And when righteousness is lost, only then do we have propriety.
As for propriety, it's but the thin edge of loyalty and sincerity, and the beginning of disorder.
And foreknowledge is but the flower of the Way, and the beginning of stupidity.
Therefore the Great Man
Dwells in the thick and doesn't dwell in the thin;
Dwells in the fruit and doesn't dwell in the flower.
Therefore, he rejects that and takes this.
39
Of those in the past that attained the One?br> Heaven, by attaining the One became clear;
Earth, by attaining the One became stable;
Gods, by attaining the One became divine;
Valley, by attaining the One became full;
Marquises and kings, by attaining the One made the whole land ordered and secure.
Taking this to its logical conclusion we would say?br> If Heaven were not by means of it clear, it would, I'm afraid, shatter;
If the Earth were not by means of it stable, it would, I'm afraid, let go.
If the gods were not by means of it divine, they would, I'm afraid, be powerless.
If valley were not by means of it full, they would, [I'm afraid,] dry up.
And if marquises and kings were not by means of it noble and high, they would, I'm afraid, topple and fall.
Therefore, it must be the case that the noble has the base as its root;
And it must be the case that the high has the low for its foundation.
Thus, for this reason, marquises and kings call themselves "The
Orphan," "The Widower," and "The One Without Grain."
This is taking the base as one's root, is it not?!
Therefore, they regard their large numbers of carriages as having no carriage.
And because of this, they desire not to dazzle and glitter like jade,
But to remain firm and strong like stone.
40
"Reversal" is the movement of the Dao;
"Weakness" is the function of the Dao.
The things of the world originate in being,
And being originates in nonbeing.
41
When the highest type of men hear the Way, with diligence thye're able to practice it;
When the average men hear the Way, some things they retain and others they lose;
When the lowest type of men hear the Way, they laugh out loud at it.
If they didn't laught at it, it couldn't be regarded as the Way.
Therefore, there is a set saying about this that goes:
The bright Way appears to be dark;
The Way that goes forward appears to retreat;
The smooth Way appears to be uneven;
The highest virtue [is empty] like a valley;
The purest white appears to be soiled;
Vast virtue appears to be insufficient;
Firm virtue appears thin and weak;
The simplest reality appears to change.
The Great Square has no corners;
The Great Vessel takes long to complete;
The Great Tone makes little sound;
The Great Image has no shape.
The Way is Great but has no name.
Only the Way is good at beginning things and also good at bringing things to completion.
42
The Way gave birth to the One.
The One gave birth to the Two.
The Two gave birth to the Three.
And the Three gave birth to the ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things carry Yin on their backs and wrap their arms around Yang.
Through the blending of the qi they arrive at a state of harmony.
The things that are hated by the whole world
Are to be orphaned, widowed, and have no grain.
Yet kings and dukes take these as their names.
Thus with all things梥ome are increased by taking away;
While some are diminished by adding on.
Therefore, what other men teach,
[I] will also consider and then teach to others.
Thus, "The strong and violent do not come to a natural end."
I will take this as the father of my studies.
43
The softest, most pliable thing in the world runs roughshod over the firmest things in the world.
that which has no substance gets into that which has no spaces or cracks.
I therefore know that there is benefit in taking no action.
The wordless teaching, the benefit of taking no action?br> Few in the world can realize these!
44
Fame or your body梬hich is more dear?
Your body or possessions梬hich is worth more?
Gain or loss梚n which is there harm?
If your desires are great, you're bound to be extravagant;
If your store much away, you're bound to lose a great deal.
Therefore, if you know contentment, you'll not be disgraced.
If you know when to stop, you'll suffer no harm.
And in this way you can last a very long time.
45
Great completion seems incomplete;
Yet its usefulness is never exhausted.
Great fullness seems to be empty;
Yet its usefulness is never used up.
Great straightness seems to be bent.
Great skill seems to be clumsy.
Great surplus seems to stammer.
Activity overcomes cold;
Tranquility overcomes heat.
If you're quiet and tranquil you can become the ruler of the world.
46
When the world has the Way, ambling horses are retired to fertilize [fields].
When the world lacks the Way, war horses are reared in the suburbs.
Of crimes梟one is greater than having things that one desires;
Of disasters梟one is greater than not knowing when one has enough.
Of defects梟one brings more sorrow than one desire to attain.
Therefore, the contentment one has when he knows that he has enough, is abiding contentment indeed.
47
No need to leave your door to know the whole world;
No need to peer through your windows to know the Way of Heaven.
The farther you go, the less you know.
Therefore the Sage knows without going, names without seeing,
And completes without doing a thing.
48
Those who work at their studies increase day after day;
Those who have heard the Dao decrease day after day.
They decrease and decrease, till they get to the point where they do nothing.
They do nothing and yet there's nothing left undone.
When someone wants to take control of the world, he must always be unconcerned with affairs.
For in a case where he's concerned with affairs,
He'll be unworthy, as well, of taking control of the world.
49
The Sage constantly has no [set] mind;
He takes the mind of the common people as his mind.
Those who are good he regards as good;
Those who are not good he also regards as good.
[In this way] he attains goodness.
Those who are trustworthy he trusts;
And those who are not trustworthy he also trusts.
[In this way] he gets their trust.
As for the Sage's presence in the world梙e is one with it.
And with the world he merges his mind.
The common people all fix their eyes and ears on him.
And the Sage treats them all as his children.
50
We come out into life and go back into death.
The companions of life are thirteen;
The companions of death are thirteen;
And yet people, because they regard life as LIFE, in all of their
actions move towards the thirteen that belong to the realm of death.
Now, why is this so?
It's because they regard life as LIFE.
You've no doubt heard of those who are good at holding on to life:
When walking through hills, they don't avoid rhinos and tigers;
When they go into battle, they don't put on armor or shields;
The rhino has no place to probe with its horn;
The tiger finds no place to put its claws.
And weapons find no place to hold their blades.
Now, why is this so?
Because there is no place for death in them.
51
The Way gives birth to them and Virtue nourishes them;
Substance gives them form and their unique capacities complete them.
Therefore the ten thousand things venerate the Way and honor Virtue.
As for their veneration of the Way and their honoring of Virtue?br> No one rewards them for it; it's constantly so on its own.
The Way gives birth to them, nourishes them, matures them, completes
them, rests them, rears them, supports them, and protects them.
It gives birth to them but doesn't try to own them;
It acts on their behalf but doesn't make them dependent;
It matures them but doesn't rule them.
This we call Profound Virtue.
52
The world had a beginning,
Which can be considered the mother of the world.
Having attained the mother, in order to understand her children.
If you return and hold on to the mother, till the end of your life you'll suffer no harm.
Block up the holes;
Close the doors;
And till the end of your life you'll not labor.
Open the holes;
Meddle in affairs;
And till the end of your life you'll not be saved.
To receive the small is called "discernment."
To hold on to the pliant is called "strength."
If you use the rays to return to the bright light,
You'll not abandon your life to peril.
This is called Following the Constant.
53
Were I to have the least bit of knowledge, in walking on a Great
Rod, it's only going astray that I would fear.
The Great Way is very level;
But people greatly delight in tortuous paths.
The courts are swept very clean;
While the fields are full of weeds;
And the granaries are all empty.
Their clothing梤ichly embroidered and colored;
While at their waists they carry sharp swords.
They gorge themselves on food, and of possessions and goods they have plenty.
This is called thievery!
And thievery certainly isn't the Way!
54
What is firmly set up can't be pulled down;
What is firmly embraced cannot slip free.
And your sons and grandsons, as a result, will sacrifice without end.
When you cultivate it in your person, your virtue will then be genuine;
When you cultivate it in your family, your virtue will then be overflow;
When you cultivate it in your village, your virtue will then be long lasting;
When you cultivate it in your state, your virtue will then be abundant;
And when you cultivate it throughout the world, your virtue will then be widespread.
Use the individual to examine the individual;
Use the family to examine the family;
[Use the village to examine the village;]
Use the state to examine the state;
And use the world to examine the world;
How do I know that the world is so?
By this.
55
One who embraces the fullness of Virtue,
Can be compared to a newborn babe.
Wasps and scorpions, snakes and vipers do not sting him;
Birds of prey and fierce beasts do not seize him;
His bones and muscles are weak and pliant, yet his grasp is firm;
He does not yet know the meeting of male and female, yet his organ is aroused?br> This is because his essence is at its height.
He can scream all day, yet he won't become hoarse?br> This is because his harmony is at its height.
To know harmony is called "the constant";
To know the constant is called "being wise";
To add on to life is called a "bad omen";
For the mind to control the breath梩hat's called "forcing things."
When things reach their prime they get old;
This is called "not the Way."
What is not the Way will come to an early end.
56
Those who know don't talk about it; those who talk don't know it.
He blocks up his holes,
Closes his doors,
Softens the glare,
Settles the dust,
Files down the sharp edges,
And unties the tangles.
This is called Profound Union.
Therefore, there is no way to get intimate with him,
But there is also no way to n him.
There is no way to benefit him,
But there is also no way to harm him.
There is no way to ennoble him,
But there is also no way to debase him.
For this very reason he's the noblest thing in the world.
57
Use the upright and correct to order the state;
Use surprise tactics when you use troops;
Use unconcern with affairs to take control of the world.
How do I know that this is so?
Well, the more taboos and prohibitions there are in the world, the poorer the people will be;
The more sharp weapons the people possess, the more muddled the states will be;
The more knowledge and skill people have, the more novel things will appear;
The more legal matters are made prominent, the more robbers and thieves there will be.
Therefore, the words of the Sage say:
I do nothing, and the people of themselves are transformed;
I love tranquility, and the people of themselves are upright;
I'm unconcerned with affairs, and the people of themselves become rich.
I desire not to desire, and the people of themselves are [genuine and simple, like] uncarved wood.
58
When the government is muddled and confused,
The people are genuine and sincere.
When the government is discriminate and clear,
The state is crafy and cunning.
[Disaster is that on which good fortune depends.]
Good fortune is that in which disaster's concealed.
Who knows where it will end?
For there is no [fixed] "correct."
The "correct" turns into the "deviant";
And "good" turns into "evil."
People's state of confusion
Has certainly existed for a long time.
Therefore be square but don't cut;
Be sharp but don't stab;
Be straightforward but not unrestrained;
Be bright but don't dazzle.
59
For ordering humanity and serving Heaven, nothing's so good as being sparing.
For only if you are sparing can you, therefore, early submit [to the Way].
Early submission梩his is called to repeatedly accumulate Virtue.
If you repeatedly accumulate Virtue, then there is nothing you can't overcome.
When there is nothing you can't overcome, no one knows where it will end.
When no one knows where it will end, you can possess the state.
And when you possess the mother of the state, you can last a very long time.
