In the whole world nothing is softer
and weaker than water.
And yet for attacking the solid and strong,
nothing can beat it,
Because there is nothing that can replace it.
That water can defeat the strong -
That the weak can defeat the strong -
There is no one in the world that does not know it,
and yet there is no one who can put it into practice.
For this reason, the words of the Sage say:
To take on yourself the disgrace of the state -
This is called being the lord of earth and grain;
To assume responsability for all ill-omened events in the state -
This is called being the king of the World.
Correct words seem to say the reverse
Of what you expect them to say.
79
Reconciliation
To make peace where there has been great resentment,
There is bound to be resentment left over.
How could this be regarded as good?
Therefore the Sage holds The right tally
Yet makes no demands of others.
For this reason, those who have virtue
are in charge of the tally;
Those without Virtue are in charge of the taxes.
The Tao of Heaven is impartial
It stays always with the good men.
80
Utopia
Let the states be small and the people few -
Bring it about that there are weapons for "tens" and "hundreds",
Yet let no one use them;
Have the people regard death gravely
and put migrating far from their minds.
Though they might have boats and carriages,
no one will use them;
Though they might have armor and weapons,
no one will display them;
Have the people return to the knotting cords
And using them.
They will relish their food,
Regard their clothing as beautiful,
Delight in their customs,
And feel safe and secure in thir homes.
Neighboring sates might overlook one another,
And the sound of chickens and dogs might be overheard,
Yet the people will arrive at old age and death
with no comings and goings between them.
81
The sage
Sincere words are not showy.
showy words are not sincere.
Those who know are not "widely learned"
Those who are "widely learned" do not know.
The good do not have a lot.
Those with a lot are not good.
The sage accumulates nothing.
Having used what he had for others,
He has even more.
Having given what he had to others,
What he has is even greater.
Therefore, the way of Heaven
is to benefit and not te cause any harm;
The way of Man is to act on behalf of others
And not to compete with them.
English_Jiyu_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
English by
Ren Jiyu, 1985
1
The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The named is the root of all things.
Therefore, the subtleties of Tao are always apprehended through their formlessness,
The limits of things are always seen through their form.
These two (the form and the formless) have the same source but different names.
Both of them can be called deep and profound,
The deepest and the most profound, the door of all mysteries.
2
When all the people in the world know the beautiful as beauty,
There appears ugliness;
When they know goodness as good,
There appears evil.
Therefore, by opposing each other,
Existence and non-existence come into being,
Difficult and easy form themselves,
Long and short are distinct,
High and low contrast,
Sound and voice harmonize,
Front and back emerge.
Thus, the sage manages affairs by "nonaction,"
And teaches by "saying nothing."
He leaves all things to grow and change without initiation;
Raises all things without making claim for his ownership;
Promotes all things without attributing them to his contribution;
And takes no credit for himself when the work is done.
It is because no claim is made that his credit cannot be forfeited.
3
Refrain from exalting capable men, so that the people shall not compete.
Refrain from valuing rare goods, so that the people shall not steal.
Refrain from displaying anything which arouses desires, so that the people's hearts will not be disturbed.
Therefore the government of (under Heaven) the sage lies in:
Simplifying the people's minds,
Filling their bellies,
Weakening their ambitions,
Strengthening their bones,
And always keeping the people innocent of knowledge and desires.
(Thus) anyone who thinks himself clever is afraid of meddling.
By handling affairs on the principle of nonaction everyone will do well.
4
Tao is invisible, but its usefulness cannot be exhausted.
It is so fathomless, like the ancestor of all things.
It covers its cutting edge,
It transcends entanglement,
It contains its light,
It mixes with its dust.
It has no form or image, but actually it exists.
I don't know where it was born of,
(I only know) it appeared before the Lord.
5
Heaven and Earth cannot be called benevolent letting all things emerge or perish of themselves.
The sage cannot be called benevolent letting all people live or die by themselves.
Isn't between Heaven and Earth like a bellows?
While vacuous, it is not inexhaustible;
The more it is drawn off, the more air it sends forth.
Much talk is doomed to a dead end,
It is better to keep to moderation.
6
The spirit of the valley is an immortal being,
It is called the subtle and profound female.
The gate of the subtle and profound female is the root of Heaven and Earth.
It exists formlessly,
But its utility is never won out.
7
Heaven is eternal and Earth everlasting.
Heaven and Earth can be eternal and everlasting because they don't exist for themselves,
And for this reason they obtain longevity.
Therefore the sage puts himself last,
But actually he stands foremost.
He has no regard for himself,
But his life is well preserved.
Is it not because he has no personal interests that his private ends are fulfilled?
8
The highest good is like water.
Water is apt to benefit all things and does not compete with them.
It dwells in places people disdain.
Thus it is closest to Tao.
(The best man should be like water)
In his dwelling he is at ease with lowness,
In his heart he is profound,
He is sincere in his dealings with others,
He is faithful in speech,
He is orderly in government,
He is competent in deeds,
He is timely in action.
It is because he is not competitive that he is without any faults.
9
To hold and to fill is not as good as to give up.
If a sword edge is sharpened to its sharpest,
It is hard to last long.
If your hall is filled with gold and jade,
Whoever could keep them safe?
To be proud with honour and wealth will bring misfortune.
To withdraw as soon as the work is done
That is Heaven's right way (Tao).
10
Can you keep the unity of soul and the body without separating them?
Can you concentrate the vital energy, keep the breath and achieve gentleness like an infant without any desires?
Can you cleanse and purify your profound insight without any flecks?
Can you love the people and govern the state without personal knowledge?
Can you recoil to take the feminine position in the course of Nature's opposition and change?
Can you perceive all and comprehend all without taking any action?
To let all things grow and increase,
To beget all things, but not to take possession of them,
To advance them, but not to take credit for doing so,
To be leader but not master of them,
- This is the most profound De (Te, or Virtue)
11
Thirty spokes are united in one nave to make a wheel,
But it is on the hole of the nave that the use of the carriage depends.
Clay is mixed to mold a utensil,
But it is on its empty space that the use of the utensil depends.
Doors and windows are cut out to form a room,
But it is on the vacancy within, that the use of the room depends.
Therefore, the advantage that existence brings to people rests exclusively upon the decisive role of nonexistence.
12
Iridescent colours cause blindness.
Beautiful music causes deafness.
Delicious food causes loss of taste.
Racing and hunting cause madness.
Rare goods tempt people to rob and steal.
Therefore the sage only wants to feed the people rather than to dazzle them.
That's why he goes for the former and turns down the latter.
13
(People) love vanity so much as to be easily alarmed,
And they consider the great trouble (vanity) as precious as their lives.
What does it mean "to love vanity so much as to be easily alarmed"?
Vanity is inferior in itself.
(And yet people) are pleasantly surprised when they receive it,
And also frightened when they lose it.
This is what it means "to love vanity so much as to be easily alarmed."
What does it mean "to consider the great trouble as precious as their lives"?
The reason that I have the great trouble (vanity) is that I have a body.
If I have no body,
What trouble could I have?
Therefore only those who value themselves above the world can undertake its important tasks.
Only those who love themselves above the world can be entrusted with its important tasks.
14
You look at it and it is not seen,
It is called the Formless.
You listen to it and it is not heard,
It is called the Soundless.
You grasp it and it is not to be held,
It is called the Intangible.
These three cannot be further inquired into.
It is the One in reality.
Its upper side is not bright,
Its underside is not dark,
Infinite and boundless, it is hardly namable,
It returns to a state with no shape or image.
This is called the shapeless shape, the bodiless image,
It is called the Vague and Elusive.
While meeting it, you cannot see its head,
While following it, you fail to see its back.
To hold on to the Tao of old in order to harness the things at present,
To be able to know the primeval beginning,
- This is called the Law of Tao.
15
The shi (Knower of Tao) in the old times is subtle, profound and generous, too deep to be understood by the common people.
As he is thus beyond people's knowledge,
I can only describe him arbitrarily.
(He is) cautious beforehand, like wading into a river in winter.
(He is) considering repeatedly, like one vigilant when threatened by neighbouring states' attack.
(He is) grave and reverent, like a visiting guest.
(He is) supple and pliant, like ice which is about to melt.
(He is) genuine and plain, like an uncarved block.
(He is) open and broad, like a quiet valley.
(He is) all-embracing, like a great muddy river.
Who can make the muddy water clear?
As it quiets down it will become clear.
Who can make stillness last?
It will gradually lose the peace as change arises.
He who preserves this Tao does not wish for overflowing.
It is precisely because there is no overflowing that he is able to succeed continually,
Though he looks conservative.
16
Try the utmost to make the heart vacant,
Be sure to hold fast to quietude.
All things are growing and developing,
And I see thereby their cycles.
Though all things flourish with a myriad of variations,
Each one will eventually return to its roots.
This return to its root means "tranquility,"
It is called "returning to its destiny."
"To return to its destiny" is called "the eternal,"
To know "the eternal" is called "enlightenment."
Not to know "the eternal" and to act blindly (will necessarily) result in disaster.
Only knowing "the eternal" can one embrace all,
Only embracing all can one be impartial.
Being impartial means you can be all-encompassing under Heaven,
By being all-encompassing under Heaven, you can be one with Nature.
Being one with Nature is in accord with Tao,
Being in accord with Tao is everlasting,
And so you can be free from danger throughout your life.
17
The best rulers are those about whom people know nothing but their existence.
The next best are those whom people love and praise,
The next best are those whom people fear,
The next are those whom people despise.
Only when one is not faithworthy, will faithless events take place!
So idle, (the best rulers) seldom issue any orders.
When some affairs are accomplished,
All common people will say "We are in ourselves."
18
When the Great Tao is abandoned,
The doctrines of benevolence and righteousness will come to light.
When knowledge and wisdom appear,
Great hypocrisy will also emerge.
When a family falls into dispute,
Filial piety and parental affection to children will be advocated.
When a country falls into disorder,
There will be loyal ministers.
19
Only when sageness and wisdom are discarded, can the people benefit;
Only when benevolence and righteousness are discarded, can the people return to filial piety and parental affection;
Only when skill and profit are discarded, can there be thieves and robbers no more.
These three (negative principles) are, however inadequate as a doctrine.
Therefore (as a positive instruction) we shall put people's understanding under this (guidance):
Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, and hold few desires.
20
Abandon learning and there will be no sorrow.
How much difference is there between approval and denouncement?
How much difference is there between good and evil?
