All the others have a superabundance I alone seem to have missed out. Oh my simpleton's mind! So confused.
Ordinary men are so bright I alone am so dull. Ordinary men are so sharp I alone am so stupid. Churned up like the ocean, blown about, like someone with no place to rest.
All the others all have their function I alone am thick-headed, like someone from the back country." I am alone, different from others - treasuring the nourishing Mother.
21
The impression made by magnificent Te comes only from Tao.
Tao is a something but elusive, but evasive. Evasive, elusive, inside it lies the mind's true form. Elusive, evasive, inside it lies something substantial. Shadowy, dim. Inside it lies vital energy. This energy is very strong inside it lies true genuineness.
From ancient times until today Its name has not been forgotten allowing us to see the beginnings of everything.
How do I recognize the form of the beginnings of everything? By this low in the cycle of Change, which is Love and Beauty. How do I know this? By my comprehension of the Dao.
22
"Bent - then mature." Compromised - then upright Empty - then solid old and spent - then young and sprightly. A little - then a gain a lot - then confusing.
And so the Wise Person: Embraces The One Thing, and becomes the Shepherd of the World.
He does not show off, so he shines he does not promote himself, so he becomes famous he does not boast of himself, so he gets the credit he does not glorify himself, so he becomes leader.
He just does not contend and so no one can contend with him.
What the ancients said: "bent - then mature," is this an empty saying? This is true maturity, turn back to it.
23
Speaking little is what is natural. Yes: A whirlwind does not blow a whole morning a downpour does not fall a whole day.
And who causes these things? - Heaven and Earth. If even Heaven and Earth cannot make things last very long, how much less can man.
Yes: One devoted to Tao: Is a Tao man, merges with Tao is a Te man, merges with Te is a man left out, merges with What Is Left Out.
One who merges with Tao, Tao welcomes him one who merges with Te, Te welcomes him one who merges with What Is Left Out, What Is Left Out welcomes him.
When sincerity does not suffice, it was not sincerity.
24
"A person on tiptoe is not firmly planted a person in a rush will not go far."
One who shows off will not shine one who promotes himself won't become famous
one who boasts of himself will get no credit one who glorifies himself will not become leader.
In Tao this is called 'Stuffing oneself','overdoing it.' Things seem to detest this, so the ambitious man does not dwell here.
25
There was a chaotic something, yet lacking nothing born before Heaven and Earth. Alone. Still. Standing alone, unchanging. Revolving, endlessly. It can be thought of as Mother of the World.
I do not know its name, one can call it 'Tao.' The name of its powerful presence: One can call it 'The Great One.'
Great means going forth going forth means going far away going far away means turning back.
Yes: Tao is great Heaven is great Earth is great (the king is also great in the universe there are four great ones and the king takes his place as one of them).
Earth gives the rule for people Heaven gives the rule for Earth Tao gives the rule for Heaven the rule for Tao: things as they are.
26
Heaviness is the root of lightness Stillness is the master of agitation.
And so the Wise Person: Travels all day, not departing from the heavy baggage wagon although there are grand sights, he sits calmly aloof.
Why is this? A 10,000-chariot lord, mindful of his self takes the world lightly.
Light, then lose the Root agitated, then lose the mastery.
27
Excellent traveling: no tracks or traces Excellent speaking: no blemish or blame. Excellent counting does not use counting slips.
Excellent locking: no bolt or bar, but the door cannot be opened. Excellent tying: no cord or rope, but the knots cannot be undone.
And so the Wise Person: Always Excels at rescuing people and so does not turn anyone away. Always Excels at resolving things and so does not turn away from anything. This is called 'being clothed in Clarity.'
The Excellent person is the teacher of the person who is not Excellent. The person who is not Excellent is material for the Excellent person.
Not to treasure one's teacher not to love one's material, though 'smart,' is a great mistake. This is an important secret.
28
Be familiar with Masculinity but watch over Femininity - and become the Valley of the World. Being the Valley of the World, invariant Te will not leave you. Turn back to being an infant.
Be familiar with what is pure and white but watch over what is dark and black - and become the Pattern for the World. Being the Pattern for the World, your invariant Te Will be constant. Turn back to being limitless.
Be familiar with what is praiseworthy but watch over what is disgraceful - and become the Valley of the World. Being the Valley of the World, your invariant Te will be sufficient. Turn back to being an Uncarved Block.
When the Uncarved Block is cut up then it becomes a government tool. When the Wise Person instead uses it then it becomes head of the government Yes: A great carver does no cutting, a great ruler makes no rules.
29
When someone wants to take over the world and do some work on it, I can see he won't be able.
The world is a spirit-thing, it can't be 'worked' on. One who works ruins one who grasps loses.
Yes, things: Sometimes they will go ahead, sometimes follow after sometimes they will be snorting wildly sometimes breathing easily sometimes they will be strong, sometimes weak sometimes they will break, sometimes destroy.
And so the Wise Person: Avoids excess, avoids extravagance, avoids being grandiose.
30
One who assists the people's rulers with Tao does not use weapons to force changes in the world. "Such action usually backfires."
Where troops camp, thorns and brambles grow.
Excellence consists in: Being resolute, that is all not venturing to take control by force
being resolute, but not boastful being resolute, but not overbearing being resolute, but not arrogant being resolute, when you have no choice being resolute, but not forcing.
Things are vigorous, then grow old and weak: A case of 'not-Tao.' Not-Tao, soon gone.
31
'Fine weapons' are ill-omened instruments. Things seem to detest them so the ambitious man does not dwell here.
"The gentleman at home favours the left when at war he favours the right."
Weapons are ill-omened instruments not instruments for the gentleman he uses them when he has no choice. What is calm and quiet is highest.
When victorious, he does not think this a fine thing because to think it fine is to delight in slaughtering people. One who delights in slaughtering people cannot achieve his purposes in the world.
"In fortunate times, prefer the left in mourning, prefer the right." The lower officer takes his stand on the left the higher officer takes his stand on the right. This says: He takes his stand as at a mourning ceremony.
At the slaughter of such masses of men, he weeps for them, mourning and lamenting. When victorious in the battle - he takes his stand as at a mourning ceremony.
When you begin making decisions and cutting it up, rules and names appear. And once names appear; you should know to stop. Knowing to stop, you can be without fear.
32
Tao will always be nameless, an Uncarved Block although it is a thing of no account, no one in the world can make it his subject.
If the princes and kings could watch over It, the thousands of things would on their own be as deferential as guests.
Heaven and Earth would join together to send sweet dew. The people on their own would share equally without anyone giving orders.
A comparison: Tao's presence in the world is like the relation of small river valleys to the Yang-tze and the ocean.
33
One who understands others is clever one who understands himself has Clarity.
One who wins out over others has power one who wins out over himself is strong.
One who is content is wealthy one strong in his practice is self-possessed.
One who does not leave his place is lasting one who dies and does not perish is truly long lived.
34
Great Tao drifts - it can go right or go left.
The thousands of things depend on it for life, it rejects nothing. It achieves successes, but does not hold tight to the fame. It clothes and feeds the thousands of things but does not act the ruler.
Always: Desiring nothing, it can be called 'of no account.'
The thousands of things turn back to it but it does not act the ruler - it can be called 'Great'
Because in the end it does not insist on its own greatness, yes, it is able to achieve its full greatness.
35
Grasp the Great Image and the world will come it will come and not be harmed - a great peace and evenness.
or music and cakes, passing strangers stop
Tao flowing from the lips - flat. No taste to it. Look for it: you will not be satisfied looking listen for it: you will not be satisfied listening put it into practice: you will not be satisfied stopping.
36
When you want to shrink something you must always enlarge it. When you want to weaken something you must always strengthen it. When you want to neglect something you must always involve yourself with it. When you want to deprive something you must always give to it.
This is called 'Subtle Clarity.' Softness and Weakness overcome what is hard and strong.
"The fish must not leave the depths the state's 'sharp weapons' must not be shown to others."
37
Tao invariably Does Nothing, and nothing remains not done
If the princes and kings can watch over it the thousands of things will change by themselves.
Not being disgraced, they will be still. The world will order itself.
38
The finest Te is not Te-like, so it is Te the poorest Te never leaves off being Te-like, so it is not Te.
The finest Te: no working at it, no goal in mind the poorest Te: people work at it, with a goal in mind.
The finest Goodness: People work at it, but with no goal in mind the finest Morality': People work at it, with a goal in mind the finest Etiquette: People work at it, and, when none pay attention, they roll up their sleeves and go on the attack.
Yes: Losing Tao, next comes Te losing Te, next comes Goodness losing Goodness, next comes Morality losing Morality, next comes Etiquette.
And now Etiquette is loyalty and sincerity spread thin and the first sign of disorders. Foreknowledge is the flower of Tao and the beginning of folly.
And so the great man: Resides with the substance does not stay with what is thin. Resides with the fruit does not stay with the flower. Yes: He leaves 'that' aside and attends to 'this.'
39
Those that of old got The One Thing: The sky got The One Thing, and by this became clear. The earth got The One Thing, and by this became steady. The spirits got The One Thing, and by this obtained their powers.
The rivers got The One Thing, and by this became full. The thousands of things got The One Thing, and by this came to life. The princes and kings got The One Thing, and by this became the Standard for the World. This is how things came about.
The sky, without what makes it clear, is likely to crack. The earth, without what makes it steady, is likely to quake. The spirits, without what gives them powers, are likely to vanish.
The rivers, without what makes them full are likely to dry up. The thousands of things, without what gives them life, are likely to perish. The princes and kings, without what makes them eminent and noble, are likely to fall.
Yes, the eminent takes the common and ignored as a root the noble takes the lowly as a foundation.
And so, the princes and kings call themselves 'the orphan ... ,' 'the poor ... ,' 'the destitute ... is this not using the common and ignored as a root Is it not so?
Yes, enumerate the carriage parts - still not a carriage.
He doesn't wish to glitter and glitter like jade he falls like a stone, falling into oblivion.
40
Turning Back is Tao movement being Weak is Tao practice.
"The thousands of things in the world are born of Being" Being is born of Nothing.
41
"When the best shih hears Tao, he puts out great effort to practice it. When the average shih hears Tao, he will keep it sometimes, and sometimes forget about it.
When the poorest shih hears Tao, he just has a big laugh." If he does not laugh, it must not quite be Tao.
Yes, the 'Well-Founded Sayings' has it: The bright Tao seems dark the Tao going forward seems to be going backward the smooth Tao seems rough. The loftiest Te seems like a valley great purity seems sullied abundant Te seems insufficient
Well-founded Te seems flimsy what is pure and natural seems faded the best square has no corners A great bronze takes long to finish great music has a delicate sound the Great Image has no shape.
Tao is something concealed, nameless. It is just Tao, good at sustaining a person and completing him.
42
Tao produced The One The One produced Two Two produced Three Three produced the thousands of things.
The thousands of things: Turn their backs on the quiet and dark and embrace the aggressive and bright. An Empty ch'i brings Harmony.
What people look down upon: to be orphaned, poor, destitute. But the kings and princes make these names into titles.
Yes, things: Sometimes you reduce them, and they are enlarged sometimes you enlarge them, and they are reduced.
What another has taught, I also teach: "A violent man will not reach his natural end." I will make of this the father of my teaching.
43
The Softest thing in the world rides right over the Hardest things in the world. What-has-No-Being enters what-leaves-no-opening. This makes me realize the advantage of Not Doing.
Teaching done by not talking the advantage gained by Not Doing - few things in the world can match this.
44
Your fame or your self, which is closer to you? Your self or your possessions, which counts for more? Gaining or losing, which brings the pain?
Indeed: Very fond, much expended much hoarding, heavy loss.
