No suffering greater than never knowing sufficiency
No error greater than the hunger for gain
So to know that sufficiency is in itself sufficient
Is a truly durable sufficiency
47
Without going out the door
Comprehend (all) under heaven
Without peering out the window
Observe the way of heaven
The farther beyond one goes
One抯 comprehension is by that much diminished
This is why wise ones (might) not move about, but still know
(Might) not witness, but still describe
(Might) not act, but still accomplish
48
The pursuit of learning (means) increasing daily
The pursuit of the way (means) decreasing daily
Decreasing things and then subtracting
In order to arrive at not doing
(When) nothing is done, then nothing remains undone
To capture the world, always apply the least effort
As soon as one has to make effort
(One is) no longer adequate to the purpose
of capturing the world
49
Wise ones have no set mind
Regarding the hundred families?minds as 搈ind?br> To those who are good we have good to extend
To those who are less than good we also have good to extend
To merit goodness
To those who are true we have truth to extend
To those who are less than true we also have truth to extend
To merit truth
Wise ones are in the world
Uniting, connecting, adopting the world
Merging with their hearts
The hundred families, as one, pay heed,
with their 揾earkening?& 揵eholding?br> The wise ones, as one, come to laugh like children
50
Emerging in life (or) entering death
The companions of life will be three (in) ten
The companions of death will be three (in) ten
And others whose lives & actions approach the domain of death
Will also be three (in) ten
Now why is this so?
Because these live life for its substance
Now hear of the one adept at sustaining life
Traveling the countryside, not meeting buffalo or tiger
Entering a battle, not carrying armor or weapons -
The buffalo finds no place to thrust its horns
The tiger finds no place to sink its claws
The weapon finds no place to admit its blade
Now why is this so?
Because in this one there is no place for death
51
The way gives things life
Character raises them
Existence shapes them
Conditions complete them
So it is that the myriad beings, without exception,
Ennoble the way and honor character
The way will be ennobled
Character will be honored
But nobody has to command this
as it always proceeds out of nature
In this way the way gives things life
Character raises them
Sustains them, brings them up
Shelters them, heals them
Nurtures them, protects them
Creates but does not possess
Acts but does not expect
Leads but does not rule
These may be called 搈ystic powers?br>
52
The world had a beginning
Regarded as mother to the world
Having found this mother
Through this comprehend her children
Having comprehended her children
Return & attend to the mother
The death of self is nothing to fear
Close the passages
Secure the gates
(And) the rest of life is no trouble
Open the passages
Conclude the affairs
(And) the rest of life finds no salvation
To perceive in detail tells of clarity
To maintain flexibility tells of strength
Make use of what is illuminated
To return home again to the light
Do not abandon yourself to misfortune
This may be called 搒ustainable practice?br>
53
Let our resolve here be this: to be understanding
To travel upon the great way
(With) only distractions to fear
The great way is so very ordinary
And the people love the detours
The courts are so very well kept
The fields, so very weedy
The granaries, so very empty
The clothes, refined & elaborate
Sharp swords worn at the waist
A glut of drinking & feasting
Wealth & goods kept in heaps
This describes robbery & bombast
Surely not the way at all
54
What is well established is not uprooted
What is well embraced is not taken away
Children & grandchildren, accordingly,
make offerings & sacrifice without fail
Cultivate this in the person
Its character grows true
Cultivate this in the family
Its character grows ample
Cultivate this in the community
Its character grows enduring
Cultivate this in the country
Its character grows bountiful
Cultivate this in the world
Its character grows universal
And so, use person to examine the person
With family, examine the family
With community, examine the community
With country, examine the country
With the world, examine the world
So how are we to know that the world
is really like this?
Through This
55
To embody virtue抯 substance
Compares to the naked infant
Wasps & scorpions, vipers & serpents do not bite
Wild beasts do not seize
Birds of prey do not strike
The bones are flexible, the muscles are soft,
but the grip is sure
Not yet knowing the union of woman & man
But the penis is aroused
Essence is at its prime here!
Howling all day, but not getting hoarse
Harmony is at its prime here!
To comprehend harmony speaks of the continuous
To comprehend the continuous speaks of clarity
The enrichment of life may be called a 揾appy omen?br> The mind directing the breath may be called a 損ower?br> (But) beings grown mighty will then grow frail
This may be called 搊ff the path?br> Off the path is soon finished
56
To know does not mean to speak
To speak does not mean to know
Close the passages
Secure the gates
Blunt the sharpness
Resolve the tangles
Shade the glare
Be one with the world
This may be called 搈ystic union?br> Such as may not be gained by affection
May not be gained by detachment
May not be gained by favor
May not be gained by suffering
May not be gained by esteem
May not be gained by humility
And so becomes precious to (all) under heaven
57
Use principle to govern a country
Use tricks to wage a war
Use the least effort to capture the world
By what means do we know that things are really like this?
By This
There are more taboos & restrictions in the world
But the people grow more impoverished
The people have more productive implements
(But) countries & clans grow more disturbed
(As) others get more clever & artful
Bizarre things happen more often
The more that matters of law are proclaimed
The more robbers & looters there will be
And so the wise ones will claim:
We do nothing
And humanity evolves on its own
We favor stillness
And humanity governs itself
We do not make an effort
And humanity enriches itself
We have no ambition
And humanity simplifies itself
58
(Where) their government is muted & dull
Its people are honest & sincere
(Where) their government is efficient & exacting
Its people are partial & wanting
Ah, suffering! That happiness has such things to rely on!
Ah, happiness! That suffering has such places to lurk!
Who comprehends their outcomes?
Are there no rules?
The rules go back to behaving strangely
The good return to acting ominously
Humankind has held its delusions
For such an entrenched length of days
This is why wise ones
Are direct but not divisive
Exacting but not hurtful
To the point but not tactless
Bright but not dazzling
59
(In) governing people (or) serving heaven
There is nothing quite like economy
Only one who is thrifty
May be deemed ahead of the task
To be ahead of the task suggests there is
a great reserve of character
Given a great reserve of character
then nothing is impossible
When nothing is impossible
then nobody knows things to be limited
Nobody knowing things to be limited
is fit to claim the realm
(Now) claiming the realm抯 mother
is fitness to endure a long time
This describes deep roots & solid foundations
The path of long life & enduring vision
60
Ruling a great country is like cooking a little fish
This is how the way manages (all) under heaven
(Whether) the ghosts lack spirit
Or the ghosts do not lack spirit
(Whether) the spirits avoid harming people
Or the spirits do not avoid harming people
Wise ones still avoid harming people
Now as neither of these haunts the other
So virtue interacts & comes back home to them
61
The great realm is the one which flows beneath
A confluence to (all) under heaven
A woman to (all) under heaven
The feminine, ever through stillness, overcomes the male
Through stillness & playing submissive
And so a great realm, by submitting to a small realm,
Will then appropriate the small realm
A small realm, by submitting to a great realm,
Will then appropriate the great realm
And so the one submits, intending to appropriate
The other submits and gets taken in
(Where) the great realm has no greater ambition
than uniting & caring for others
(And) the small realm has no greater ambition
than joining & serving others
Then both of these each gets what it wants
(And) the great one should act to submit
62
The way is a sanctum to the myriad beings
A good person抯 treasure
A less than good person抯 place of refuge
Elegant speeches may be useful at market
Noble deeds may be useful for promoting someone
(But if) another has less ability
Why waste what they are?
So (when) enthroning the heir to heaven
(Or) installing the three high nobles
Though there be big jade platters in tribute
Drawn by teams of four horses
This is not as good as sitting still (and) offering this path
What purpose had the ancient ones in honoring this way?
Was it not claimed:
揟o seek is to find
To claim error is to be forgiven?
So (this) becomes precious to (all) under heaven
63
Act without acting
Work without working
Savor without tasting
Greatness is ordinary, much is little
Repay ill will with virtue
Plan for the complicated while it is simple
Develop the great while it is small
The difficult tasks under heaven
Always begin in simplicity
The greatest tasks under heaven
Always begin as minutiae
This is why wise ones never assume greatness
And so can achieve such greatness
Those who lightly promise will surely be less trusted
Much ease is surely much difficulty
This is why wise ones look for things to get complicated
And so in the end have no complications at all
64
What is secure is easy to hold
What has yet to begin is easy to plan for
What is thin is easy to break up
What is minute is easy to scatter
Attend to things before they come to be
Arrange things before they entangle
A tree which fills the joined embrace
Has grown from a slender shoot
A tower which reaches nine stories
Begins as a basket of earth
A journey of a thousand li
Begins from beneath the feet
Those who interfere spoil things
Those who grab lose things
This is why wise ones do not interfere and so do not spoil
Do not grab and so do not lose
People in their pursuits & affairs
(are) ever on the verge of achieving and still ruin things
Take care at the end as well as at the beginning
And then there will be no ruined affairs
This is why wise ones desire to have no desires
Do not prize goods which are hard to obtain
Learn to unlearn
And return to what everyone else has passed by
Thus helping the myriad beings to realize themselves
While not presuming to interfere
65
Those ancients skilled at practicing the way
Did not try to enlighten the people
(But) would have tried to simplify them
The difficulties of governing the people
Are due to their great cleverness
And so to use cleverness in governing a realm
Is an injury to the realm
To avoid using cleverness in governing a realm
Is a favor to the realm
Those who comprehend both of these
Also examine for patterns
Always to know to look for patterns
May be called a mystic power
A mystic power so deep & so far reaching
(As) to help creation to turn itself around
Natural succession then reaches perfect harmony
66
What is the reason why the rivers and ocean
can serve as sovereign to the hundred valleys?
Because they are so well below them
In this way (they) can act as sovereign
to the hundred valleys
Applying this, in desiring to rise above the people,
Always in expression be subordinate to them
In desiring to go ahead of the people
Always regard yourself as behind them
This is how wise ones remain above
And yet the people are not burdened
Remain ahead
And yet the people are not obstructed
So it is that (all) under heaven readily come forward
and never weary
Because such as these will never contend
So none under heaven can contend against them
67
Everyone in the world admits our way is great
(And) resembles no likeness
It is insofar as it is great
That it resembles no likeness
Had it a likeness
Surely after so long
It might have diminished a little
Here I have three treasures
Take and keep them safe:
The first, call compassion
The second, call economy
The third, call never presuming to act as the world抯 leader
