If you listen to Tao, you cannot hear It immediately. This is why It is called hard-to-be-heard.
If you try to grasp Tao, you cannot reach It. This is why It is called hard-to-be-caught.
In Tao are Those Who fill you with delight!* All They in Tao are merged into One.
Tao is equal above and below.
Tao, infinite in size, cannot be called by the name of some of Them.
They come out from Tao manifesting Their Individualities and then come back to the state without individual manifestation ?in It.
Tao has no corporal image and face. Therefore, It is said of as hidden and mysterious.
Meeting with Tao, I do not see Its face; following Tao, I do not see Its back.
By strictly following the primal Path of transformation of oneself as a consciousness, one can cognize that Eternal Origin. This Path is the Path to Tao.
* Holy Spirits coming out from Tao and coessential to It. In the aggregate sense, They are called in the Christian Tradition the Holy Spirit.
15
Since ancient time, those capable of spiritual Enlightenment cognized hidden and hardly cognizable small and large steps of this Path.
Such seekers were hard to recognize. Let me just outline their appearance: they were cautious like man crossing a river in winter; they were circumspect, because they bewared strangers; they were alert, because they knew that one抯 time of staying on the Earth is limited; they were watchful as if they walked melting ice; they were simple; they were vast like a dale; they were unreachable for idle looks.
They were those who in calm could transform the dirty into pure.
They were those who contributed to the evolution of Life.
They worshipped Tao and were satisfied with little in the world of matter. Not desiring much, they were satisfied with what they had and did not seek for more.
16
Make emptiness* in yourself complete and achieve the full calm! Let everything around move by itself. Let everyone bloom spiritually and advance to cognition of their true Essence**.
Those who cognized their true Essence ?achieve full calm. Thus they attain the common Abode of All Who Attained***.
One抯 being in this Abode has to become constant. He, who fulfilled this, is called Enlightened, Perfect, possessing the Higher Wisdom.
Those Who attained that Abode represent the United 揥e?which is the Highest Ruler. That Abode is also called the Sky****. This is the Abode of the Eternal Tao.
Tao is non-corporeal. It cannot be caught by anyone. Thus, It is invincible.
* Here it means meditative Nirvanic state of Nirodhi. In this state, the individual 揑?completely disappears, dissolves in Tao.
** Atman, Higher Self, Tao.
*** The Abode of the Creator.
**** Or Heaven.
17
The Highest Ruler gives the possibility to develop the consciousness to all His people. Yet He does not try to show them favor or reward them with the 揺arthly? He also does not try to make people fear Him.
Those who foolishly believe do not know about this. But those who cognized Him do not believe fully any more.
This truth is so profound!
Having achieved success, I go further, and greater understanding about Everything opens to me.
18
If people in the country denied Great Tao, then they start talking about 慼umanism?and 慾ustice拝 But in such a situation, these talks are nothing but a great hypocrisy!
In a similar way, when there is discord in the family, then there arise demands of 揻ilial obedience?and 損arent抯 love攨
And when in the whole state there is such disarray ?there appear slogans of 損atriotism?and 搇ove for motherland攨
19
When falsity and hypocrisy of this kind are removed, people will be much happier. Falsity, aspiration for wealth, theft, cruelty toward living beings ?all these will disappear when people possess true knowledge. It is so because the reason for all people抯 vices is the lack of knowledge. It is knowledge that will show people that it is their personal interest to be simple and kind, to control the one抯 own worldly desires and become free from pernicious passions.
20
Cease to keep adherence to the objects to which you are attached, and you will become free from sorrow and pity for yourself! Only by living so one can find the true Base* in life! Isn抰 this purpose worthy denouncing the common beliefs and habits?
So great is the difference between good and evil!
Do not do anything undesired to others ?with this single principle one can reduce chaos and establish order in the society.
But now?all people indulge in vanity?And the society is immersed in chaos?br>
I alone is calm and do not elevate myself over people. I am similar to a child who has not been born in this world of vanity.
All people are bound by worldly desires. I alone abandoned everything what they value. I am indifferent to this.
All people live in their egocentrism. I alone chose to get rid of it.
I flow as a Stream of Consciousness in Space and do not know when I will stop?br>
I cognize Tao in my heart! It is so subtle!
I differ from others by valuing That Which created our lives.
* Tao.
21
Te comes out from Tao. And Tao abides in the Primordial Depth.
Te is That Which acts and drives. It is as mysterious and hidden as Tao. Yet It also exists!
It can have form.
It possesses power. Its Power surpasses everything existing in this world.
Te can be seen. From ancient times till present, the voice of Te sounds and tells the Will of the Creator to the entire material world.
Where can I see the countenance of Te? Everywhere!
22
Being satisfied with little, you can gain much. Seeking much you will go astray. The wise heeds this precept. If it could be so with all people!
The wise trusts not only to his physical eyes ?thus he can see clearly.
The wise does not think that only he is right 梩hus he knows the truth.
He does not seek glory ?yet people respect him.
He does not seek power ?yet people follow him.
He does not struggle with anyone ?thus no one can vanquish him.
He does not feel pity for himself ?thus he can successfully develop.
Only he who does not seek to be ahead of others is capable of living in harmony with everyone.
The wise cares about everyone, and he becomes an example to all.
He does not praise himself ?yet he is respectable.
He does not elevate himself ?yet he is esteemed by others.
In ancient times, people said that imperfect moves to becoming perfect. Are these words vain? No! Truly, by gaining Unity you come to Perfection!
23
Speak less and be simple!
Strong wind does not blow all the morning; strong rain does not continue all day long. What does this depend on? On the sky and earth.
The sky and earth, though large, cannot give birth to anything eternal. Neither can man. Therefore, it is better to serve Eternal Tao.
He who serves Tao with his deeds receives the right to attain Mergence with It.
He who refined himself* to the state of Te becomes coessential to Te.
He who refined himself to the state of Tao becomes coessential to Tao.
He who is coessential to Te gains the bliss of Te.
He who is coessential to Tao gains the bliss of Tao.
Yet if he ceases to be deserving ?he is deprived of this.
It is unwise to doubt this truth!
* Refined the consciousness (soul).
24
He who stands on tiptoes cannot stand for long.
He who walks with long strides cannot walk for long.
He who is seen by everyone cannot keep power for long.
He who praises himself cannot win glory.
He who lives pitying himself becomes weak and cannot develop.
He who is envious cannot achieve success by himself.
He who praises himself cannot gain prestige.
He who indulges in gluttony does meaningless things; everything irritates him. Such a person cannot find peace.
Looking from Tao one can see that all this is caused by vicious desires. All this is absurd behavior. Everyone turns away from such people.
Man who aspires to mergence with Tao does not do anything like that.
25
Oh, That Which is born before sky and earth, living in calm, having no form, the subtlest, the only existing, abiding everywhere, boundless, invincible, the Mother of everything! You are called Tao. I call You also the Greatest, That Which is eternal in Its infinite development!
Man, earth, sky depend on Tao. But Tao exists by Itself.
26
Hard work allows one to achieve easy life in future.
Yet we know also that the calm is the main thing in movement.
Therefore, the wise works hard all day long and does not avoid hard work. Nevertheless, he stays in the state of perfect calm.
He can even live in luxury and does not become deprived by it.
Why the owner of 10 000 chariots is haughty and disdains the entire world? Disdain destroys the soul!
And the absence of calm leads to the loss of the Base!?br>
27
He who knows the Path can find the right direction even if there are no traces. He who can speak does not make mistakes. He who can count does not miscount. The best treasury has no lock, yet no one can open it. The best fetters are those which bind by nothing material yet cannot be broken.
The wise can save people, and he saves them constantly. He can help and does not leave anyone in trouble without help. Thus acts the deep wisdom!
He also instructs the people of evil, and they with his help can find the Base.
But if the people of evil do not value his help and do not like the Base ?the wise leaves them: he does not value communication with such people.
This principle is very important!
28
If you are brave ?be humble! And then the entire nation will follow you.
If you became a leader among people, let Great Te be your Guide. And be pure, gentle, and subtle in the soul ?like a child!
Abiding in the good, do not forget about the existence of evil! And be an example of righteousness for everyone.
He who became such an example for everyone does not differ by the quality of soul from Great Te. He moves then to the Mergence with the Eternal Tao.
Such a person, though knowing about his own achievements and merits, stays unknown ?and he becomes a wise leader.
It is favorable that such a wise person be a leader among people ?then there will be order in the state.
29
Some people have a great desire to rule the entire world, and they try to succeed in this aspiration. I do not see how it can be possible, since the world is a container of wonderful, invincible Tao! And no one can rule Tao!
He who anyway aspires to this surely will fail!
Everyone has a choice: to oppose harmonious flow of the events of beingness or to follow it. The former will struggle and lose strength; the latter will bloom in harmony and strengthen.
The wise never aspires to power, glut, luxuries, prodigality.
30
Ruler faithful to Tao will not send the army to a foreign country. This would incur calamity onto him, first of all.*
The land where an army passed becomes desolated. After war, lean years come.
A wise commander is never bellicose. A wise warrior never gets angry. He who can defeat the enemy does not attack. He who achieved victory stops and does not do violence to the defeated enemies. The victorious does not praise himself. He wins, but does not feel proud. He does not like wage wars. He wins because he is forced to fight. Though he wins, he is not bellicose.
If man in the prime of life begins to weaken and gets ill ?this happens only because he has lived not in the harmony with Tao. The life of such a person ends before a due time.
* At least, according to the law of karma.
31
Weapon is a means that cause affliction; it should be discarded.
Therefore, he who follows Tao does not use weapon.
A good leader is yielding. He uses power only for defense. He exerts every effort to maintain peace.
To glorify oneself with military victory means to rejoice at killing of people. Is it right to respect him who is glad about killing?
Respect leads to wellbeing. Wellbeing contributes to the creative process.
Violence leads to afflictions.
If many people are killed, it is grievous. The victory has to be 慶elebrated?with funeral ceremony.
32
Tao is eternal and has no human appearance.
Though Tao is a tender Being no one in the whole world can subjugate It.
If the nobility and rulers of the country lived in harmony with Tao ?the common people would be peaceful and calm. The sky and earth then would unite in harmony; the prosperity and wellbeing would come; the people would quiet without orders!
For the sake of establishing the order in the country, the laws are created. Yet the laws should not be too severe.
Tao is like the ocean. The ocean is lower than all rivers, yet all rivers flow into it.
33
He who knows people is reasonable. He who cognized himself is enlightened.* He who can conquer enemies is strong. He who conquered himself** is powerful.
He who has material wealth is rich. He who acts resolutely possesses willpower. He who indulges his desires is weak and fool.
He who attained the Mergence with Tao and does not lose it ?he attained the Highest Beingness. After the death of the body, he continues to live in Tao as truly Immortal.
* I.e., he who cognized his own multidimensional organism.
** I.e., he who conquered his own vices, including their base ?the lower self with its egocentrism.
34
The Eternal Tao pervades everything. It is present to the left and to the right. Thanks to It, souls arise, live, and develop.
Though Tao is so great and performs so great work ?It does not want to glorify Itself.
It raises all beings with love. It does not exert violence over them. It does not insist that people realize all Its desires.
It is Great though It does not insist on this.
Wise people aspire to It ?to the Great.
35
Into the Great Tao merge all the Perfect Ones.
Follow you too this path! By doing so you will not harm yourself; on the contrary, you will achieve calm, harmony, and the fullness of life.
I, in the state of non-doing, travel in the Infinity of Tao. One cannot convey this with words! Tao is the Most Subtle and Blissful!
36
Worldly passions make man weak. Resoluteness feels man with power!
Worldly passions cripple man. Resoluteness elevates man and strengthens the consciousness.
Worldly passions enslave man. Resoluteness makes man free.
Dispassionate, gentle, and yielding conquers passionate, hard, and coarse.
