In fondness for people, governing a nation
Is the ability to be absent of action equal?
In opening and closing the gate of heavens
Is the ability to be absent of femaleness equal?
In seeing clearly all four reaches
Is the ability to be absent from knowledge equal?
Be giving birth, be nourishing.
Giving birth yet without possessing
Acting yet without sustaining
Growing yet without directing
Is appropriately called insightful ideal.
11
Thirty spokes converge at one hub
The use of a chariot is in the presence of what is absent
Shaping clay, it happens to act as a vessel
The use of a vessel is in the presence of what is absent
Cutting doors and windows to have it act as a room
The use of a room is in the presence of what is absent.
So
Where there is presence beneficial actions happen
Where there is absence useful actions happen.
12
Five colors blind the eye of man
Five tones deafen the ear of man
Five flavors chafe the mouth of man
Racing and hunting inspire the mind of man to express craziness
Goods difficult to obtain hamper the path of man.
Appropriately it happens
That sages act from the center without acting from the eyes.
So detach from that, grab this.
13
Favor and disgrace look alarming.
The treasure of great danger looks like the body.
Why say favor and disgrace look alarming?
Favor acts superior
Disgrace acts inferior
Being obtained it looks alarming
Being lost it looks alarming
Appropriately say favor and disgrace look alarming.
Why say the treasure of great danger looks like the body?
I place the occurrence of things of great danger
As action of I in the presence of a body.
I reach the absence of a body
I am present with what danger?
Appropriately say the treasure of great danger looks like the body.
So treasuring it when the body acts in the world
It looks like one can be committed to the world.
Being fond of it when the body acts in the world
It looks like one can be entrusted to the world.
14
Being observed, lacking sight
Say the name smooth
Being listened to, lacking hearing
Say the name rare
Being pounced on, lacking obtainment
Say the name small.
That which these three describes cannot be resolved
So they mingle yet act as one.
What is high lacks brightness
What is low lacks darkness
Restrictions and restraints cannot be named
Return, merge with, relate to the absence of things.
It is an appropriate action to call it
The absence of being shape's shape
The absence of being thing's form.
It is appropriately called ungraspable, elusive
Moving toward it there is no seeing a head
Following it there is no seeing a tail.
Holding the tao of the ancients
Warding off presence of the now happens
The ability to know the ancient beginnings
Is appropriately called a bond to tao.
15
Those ancients who valued action in the tao
Were insightful, versatile, far-reaching, coherent.
Penetrating, one cannot understand
In the end it is only that one cannot understand
So there is more than appears to their actions.
So resigned, like fording a river in winter
Just so, like respecting all four neighbors
So reserved, like making an appearance
So melting, like ice halfway released
So genuine, like their true nature
So spacious, like a valley
So well mixed, like muddy water.
Who is able to gently calm muddy water, clearing it?
Who is able to endure gently stirring tranquillity so it gives birth?
Those who maintain this tao have no desire for fullness
In the end only lack fullness
So be able to be shabby yet perfect the new.
16
Taking emptiness to the limit
Observing stillness genuinely
Regarding the 10000 things as side-by-side
It happens that I view the return.
In the end things grow and flourish
Each returns, merging with its root.
Merging with the root, say still
Appropriately it is called returning to giving birth.
Returning to giving birth, say entireness
Knowing entireness say illuminated
Without knowing entireness presumptuously do the faminous.
Knowing entireness is tolerance
Tolerance leads to impartiality
Impartiality leads to kingliness
Kingliness leads to the heavens
The heavens lead to tao
Tao leads to what is long-lasting.
Be without a body, lack danger.
17
The very highest, little knowledge is present of it
That next is attached to yet praised
That next is respected
That next is despised.
Where there is belief without enough within
A lack of believing what is within is present.
So remote, those treasure words
Outstanding service performed, efforts successful
the one hundred families say
We did it naturally.
18
Great tao discarded, a presence of humanity, morality
Wisdom and intelligence come out, a presence of great pretense
Families lack harmony, a presence of filial devotion and mothering
The nation's emperor blinded, confused, a presence of loyal servants.
19
Break away from sageliness, toss out wisdom
People benefit one hundred times over
Break away from humanity, toss out morality
People return to filial devotion and mothering
Break away from valuing, toss out profit
Thieves and robbers are not in existence.
These three used as a basis for action are ornament, insufficient.
So make present what principles?
See plainness
Embrace true nature
Reduce self-interest
Limit desires.
20
Break off from studying, there is an absence of grief.
Being individual or pandering to each other
How do these differ?
Valuing or hating each other
What is the difference?
It looks like one cannot lack respect for what others put respect in
Such reckless desertion!
It is not yet centered, this way.
Collective mind is bright and sunny, gay and prosperous
Like enjoying a sacrificial ox
Like ascending a tower in springtime.
The self alone, so moored!
is not yet divined on the tortoise-shell
Like being a baby-child before it smiles.
Unattached, so unattached
The self looks absent of a place to merge.
In the collective mind each is present of a surplus
Yet the self alone appears to offer as a gift.
The self is foolish, men's minds are also this way
Unclear, so unclear.
Customs of men are clear, obvious
The self alone is dark, indistinct
Customs of men are curious, scrutinizing
The self alone is tightly closed, t off.
So indifferent, it looks like the ocean
Such a gusty wind, it looks ceaseless.
In the collective mind each possesses a cause
Yet the self alone seems stubborn and rustic
The self alone differs from relating to men
Yet treasures nourishment in relating to the mother.
21
An aperture is the appearance of the ideal
Only tao is appropriately followed.
The action of tao on things,
Only elusive, only ungraspable.
So ungraspable, so elusive
At its center, the presence of form
So elusive, so ungraspable
At its center, the presence of things
So secluded, so hard to see
At its center, the presence of belief.
From ancient times reaching into the present its name does not depart
Experience of the collective beginning happens.
Why do I happen to know the shape of the collective beginning is this way?
It just happens.
22
Flexibility, then comes wholeness
Being twisted, then comes straightness
Emptiness, then comes fullness
Shabbiness, then comes newness
Scarcity, then comes obtainment
Abundance, then comes perplexity.
Appropriately it happens that sages
Embrace oneness
Act as the model of the world
Are not showing themselves so they are luminous
Are not justifying themselves so they are conspicuous
Are not boasting of themselves so outstanding service is performed
Are not bragging of themselves so they grow
In the end only lack contending
So noone in the world is able to be contending with them.
In ancient times there was a saying,
That which is flexible becomes whole.
How can these be empty words?
The essence, whole yet being merged together.
23
Rare words are natural.
So the fluttering winds do not last all morning
The sudden rainstorm does not last all day.
Who is it that acts this way?
Heavens and earth.
Heavens and earth still lack the ability for longevity
Yet what relates to men is equal to this state ofthings?
So follow effort in things related to tao
Be together with relating to tao
Follow effort in things related to the ideal
Be together with relating to the ideal
Follow effort in things related to losing
Be together with relating to losing.
What is together with things related to tao
Tao also obtains joyfully
What is together with things related to the ideal
The ideal also obtains joyfully
What is together with things related to losing
Losing also obtains joyfully.
Belief without enough within
A lack of belief in what is within happens.
24
Those on tiptoe are not standing firmly
Those who stride are not moving
Those who show themselves are not luminous
Those who justify themselves are not conspicuous
Those who boast of themselves are not of outstanding service
Those who brag of themselves are not growing.
They that join tao also say
Surplus food and redundant actions are somehow disliked
So those present with tao are not dwelling there.
25
A presence of a thing mixed completely
Before the birth of heavens and earth
So lonely, so deserted
Standing alone yet without deviating
Working everywhere yet lacking danger
Action of the mother of the world can happen.
I have no knowledge of its name
Giving a word, I say tao.
Stubbornly trying to name it I say great
Great, I say passing by
Passing by, I say far-reaching
Far-reaching, I say returning.
So tao is great, heavens are great, earth is great
Kings are also great.
In the center of the universe are four greatnesses
Yet kings stand still, blending them into one.
Man is an offshoot of earth
Earth is an offshoot of the heavens
The heavens are an offshoot of tao
Tao is an offshoot of the natural.
26
Heaviness acts as root of lightness
Stillness acts as sovereign of agitation.
Appropriately it happens
That sages travel throughout the day
Without departing from heavy or light
Even though fabulous views are present
They dwell in great comfort and go about like this.
How would one be lord of 10000 war-chariots
Yet have a body which is light in the world?
Following lightness comes loss of the root
Following agitation comes loss of the sovereign.
27
Valuing going is absent of trace
Valuing words are absent of flaw or censure
With valuing reckoning, counters or policies are not used.
What is valuably t
Is absent of a barrier yet cannot be opened
What is valuably tied
Is absent of restraint or restriction yet cannot be untied.
Appropriately it happens that sages
Entirely valuing help others, so others are not thrown away
Entirely valuing help things, so things are not thrown away.
Appropriately called following the luminance.
So those who value others teach those who lack valuing others
Those who lack valuing others are a resource of those who value others.
Without treasuring a teacher, or without loving a resource
Even the wise have great misconception.
Appropriately called an important subtlety.
28
Know what is male
Keep to what is female
Act as the ravine of the world.
Acting as the ravine of the world
The ideal entirely lacks separation
Return, merge with, relate to a newborn child.
Know what is white
Keep to what is black
Act as the model of the world.
Acting as the model of the world
The ideal entirely lacks error
Return, merge with, relate to an absence of reaching limits.
Know what is honorable
Keep to what is humiliating
Act as the valley of the world.
Acting as the valley of the world
The ideal entirely becomes sufficient
Return, merge with, relate to true nature.
True nature broken and scattered
Next comes action as tools
Being used by sages
Next comes action as mediums for growth.
In this way great tailors are not cutting.
29
It is attained, the desire to grab the world yet be acting on it
I see it has not been satisfied yet
The world, a spirited tool, cannot act either.
Those who act are spoiling
Those who take hold of are losing.
So of things
Some lead and some follow
Some gust and some puff lightly
Some are strong and some thin
Some support and some destroy.
Appropriately it happens that sages are
Apart from extremes
Apart from extravagance
Apart from excess.
30
When it happens that tao assists men and lords
The force of the soldier is not in the world.
What takes effort is likely to return.
Briars and thorns grow within the dwelling place of the army
Behind a great military comes the seed for a faminous year.
Those who value
Achieve results yet stop
Are without venturing to strive to hold
Achieve results yet do not brag
Achieve results yet do not boast
Achieve results yet do not be arrogant
Achieve results yet without being done
Achieve results yet do not strive.
Things reach the prime and then are old?
Appropriately called not in accordance with tao
