He knows nothing of physical love and yet stands complete; his Essence is
strong.
He cries aloud all day without growing hoarse, because he is at Peace.
To always know Peace, to always be Open, is an Omen of Long Life.
The Heart that grows Angry becomes Strong.
Strong things only decline.
That is not the Way,
and what is not the Way will soon end.
56
He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.
Complete the exchange, close the door.
Round the edges, end the separation,
merge with the light, join with the dust.
This is called Mystic Unity.
Therefore,
from then on, never need Temples,
from then on, never be dispersed,
from then on, never need money,
from then on, never be harmed,
from then on, never be Noble,
from then on, never be Humble.
And so be Exalted under Heaven.
57
Govern the country honestly, wage war by deceit.
Do without affairs to gain the world.
How do I know this is so ?
By this.
There is much fear and superstition in the world, and people are very poor.
There is much to gain, and politicians thrive in the confusion.
Clever people develop strange and unusual things.
Law and Order makes a great showing, while thieves and robbers abound.
Thus the wise man says;
If I do nothing, people will reform themselves.
If I keep quiet, people will correct themselves.
If I do not interfere, people will better themselves.
If I have nothing to gain, people will become honest.
58
When Government is subdued, people are simple and honest.
When Government is obtrusive, people are lax and careless.
Disaster acts upon Blessings.
Blessings are subject to Disaster.
Who knows where it all ends ?
It's not right.
Proper becomes improper.
Good turns Evil.
People lose their bearings.
Thus is the wise man
critical but not harsh,
calm but not cutting,
firm but not reckless,
bright but not blinding.
59
In governing men and serving Heaven, there is nothing like Economy.
Now, Economy means early preparation.
Early preparation means to value the accumulation of Virtue.
Value the accumulation of Virtue, and anything is possible.
When anything is possible, there are no limits.
When there are no limits, the Nation can be gained.
Gain the Mother of the Nation, and survival is assured.
This means deep roots, a solid foundation,
and a lifetime of following the Way.
60
Rule a great country as you would prepare delicacies.
Attain the Way under Heaven,
and its Demons will have no power.
Not that its Demons will have no power,
but rather their power will not harm men.
Not that their power will not harm men;
wise Men also will not harm men.
Neither will inflict harm.
Therefore Virtue will return.
61
A large country is a floodplain,
the confluence of the world,
the female of the world.
The female passively overcomes the male,
passively keeps low.
The large country that keeps below the small country, acquires the small
country.
The small country that keeps below the large country, acquires the large
country.
Therefore, either keep low to acquire, or keep low to be acquired.
The large country, not mistakenly, wants to expand its settlements.
The small country, not mistakenly, wants to join the affairs of men.
So together each gets what it wants.
The larger one quite properly keeps low.
62
The Way is the secret of all things.
Treasured by good men, it protects the bad.
Pleasing words may persuade.
Noble deeds can influence.
But of bad men, why abandon them ?
Therefore, at the coronation of the Son of Heaven,
at the installation of the three ministers,
although there be jade discs, followed by teams of horses,
nothing will compare to presenting this Tao.
Why has this Tao been treasured of old ?
Is it not said that to confess wrongdoing is to be forgiven ?
Therefore it is exalted under Heaven.
63
Govern without doing. Achieve without acting. Appreciate without
indulging.
Great or small, many or few,
repay Injustice with Virtue.
Plan for difficulty while it is easy.
Handle the big things while they are still small.
Under Heaven, difficult affairs always begin as easy ones.
Under Heaven, great events always arise from small ones.
Thus does the wise man, in the end, do nothing great,
because he already is able to achieve great results.
Remember that quick agreement deserves little trust,
for 'very easy' always turns into 'very difficult'.
Thus does the wise man treat things as difficult,
so that in the end, nothing is difficult.
64
What is calm is easy to manage.
What has not yet spread is easy to contain.
What is brittle is easy to break.
What is small is easy to scatter.
Control it before it happens.
Contain it before it spreads.
A great tree comes from fine pollen.
A multi-level terrace rises from repeated layers.
A thousand mile journey begins with a footstep.
To act is to fail.
To keep is to lose.
Thus does the wise man not act,
and therefore not fail;
not keep, and therefore not lose.
People look for trouble, and often fail on the brink of success.
Care in the end, as at the beginning, ensures success.
Is this not what the wise man wants,
rather than expensive, difficult to obtain goods ?
Know without Learning, to restore people to the way they were.
Help all things to correct themselves, but do not presume to act.
65
At first,
those who knew the Way opposed enlightening people, considering it foolish.
People are more difficult to govern the more they know.
Thus a National government relying upon knowledge deceives the Nation.
When the National government does not rely upon knowledge, the Nation is
blessed.
Those who know these two also apply this standard.
To always know to apply this standard is called Mystic Virtue.
Mystic Virtue is deep and profound, a return to the Harmony of Things.
The greatest Concord was in the Past.
66
The Ocean rules all Valleys because it lies below them,
and thus can be the King of all Valleys.
So the desire to be above the People requires speaking as if below them.
The desire to be before the People requires placing yourself behind.
Thus can the Wise Man be placed above, and the People are not burdened;
placed before, and the People are not harmed.
Thus does the world see Gladness, not Loathing.
He does not compete.
Therefore no one under Heaven competes against him.
67
Everyone under Heaven regards my Tao as Great, resembling nothing else.
Great, yes; that is the reason it resembles nothing else.
If it resembled anything else, it would have slight chance of survival.
I have three Treasures to hold and protect.
The first is Compassion.
The second is Economy.
The third is not presuming to be the First under Heaven.
Compassion permits Courage.
Economy makes Generosity possible.
Not presuming to be the First under Heaven is a quality of Leadership.
Now, abandon Compassion and consider Courage.
Abandon Frugality and consider Generosity.
Abandon Humility and consider Leadership.
Impossible !
Now, Compassion in battle leads to Victory; Compassion in Defense lends
strength.
Heaven will assist the commander who exhibits Compassion.
68
A good officer is not aggressive.
A good warrior is not angry.
A good victor is not partisan.
A good commander is humble.
This is the virtue of not competing.
This is the proper use of men's abilities.
This is the ultimate union with Heaven of old.
69
The Military has a saying:
I dare not be the Master, but rather a Guest;
I dare not advance an inch, but will retreat a foot.
This means ...
proceed without acting,
repel without arms,
repulse without resistance,
maintain without troops.
There is no misfortune so great as Light Resistance.
Light Resistance may cost me my Treasures.
Therefore, avoid military buildup.
Grief is the only Victor.
70
My words are very easy to understand, very easy to practice.
The World is unable to understand, unable to practice.
Words have a history, Deeds have a master.
Alas, only because of ignorance am I misunderstood.
Those who understand me are rare.
Those who imitate me are honorable.
Thus does the Wise Man bear rags on his back and Jade in his heart.
71
Understanding without Knowledge is Transcendence.
Knowledge without Understanding is an affliction.
Only by recognizing the affliction, are you not afflicted.
The Wise Man is not afflicted,
because he recognizes the affliction.
Thus he is not afflicted
72
When people do not respect authority, a greater authority appears.
Do not invade their homes.
Do not complicate their lives.
Only when they are not wearied, will they not be weary.
Thus is the Wise Man self-aware, but not self-absorbed;
self-confident, but not self-centered.
Therefore, give up the latter for the former.
73
Courage to act means death.
Courage not to act means life.
Of these two, one brings profit and one brings ruin, which Heaven loathes.
Who knows the reason why.
Heaven's Way is to succeed without struggle,
to respond without words,
to summon without commands.
Worship properly, but plan well.
Heaven's net is all-embracing.
Its mesh is wide, but overlooks nothing.
74
People do not fear Death.
If it cannot be avoided, why should Death be feared ?
It would seem that if people normally fear Death, and behave badly,
I should capture and execute them.
Who would dare ?
Normally, government executioners do the killing.
Now, to replace them is to substitute for skilled professionals.
In doing so, take care not to injure your own hand.
75
People are starving,
because their leaders consume too much in taxes;
that is why they are starving.
People are difficult to govern,
because of what their leaders do;
that is why they are difficult to govern.
People treat Death lightly,
because the demands of Life are so great;
that is why they treat Death lightly.
Meanwhile, those who do nothing to support themselves
are more esteemed than honorable lives.
76
At birth, a man is soft and weak.
At death, he is strong and powerful.
From grass to trees, all things begin life weak and frail.
At death, they are withered and dry.
Therefore, the Strong and Powerful are disciples of Death.
The Soft and Weak are disciples of Life.
Thus military strength does not ensure Victory.
A tree's strength is like the army;
the Big and Strong decline,
the Soft and Weak prevail.
77
Heaven's Way is like bending a bow.
The High are lowered and the Low are raised.
The excess is diminished, and the deficiency is repaired.
Heavens way is to reduce the excess and repair the deficiency.
Man's way is not correct,
to decrease the deficient and increase the excessive.
Whoever can accumulate excess should offer it to the World.
This is the only Way.
Thus does the wise man govern and not exploit,
accomplish the results and not remain.
It is not his desire to be considered Wise.
78
Under Heaven, nothing is so soft and weak as water;
but it attacks the strong and powerful, and none can withstand it.
Nothing can change this.
Weak triumphs over Strong, Soft triumphs over Hard.
Under Heaven there is no one who does not know this,
but no one is able to practice it.
Thus does the wise man say:
bear the Country's Humiliation, to be Sovereign of the Soil and the Grain;
accept that the Country is not auspicious, to be King under Heaven.
True words seem a paradox.
79
In resolving great Enmity, some hatred is sure to remain.
How can this be good ?
Thus does the wise man assume the debt, and not blame others.
There is Virtue in taking Responsibility.
There is no Virtue in taking everything.
Heaven's Way is impartial, but generally favors good men.
80
A small country with few people,
who are allowed the use of their Uncles' tools;
but they don't use them.
Let people honor the dead and not move far away.
Although there are boats and carriages, none are used.
Although there are excellent weapons, none are displayed.
Let people return to the use of reckoning cords from here on;
be pleased with their food, satisfied with their clothing,
content in their homes, and happy with their customs.
Adjacent lands within sight of each other,
within the sound of each other's chickens and dogs;
where people live long lives, and die never having met.
81
True words are not flattering.
Flattering words are not true.
The Good do not argue.
One who argues is not Good.
The wise are not learned.
The learned are not wise.
The wise man does not hoard.
The more he does for others, the more he has.
The more he does with others, the better he becomes.
Heaven's Way is to help, not harm.
The wise man's Way is to act without strife.Source Materials
English_Kunesh_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
English adaption by
tom kunesh
1
The atheism that one can come to
by argument
is not true atheism.
A definition given to atheism in one age
is not the unchanging atheism
nor its permanent meaning.
From the original experience
