What others fear cannot but be feared.
It has been so from times of old and the practice doesn't seem to end.
The multitude are so merry, as though going for a great banquet or ascending a height with a broad view in springtime.
I alone am indifferent, with no concern, like an infant that cannot laugh, wearied, indeed, as if I have no home to go to.
The multitude all have more than enough,
I alone seem to lack everything.
My mind is that of a stupid man totally in a muddle.
Common people are so brilliant,
I alone seem to be in the dark.
Common people are so demanding,
I alone seem to be tolerant: so broad and as the boundless sea, so vigorous as the untiring blowing wind.
The multitude have their ability,
I alone seem to be clumsy and incapable.
I alone differ from others, essentially because I have acquired Tao.
21
The content of the great "De" (Virtue) is in conformity with Tao.
The thing that is called Tao has no definite form.
So vague and elusive is it,
Yet in it the real exists.
So profound and obscure is it,
Yet in it the subtle essence was contained.
The essence is very concrete, and very real.
From the old time till now, its name stands unworn, by which we may know the beginnings of all things.
How do I know their beginnings?
Only by this (nature of Tao).
22
To yield is yet to be preserved wholly,
To be bent is yet to become straight,
To be hollow is yet to be filled up,
To be worn out is yet to be renewed,
To have little (knowledge) is yet to gain,
To have much (knowledge) is yet to be perplexed.
There the sage takes Tao (the One) as the instrument to observe destiny under Heaven.
He does not merely rely on his own eyes,
Therefore he is wise and penetrating;
He does not consider himself always in the right,
Therefore he is able to tell right from wrong;
He does not boast of himself,
Therefore he is given credit;
He does not think himself superior,
Therefore he is qualified for leadership.
It is precisely because he does not compete that nobody under Heaven could compete with him.
How could such old sayings be false as "to yield is yet to be preserved wholly"?
Truly they will preserve people well.
23
Saying few words fits in with Nature.
Therefore a whirlwind does not last a whole morning,
Nor does a rainstorm last a whole day.
Whoever makes them like this?
It is Heaven and Earth.
If (the fierce force of) Heaven and Earth cannot last long,
How much less man?
Therefore he who follows Tao (should know:)
The seeker of Tao is identified with Tao.
The seeker of De is identified with De,
He who seeks the loss (of Tao) is identified with loss.
He who is identified with Tao -
Tao is also happy to have him.
He who is identified with De -
De is also happy to have him.
He who is identified with the loss -
The loss is also happy to have him.
Only when one has no faith will faithless events take place.
24
He who wants to stand higher on tiptoe is not steady;
He who wants to double his step is unable to hasten;
He who only rests on his own eyes cannot see clearly;
He who considers himself always in the right cannot tell right from wrong;
He who boasts himself will be given no credit;
He who considers himself superior is not qualified for leadership.
From the point of Tao, (all these) are nothing but remnants of food and tumours of action, which all creatures detest.
Therefore those who possess Tao will stay away from them.
25
There was something undifferentiated and yet complete, which existed before Heaven and Earth.
Soundless and formless, it depends upon nothing external, operating in a circular motion ceaselessly.
It may be considered the root (Mother) of all beings under Heaven.
I don't know its name,
And call it Tao.
Inadequately giving it another name, I call it great.
The Great moves on,
The moving-on become remote,
The remote returns to the original point.
Therefore the Tao is great,
Heaven is great,
Earth is great,
And Man is also great.
There are four great things in the universe,
And Man is one of them.
Man follows the way of Earth,
Earth follows the way of Heaven,
Heaven follow the way of Tao,
Tao follows the way of itself.
26
The heavy is the root of the light,
The tranquil is the master of the hasty,
Therefore the sage travels all day, without leaving his baggage wagon.
Although enjoying a magnificent and comfortable life, he does not indulge himself in it.
How is it that a lord of ten thousand chariots belittles his own importance under Heaven?
Lightness necessarily leads to the loss of Root,
Hastiness necessarily results in the loss of mastery.
27
One who is skilled at travelling leaves no traces of his wheels or footsteps;
One who is skilled at speaking says nothing that can be found fault with;
One who is skilled at counting uses no tallies;
One who is skilled as closing needs no bolts, while it is impossible to open what he has t.
One who is skilled at binding has no strings, while it is impossible to undo what he has bound.
Therefore the sage is always skillful at saving men,
And so no man is uselessly cast away.
This is called the hidden wisdom.
Therefore the good man is the teacher of the bad,
And the bad man is the material from which the good man learns.
He who does not honour his teacher and who does not greatly care for the material is greatly confused though he thinks himself wise.
Such is called yao-miao (subtle).
28
He who knows the masculine but keeps to the feminine, is ready to be the ravine under Heaven.
Being the ravine under Heaven, he is not parted from constant "De" (Virtue),
He returns to the simple state, like an infant.
He who knows the white (glory) but keeps to the black (obscure), is ready to be the (divination) instrument of under Heaven.
Being the instrument of under Heaven, he rests upon constant "De,"
He returns to the ultimate truth.
He who knows glory but keeps to disgrace, is ready to be the valley under Heaven.
Being the valley under Heaven, he will have plenty of the eternal "De,"
He returns to simplicity.
When the simplicity is broken up, it is turned into concrete vessels.
By using the breaking up of simplicity, the sage sets up government and leadership.
Therefore the perfect government does not arise out of artificiality.
29
He who desires to govern under Heaven and build up achievements will not succeed, which I assert.
"The under Heaven" which is a queer thing, cannot be handled arbitrarily.
He who acts arbitrarily will harm it,
He who holds on to it will lose it.
Therefore of all creatures (in themselves) some lead and some follow, some breathe and some blow, some are strong and some weak, some are baffled and some destroyed.
For this reason, the sage should discard the extremes, the extravagant and the excessive.
30
He who assists the rulers with Tao does not dominate under Heaven by force.
The use of force will soon incur requital.
Wherever armies are stationed, briers and thorns grow wild.
Great wars are always followed by famines.
Content yourself with your success and stop.
Do not seek to dominate under Heaven by force of arms.
Succeed but don't boast about it,
Succeed but don't brag about it,
Succeed but don't be arrogant,
Succeed and take it as you have to,
Succeed and don't attempt to dominate.
Things must grow old after reaching their prime, which is contrary to Tao.
Whatever is contrary to Tao will soon perish.
31
Weapons are instruments of evil,
They are disdained by everyone.
Therefore those who possess Tao stay away from them.
When at home jun-zi honours the left;
When at war he honours the right.
Weapons are the instruments of evil, not the instruments of jun-zi.
When he uses them unavoidably, he maintains an indifferent attitude.
Even when he is victorious, he doesn't think himself praiseworthy.
If he praises his victory, he is a man delighting in the slaughter of people.
He who delights in the slaughter of people will not succeed under Heaven.
On happy occasions, the left is honoured.
On unhappy occasions, the right is honoured.
The lieutenant-general stands on the left,
The senior general stands on the right.
That is to say that the arrangement of war affairs follows that of funeral ceremonies.
The war will slaughter the multitude of people.
So we should go to the battleground with sorrow and grief.
Even if it is won, we observe the occasion with funeral ceremonies.
32
Tao has no name forever.
Though the simplicity seems small, it may be subordinated to nothing under Heaven.
If kings and princes can preserve it, all creatures would submit of themselves to them.
(Yin and Yang between) Heaven and Earth unite to drip sweet dew.
Without the command of the people, it drips evenly over all.
Once there was government, there were names appearing.
Once there were names, one has to know where and when to stop.
By practicing moderation one can be free from danger.
Everything under Heaven is embraced by Tao, just like every river or stream running into the sea.
33
He who knows others is wise,
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers others can be called physically strong,
He who conquers himself is mighty.
He who is content is rich,
He who acts with persistence has will,
He who does not lose his root will endure,
He who dies physically, but preserves Tao will enjoy a long life.
34
The great Tao is like a river overflowing,
It can go left, it can go right.
All things owe their existence to it,
But it never interferes with them.
When its work is accomplished, it is unable to say where its credit is.
It protects and nourishes, but it does not claim to be master over them.
Always without its desire, it may be called small.
All things come to it as their home,
And yet it does not pose as their master.
It may be called great.
It is precisely because it never claims to be great, that it can achieve its greatness.
35
Whoever holds fast to the great image will become that one to whom all people under Heaven will come.
(Even if all people under Heaven) come to him they will not hinder each other,
And all enjoy comfort, peace and health.
Music and dainties will make passing guests stop,
(But) Tao, if spoken out, will be insipid and tasteless.
Being looked at, it is imperceptible,
Being listened to, it is inaudible,
Being utilized, it is inexhaustible.
36
In order to contract it, it is necessary to expand it for the time being.
In order to weaken it, it is necessary to strengthen it for the time being.
In order to destroy it, it is necessary to promote it for the time being.
In order to grasp it, it is necessary to give to it for the time being.
This is called profound insight (and also the reason why) the soft and the weak overcome the hard and the strong.
(Just like) fish cannot be taken away from deep water,
Effective weapons of the state cannot be easily displayed to others.
37
Tao invariably does nothing,
And yet there is nothing left undone.
If kings and princes can preserve it,
All things will submit to them spontaneously.
(After their) submission if any desires occur,
I should subdue them with the nameless simplicity.
The nameless simplicity is nothing but eradication of desires.
Eradication of desires will lead to quietude.
Thus the world will naturally find its equilibrium.
38
The superior virtue does not show itself in formal virtue,
In this way it really possesses virtue.
The inferior virtue rigidly sticks to formal virtue,
In this way it loses virtue.
The superior virtue takes no action to show itself, and need not do so purposefully.
The inferior virtue takes action to show itself, and does so purposefully.
The superior benevolence takes action to show itself, and does so on purpose.
The superior righteousness takes action to show itself, and does so on purpose.
The superior propriety takes action to show itself,
And when it gets no response, it will stretch its arms and retaliate.
Therefore, only when Tao is lost does De arise,
Only when De is lost does benevolence arise,
Only when benevolence is lost does righteousness arise,
Only when righteousness is lost does propriety arise.
The thing that is called propriety is really the want of loyalty and faithfulness and the beginning of disorder.
The thing that is called foresight is really the ornament of Tao and the beginning of ignorance.
For this reason the great man dwells in the thick and keeps away from the thin,
He dwells in plainness and keeps away from the ornament.
Therefore he rejects the latter and accepts the former.
39
From of old those that attained one principle (Tao)-
Heaven attained the One and became clear,
Earth attained the One and became tranquil,
Spirits attained the One and became divine,
Valleys attained the One and became full,
All things attained the One and became luxuriant,
Kings and princes attained the One and became heads of the kingdom.
What they strove to achieve was fulfilled by the principle (the One).
If Heaven couldn't have become clear it would soon crack.
If Earth couldn't have become tranquil it would soon be shaken.
If spirits couldn't have become divine they would soon perish.
If valleys couldn't have become luxuriant they would soon be extinct.
If kings and princes couldn't have maintained their majesty and nobility they would soon lose their kingdoms and states.
