22
Yield and remain whole
Bend and remain straight
Be low and become filled
Be worn out and become renewed
Have little and receive
Have much and be confused
Therefore the sage holds to the one as an example for the world
Without flaunting oneself - and so is seen clearly
Without presuming oneself - and so is distinguished
Without praising oneself - and so has merit
Without boasting about oneself - and so is lasting
Because he does not contend, the world cannot contend with him
What the ancients called "the one who yields and remains whole"
Were they speaking empty words?
Sincerity becoming whole, and returning to oneself
To yield, when the situation requires yielding, is to remain whole. To bend, like flexible bamboo in the wind, is to remain straight.
To be low is to be filled - just as lowly places tend to be filled with water. To be worn out is to be renewed.
If you don't have much, you are in a position to receive or obtain more; if you have a lot, you are more likely to experience confusion.
Therefore, the sage embraces the unity of the one true Tao, to set a standard and serve as an example for everyone.
The sage does not flaunt, show off, or make himself or herself highly visible in anyway. Ironically, this makes the sage unique, and therefore conspicuous.
The sage does not presume upon his or her own correctness. This distinguishes him or her in a world with so many presumptuous blowhards.
The sage does not praise his or her own efforts. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the sage ends up with the credit he or she deserves.
The sage does not brag or boast about his or her own prowess. There is no need to when he or she possesses true staying power.
Because the sage does not contend or get defensive, others cannot contend with him or her - there is nothing to attack.
The sage is what the ancients meant when they talked about the one who yields and remains whole - surely they were not speaking idly of empty words!
The sage achieves integrity and wholeness through sincere effort - thereby returning the virtues to himself or herself.
23
Sparse speech is natural
Thus strong wind does not last all morning
Sudden rain does not last all day
What makes this so? Heaven and earth
Even heaven and earth cannot make it last
How can humans?
Thus those who follow the Tao, are with the Tao
Those who follow virtue, are with virtue
Those who follow loss, are with loss
Those who are with the Tao, the Tao is also pleased to have them
Those who are with virtue, virtue is also pleased to have them
Those who are with loss, loss is also please to have them
Those who do not trust sufficiently, others have no trust in them
To speak sparingly emulates nature, and is therefore natural.
For instance, an unusually strong windstorm will not persist the entire morning.
In the same way, an unusually sudden downpour will not continue the entire day.
What makes these things the way they are? Heaven and earth - nature.
If even heaven and earth cannot make events last indefinitely, then how can human beings? This is why we say that too much talk goes against nature.
Those who follow the Tao will identify with the Tao and become one with it. Similarly, those who practice virtues will identify with virtues and become one with them; those who pursue loss will identify with loss and become one with it.
The working of the universe is indifferent and will give you exactly what you seek. If you are one with the Tao, the Tao will happily accept you. If you identify with virtues, the virtues will be equally pleased to embrace you. If your path leads to the loss of the Tao and virtues, that loss will welcome you just as gladly.
Because of this karmic cause and effect, we can see that those who distrust others and have no faith in people, are also the ones that people find most untrustworthy.
24
Those who are on tiptoes cannot stand
Those who straddle cannot walk
Those who flaunt themselves are not clear
Those who presume themselves are not distinguished
Those who praise themselves have no merit
Those who boast about themselves do not last
Those with the Tao call such things leftover food or tumors
They despise them
Thus, those who possesses the Tao do not engage in them
The one who stands on tiptoes, in order to raise himself or herself above others, cannot stand for long. The one who straddles in an exaggerated gait cannot walk any significant distance for long.
The one who shows off himself or herself will, ironically, not be clearly perceived by others. The one who thinks he or she is always right will not be considered respectable or admirable by others.
The one who incessantly praises himself or herself is not the person with true merit. The one who is always bragging about his or her achievements is not the person with lasting power.
Those who are on the path of Tao speak of such things as if they were leftover food or useless growth, like a tumor. They despise such things and regard them with contempt. This is why those who possess the Tao do not engage in such activities. They do not show off, presume, or boast.
25
There is something formlessly created
Born before Heaven and Earth
So silent! So ethereal!
Independent and changeless
Circulating and ceaseless
It can be regarded as the mother of the world
I do not know its name
Identifying it, I call it "Tao"
Forced to describe it, I call it great
Great means passing
Passing means receding
Receding means returning
Therefore the Tao is great
Heaven is great
Earth is great
The sovereign is also great
There are four greats in the universe
And the sovereign occupies one of them
Humans follow the laws of Earth
Earth follows the laws of Heaven
Heaven follows the laws of Tao
Tao follows the laws of nature
There is something that is formless, shapeless and non-physical, and yet also complete and perfect. Whatever it is, this "thing" existed before the universe came into being.
How silent, tranquil and still! How ethereal, empty and boundless! It is completely independent and self-sufficient. Its nature is eternal and unchanging. Its functions circulate within every level of existence without ever stopping. Because it is the source of all creation, we can consider it to be the mother of all things.
I do not know its name; I do not even know that it has a name. In order to identify it, I reluctantly call it the arbitrary name "Tao." If I were forced to describe it, I would have to say it is great beyond compare. Being great, it is always in a state of transition. Being perpetually in motion, it seems to recede far away from us. Being far away, it returns again to us. This great circle is the nature of Tao.
Therefore, the Tao is great. Heaven and Earth, being manifestations of the Tao, are also great. A leader who manifests the Tao, and can serve as an example for the people, is also great. He or she occupies one of the four aspects of greatness.
The universe is an orchestrated symphony, where human beings follow the laws of the land in which they live. At a level above this, the Earth follows the laws of astronomy - the rules that govern the motions of heavenly bodies. The cosmos in turn follow the patterns of the Tao at a macroscopic level. Ultimately, the Tao itself follows natural laws, which arise from the Tao process. This underscores the self-sufficiency and self-completeness of the Tao.
26
Heaviness is the root of lightness.
Quietness is the master of restlessness
Therefore the sage travels the entire day
Without leaving the heavy supplies
Even though there are luxurious sights
He is composed and transcends beyond
How can the lord of ten thousand chariots
Applies himself lightly to the world?
To be light is to lose one's root
To be restless is to lose one's mastery
Heaviness, or gravitas, lies at the root of human affairs. Lightness, or gaiety, dances carelessly above them. Those who are quiet, unmoved, deliberate and composed possess power over those who are noisy, restless, impulsive and impatient.
Therefore, the sage traverses the Tao an entire day without ever losing track of the essentials of life. Even though there are many colorful sights of luxuries along the way, the sage recognizes them as illusory, and so remains perfectly composed and unmoved, transcending beyond the temptation.
How, then, can the king, who rules the force of ten thousand war chariots, treat lightly the serious task of governing the kingdom?
To be "light," in this context, is to be disconnected from the important foundation of life. In a similar way, being restless or unstable is to lose one's power of mastery - the power of the true self!
27
Good traveling does not leave tracks
Good speech does not seek faults
Good reckoning does not use counters
Good closure needs no bar and yet cannot be opened
Good knot needs no rope and yet cannot be untied
Therefore sages often save others
And so do not abandon anyone
They often save things
And so do not abandon anything
This is called following enlightenment
Therefore the good person is the teacher of the bad person
The bad person is the resource of the good person
The one who does not value his teachers
And does not love his resources
Although intelligent, he is greatly confused
This is called the essential wonder
Skilled travelers in the journey of life follow the path of nature. They do not force their way through obstacles or trample over the paths of other travelers. Therefore, they leave no signs of their passing. Similarly, those who are skillful in the art of conversation do not use words to highlight the faults of others. Such actions breed contention - and conflicts leave many tracks indeed!
There are those who are good at capturing people's attention, imagination, and heart. They do not need to lock people in to keep them around. People would naturally not wish to leave. They can also be skillful in bonding with people. When they have connected with people at a deep level, it is a bond that is stronger than any knots tied with ropes.
This is how sages deal with people. Because of their genuine virtue, they maintain a captive audience without having to physically force anyone to be present. They cherish everyone and all things, and it becomes clear to the people that the sage would never abandon them. This is part of the powerful bond that the sage naturally establishes with others.
One reason why sages don't give up on anyone is that everyone plays a role in the overall stage of life. Everyone has an impact on everyone else, and it is up to an individual to make use of that impact. A good person can serve as a teacher and be a great example for us to emulate. Not-so-good individuals is just as useful, because we can observe the negative consequences of their negative actions, and learn from that as what not to do.
In this way, the sages see everyone as valuable teachers or resources. They do not praise the good people and condemn the bad, because they feel genuine love and affection for all of them. Most of us are not quite that way - we quickly develope likes and dislikes, preferences and aversions in dealing with others. We lack the ability to deal everyone with the same degree of universal love that sages possess; we can only look upon this essential aspect of their character with a sense of wonder.
Perhaps one day, when we have reached a certain level of cultivation, we can also possess the essential wonder of universal love. When that happens, we will no longer see people we despise - only people who represent certain aspects of the greater oneness that is also us.
28
Know the masculine, hold to the feminine
Be the watercourse of the world
Being the watercourse of the world
The eternal virtue does not depart
Return to the state of the infant
Know the white, hold to the black
Be the standard of the world
Being the standard of the world
The eternal virtue does not deviate
Return to the state of the boundless
Know the honor, hold to the dishonor
Be the valley of the world
Being the valley of the world
The eternal virtue shall be sufficient
Return to the state of plain wood
Plain wood splits, then becomes tools
The sages utilize them
And then become leaders
Thus the greater whole is undivided
29
Those who wish to take the world and control it
I see that they cannot succeed
The world is a sacred instrument
One cannot control it
The one who controls it will fail
The one who grasps it will lose
Because all things:
Either lead or follow
Either blow hot or cold
Either have strength or weakness
Either have ownership or take by force
Therefore the sage:
Eliminates extremes
Eliminates excess
Eliminates arrogance
There are those who want to meddle with the world, or the environment. They want to control it, manipulate it, and interfere with it.
What I observe is that they cannot possibly achieve what they desire. The world is a sacred thing, beyond the insignificant power of mere mortals.
None of us can control the world. Those who try will fail, and those who hang on to it and refuse to let go will still lose their grip.
In nature, all things live in balance with one another. Some of them lead while others follow. Some blow air to impart warmth, while others do so to cool things down. Some are strong, while others are weak. Some occupy their own niche in the environment, while others survive by force and violence.
Because the Tao is all about balance, the sage, seeking to emulate nature, will seek the same balance through moderation. He or she will elminate from his or her life anything that is extreme or intemperate. The sage will also avoid any excess or wasteful extravagance. And lastly, the sage will let go of thoughts and behaviors that are arrogant or ego-driven.
30
The one who uses the Tao to advise the ruler
Does not dominate the world with soldiers
Such methods tend to be returned
The place where the troops camp
Thistles and thorns grow
Following the great army
