;
The more it works,
the more comes
out of it.
The Complete Thinker
draws upon the universal experience
thus cannot be exhausted.
Better look for it
within you.
The Tao (the Laws of the Universe) is
in all that exists.
6
The Spirit of
the Valley dies not.
It is called
the Secret
which is Filled with
womanly qualities.
The Gateway of the
Secret is
Filled with womanly qualities
Is called
the Womb of Heaven-and-Earth.
Staying like
a fog,
it has only a
hint that it is there;
And yet when you
use it,
it is always there
without end.
7
Heaven lasts long, and
Earth lasts.
What is the secret of
their lasting?
Is it not because
they do not live for themselves
That they can
live so long?
The Complete Thinker wants to
remain behind,
But is found at
the head of others;
Ignores his desires,
But is found
content.
Is it not because
of selflessness
That True Self is realized?
8
The highest form of
goodness is like water.
Water knows how to
benefit all things
without contention.
It flows to places
others disdain.
It comes near the Tao (the Laws of the Universe).
In choosing your dwelling,
know how to keep the ground.
In cultivating your mind,
know how to dive
in the hidden depths.
In dealing with others,
know how to be
gentle and kind.
Speak within
trust.
In governing,
know how to
maintain order.
In transacting business,
know how to
be efficient.
In making a move,
know how to
choose the right moment.
If you
do not contend,
none contend
against you.
9
Fill a cup
to its brim,
it is easy
to spill.
Do not
over do the task,
close it.
Temper a sword throughout
to its hardest,
and it is easily broken.
Fill your house
with gold and
jade,
it can not
be guarded.
(Do not tempt
others for
someone will
give in to temptation.)
Set store
by your riches and
honor,
you easily fall.
This is the Tao
(the Laws of the Universe):
When your purpose is achieved retire.
10
In keeping the spirit
and the vital soul
together,
Are you able to
maintain their perfect blending?
Breath gently
and become newborn.
Clear your inner vision,
and become clear.
In loving your people and
governing your state,
Are you able to
be impartial?
In opening and shutting
of heaven’s gate(your heart),
you become
accepted.
Enlightened and
seeing
far into all directions,
Can you at the same time
remain not involved and
not interfere?
Raise your people with care!
Feed your people!
Raise them without saying
they are your own!
Do your work
without setting
any value to it!
Be one to be followed,
not one who commands!
This is called Hidden Powers.
This is true harmony.
11
Thirty Spokes
converge upon a single hub;
It is on
the hole in the center
that the use
of the cart hinges.
We make a bowl or cup
from a lump of clay;
It is the empty space
within the vessel
that makes it useful.
We make doors
and windows
for a room;
It is the
empty spaces
that make the
room livable.
Thus,
Take advantage of
what is visible,
By making use of
What is not visible.
12
The five colors
blind the eye.
The five tones
deafen the ear
. The five flavors
stick to the palate.
Racing and hunting
make crazy the mind.
Temptations make men do wrong.
The Complete Thinker
takes care of
the hunger,
not the senses.
Prefers
the substance within
not the illusion.
13
“Welcome disgrace
as a pleasant surprise.
Prize misfortunes
as your own body.”
Why should we
“welcome disgrace
as a pleasant surprise”?
Because a lowly state is a boon:
Getting it is a pleasant surprise,
And so is losing it!
That is why we should
“welcome disgrace
as a pleasant surprise.”
Why should we
“prize misfortunes
as our own body”?
Because our body
is the very source
of our misfortunes
. If we have no body,
what misfortunes
can we have?
Only he
who is willing to
give their body
for the sake of the world
is fit to be
entrusted
with the world.
Only they
who can do it
with love
and regard themselves
as the world
are worthy of being
the steward of the world.
This lesson is known
by all Complete Thinkers.
14
Look at it
but you cannot see it!
Its name is Formless.
Listen to it
but you cannot hear it!
Its name is Soundless
. Try to hold it
but you cannot get it!
Its name is Incorporeal.
These three attributes
are to deep to measure;
They mix together
into one.
Its upper side is not bright:
Its under side is not dim.
Always the Not Namable
moves on,
Until it returns
beyond the world of things.
We call it
the formless Form,
the imageless Image.
We call it
the not describable
and unimaginable.
Confront it and
you do not see its face!
Follow it and
you do not see its back!
Yet equipped with this
timeless Tao (the Laws of the Universe),
You can control
present realities and deal with the past.
To know the ancient origins
( the beginning of the Universe ) is
to know the true Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
15
In times past
the Complete Thinkers of the Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
were not obvious
about what they did and
could change to
meet the circumstance,
Their minds,
strong and
widespread,
were too deep to be measured.
Because their minds
are unmeasurable,
One can only describe them
unclearly by their appearance.
Slow to start
like one crossing thin ice;
Shy as if surrounded by danger
on all sides;
Careful and polite like a guest;
Unbouded like ice on the point of melting;
Genuine like an
uncarved block;
Hollow like
a cave;
Disordered like
a muddy pool;
And yet who else could
quietly and gradually
change from the muddy to the clear?
Who else could
slowly but steadily
move from the lifeless to the living?
The who keep the Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
does not want to be full.
But precisely because they are never full,
They can always
remain open in thought,
They do not become rigid in thought.
16
Achieve the utmost Emptiness.
Cling single-heartedly to
interior peace.
Become a part
of all things,
In this way
see the pattern.
Flourish they do,
Each of them will
return to its root.
To return to
the root is
to find peace.
To find peace is
to fulfill one’s destiny.
To fulfill one’s destiny is
to be unchanging.
To know the Unchanging is
called Insight.
If one does not
know the Unchanging,
One runs blindly
into disasters.
If one knows
the Unchanging,
One can understand and
embrace all.
If one understands and
embraces all,
One is capable of
doing justice.
To be just is
to be a leader;
To be a leader is
to be one with nature;
To be one with nature is
to be one with the Tao (the Laws of the Universe);
To be one with
the Tao (the Laws of the Universe) is to become immortal.
Such a one will be safe and whole,
Even after the death of body.
The Tao does not decay.
17
The best type of leader
is one of whose existence
the people are barely aware.
Next comes one
whom they love and praise.
Next comes one
whom they fear.
Next comes one
whom they despise and defy.
When you are
lacking in faith,
Others will be
unfaithful to you.
The Complete Thinker is
quiet and uses few words.
When tasks have been
accomplished and
things have been completed,
All the people say,
“We ourselves have achieved it!”
18
When the Great Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
was abandoned,
There appeared
duty and justice.
When intelligence
and jokes arose,
There appeared people
who said they were one way but lived the opposite.
When the family
lost their compatibility,
There appeared respectful devotion
and fatherly kindness.
When darkness and disorder
began to control a country,
There appeared
the loyal and trustworthy patriots.
19
Drop wisdom,
abandon cleverness,
And the people will be
benefited a hundred fold.
Drop humanity,
abandon morality,
And the people will
return to their natural affections.
Drop cleverness,
abandon greed,
And robbers and thieves
will cease to be.
These three are a
pattern of Tao (the Laws of the Universe),
And are not sufficient in themselves
they are only symptoms.
They should be subordinated
to a Higher principle;
People need
personal remedies.
See the simple True Self
and embrace
your original nature.
Forget you habits and desires,
simplify you life.
20
Have done with rote learning,
And you will have no more frustration.
How great is the difference between agreement and being the servant?
What is the difference between “construction” and “destruction”?
Must I fear what others fear?
What difficult stupidity this is
! All are joyous and beaming,
As though feasting upon a sacrificial ox, As though mounting the Spring Garden;
I alone am peaceful and give no sign, Like a babe which has not yet smiled.
I alone am forgotten as one who has no home to return to.
All have enough and more:
I alone appear to possess nothing.
What a not knowing person I am!
What a confused mind I have!
All are bright,
bright:
I alone am dim,
dim.
All are sharp,
sharp:
I alone am silent, silent!
Tasteless like the ocean,
Aimless like the drifting wind.
All settle in their paths:
I alone am stubborn and remain outside.
I am most different from others
In knowing
to take support from
my Eternal Mother!
21
It lies in the nature of
Power
To follow the Tao (the Laws of the Universe) and
the Tao (the Laws of the Universe) alone.
Now what is the Tao (the Laws of the Universe)?
It is Something slippery and shifty. Shifty and slippery!
And yet It contains within Itself a Form. Shifty and slippery!
And yet It contains within Itself a Substance.
Shadowy and dim!
And yet It contains within Itself a Core of Energy ( the Force of Life ).
The Core of Energy ( Force of Life ) is very real,
It contains within Itself an unfailing Honesty.
Throughout the ages
Its Name has been preserved
In order to recall the
Beginning of all things.
(We can see and hear the background radiation that was the Big Bang the beginning of
our Universe.)
How do I know the ways of all things at the Beginning?
By what is within me.
(For are we not made of recycled Star Stuff.)
22
Accept and you will be whole.
Bend and you will straighten.
Empty and you will fill.
Grow old and you will be renewed.
Have little and you will gain.
Have much and you will be confused.
The Complete Thinker
embraces the One,
Becomes a Pattern to
all under Heaven.
Does not make a show,
Then shines;
Does not justify self,
Then becomes known;
Does not brag of ability,
Then gets credit;
Does not show success,
Then lasts;
Does not compete with anyone,
Then no one can compete with the Complete Thinker.
Indeed, the ancient saying:
“Accept and you will remain whole”
is no idle word.
Once whole,
Turn within and concentrate your Power.
The world is as your home.
23
Only simple and
quiet words will
ripen of themselves.
For a whirlwind
does not last a
whole morning.
A sudden rain
does not last
a whole day.
Who is their creator?
Heaven-and-Earth!
Even Heaven-and-Earth
cannot make such
violent things
last long;
The same is true of the
reckless efforts of humans.
Who helps the Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
is one with the Tao (the Laws of the Universe);
Who thinks with Power
is one with Power;
And who seeks the hand of loss
is one with Loss.
To be one with
the Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
is to be a welcome addition to
the Tao (the Laws of the Universe);
To be one with Power
is to be a welcome addition
to Power;
To be one with Loss
is to be a welcome addition
to Loss.
Failure of faith
on your part
Creates faithlessness
on the part of others.
24
One on tip-toe
cannot stand solid.
Sitting on a horse
you cannot walk.
Who shows off
does not shine
. Who brags
has no glory.
Who boasts of ability
has no merit.
Who parades success
will not last.
In Tao (the Laws of the Universe) these things are called
“unwanted food and
extra growths,”
Are rejected
by all things
. A person of the Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
does not want them.
They turn away from them.
25
There was Something undefined and complete in itself,
Born before Heaven-and-Earth.
Silent and
endless,
Standing alone
without change,
Being within all,
It may be thought of as
the Mother of the world.
I do not know its name;
I write it
“Tao (the Laws of the Universe)”;
Without a better word,
call it
“The Great.”
To be great is
to go on,
To go on is
to go far,
To go far is
to return.
Therefore,
“Tao (the Laws of the Universe) is great,
Heaven is great,
Earth is great,
The Leader is great”
Thus the Leader is
one of the great four in the Universe.
Humans follows
the ways of the Earth.
Earth follows
the ways of Heaven,
Heaven follows
the ways of Tao (the Laws of the Universe),
Tao (the Laws of the Universe) follows
its own ways.
26
Heaviness is
the root of lightness.
Peace of mind is
the master of restlessness.
The Complete Thinker,
traveling all day,
Does not leave
the baggage-wagon;
There may be
gorgeous sights to see,
But stays
peacefully at home.
How can a leader
Have a light hearted position in the world?
To be light hearted
is to be separated from one’s root;
To be restless
is to lose one’s self-mastery.
27
Good walking leaves
no track behind it,
but the walking was true;
Good speech leaves
no mark to be picked at,
but the speech was true;
Good calculation makes
no use of counting-slips,
yet the counting is true;
Good shutting makes
no use of bolt and bar,
And yet nobody can undo it;
Good tying makes
no use of rope and knot,
And yet nobody can untie it.
The Complete Thinker is
always good at saving humans,
And nobody is abandoned;
Always good at savings things,
And nothing is wasted.
This is called
“following the guidance of the Insight.”
Good humans are the
teachers of destructive humans,
Destructive humans
depend on constructive humans.
Not to honor one’s teacher,
Not to value one’s dependent,
Is to be on the wrong road,
however intelligent one may be.
This is call the Important Not Obvious .
28
Know the masculine,
Keep to the feminine,
And be the
Brook of the World.
To be the Brook of the World is
To move unchanging
in the path of Power
Without swerving from it,
And to return again to infancy.
Know the white,
Keep to the black,
And be the Pattern of the World.
To be the Pattern of the World is
To move unchanging in the path of Power
Without making a single wrong step, And to return again to the Infinite.
Know the glorious,
Keep to the lowly,
And be the Fountain of
the World.
To be the Fountain of
the World is
To live the
life of Virute (Power) ,
And to return again to
the First Simplicity.
When the First Simplicity
splits apart,
It becomes useful tools,
Then in the hands
of a Complete Thinker,
make them leaders.
“a great tailor does little cutting.”
29
Does anyone want to take the world
and do what he wants with it?
I do not see how they can succeed.
The world
is a sacred vessel,
which must not be
tampered with
or grabbed after.
To tamper with it
is to spoil it,
and to grasp
is to lose it.
For all things
there is a time for going ahead,
and a time for following behind;
A time for slow-breathing
and a time for fast-breathing;
A time to grow in strength
and a time to decay;
time to be up
and a time to be down.
The Complete Thinker
avoids all extremes,
excesses
and luxuries.
Travels
the middle path.
30
Who knows how to guide a leader in the path of Tao (the Laws of the Universe),
Does not try to conquer the world
with military force.
It is in the nature of a military force to turn against its user.
(Economic Force stregthens the Society)
Wherever armies are stationed,
thorny bushes grow.
After a great war,
bad years always follow.
(Over spending for military might only overtaxes the people)
Protect efficiently your own state,
But not to aim at selfishness.
After you have attained your purpose,
You must not show off your success,
You must not brag of your ability,
You must not feel proud,
You must rather regret that you had not been able to prevent the war.
You must never think of taking control of others by force.
To be over-developed is to quicken decay,
And this is against Tao (the Laws of the Universe),
And what is against Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
will soon end.
31
Soldiers of war predict destruction.
And are for use against Life.
A person of Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
does not set his heart upon them.( A person of Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
does not build armies to fight and take control of others land.)
In ordinary life, a gentle person regards
the left side (omen of the future) as the place of honor:
In war, the right side (omen of the past) is the place of honor.
As soldiers are tools of destruction, They are not properly
a gentle person’s tools;
On necessity will they will use them,
(having them and knowing their use).
With calm control.
Even winning is
no cause for rejoicing.
To rejoice over a war won is
to rejoice over the slaughter of humans!
So a person who rejoices
over the slaughter of humans
cannot expect to do well
in the world of humans.
On happy occasions the left side (omen of the future) is preferred:
On sad occasions the right side (omen of the past) .
In the army, the Lieutenant Commander stands on the left,
While the Commander-in-Chief stands on the right.
This means that war is treated as equal to a funeral service (rememberance of the past).
Because many people have been killed,
it is only correct that living should be sad at the loss of them.
Hence, even in a victory is a funeral.
32
Tao (the Laws of the Universe) is always nameless.
Small as it is in its First Simplicity,
It is less than nothing in the world.
If only a leader could stick to it, Everything will give respect
to them.
Heaven and Earth
will be harmonized
And send down sweet dew.
Peace and order
will reign among the people
Without any command from above.
When once
the Primal Simplicity broke up,
(at the Time of the Big Bang,)
Different names appeared.
Are there not enough names now?
Is this not the time to stop?
To know where to stop is to preserve ourselves from danger.
The Tao (the Laws of the Universe) is to the world
what a great river or an ocean is to the streams and brooks.
The Tao is manifest into a shape, but then the shape is lost.
Do not be rigid about shapes, but only about ability to change.
33
Who knows people is clever;
Who knows self has enlightenment.
Who conquers a people has force;
Who conquers self is truly strong.
Who knows when they have enough are rich,
And who follows carefully
the path of Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
is a person of steady purpose.
Who stays
where they have found their true home
lasts long,
And who dies but is not forgotten enjoys real longevity.
34
The Great Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
is universal like a flood.
How can it be turned
to the right
or to the left?
All creatures depend on it,
and it denies nothing to anyone.
It does its work,
But it makes no claims for itself.
It clothes and feeds all,
But it does not rule them
: Thus, it may be called
“the Little.”
All things return to it
as to their home,
But it does not rule them:
It may be called
“the Great.”
It is just because it
does not wish to be great
That its greatness
is fully realized.
The Complete Thinker
would not control the world;
They are in harmony
with the world.
35
Who holds to the Great Pattern
will attract all things to them.
They go to them and
receive no harm,
in them they find
peace,
security and
happiness.
Music and
snacks can only
make a passing guest pause.
The words of Tao (the Laws of the Universe)
have lasting effects,
They are mild and
flavorless,
We look and see nothing.
We listen and hear nothing.
But if we use it,
It is without end.
36
What is in the end
to be shrunken,
Begins by being first
stretched out.
What is in the end
to be weakened,
Begins by being first
made strong.
What is in the end
to be thrown down,
Begins by being first
set on high.
What is in the end
to be raped,
Begins by being first
given riches.
Herein is the hidden
wisdom of life:
The soft and
weak
overcomes the
hard and strong.
Just as the fish
must not leave
the deeps,
The words of agression
should not be used.
37
Tao (the Laws of the Universe) never makes
any showiness,
And yet it
does everything.
If a ruler can
stick to it,
All things will
grow of themselves.
When they have
grown and
tend to make an excitement,
It is time to keep them
in their place
by the aid of
the nameless First Simplicity.
Which alone can
control the desires
of people.
When the desires
of people
are limited,
there will be peace,
And the world
will settle down
of its own agreement.
38
High Virtue (Power) is completely virtuous (powerful) without chasing after
virtue (power);
Therefore it has Virtue (Power).
Low Virtue (Power) is always chasing after virtue (power)
and never frees itself from the chase;
Therefore it is without Virtue (Power).
High Virtue (Power) is without problems and is without private goals to
serve:
Low Virtue (Power) not only makes problems but has private goals to serve.
High humanity makes problems but is without private goals to serve:
High morality not only makes problems but has private goals to serve.
High ceremony makes problems but is without response;
Then it raises its arms to show itself.
Losing Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ), man uses Virtue (Power).
Losing Virtue (Power), humans use humanity.
Losing humanity, people use morality.
Losing morality, humans use ceremony.
Ceremony is the shell of faith and loyalty;
It is the beginning of all,
not understanding and mix-up.
Knowing the future, is only, the
attractive without substance part, of the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
And the beginning of foolishness.
The full-grown human
Can enter the substance
rather than the shell;
Can enter totality
rather than the promise.
They prefer what is within
instead of appearance.
39
There are many things that have achieved Oneness.
The sky achieved Oneness and became clear;
The earth achieved Oneness and became calm;
The spirits achieved Oneness and became charged with powers;
The fountains achieved Oneness and became full;
All of the plants and animals achieved Oneness and became reproductive;
Leaders achieved Oneness and became the greatest rulers of the world.
All of them are what they are by virtue
( the power ) of Oneness.
If the sky were not clear, it would be likely to fall to pieces;
If the earth were not calm, it would be likely to burst into bits;
If the spirits were not charged with powers, they would be likely to cease
from being;
If the fountains were not full, they would be likely to dry up;
If all the plants and animals were not reproductive, they would be likely
to cease to exist;
If the leaders were not the greatest rulers, they would be likely to
stumble and fall.
Truly, humility is the root from which greatness springs,
The High must be built upon the foundation of the low.
That is why leaders describe themselves “The Helpless One,” “The Little
One,” and “The Worthless One.”
To gain the peoples support.
They realize their
dependence upon the lowly.
Get honor
by not being honored.
It is not wise to
shine like jade and
sound like stone-chimes.
(The true leader
has substance
rather just appearance.)
40
The movement of the
Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
consists of Returning.
(In science, for every physical action there is a physical reaction. It is
the same in social order.)
The use of the
Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
consists of perception.
(Understand the root cause and you will understand the process.)
All things
under heaven
are born
of the Visible;
The Visible
is born
of the Invisible.
(The principals that we do not directly perceive create what we see.
Chaos has a pattern if only we use our intuition.)
41
When a wise scholar hears the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
They practice it without fail.
When a average scholar hears the
Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
They move between belief and unbelief.
When a worthless scholar hears the
Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
They laugh loudly at it.
If such a one does not laugh at it,
The Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ) would not be the Tao ( the Laws of the
Universe )!
To the untrained observer;
Who understands the Tao, seems foolish;
Who progresses in the Tao, seems to fail;
Who follows the Tao, seems to wander.
The wise people of old have truly said:
The bright Way looks dim.
The forward Way looks backward.
The smooth Way looks rough.
High Virtue (Power) looks low like a bottomless pit.
Great clearness looks spotted.
Unending Virtue (Power) looks like it is not enough.
Proved Virtue (Power) looks pitiful.
Solid Virtue (Power) looks as though melted.
Greatest space has no corners.
Great talents are slowly mastered.
Great music has the rarest sound.
Great Form is shapeless.
The Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ) is hidden and nameless;
It alone knows how to give help and to make whole.
42
Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
gave birth to One,
( The Unified Field )
One gave birth to Two,
( Energy and Matter, E=MC2 )
Two gave birth to Three,
( Gravity, Nuclear and Electro-Magnetic Forces)
Three gave birth to all things.
All the things carry the
Yin (physical(matter)) on their backs and
hold the
Yang (spiritual(energy)) to their chest,
Getting their vital balance from the
proper blending of the two vital Breaths.
(Physical(matter) and Spiritual(energy))
What is more hated by men than to be “helpless( in need of help),”
“little( no desire to be superior ),” and
“worthless ( no desire to be rich )”?
These are the very names the
true leaders call themselves.
You can gain by losing (putting ourselves in a position to gain),
And you can lose by gaining (receiving our hearts desire and feeling lost
).
What others have taught I repeat:
“A person who lives for destruction will attract destruction to themself.”
(Destruction attracts destruction.
Construction attracts construction.
Weakness attracts destruction.
Virtue (power) attracts construction.)
I will make this chapter my most important teaching.
43
The softest
of all things
Wears down
the hardest of all things.
Only No thing
can enter into
no-space.
I know the
advantages of
doing everything at
its own speed.
Few things
under heaven
teach as much as the
lessons of Silence,
Or are as
helpful as
the fruits of
proper timing.
44
Your name and
your body,
which is more valuable?
Your body and
your wealth,
which is more prized?
Gain and
loss,
which is more painful?
Too much
love for anything
will cost you
a lot in the end.
The storing up of
too much worldly goods
will mean
a big loss.
Know when
you have enough and
be immune
from disgrace.
Know when
to stop and
be protected
from dangers.
Only this way
can you
last long.
45
The greatest perfection
is never completed,
So its use
never runs out.
The greatest fullness
has always room for more,
So its use
goes on forever.
The greatest straightness
is curved.
The greatest skill
is looks effortless.
The greatest speaking
is slow.
Moving around
overcomes cold,
Calm
overcomes heat.
The peaceful and
calm
Is the Normal
of the World.
46
When the world is
in possession of
the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
The galloping horses
are led to fertilize
the fields
with their droppings.
( People create goods for exchange and
contend with each other in sport.)
When the world
has become
Taoless ( without the Laws of the Universe ),
War horses
breed themselves in the suburbs.
(People create tools of destruction and
contend with each other over the ownership of countries.)
There is no disaster
like not knowing
what is enough.
There is no evil
like greed.
They
who know
what
is enough
will
always
have enough.
47
Without
going out of
your door,
You
can know
the ways
of the world.
Without
looking through
your window,
You
can see
the Tao
(the Laws of the Universe).
You can travel far,
And know very little.
The Complete Thinker
knows
without traveling,
Sees
without looking,
And achieves
without Effort.
(Because they understand
the Laws of the Universe and
the Power of their application.)
48
Rote Learning
involves daily
getting more;
The practice of Tao
(the Laws of the Universe)
involves daily
getting rid of.
Keep on
getting rid of and
getting rid of,
Until you reach
the state of Effortlessness.
Effortlessness and
nothing is
left undone.
To win the world,
give up all.
If you
still have
private goals,
You
will never
win
the world.
49
The Complete Thinker
has no interests
of their own,
But takes
the interests
of the people
as their own.
They are kind
to the kind;
They are also kind
to the not kind:
Kindness is Power.
They are faithful
to the faithful
They are also faithful
to the not faithful:
Faithfulness is Power.
In the middle of the world,
the Complete Thinker
is shy and
does not brag.
For the world
they keep their heart
in its largest state.
All the people
try to listen and see:
The Complete Thinker
acts without prejudice.
50
When one is out of Life,
one is in Death.
The partners of
Life are thirteen;
the partners of
Death are thirteen;
When a living person
moves into
the Realm of Death,
his partners are also thirteen.
How is this?
Because they draws upon
the property of
Life too heavily.
They who knows well how to live
meets no tigers
or wild buffaloes on their road,
comes out
from the battle-ground
not touched by the soldiers of war.
For, in them,
a buffalo would
find no target for his horns,
a tiger
nothing to put
his claws upon,
and a soldier of war
no place for its tool to enter.
How is this?
Because there is
no room for Death
in them.
51
TAO ( THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE )
gives them life,
Virtue (Power)
nurses them,
Matter
shapes them,
Environment
completes them.
All things worship Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
and pray to Virtue (Power).
They have not been commanded to worship Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
and pray to Virtue (Power),
But they always do so automatically.
It is Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
that gives them life:
Its Virtue (Power)
that nurses them,
grows them,
raises them,
shelters them,
comforts them,
feeds them
and covers them under her wings.
To give life but to demand nothing,
To do your work
but to set no importance to it,
To be a leader,
not a rule maker,
This is called
Hidden Virtue (Power).
52
All-under Heaven
have a common Beginning
This Beginning is
the Mother of the world.
Having known the Mother,
We may proceed to know her children.
Having known the children,
We should go back and hold on to the Mother
In so doing, you will take no risk
Even though your body be destroyed.
Block all the passage ways!
Shut all the doors!
And to the end of your days
you will not be worn out.
Open the passages!
Multiply your activities!
And to the end of your days you will remain helpless.
To see the small is
to have insight.
To hold on to flexibility is
to be strong.
If, in using your factual intelligence
You return to your insight.
You will not bring destruction
upon yourself.
This is the way of learning the Changeless.
53
If I had the smallest seed of wisdom,
I would walk the Great Way,
And my only fear
would be to lose my way from it.
The Great Way is very smooth and straight;
And yet the people like better the complicated paths.
The courtyard is very clean and well decorated,
( Their cities appear powerful. )
But the fields are very weedy and wild,
And the grain silo’s are very empty!
( But they have lost the skill to feed themselves. )
They wear beautiful clothes,
( They value appearances over substance.)
They carry destructive weapons,
( They use the tools of destruction to get their needs. )
They over fill themselves with food and drink,
( They indulge themselves in the fruits of the conquered. )
They own more riches than they can use!
( They are greedy. )
They are the messengers of lawlessness!
As for Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
what do they know about it?
54
What is well planted
cannot be uprooted.
What is well accepted
cannot slip away.
Your descendants
will pray for you
for ages without end.
Feed Virtue (Power)
in your own person,
And it becomes
a real part of you.
Feed Power in the family,
And it will stay.
Feed Power in the community,
And it will live and grow.
Feed Power in the state,
And it will be generously successful.
Feed Power in the World,
And it will become total.
A person must be judged as a person;
A family must be judged as family;
A community must be judged as a community;
A state must be judged as a state;
The world must be judged as a world.
How do I know about the world?
By what is within me.
55
One who is high in Virtue (Power)
is like the new-born babe.
Wasps and poisonous snakes don’t sting,
Murderous beasts do not seize,
Birds who hunt do not beat,
Its bones are flexible, its muscles relaxed,
Its grip is strong.
It does not know the sex,
Growing in its wholeness,
and keeping its spirit
in its Life Force is at its greatest.
It screams
all day long
without getting hoarse,
Because of its perfect harmony.
To know harmony
is to know the Changeless.
To know the Changeless
is to have understanding.
To hurry the growth of life
is dangerous.
To control the breath by choice
is to over force it.
To be overgrown is to rot.
This is against Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ),
Whatever is
against Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
soon ceases to be.
56
They who know may not speak.
They who speak may not know.
Block all the passage ways!
( Be content with your position. )
Shut all the doors!
( Remove all distractions. )
Unsharpen all edges!
( Be kind not sharp in your dealings with life. )
Untie all knots!
(Understand the the root of all problems.)
Blend all lights!
( View all you see based on the Laws of the Universe.)
Bring the world together
into one completeness!
( Understand the oneness of the World. )
This is called
the Beyond Understanding Completeness,
Which you cannot attract
or push away,
Benefit or hurt,
Honor or reduce.
It is the Highest Truth of the world.
57
You lead a group with correctness;
You fight a war by moves not thought of by your enemies;
You win the world by not using effort.
How do I know this is so?
By what is within me!
The more things that are forbidden
and limited in the world,
The poorer the people become.
(Freedom for the people is required for a full life.)
The more destructive the weapons
the people possess,
The greater confusion controls the land.
(People are dangerous to other people and the greater the tools of
destruction in their hands the more they will destroy.)
The more clever and tricky the men,
The more often strange things happen.
(People who cheat the Laws of the Universe cause a lack of balance which
can not last.)
The more well spoken the laws and rulings,
The more robbers and thieves there are.
(The more rules there are, the more likely people will break them in the
course of life.
Then after breaking some rules the other rules are less respected and
criminals are considered normal citizens.)
The Complete Thinker says:
I live a simple life,
and the people change themselves.
I love quiet,
and the people settle down in their regular jobs.
I look to effortlessness,
and the people grow rich.
I have no desires,
and the people return to Simplicity.
58
Where the leader is quiet, quiet,
The people are simple and happy.
Where the leader is dishonest, dishonest,
The people are tricky and unhappy.
Bad fortune is what
good fortune leans on,
Good fortune is what
bad fortune hides in.
Who knows the final end of this process?
Is there not a normal of right?
What is normal, soon
becomes not normal,
And what is good soon
turns bad.
Long indeed have the
people been in difficulty.
The Complete Thinker:
makes even without cutting,
Is honest without hurting,
Is direct without effort,
Teaches without causing the mind to be excited.
59
In governing a people
and in serving Heaven,
There is nothing like
not being wasteful.
To not be wasteful
is to return before
going away from the path.
To return
before going away
from the path
is to have
a double supply of Virtue (Power).
To have
a double supply of Virtue (Power)
is to overcome everything.
To overcome everything
is to have no limits.
Only they who have no limits can have a kingdom.
Only they who have the true understanding of the Tao can last long.
This is the way
to be deep-rooted and
firm-planted
in the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ).
This is the secret of
long life and
lasting understanding.
60
Ruling a big kingdom
is like cooking
a small fish.
( You have to be
careful not to burn it.)
When a person of
Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
rules over the world,
demons have
no spiritual powers.
Not that the demons
have no spiritual powers,
but the spirits themselves
do no harm to humans.
Not that the spirits
do no harm to humans,
but the Complete Thinker
does no harm to the people.
If only
the leader and
people
would stop
from hurting
each other,
all the good things
of life
would
get together
in the kingdom.
61
A great Country
is like the lowland
to which all streams flow.
It is the lake
of all under heaven,
the Feminine of the world.
The Feminine
always conquers
the Masculine
by her quietness,
by lowering herself
through her quietness.
If a great country
can lower itself
before a small country,
it will win over
the small country;
and if a small country
can lower itself
before a great country,
it will win over
the great country.
The one wins
by lowering itself;
the other,
by remaining low.
What a great country wants
is simply
to accept more people;
and what a small country wants
is simply
to serve its protector.
Each gets what it wants.
But it benefits
a great country
to lower itself.
62
The Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
is the hidden Source
of all things.
A treasure
to the honest,
it is a protection
to the confused.
A good word
will find its own location.
A good deed
may be used as a gift to another.
A person
missing the right path
Is no reason
they should be thrown away.
At the official times of empowerment,
Let others offer their discs of jade, following it up with cars and boats;
It is better for you to offer
the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
without moving your feet!
Why did the people of the past prize
the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )?
It is because
by the virtue (the power) of it,
he who looks finds,
And the guilty are forgiven.
That is why
it is such a treasure
to the world.
63
Do the Effortlessness.
Try for the effortless.
Enjoy the joyless.
Raise high the low.
Multiply the few.
Return hurt with kindness.
Stop troubles in the beginning.
Plant the great with the small.
Difficult things of the world.
Can only be tackled when they are easy.
Big things of the world
Can only be completed by paying attention to their small beginnings.
The Complete Thinker never has to struggle with the big things,
But they alone are capable of completing them!
They who promises lightly must be lacking in faith.
They who thinks everything easy
will end by finding difficulty.
The Complete Thinker,
who regards everything as difficult,
Meets with no difficulties in the end.
64
What is not moving is easy to hold.
What shows no predictions is easily made not to happen.
What is delicate is easily smashed.
What is small is easily widely separated and lost.
Do things before they have become visible. ( Plan ahead.)
Help peace and order before confusion and disorder have set in. ( Punish
the destructive without delay.)
A tree as big as a man’s embrace starts from a tiny sprout. (Big things
start small.)
A tower nine stories high begins with a heap of earth.
A journey of three thousand miles starts from where your feet stand.
They who trouble over anything spoils it.
They who hold anything loses it.
The Complete Thinker troubles over nothing and then spoils nothing.
Tries to hold nothing and then loses nothing.
In handling business, people often spoil it just at the point of success.
With carefulness in the beginning and
patience at the end,
nothing will be spoiled.
The Complete Thinker
wants to be want-less.
Sets no value on rare goods.
Learns to relearn learning.
And convinces the people to return from where they have passed.
They only helps all creatures to find their own nature,
but does not try to lead them by the nose.
65
In the old days,
those who were good at the practice of Tao ( the Laws of the Universe )
did not try to teach the people,
but to keep them in the state of simple life.
Why are the people hard to govern?
Because they are too tricky!
They who govern their state
with trickiness is its wrongdoer;
They who govern their state without resorting to trickiness is its
protector.
To know these principles is to have a rule and a measure.
To keep the rule and the measure constantly in your mind
is what we call
Virtue (Power) that is hidden!
It leads all things to return,
till they come back to the Great Balance!
66
How does the sea become the King of all streams?
Because it lies lower than they!
That is why it is the king of all streams.
The Complete Thinker rules over the people by lowering themself in speech;
Leads the people by putting themself behind.
When a Complete Thinker stands above the people,
They do not feel the heaviness of weight;
When they stands in front of the people,
the people do not feel hurt.
All the world is glad to push them forward
without getting tired of them.
Because they compete with nobody,
Nobody can ever compete with them.
67
All the world says that
my Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ) is great,
but seems strange, like nothing on earth.
But it is just because my Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ) is great that it
is like nothing on earth!
If it were like anything on earth,
how small it would have been from the very beginning!
I have Three Treasures,
Which I hold fast and watch over closely.
The first is Mercy.
The second is Frugality.
The third is Daring to Be Not First in the World.
Because I am merciful,
I can be brave.
Because I am frugal,
I can be generous.
Because I dare not to be first,
I can lead.
If a person wants to be brave
without first being merciful,
generous without first being frugal,
a leader without first wishing to follow,
they are only asking for destruction!
Mercy alone
can help you win a war.
Mercy alone
can help you defend your state.
Heaven will come
to the rescue of the merciful,
and protect them with its Mercy.
68
A good soldier
is never the first to fight;
A good fighter
is never angry.
The best way
of beating an enemy
Is to win them over
by not disagreeing with them.
The best way
of employing a person
Is to serve under them.
This is called
the virtue (power) of non-striving!
This is called
using the abilities of people!
This is called
being wedded to Heaven like in the past!
69
The planners of fights
have a saying:
I do not want to receive guests,
but I would like to be a guest;
I do not want to go forward an inch,
but I would like to go back a foot.
This is called marching without moving,
Rolling up one’s sleeves without baring one’s arms,
Capturing the enemy without facing them,
Holding a weapon that is invisible.
There is no greater disaster
than to under-estimate
the strength of your enemy.
For to under-estimate the strength
of your enemy
is to lose your treasure.
When disagreeing armies
meet in battle,
victory belongs to
the sorrowing side.
70
My words
are very easy
to understand,
and very easy
to practice:
But the civilization today
cannot understand them,
nor practice them
My words have an Ancestor.
My deeds have a Lord.
The people
have no knowledge
of this.
They
have no knowledge
of me.
The fewer persons
know me,
The greater they are
that follow me.
The Complete Thinker
looks like the common man,
While keeping
the Laws of the Universe
and the Power of their application
in his heart.
71
To understand
that our knowledge
is not complete,
This
is a great
understanding.
To think
about our innocence
as knowledge,
This
is mental sickness.
Only when
we are sick
of our sickness
Shall we cease
to be sick.
The Complete Thinker
is not sick,
being sick of sickness;
This
is the secret
of health.
72
When people
no longer fear
your power,
It is a sign
that a greater power
is coming.
Interfere not lightly
with a persons house,
(Do not intrude on their privacy.)
Do not make heavy taxes upon their work.
Only when you stop tiring them,
Will they stop being tired of you.
The Complete Thinker
knows self,
But makes
no show of self;
Loves self,
But does not
lift self
above others.
They prefer
what is within
to what
is without.
73
The man who is brave
and takes unneeded chances
will be killed;
The man who is brave
and does not take unneeded chances will survive.
Of these two kinds of bravery,
one proves harmful,
while the other is helpful.
Some things
are hated by the Laws of the Universe,
But who knows the reason?
Even the Complete Thinker
does not understand
such a question.
It is the Universal Law,
to win without effort.
It is the Universal Law
to get answers without speaking.
It is the Universal Law
To get the people to come
without calling them.
It is the Universal Law
To act agreeing to plans without hurry.
Powerful, beyond knowing are the Laws of the Universe:
Visible only by its results
and yet
Only the formless
can create new results.
74
When the people
are no longer afraid
of death,
Why scare them
with the spirit
of death?
If you
could make the people
always afraid
of death,
And they still
break the law,
Then you
might arrest
and execute them,
And who
would dare
break the law?
Is not
the Great Executioner
always there to kill?
To do
the killing
for the Great Executioner
Is to chop wood
for a master carpenter,
And you would be lucky indeed
if you
did not
hurt your own hand!
75
Why are
the people starving?
Because those above them
are taxing them too much.
That is why
they are starving.
Why are
the people hard to manage?
Because those above them
are troublesome and selfish.
That is why
they are hard to manage.
Why do
the people make jokes about death?
Because those above them
make too much of life.
That is why
they make jokes about death.
The people
have nothing to live on!
They know better
than to value such a life!
76
When a person is living
they are soft and easy to bend.
When they are dead,
they become hard and stiff.
When a plant is living,
it is soft and tender.
When it is dead,
it becomes withered and dry.
The hard and stiff
belongs to the company
of the dead:
The soft and easy to bend
belongs to the company
of the living.
A mighty army
can to fall
by its own weight,
Just as dry wood
is ready
for the ax.
The mighty
and great
will be put low;
The humble
and weak
will be raised high.
77
Maybe
the Laws of the Universe (Tao)
may be compared
to the
stretching
of a bow!
The upper part is depressed,
while the lower is raised.
If the bow-string is too long,
it is cut short:
if too short,
it is added to.
The Laws of the Universe (Tao)
makes smaller
the more-than-enough
to supply
the less than enough.
The way of people
is different:
it takes
from the poor
to give
the rich.
Who except
a person of the Tao ( the Laws of the Universe ) can put
their never ending riches
to the service of the world?
The Complete Thinker
does work
without setting any store by it,
accomplishes tasks
without dwelling upon them.
They do not want their merits to be seen.
78
Nothing in the world
is softer and weaker
than water;
But,
for attacking
the hard and strong,
there is nothing like it!
For nothing
can take its place.
That the weak
overcomes the strong,
and the soft
overcomes the hard,
This is something
known by all,
but practiced
by none.
The Complete Thinker says:
To receive
the dirt of a country
is to be
the lord of its soil-shrines.
to hold up under
the disasters of a country
is to be
the prince of the world.
( To be strong in the face of discrace and disaster, is to be truly Noble.)
Indeed,
the Truth
sound like its opposite!
79
When a great wound
is healed,
There will still
remain a scar.
Can this be
a desirable thing?
The Complete Thinker,
holding the left-hand tally
( the count of things to come),
Performs
their part
of the agreement,
But puts
no demands
on others.
The virtuous (powerful)
do their work;
The virtue-less (powerless)
knows only to put
taxes on the people.
The Laws of the Universe (Tao)
have no private feelings,
But
always agrees
with the constructive.
80
Ah, for a small country
with a small population
! Though there are
very handy mechanical inventions,
the people
have no use for them.
Let them notice death
and not go to far away places.
Ships and tanks,
and weapons of war,
there may still be,
but there are no occasions
for using or displaying them.
Let the people go back to sending messages by knotting cords.
(Let nothing be urgent)
See to it that they are
happy with their food,
pleased with their clothing,
satisfied with their houses,
and use the simple ways of living.
Though there may be
another country so close
that they are in sight of each other
and the crowing of cocks
and barking of dogs
in one place
can be heard in the other,
yet there is no traffic
between them,
and throughout their lives
the two peoples
have nothing to do with each other.
81
Honest words
are not sweet,
Sweet words
are not honest.
Good people
are not bad-tempered,
The bad-tempered
are not good.
The wise
do not think of themselves
as knowing more than others,
the ones
who think of themselves
as knowing more than others
are not wise.
The Complete Thinker
does not collect riches.
The more they lives for others,
The fuller is their life.
The more they give,
the more they win.
The Laws of the Universe (Tao)
are to help,
not to hurt.
The Way of the Complete Thinker
is to do their duty,
not to compete
with anyone.
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