we're on the point of fearing depletion.
When the ten-thousand natural kinds lack that with which to becomealive,
we're on the point of fearing extinction.
When fiefholders and kings lack that with which to become noble andexhalted,
we're on the point of fearing toppling.
Hence the noble uses the plebeian as its base.
The high uses the low as its foundation.
Using this: Feifholders and kings refer to themselves as 'this orphan,''this lonely one,' and 'this impoverished one.'
Is this not taking the plebeian as the base?
It's not?!
Hence the extreme of numbering chariots is zero chariots.
Don't desire to colored veneer of jade
or the solid dullness of a rock.
40
Reversal
That which is converse is the action of a guide.
That which is weak is the use of a guide.
The cosmos and the ten-thousand natural kinds arise from 'existing.'
'Existing' arises from 'non-existing.'
41
Playing with Reversal
The 'superior' scholar hears a guide.
He gets all serious and follows it.
The 'medium' scholar hears a guide.
It's like it endures; it's like it disappears!
The 'lower' scholar hears a guide.
He hilariously laughs at it.
If he did not laugh, it would not be up to being deemed a guide.
Hence, as the saying goes--
A discerning guide is like a murky one.
An guide to advancing is like one to retreating.
A guide to leveling is like one to roughing up.
'Superior' virtuosity is like a valley.
The greatest 'white' is like filthy.
'Expansive' virtuosity is like 'insufficient.'
'Creating' virtuosity is like 'stealing.'
'Solid authenticity' is like 'sliminess.'
The greatest square has no corners.
The greatest artifact is never finished.
The greatest note rarely sounds.
The greatest sign lacks shape.
Guides hide the lack of names.
In general only guides are good at adopting and also completing.
42
Generating Things
A guide generates 'one.'
'One' generates 'two.'
'Two' generates 'three.'
'Three' generates the ten-thousand natural kinds.
The ten-thousand natural kinds bear Yin and embrace Yang.
Blend the life-forces and deem-make 'harmony.'
What humans revile
is specifically 'orphan,' 'lonely' and 'impoverished.'
Yet Kings and Dukes deem them as titles.
Hence among natural kinds: sometimes you diminish it and it increases.
Sometime you increase it and it diminishes.
What humans teach,
I also teach.
Those who force issues don't get their death.
I'm on the point of deeming this 'the father of teaching.'
43
Absolute Negation
The most yielding in the social world
gallops over the most firm in the social world.
That which lacks being enters into that which lacks space.
I, with this, know the advantage of lacking deem-acting.
The teaching that is not put in language,
The advantage of lacking deem-acting,
In the social world, these are rarely achieved.
44
Moderate Values
Your name or your self--which is closest to you?
Your self and commodities--which counts as more?
Obtaining and losing--which is a defect?
For this reason, superlative love certainly has great cost.
Much storage certainly increases losses.
Knowing to 'sufficient' does not disgrace.
Knowing to 'stop' does not endanger.'
You can endure longer.
45
Extremes and Reversals
Great completion is like deficiency.
Its use does not 'corrupt'.
Great filling is like being poured.
Its use does not exhaust.
Great straightforwardness is like being bent.
Great skill is like clumsiness.
Great distinction-debating is like shouting.
Exercise conquers a chill.
Rest conquers a fever.
'Clear' and 'quiet' are deemed as correct for the social world.
46
Guiding Contentment
When the social world has a guide
We turn back fast horses in order to fertilize.
When the social world lacks a guide
War horses are produced in the suburbs.
Among bad omens, none is greater than not knowing to 'sufficient.'
Among evils, none is greater than desiring 'getting.'
Hence, knowing to 'sufficient' is sufficient
for constant sufficiency.
47
Ignorant Guides.
Don't step outside your door. Know the social world.
Don't look out the window. See the natural guide.
The farther you go
the less you know what to do.
Using this: Sages don't go anywhere and yet know what to do.
Don't see and yet name things.
Don't deem-act and yet accomplish.
48
Forgetting
In deem-acting on 'study' one daily increases.
In deem-acting on 'the guide ' one daily decreases.
Decrease it and further decrease it.
In order to arrive at no deem-acting.
No deem-acting and nothing not deem-acted.
Taking the social world , you treat relying on lacking social actsas constant.
When it comes to engaging in social acts,
it is not sufficient for taking the social world.
49
Sage's Constancy
Sages lack a constant heart-mind;
they deem the public's heart-mind as heart-mind.
Things which are worthy, I 'worthy'.
Things which are unworthy, I also 'worthy'
This treats 'worthy'-ing as a virtuosity.
Things which are reliable, I 'reliable'.
Things which are unreliable, I also 'reliable'
This treats 'reliable'-ing as a virtuosity.
A sage is in the social world is like an outcast.
Deem-acting for the social world, he addles his heart-mind.
Sages all 'child' themselves.
50
Fantasies of Avoiding Death
We emerge into life and enter into death.
Of life's associates, ten have three.
Of death's associates, ten have three.
People's being alive, death ground's activities
also ten have three.
Now, why is this?
Because they 'life' the thickness of life.
In general, when we hear about those worthy to abet life:
They walk the earth without encountering rhinoceros or tiger.
They enter the army and don't bear armor or weapons.
The rhinoceros has no place to thrust its horn.
The tiger has no place to wield its claws.
Arms have no place to accommodate their points.
Now, why is this?
Because they lack death's ground.
51
Natural Guides and Natural Virtuosity
A guide starts it,
virtuosity cultivates it,
Natural kinds model it
and circumstances complete it.
For this reason, among the ten-thousand natural kinds,
None fail to respect a guide and value virtuosity.
This respecting of guides
and valuing of virtuosity
is not, in general, commanded in words instead it treats self-so-ingas constant.
Hence a guide starts it,
virtuosity cultivates it,
Acts as its elder, educates it,
shades it, poisons it,
nourishes it and returns it.
Gives rise to and not 'exist,'
Deem:act and not rely on anything.
Acts as elder and does not rule.
This would be called 'profound virtuosity.'
52
So What?
The social world has a beginning
We deem it 'mother' of the social world.
Since we acquired its 'mother'
We use that to know its 'son'
Since we know its 'son'
We revert to embracing its mother.
Burying the self we risk nothing.
t up its exchanges ,
close its gates
and end life without struggle.
Open its exchanges,
benefit its social affairs
and still end life without saving anything.
see small, say 'discernible'
protect weakness, say 'coerce'
Use its light;
Revert and return to its discernment.
Bequeath yourself no trouble;
Deem this to be rehearsing the constant.
53
Increasing evidence
Let me suddenly have some know-how
To exercise on The Great Guide--
Only helping it--this I fear!
The Great Guide is profoundly smooth
and people easily track it.
The palace is profoundly stripped.
Fields are profoundly overgrown.
Granaries are profoundly bare.
Clothes embroidered colorfully.
Belts have sharp swords.
Bored of drink and food.
Wealth and commodities are excessive.
This is called 'stealing.' Exaggeration!
Not a guide!
54
Culturing Perspectives
Worthy builders do not tear down.
Worthy embracers do not let go.
Sons and grandsons never stop sacrificing.
Culture it in one self
and its virtuosity is authenticity.
Culture it in a family
and its virtuosity is sufficiency.
Culture it in a village
and its virtuosity is elders.
Culture it in a state
and its virtuosity is wealth.
Culture it in the social world
and its virtuosity is universality.
Hence use 'self' to view the self.
'Family' to view the family.
'Village' to view the village.
'State' to view the state.
'Social world' to view the social world.
How do I know the social world's condition?
With this.
55
Abstruse Signs
The thickness of implicit virtuosity:
Compare it to a robust infant.
Bees, scorpions, serpents, and snakes do not sting.
Ferocious animals do not seize.
Birds of prey do not take.
Bones are weak and muscles soft and yet he has a firm grasp.
He does not yet know to join male and female and yet he is completelyready.
This is the instinct's having arrived.
The whole day he babbles and he does not get hoarse.
This is the balance having arrived.
Knowing to balance, call it 'constant'
Knowing how to stay constant, call it 'discernment.'
Benefiting life, call it 'auspicious.'
The heart-mind's deploying life-force, call it 'coercion.'
When natural kinds are mature then old age sets in.
Call this not guided.
That which is not guided is early already.
56
Abstruse Virtuosity
Those who know to act do not speak.
Those who speak, do not know to act.
t up its exchanges,
close its gates.
Dull its sharpness,
undo its divisions.
Balance its brightness,
treat its particles as identical.
This is called the abstruse identity.
Hence we cannot obtain and be close.
Cannot obtain and be distant.
Cannot obtain and benefit.
Cannot obtain and harm.
Cannot obtain and value.
Cannot obtain and debase.
Hence we deem the social world as valuable.
57
Laissez Faire Politics
Use correcting to order the state.
Use shock in deploying military force.
Use absence of social matters to take charge of the social world.
How do I know these are so?
With this.
The more the social world has to elude,
the more the people are impoverished.
The more the people have beneficial artifacts,
the more the state and society are befuddled.
The more humans are skilled and clever
the more strange natural kinds crop up.
The more standards of behavior and commands are promulgated,
the more thieves and robbers there are.
Hence sages say:
I lack deeming-action and the people self-transform.
I remain calm and the people self-correct.
I avoid social matters and the people self-enrich.
I lack desires and the people self-simplify (become like uncarved wood).
58
Political Reversal
Its regime is torpid
its people are guileless.
Its government is critically discriminating
its people are deficient.
Calamity! The ground of fortuity.
Fortuity! The obverse of calamity.
Who knows its pivot?
It lacks a 'correct'
The 'correct' returns to be deemed unorthodox.
Worthiness returns to be deemed an apparition.
Human superstition
a truly old story.
Using this: Sages
square things without carving
Are fair without punishing.
Are straight without being arbitrary.
Are bright without dazzling us.
59
A Sensible Guide
In governing people and serving nature, nothing is better than conserving.
In general, only conserving
deserves to be called early readiness.
Early readiness: call it emphasizing accumulating virtuosity.
If one emphasizes accumulating virtuosity then there is nothing onecannot conquer.
If there is nothing one cannot conquer, no one knows one's limit.
Those of whom no one knows their limits
may take states.
The mother of taking states
is able to endure.
This is called the deep root and inherent base
Of the guide to long-life and enduring vision.
60
Skill at Ruling
Ruling a large state
Is like grilling a small bit of fresh food.
Using a guide to manage the social world
Its ghost does not energize.
If it is not that its ghost does not energize,
Its energy does not harm humans.
If it is not that its energy does not harm humanity,
Sages also do not harm humans.
In general, when both of these do not mutually harm,
Then virtuosity exchanges and returns in it.
61
Virtuosity at Using 'Beneath'
Those which are great states flow downward.
The interchanges in the social world!
The female of the social world!
The female constants using stillness. She conquer the male
using stillness to act out 'beneath'.
